Winner 54th Academy Awards
The 1981 file: winners first, ballot trails on demand, and the films that shaped the ceremony.
Year
1981
Nominations
119
Categories Decided
All 30
Top Winner
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Ceremony at a glance
Best Picture went to Chariots of Fire. The winning leader is Raiders of the Lost Ark with 5 wins. The most nominated title is Reds with 12 nominations. 41 winners named across 30 categories.
Most awarded titles
- Raiders of the Lost Ark 5 wins9 nominations
- Chariots of Fire 4 wins7 nominations
- Reds 3 wins12 nominations
- On Golden Pond 3 wins10 nominations
- Arthur 2 wins4 nominations
Best Picture Nominees
The major races
Chariots of Fire took Picture; Raiders of the Lost Ark controlled the board. Picture, Director, Actor and Actress: 4 of 4 decided, 20 nominees in all.
Best Picture Winner
- Atlantic City Denis Heroux | John Kemeny
- On Golden Pond Bruce Gilbert
- Raiders of the Lost Ark Frank Marshall
- Reds Warren Beatty
Best Director Winner
Best Actor Winner
Best Actress Winner
Complete Ceremony Ledger
Every winner and nominee in every category, with film, person and review links.
22 categories119 records41 winners
1 winner5 records
Winner
Chariots of Fire
Credit: David Puttnam
Nominee
Atlantic City
Credit: Denis HerouxJohn Kemeny
Nominee
On Golden Pond
Credit: Bruce Gilbert
Nominee
Nominee
Reds
Credit: Warren Beatty
1 winner5 records
Winner
Reds
Credit: Warren Beatty
Nominee
Atlantic City
Credit: Louis Malle
Nominee
Chariots of Fire
Credit: Hugh Hudson
Nominee
On Golden Pond
Credit: Mark Rydell
Nominee
1 winner5 records
Winner
Nominee
Nominee
Nominee
Nominee
1 winner5 records
Winner
Nominee
Nominee
Nominee
Nominee
1 winner5 records
Winner
Nominee
Nominee
Nominee
Nominee
1 winner5 records
Winner
Nominee
Nominee
Nominee
Nominee
1 winner5 records
Winner
Chariots of Fire
Credit: Colin Welland
Nominee
Absence of Malice
Credit: Kurt Luedtke
Nominee
Arthur
Credit: Steve Gordon
Nominee
Atlantic City
Credit: John Guare
Nominee
Reds
Credit: Warren BeattyTrevor Griffiths
1 winner5 records
Winner
On Golden Pond
Credit: Ernest Thompson
Nominee
Pennies from Heaven
Credit: Dennis Potter
Nominee
Nominee
Ragtime
Credit: Michael Weller
Nominee
1 winner5 records
Winner
Mephisto
Credit: Hungary
Nominee
Man of Iron
Credit: Poland
Nominee
Muddy River
Credit: Japan
Nominee
The Boat Is Full
Credit: Switzerland
Nominee
Three Brothers
Credit: Italy
1 winner5 records
Winner
Chariots of Fire
Credit: Vangelis
Nominee
Dragonslayer
Credit: Alex North
Nominee
On Golden Pond
Credit: Dave Grusin
Nominee
Ragtime
Credit: Randy Newman
Nominee
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Credit: John Williams
1 winner5 records
Winner
Arthur
Credit: Burt BacharachCarole Bayer SagerChristopher CrossPeter Allen
Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)
Nominee
Nominee
Nominee
Nominee
1 winner2 records
Winner
Nominee
Heartbeeps
Credit: Stan Winston
1 winner5 records
Winner
Chariots of Fire
Credit: Milena Canonero
Nominee
Pennies from Heaven
Credit: Bob Mackie
Nominee
Ragtime
Credit: Anna Hill Johnstone
Nominee
Reds
Credit: Shirley Russell
Nominee
1 winner5 records
Winner
Reds
Credit: Vittorio Storaro
Nominee
Excalibur
Credit: Alex Thomson
Nominee
On Golden Pond
Credit: Billy Williams
Nominee
Ragtime
Credit: Miroslav Ondricek
Nominee
1 winner5 records
Winner
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Credit: Michael Kahn
Nominee
Chariots of Fire
Credit: Terry Rawlings
Nominee
On Golden Pond
Credit: Robert L. Wolfe
Nominee
Reds
Credit: Dede AllenCraig McKay
Nominee
1 winner2 records
1 winner5 records
Winner
Nominee
Heaven's Gate
Credit: Tambi LarsenJim Berkey
Nominee
Nominee
Reds
Credit: Richard SylbertMichael Seirton
Nominee
1 winner5 records
Winner
Nominee
Nominee
Brooklyn Bridge
Credit: Ken Burns
Nominee
Nominee
1 winner5 records
Winner
Close Harmony
Credit: Nigel Noble
Nominee
Americas in Transition
Credit: Obie Benz
Nominee
Journey for Survival
Credit: Dick Young
Nominee
Nominee
Urge to Build
Credit: Roland HalléJohn Hoover
1 winner3 records
1 winner3 records
1 winner5 records
Winner
Nominee
Nominee
Nominee
Nominee
Ceremony Highlights
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
Chariots of Fire
Warren Beatty
Katharine Hepburn
Henry Fonda
Maureen Stapleton
John Gielgud
Chariots of Fire
On Golden Pond
Mephisto
Chariots of Fire
Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)
Rick Baker
Milena Canonero
Vittorio Storaro
Michael Kahn
Richard Edlund, Kit West, Bruce Nicholson, Joe Johnston
Art Direction: Norman Reynolds, Leslie Dilley; Set Decoration: Michael Ford
Arnold Schwartzman and Rabbi Marvin Hier, Producers
Nigel Noble, Producer
GORDON E. SAWYER AWARD
Joseph B. Walker
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
Frédéric Back, Producer
Paul Kemp and Shelley Levinson, Producers
Bill Varney, Steve Maslow, Gregg Landaker, Roy Charman
Ben Burtt, Richard L. Anderson
Sortable ledger
Every nomination from this ceremony as a sortable table, for research that needs the raw record beside the posters and winners above.