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1981

Experience over nine decades of the Oscars from 1927 to 2024

The 53rd Academy Awards | 1981
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
Tuesday, March 31, 1981
Honoring movies released in 1980
Highlights
Best Actor
Raging Bull

Robert De Niro

Cinematography
Tess

Geoffrey Unsworth and Ghislain Cloquet

Original Score
Fame

Michael Gore, presented by the Nicholas Brothers

Memorable Moments
Thelma Schoonmaker
Image

Film Editing winner for Raging Bull, with presenters Richard Pryor and Jane Seymour

Timothy Hutton
Image

Supporting Actor winner for Ordinary People

The Empire Strikes Back
Image

A Special Achievement Award for Visual Effects to Brian Johnson, Richard Edlund, Dennis Muren and Bruce Nicholson, with Jack Valenti

WINNERS & NOMINEES
Actor in a Leading Role
Winner
Robert De Niro
Raging Bull
Nominees
Robert Duvall
The Great Santini
Nominees
John Hurt
The Elephant Man
Nominees
Jack Lemmon
Tribute
Nominees
Peter O'Toole
The Stunt Man
Actor in a Supporting Role
Winner
Timothy Hutton
Ordinary People
Nominees
Judd Hirsch
Ordinary People
Nominees
Michael O'Keefe
The Great Santini
Nominees
Joe Pesci
Raging Bull
Nominees
Jason Robards
Melvin and Howard
Actress in a Leading Role
Winner
Sissy Spacek
Coal Miner's Daughter
Nominees
Ellen Burstyn
Resurrection
Nominees
Goldie Hawn
Private Benjamin
Nominees
Mary Tyler Moore
Ordinary People
Nominees
Gena Rowlands
Gloria
Actress in a Supporting Role
Winner
Mary Steenburgen
Melvin and Howard
Nominees
Eileen Brennan
Private Benjamin
Nominees
Eva Le Gallienne
Resurrection
Nominees
Cathy Moriarty
Raging Bull
Nominees
Diana Scarwid
Inside Moves
Art Direction
Winner
Tess
Art Direction: Pierre Guffroy, Jack Stephens
Nominees
Coal Miner's Daughter
Art Direction: John W. Corso; Set Decoration: John M. Dwyer
Nominees
The Elephant Man
Art Direction: Stuart Craig, Bob Cartwright; Set Decoration: Hugh Scaife
Nominees
The Empire Strikes Back
Art Direction: Norman Reynolds, Leslie Dilley, Harry Lange, Alan Tomkins; Set Decoration: Michael Ford
Nominees
Kagemusha (The Shadow Warrior)
Yoshiro Muraki
Cinematography
Winner
Tess
Geoffrey Unsworth, Ghislain Cloquet
Nominees
The Blue Lagoon
Nestor Almendros
Nominees
Coal Miner's Daughter
Ralf D. Bode
Nominees
The Formula
James Crabe
Nominees
Raging Bull
Michael Chapman
Costume Design
Winner
Tess
Anthony Powell
Nominees
The Elephant Man
Patricia Norris
Nominees
My Brilliant Career
Anna Senior
Nominees
Somewhere in Time
Jean-Pierre Dorleac
Nominees
When Time Ran Out
Paul Zastupnevich
Directing
Winner
Ordinary People
Robert Redford
Nominees
The Elephant Man
David Lynch
Nominees
Raging Bull
Martin Scorsese
Nominees
The Stunt Man
Richard Rush
Nominees
Tess
Roman Polanski
Documentary (Feature)
Winner
From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China
Murray Lerner, Producer
Nominees
Agee
Ross Spears, Producer
Nominees
The Day after Trinity
Jon Else, Producer
Nominees
Front Line
David Bradbury, Producer
Nominees
The Yellow Star - The Persecution of the Jews in Europe 1933-45
Bengt von zur Muehlen and Arthur Cohn, Producers
Documentary (Short Subject)
Winner
Karl Hess: Toward Liberty
Karl Hess: Toward Liberty
Nominees
Don't Mess with Bill
John Watson and Pen Densham, Producers
Nominees
The Eruption of Mount St. Helens
George Casey, Producer
Nominees
It's the Same World
Dick Young, Producer
Nominees
Luther Metke at 94
Richard Hawkins and Jorge Preloran, Producers
Film Editing
Winner
Raging Bull
Thelma Schoonmaker
Nominees
Coal Miner's Daughter
Arthur Schmidt
Nominees
The Competition
David Blewitt
Nominees
The Elephant Man
Anne V. Coates
Nominees
Fame
Gerry Hambling
Foreign Language Film
Winner
Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
Nominees
Confidence
Hungary
Nominees
Kagemusha (The Shadow Warrior)
Japan
Nominees
The Last Metro
France
Nominees
The Nest
Spain
Music (Original Score)
Winner
Fame
Michael Gore
Nominees
Altered States
John Corigliano
Nominees
The Elephant Man
John Morris
Nominees
The Empire Strikes Back
John Williams
Nominees
Tess
Philippe Sarde
Music (Original Song)
Winner
Fame
Fame in "Fame" Music by Michael Gore; Lyric by Dean Pitchford
Nominees
Nine to Five
Nine To Five in "Nine to Five" Music and Lyric by Dolly Parton
Nominees
Honeysuckle Rose
On The Road Again in "Honeysuckle Rose" Music and Lyric by Willie Nelson
Nominees
Fame
Out Here On My Own in "Fame" Music by Michael Gore; Lyric by Lesley Gore
Nominees
The Competition
People Alone in "The Competition" Music by Lalo Schifrin; Lyric by Wilbur Jennings
Best Picture
Winner
Ordinary People
Ronald L. Schwary, Producer
Nominees
Coal Miner's Daughter
Bernard Schwartz, Producer
Nominees
The Elephant Man
Jonathan Sanger, Producer
Nominees
Raging Bull
Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff, Producers
Nominees
Tess
Claude Berri, Producer; Timothy Burrill, Co-Producer
Short Film (Animated)
Winner
The Fly
Ferenc Rofusz, Producer
Nominees
All Nothing
Frédéric Back, Producer
Nominees
History of the World in Three Minutes Flat
Michael Mills, Producer
Short Film (Dramatic Live Action)
Winner
The Dollar Bottom
Lloyd Phillips, Producer
Nominees
Fall Line
Bob Carmichael and Greg Lowe, Producers
Nominees
A Jury of Her Peers
Sally Heckel, Producer
Sound
Winner
The Empire Strikes Back
Bill Varney, Steve Maslow, Gregg Landaker, Peter Sutton
Nominees
Altered States
Arthur Piantadosi, Les Fresholtz, Michael Minkler, Willie D. Burton
Nominees
Coal Miner's Daughter
Richard Portman, Roger Heman, Jim Alexander
Nominees
Fame
Michael J. Kohut, Aaron Rochin, Jay M. Harding, Chris Newman
Nominees
Raging Bull
Donald O. Mitchell, Bill Nicholson, David J. Kimball, Les Lazarowitz
Special Achievement Award (Visual Effects)
Winner
The Empire Strikes Back
Brian Johnson, Richard Edlund, Dennis Muren, Bruce Nicholson
Writing (Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium)
Winner
Ordinary People
Alvin Sargent
Nominees
Breaker Morant
Jonathan Hardy, David Stevens, Bruce Beresford
Nominees
Coal Miner's Daughter
Tom Rickman
Nominees
The Elephant Man
Christopher DeVore, Eric Bergren, David Lynch
Nominees
The Stunt Man
Screenplay by Lawrence B. Marcus; Adaptation by Richard Rush
Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen)
Winner
Melvin and Howard
Bo Goldman
Nominees
Brubaker
Screenplay by W. D. Richter; Story by W. D. Richter, Arthur Ross
Nominees
Fame
Christopher Gore
Nominees
Mon Oncle D'Amerique
Jean Gruault
Nominees
Private Benjamin
Nancy Meyers, Charles Shyer, Harvey Miller

A

Agee
1 NOMINATION
  • Documentary (Feature) - Ross Spears, Producer
All Nothing
1 NOMINATION
  • Short Film (Animated) - Frédéric Back, Producer
Altered States
2 NOMINATIONS
  • Music (Original Score) - John Corigliano
  • Sound - Arthur Piantadosi, Les Fresholtz, Michael Minkler, Willie D. Burton

B

The Blue Lagoon
1 NOMINATION
  • Cinematography - Nestor Almendros
Breaker Morant
1 NOMINATION
  • Writing (Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium) - Jonathan Hardy, David Stevens, Bruce Beresford
Brubaker
1 NOMINATION
  • Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen) - Screenplay by W. D. Richter; Story by W. D. Richter, Arthur Ross

C

Coal Miner's Daughter
7 NOMINATIONS, 1 WIN
  • * Actress in a Leading Role - Sissy Spacek
  • Art Direction - Art Direction: John W. Corso; Set Decoration: John M. Dwyer
  • Cinematography - Ralf D. Bode
  • Film Editing - Arthur Schmidt
  • Best Picture - Bernard Schwartz, Producer
  • Sound - Richard Portman, Roger Heman, Jim Alexander
  • Writing (Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium) - Tom Rickman
The Competition
2 NOMINATIONS
  • Film Editing - David Blewitt
  • Music (Original Song) - People Alone in "The Competition" Music by Lalo Schifrin; Lyric by Wilbur Jennings
Confidence
1 NOMINATION
  • Foreign Language Film - Hungary

D

The Day after Trinity
1 NOMINATION
  • Documentary (Feature) - Jon Else, Producer
The Dollar Bottom
1 WIN, 1 NOMINATION
  • * Short Film (Dramatic Live Action) - Lloyd Phillips, Producer
Don't Mess with Bill
1 NOMINATION
  • Documentary (Short Subject) - John Watson and Pen Densham, Producers

E

The Elephant Man
8 NOMINATIONS
  • Actor in a Leading Role - John Hurt
  • Art Direction - Art Direction: Stuart Craig, Bob Cartwright; Set Decoration: Hugh Scaife
  • Costume Design - Patricia Norris
  • Directing - David Lynch
  • Film Editing - Anne V. Coates
  • Music (Original Score) - John Morris
  • Best Picture - Jonathan Sanger, Producer
  • Writing (Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium) - Christopher DeVore, Eric Bergren, David Lynch
The Empire Strikes Back
4 NOMINATIONS, 2 WINS
  • * Sound - Bill Varney, Steve Maslow, Gregg Landaker, Peter Sutton
  • * Special Achievement Award (Visual Effects) - Brian Johnson, Richard Edlund, Dennis Muren, Bruce Nicholson
  • Art Direction - Art Direction: Norman Reynolds, Leslie Dilley, Harry Lange, Alan Tomkins; Set Decoration: Michael Ford
  • Music (Original Score) - John Williams
The Eruption of Mount St. Helens
1 NOMINATION
  • Documentary (Short Subject) - George Casey, Producer

F

Fall Line
1 NOMINATION
  • Short Film (Dramatic Live Action) - Bob Carmichael and Greg Lowe, Producers
Fame
6 NOMINATIONS, 2 WINS
  • * Music (Original Score) - Michael Gore
  • * Music (Original Song) - Fame in "Fame" Music by Michael Gore; Lyric by Dean Pitchford
  • Film Editing - Gerry Hambling
  • Music (Original Song) - Out Here On My Own in "Fame" Music by Michael Gore; Lyric by Lesley Gore
  • Sound - Michael J. Kohut, Aaron Rochin, Jay M. Harding, Chris Newman
  • Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen) - Christopher Gore
The Fly
1 WIN, 1 NOMINATION
  • * Short Film (Animated) - Ferenc Rofusz, Producer
The Formula
1 NOMINATION
  • Cinematography - James Crabe
From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China
1 WIN, 1 NOMINATION
  • * Documentary (Feature) - Murray Lerner, Producer
Front Line
1 NOMINATION
  • Documentary (Feature) - David Bradbury, Producer

G

Gloria
1 NOMINATION
  • Actress in a Leading Role - Gena Rowlands
The Great Santini
2 NOMINATIONS
  • Actor in a Leading Role - Robert Duvall
  • Actor in a Supporting Role - Michael O'Keefe

H

History of the World in Three Minutes Flat
1 NOMINATION
  • Short Film (Animated) - Michael Mills, Producer
Honeysuckle Rose
1 NOMINATION
  • Music (Original Song) - On The Road Again in "Honeysuckle Rose" Music and Lyric by Willie Nelson

I

Inside Moves
1 NOMINATION
  • Actress in a Supporting Role - Diana Scarwid
It's the Same World
1 NOMINATION
  • Documentary (Short Subject) - Dick Young, Producer

J

A Jury of Her Peers
1 NOMINATION
  • Short Film (Dramatic Live Action) - Sally Heckel, Producer

K

Kagemusha (The Shadow Warrior)
2 NOMINATIONS
  • Art Direction - Yoshiro Muraki
  • Foreign Language Film - Japan
Karl Hess: Toward Liberty
1 WIN, 1 NOMINATION
  • * Documentary (Short Subject) - Karl Hess: Toward Liberty

L

The Last Metro
1 NOMINATION
  • Foreign Language Film - France
Luther Metke at 94
1 NOMINATION
  • Documentary (Short Subject) - Richard Hawkins and Jorge Preloran, Producers

M

Melvin and Howard
3 NOMINATIONS, 2 WINS
  • * Actress in a Supporting Role - Mary Steenburgen
  • * Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen) - Bo Goldman
  • Actor in a Supporting Role - Jason Robards
Mon Oncle D'Amerique
1 NOMINATION
  • Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen) - Jean Gruault
Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears
1 WIN, 1 NOMINATION
  • * Foreign Language Film - Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
My Brilliant Career
1 NOMINATION
  • Costume Design - Anna Senior

N

The Nest
1 NOMINATION
  • Foreign Language Film - Spain
Nine to Five
1 NOMINATION
  • Music (Original Song) - Nine To Five in "Nine to Five" Music and Lyric by Dolly Parton

O

Ordinary People
6 NOMINATIONS, 4 WINS
  • * Actor in a Supporting Role - Timothy Hutton
  • * Directing - Robert Redford
  • * Best Picture - Ronald L. Schwary, Producer
  • * Writing (Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium) - Alvin Sargent
  • Actor in a Supporting Role - Judd Hirsch
  • Actress in a Leading Role - Mary Tyler Moore

P

Private Benjamin
3 NOMINATIONS
  • Actress in a Leading Role - Goldie Hawn
  • Actress in a Supporting Role - Eileen Brennan
  • Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen) - Nancy Meyers, Charles Shyer, Harvey Miller

R

Raging Bull
8 NOMINATIONS, 2 WINS
  • * Actor in a Leading Role - Robert De Niro
  • * Film Editing - Thelma Schoonmaker
  • Actor in a Supporting Role - Joe Pesci
  • Actress in a Supporting Role - Cathy Moriarty
  • Cinematography - Michael Chapman
  • Directing - Martin Scorsese
  • Best Picture - Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff, Producers
  • Sound - Donald O. Mitchell, Bill Nicholson, David J. Kimball, Les Lazarowitz
Resurrection
2 NOMINATIONS
  • Actress in a Leading Role - Ellen Burstyn
  • Actress in a Supporting Role - Eva Le Gallienne

S

Somewhere in Time
1 NOMINATION
  • Costume Design - Jean-Pierre Dorleac
The Stunt Man
3 NOMINATIONS
  • Actor in a Leading Role - Peter O'Toole
  • Directing - Richard Rush
  • Writing (Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium) - Screenplay by Lawrence B. Marcus; Adaptation by Richard Rush

T

Tess
6 NOMINATIONS, 3 WINS
  • * Art Direction - Art Direction: Pierre Guffroy, Jack Stephens
  • * Cinematography - Geoffrey Unsworth, Ghislain Cloquet
  • * Costume Design - Anthony Powell
  • Directing - Roman Polanski
  • Music (Original Score) - Philippe Sarde
  • Best Picture - Claude Berri, Producer; Timothy Burrill, Co-Producer
Tribute
1 NOMINATION
  • Actor in a Leading Role - Jack Lemmon

W

When Time Ran Out
1 NOMINATION
  • Costume Design - Paul Zastupnevich

Y

The Yellow Star - The Persecution of the Jews in Europe 1933-45
1 NOMINATION
  • Documentary (Feature) - Bengt von zur Muehlen and Arthur Cohn, Producers
No Films Found