Best Picture Winner Set
Chariots of Fire
David Puttnam
Open race ledger
Oscar Ledger Year Dossier
54th Dossier
The 1981 file for 54th Academy Awards: winners first, ballot trails on demand, and the films that shaped the ceremony.
Year
1981
Best Picture
Chariots of Fire
Winner Record
41/30
Top Winner
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Annual Thesis
Chariots of Fire took Picture; Raiders of the Lost Ark controlled the board.
This dossier opens with the four races readers check first: Picture, Director, Actor, and Actress. 4 of 4 major races have winners recorded, with 20 major-field records feeding into the full 41/30 ceremony ledger below.
4major races
20major-field records
4/4winners recorded
Best Director Winner Set
Warren Beatty
Reds
Open race ledger
Best Actor Winner Set
Henry Fonda
On Golden Pond
Open race ledger
Best Actress Winner Set
Katharine Hepburn
On Golden Pond
Open race ledgerCeremony Snapshot
A live, winner-driven snapshot of this ceremony.
Best Picture went to Chariots of Fire. The winning leader is Raiders of the Lost Ark with 5 wins.
Best Picture
Raiders of the Lost Ark
5 wins | 9 nominations
Chariots of Fire
4 wins | 7 nominations
Reds
3 wins | 12 nominations
On Golden Pond
3 wins | 10 nominations
Arthur
2 wins | 4 nominations
Categories settled and marked as winners in the ledger.
The ceremony's top prize, updated dynamically from the winner row.
5 wins across the ceremony.
12 nominations in this ceremony.
Best Picture Nominees
The shortlist most readers look for first: 5 Best Picture nominees from this ceremony.
Major Races
The Four Races That Shape the Night
A fast editorial scan of Picture, Director, Actor, and Actress before the full ceremony ledger opens out below.
Best Picture Winner
Chariots of Fire
Best Picture anchors a 5-nominee field.
Nominee Field
- Atlantic City Denis Heroux | John Kemeny
- On Golden Pond Bruce Gilbert
- Raiders of the Lost Ark Frank Marshall
- Reds Warren Beatty
Best Director Winner
Warren Beatty
Best Director anchors a 5-nominee field.
Nominee Field
Best Actor Winner
Henry Fonda
Best Actor anchors a 5-nominee field.
Nominee Field
Best Actress Winner
Katharine Hepburn
Best Actress anchors a 5-nominee field.
Nominee Field
Complete Ceremony Ledger
Fast view shows every category and winner first, with nominee groups linked to the full ballot when you need the deep ledger.
22 categories
119 records
41 winners
Nominees summarized for speed
Category
Best Picture
1 winner / 5 records
4 nominees summarized
Open Full Category Ballot
Winner
Chariots of Fire
Credit: David Puttnam
Category
Best Director
1 winner / 5 records
4 nominees summarized
Open Full Category Ballot
Winner
Reds
Credit: Warren Beatty
Category
Best Actress
1 winner / 5 records
4 nominees summarized
Open Full Category Ballot
Winner
Category
Best Actor
1 winner / 5 records
4 nominees summarized
Open Full Category Ballot
Winner
Category
Best Supporting Actress
1 winner / 5 records
4 nominees summarized
Open Full Category Ballot
Winner
Category
Best Supporting Actor
1 winner / 5 records
4 nominees summarized
Open Full Category Ballot
Winner
Category
WRITING (Original Screenplay)
1 winner / 5 records
4 nominees summarized
Open Full Category Ballot
Winner
Chariots of Fire
Credit: Colin Welland
Category
WRITING (Adapted Screenplay)
1 winner / 5 records
4 nominees summarized
Open Full Category Ballot
Winner
On Golden Pond
Credit: Ernest Thompson
Category
INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM
1 winner / 5 records
4 nominees summarized
Open Full Category Ballot
Winner
Mephisto
Credit: Hungary
Category
MUSIC (Original Score)
1 winner / 5 records
4 nominees summarized
Open Full Category Ballot
Winner
Chariots of Fire
Credit: Vangelis
Category
MUSIC (Original Song)
1 winner / 5 records
4 nominees summarized
Open Full Category Ballot
Winner
Arthur
Credit: Burt BacharachCarole Bayer SagerChristopher CrossPeter Allen
Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)
Category
MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
1 winner / 2 records
1 nominee summarized
Open Full Category Ballot
Winner
Category
COSTUME DESIGN
1 winner / 5 records
4 nominees summarized
Open Full Category Ballot
Winner
Chariots of Fire
Credit: Milena Canonero
Category
CINEMATOGRAPHY
1 winner / 5 records
4 nominees summarized
Open Full Category Ballot
Winner
Reds
Credit: Vittorio Storaro
Category
FILM EDITING
1 winner / 5 records
4 nominees summarized
Open Full Category Ballot
Winner
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Credit: Michael Kahn
Category
VISUAL EFFECTS
1 winner / 2 records
1 nominee summarized
Open Full Category Ballot
Category
ART DIRECTION
1 winner / 5 records
4 nominees summarized
Open Full Category Ballot
Category
DOCUMENTARY (Feature)
1 winner / 5 records
4 nominees summarized
Open Full Category Ballot
Winner
Category
DOCUMENTARY (Short Subject)
1 winner / 5 records
4 nominees summarized
Open Full Category Ballot
Winner
Close Harmony
Credit: Nigel Noble
Category
SHORT FILM (Animated)
1 winner / 3 records
2 nominees summarized
Open Full Category Ballot
Winner
Crac
Credit: Frédéric Back
Category
SHORT FILM (Live Action)
1 winner / 3 records
2 nominees summarized
Open Full Category Ballot
Winner
Violet
Credit: Paul KempShelley Levinson
Category
SOUND MIXING
1 winner / 5 records
4 nominees summarized
Open Full Category Ballot
Ceremony Highlights
Poster-first highlights from this ceremony, led by winners and the titles that defined the night.
Winner Chariots of Fire
Winner On Golden Pond
Winner Arthur
Winner Reds
Winner Raiders of the Lost Ark
Winner Genocide
Winner Close Harmony
Winner Mephisto
Winner An American Werewolf in London
Winner Crac
Winner Violet
Absence of Malice
Atlantic City
Only When I Laugh
Ragtime
The French Lieutenant's Woman
Heaven's Gate
Excalibur
Categories in this ceremony
Best Actor
Best Supporting Actor
Best Actress
Best Supporting Actress
ART DIRECTION
Best Picture
CINEMATOGRAPHY
COSTUME DESIGN
Best Director
DOCUMENTARY (Feature)
DOCUMENTARY (Short Subject)
FILM EDITING
GORDON E. SAWYER AWARD
HONORARY AWARD
INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM
IRVING G. THALBERG MEMORIAL AWARD
JEAN HERSHOLT HUMANITARIAN AWARD
MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
MUSIC (Original Score)
MUSIC (Original Song)
SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL AWARD (Academy Award of Merit)
SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL AWARD (Scientific and Engineering Award)
SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL AWARD (Technical Achievement Award)
SHORT FILM (Animated)
SHORT FILM (Live Action)
SOUND MIXING
SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD (Sound Effects Editing)
VISUAL EFFECTS
WRITING (Adapted Screenplay)
WRITING (Original Screenplay)
Winner Circle
A category-by-category winner roll call generated directly from the ceremony ledger.
Best Picture
Winner
Chariots of Fire
Best Director
Winner
Warren Beatty
Best Actress
Winner
Katharine Hepburn
Best Actor
Winner
Henry Fonda
Best Supporting Actress
Winner
Maureen Stapleton
Best Supporting Actor
Winner
John Gielgud
Chariots of Fire
WRITING (Adapted Screenplay)
Winner
On Golden Pond
INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM
Winner
Mephisto
MUSIC (Original Score)
Winner
Chariots of Fire
MUSIC (Original Song)
Winner
Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)
MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
Winner
Rick Baker
COSTUME DESIGN
Winner
Milena Canonero
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Winner
Vittorio Storaro
FILM EDITING
Winner
Michael Kahn
VISUAL EFFECTS
Winner
Richard Edlund, Kit West, Bruce Nicholson, Joe Johnston
ART DIRECTION
Winner
Art Direction: Norman Reynolds, Leslie Dilley; Set Decoration: Michael Ford
DOCUMENTARY (Feature)
Winner
Arnold Schwartzman and Rabbi Marvin Hier, Producers
DOCUMENTARY (Short Subject)
Winner
Nigel Noble, Producer
GORDON E. SAWYER AWARD
Winner
GORDON E. SAWYER AWARD
Joseph B. Walker
HONORARY AWARD
Winner
Barbara Stanwyck
Albert R. Broccoli
Danny Kaye
SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL AWARD (Academy Award of Merit)
Fuji Photo Film Company Ltd.
SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL AWARD (Scientific and Engineering Award)
EDWARD J. BLASKO and RODERICK T. RYAN
SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL AWARD (Scientific and Engineering Award)
Leonard Sokolow and HOWARD T. LaZARE
SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL AWARD (Scientific and Engineering Award)
Nelson Tyler
Richard Edlund and Industrial Light And Magic Incorporated
Richard Edlund and Industrial Light And Magic Incorporated
SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL AWARD (Technical Achievement Award)
BILL HOGAN
SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL AWARD (Technical Achievement Award)
BILL TAYLOR
DENNIS MUREN and STUART ZIFF
SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL AWARD (Technical Achievement Award)
Dr. Louis Stankiewicz and H. L. Blachford
SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL AWARD (Technical Achievement Award)
ERNST F. NETTMANN
SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL AWARD (Technical Achievement Award)
Hal Landaker and Alan D. Landaker
SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL AWARD (Technical Achievement Award)
JOHN DeMUTH
SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL AWARD (Technical Achievement Award)
PETER D. PARKS
SHORT FILM (Animated)
Winner
Frédéric Back, Producer
SHORT FILM (Live Action)
Winner
Paul Kemp and Shelley Levinson, Producers
SOUND MIXING
Winner
Bill Varney, Steve Maslow, Gregg Landaker, Roy Charman
Ben Burtt, Richard L. Anderson
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