His first feature film was Bleak Moments (1971), which won the Grand Prix at Chicago and Locarno Film Festivals.  This was followed by the full-length television films, Hard Labour (1973), Nuts in May (1975), The Kiss of Death (1976), Who's Who (1978), Grown Ups (1980), Home Sweet Home (1982), Meantime (1983) and Four Days in July (1984), which was shot entirely on location in Belfast.

 His recent feature films High Hopes (1988), Life is Sweet (1990) and Naked (1992), have been highly successful internationally, all winning numerous prestigious awards, including Best Director for Naked at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival.

 In May 1996, shortly after shooting Career Girls, Mike Leigh took his previous film Secrets and Lies to the Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Palme d’Or and Best Actress for Brenda Blethyn.  Secrets and Lies has since gone on to be Mike Leigh's biggest commercial hit to date, grossing almost $40 million internationally by February 1997.

Secrets and Lies has won many other awards, including a Golden Globe for Brenda Blethyn, the LA Critics’ Awards for Best Film, Director and Actress and on February 11 received five Oscar nominations.

Mike Leigh has also written and directed over twenty stage plays, including Babies Grow Old (RSC, 1974), Abigail's Party (Hampstead Theatre/BBC, 1977) Ecstasy (Hampstead Theatre, 1979), Goose-Pimples (Hampstead/Garrick Theatres, 1981), Greek Tragedy (Belvoir Street Theatre, Sydney, Australia, 1989) and It's a Great Big Shame! (Theatre Royal, Stratford East, 1993).

He formed Thin Man Films with producer Simon Channing in 1989.

He was awarded the OBE in 1993.

Filmography:
Bleak Moments (1971) - 115min
- Chicago 1972 Grand prix (Golden Hugo)
- Locarno 1972 Grand prix (Golden Leopard)

Hard Labour (1973) - 80min

The Birth of the Goalie of the 2001 F.A.Cup Final (1975) - 5min

Old Chums (1975) - 5min

Probation (1975) - 5min

Afternoon (1975) - 5min

A Light Snack (1975) - 5min

The Permissive Society (1975) - 30min

Knock for Knock (1976) - 30min

Nuts in May (1975) - 80min

The Kiss of Death (1976) - 80min

Abigail's Party (1977) - 104min

Who's Who (1978) - 80min

Grown-Ups (1980) - 90min

Home Sweet Home (1982) - 90min

Meantime (1983) - 90min
- Berlin 1984 (Forum):
People's prize

Four Days in July (1984) - 96min

The Short and Curlies (1987) - 18min
- Cork 1988:
Best Short

High Hopes (1988) - 110min
- Venice 1988 Critics' prize
- London Evening Standard 1988:
Peter Sellers Best Comedy Award
- European Film awards 1988:
European film of the year
Best Actress (Ruth Sheen)
Best Supporting Actress (Edna Dore)
Best Music (Andrew Dickson)

Life is Sweet (1991) - 102min
- Europcinema Academia Italiana 1991:
Best Film
- Taormina 1991:
Best Film
Maschera Di Polifermo (awarded for first time to whole cast)
- Geneva 1992 Stars de Demain:
Best Actress (Ciaire Skinner)
- National Film Critics of America 1992:
Best Actress (Alison Steadman)
Best Supporting Actress (Jane Horrocks)
- LA 1992 Film Critics:
Best Actress (Jane Horrocks)

A Sense of History (1992) 28min
- Clermont Ferrand 1993:
Best Short Film

Naked (1993) - 126min
- Cannes 1993:
Best Director
Best Actor (David Thewlis)
- Toronto 1993:
Metro Media Award
- San Sebastian 1993:
Author '93 Jury Award
- Haguesund 1993
Best European Film cinequest
- TV Ontario 1993:
Best Foreign Film
- Geneva 1993 Stars de Demain:
Best European Feminine Hope (Katrin Cartlidge)
- New York Film Critics Circle Awards:
Best Actor (David Thewlis)
- Boston Society of Film Critics:
Best Actor, runner up (David Thewlis)
- National Society of Film Critics - USA:
Best Actor (David Thewlis)
- Stockholm Film Festival:
Mont Blanc Award for Best Original Screenplay
- London Evening Standard Awards 1994:
Best Actor (David Thewlis)

Secrets and Lies (1995) - 142min
- Cannes 1996:
Palme d’Or
Best Actress (Brenda Blethyn)
Fipresci International Critics Award
Ecumenical Festival Award
- Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards 1996:
Best Picture
Best Director
Best Actress (Brenda Blethyn)
- Camerimage 1996:
Gold Medal (Dick Pope)
- Sydney Film Festival 1996:
Most Popular Film
Best Film
- Critics Poll Golden Globe Awards 1997:
Best Actress (Brenda Blethyn)
Also nominated for Best Supporting Actress (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) and Best Film
- South Bank Show Award for Cinema 1996:
-French Critics Prize for Best Foreign Film 1996