1981 (54th Annual Awards)
Nominations by Film

Listed below are the films nominated for Academy Awards in 1981. Beneath each film are the categories for which the film was nominated. The symbol appears next to those categories it ultimately won. Click on the name of a film, person or song in the list to display more information about that film, person or song. Or, click on a year in the column on the right to display the nominations by film for that year.

Absence of Malice, Mirage Enterprises Production; Columbia.

Actor in a Leading Role. Paul Newman.

Actress in a Supporting Role. Melinda Dillon.

Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen). Kurt Luedtke.

Against Wind and Tide: A Cuban Odyssey, Seven League Productions, Inc.

Documentary (Feature). Suzanne Bauman, Paul Neshamkin and Jim Burroughs, Producers.

An American Werewolf in London, Lycanthrope/PolyGram/Universal Pictures Production; Universal. (UK, USA)

Makeup. Rick Baker.

Americas in Transition, Americans in Transition, Inc.

Documentary (Short Subject). Obie Benz, Producer.

Arthur, Rollins, Joffe, Morra and Brezner Production; Orion.

Actor in a Leading Role. Dudley Moore.

Actor in a Supporting Role. John Gielgud.

Music (Original Song). “Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)”. Music and lyric by Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager, Christopher Cross and Peter Allen.

Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen). Steve Gordon.

Atlantic City, International Cinema Corporation Production; Paramount. (France, Canada, USA)

Best Picture. Denis Heroux and John Kemeny, Producers.

Actor in a Leading Role. Burt Lancaster.

Actress in a Leading Role. Susan Sarandon.

Directing. Louis Malle.

Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen). John Guare.

The Boat Is Full, Limbo Film AG Production. (Switzerland, West Germany, Austria)

Foreign Language Film.

Brooklyn Bridge, Florentine Films Production.

Documentary (Feature). Ken Burns, Producer.

Chariots of Fire, Enigma Productions Limited; The Ladd Company/Warner Bros. (UK)

Best Picture. David Puttnam, Producer.

Actor in a Supporting Role. Ian Holm.

Directing. Hugh Hudson.

Costume Design. Milena Canonero.

Film Editing. Terry Rawlings.

Music (Original Score). Vangelis.

Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen). Colin Welland.

Close Harmony, Noble Enterprise.

Documentary (Short Subject). Nigel Noble, Producer.

Couples and Robbers, Flamingo Pictures Ltd. (UK)

Short Films (Live Action). Christine Oestreicher, Producer.

Crac, Société Radio Canada. (Canada)

Short Films (Animated). Frédéric Back, Producer.

The Creation, Will Vinton Productions.

Short Films (Animated). Will Vinton, Producer.

Dragonslayer, Barwood/Robbins Production; Paramount.

Music (Original Score). Alex North.

Visual Effects. Dennis Muren, Phil Tippett, Ken Ralston and Brian Johnson.

Eight Minutes to Midnight: A Portrait of Dr. Helen Caldicott, The Caldicott Project.

Documentary (Feature). Mary Benjamin, Susanne Simpson and Boyd Estus, Producers.

El Salvador: Another Vietnam, Catalyst Media Productions.

Documentary (Feature). Glenn Silber and Tete Vasconcellos, Producers.

Endless Love, Polygram/Universal Pictures/Keith Barish/Dyson Lovell Production; Universal.

Music (Original Song). “Endless Love”. Music and lyric by Lionel Richie.

Excalibur, Orion Pictures Production; Orion.

Cinematography. Alex Thomson.

First Winter, National Film Board of Canada. (Canada)

Short Films (Live Action). John N. Smith, Producer.

For Your Eyes Only, Eon Productions, Ltd.; United Artists. (UK)

Music (Original Song). “For Your Eyes Only”. Music by Bill Conti; lyric by Mick Leeson.

The French Lieutenant’s Woman, Parlon Production; United Artists. (UK)

Actress in a Leading Role. Meryl Streep.

Art Direction-Set Decoration. Art direction by Assheton Gorton; set decoration by Ann Mollo.

Costume Design. Tom Rand.

Film Editing. John Bloom.

Writing (Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium). Harold Pinter.

Genocide, Arnold Schwartzman Productions, Inc.

Documentary (Feature). Arnold Schwartzman and Rabbi Marvin Hier, Producers.

The Great Muppet Caper, Jim Henson/ITC Film Entertainment Limited Production; Universal. (UK, USA)

Music (Original Song). “The First Time It Happens”. Music and lyric by Joe Raposo.

Heartbeeps, Michael Phillips/Universal Pictures Production; Universal.

Makeup. Stan Winston.

Heaven’s Gate, Partisan Productions, Ltd.; United Artists.

Art Direction-Set Decoration. Art direction by Tambi Larsen; set decoration by Jim Berkey.

Journey for Survival, Dick Young Productions, Ltd.

Documentary (Short Subject). Dick Young, Producer.

Man of Iron, Polish Corporation for Film, Unit “X” Production. (Poland)

Foreign Language Film.

Mephisto, Mafilm-Objektiv Studio and Manfred Durniok Production. (West Germany, Hungary, Austria)

Foreign Language Film.

Muddy River, Kimura Production. (Japan)

Foreign Language Film.

On Golden Pond, ITC Films/IPC Films Production; Universal. (UK, USA)

Best Picture. Bruce Gilbert, Producer.

Actor in a Leading Role. Henry Fonda.

Actress in a Leading Role. Katharine Hepburn.

Actress in a Supporting Role. Jane Fonda.

Directing. Mark Rydell.

Cinematography. Billy Williams.

Film Editing. Robert L. Wolfe.

Music (Original Score). Dave Grusin.

Sound. Richard Portman and David Ronne.

Writing (Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium). Ernest Thompson.

Only When I Laugh, Columbia Pictures Production; Columbia.

Actress in a Leading Role. Marsha Mason.

Actor in a Supporting Role. James Coco.

Actress in a Supporting Role. Joan Hackett.

Outland, Ladd Company Production; The Ladd Company. (UK)

Sound. John K. Wilkinson, Robert W. Glass, Jr., Robert M. Thirlwell and Robin Gregory.

Pennies from Heaven, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Herbert Ross/Hera Production; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

Costume Design. Bob Mackie.

Sound. Michael J. Kohut, Jay M. Harding, Richard Tyler and Al Overton.

Writing (Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium). Dennis Potter.

Prince of the City, Orion Pictures/Warner Bros. Production; Orion/Warner Bros.

Writing (Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium). Jay Presson Allen and Sidney Lumet.

Ragtime, Ragtime Production; Paramount.

Actor in a Supporting Role. Howard E. Rollins, Jr..

Actress in a Supporting Role. Elizabeth McGovern.

Art Direction-Set Decoration. Art direction by John Graysmark, Patrizia Von Brandenstein and Anthony Reading; set decoration by George de Titta, Sr., George de Titta, Jr. and Peter Howitt.

Cinematography. Miroslav Ondricek.

Costume Design. Anna Hill Johnstone.

Music (Original Score). Randy Newman.

Music (Original Song). “One More Hour”. Music and lyric by Randy Newman.

Writing (Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium). Michael Weller.

Raiders of the Lost Ark, Lucasfilm, Ltd. Production; Paramount.

Best Picture. Frank Marshall, Producer.

Directing. Steven Spielberg.

Art Direction-Set Decoration. Art direction by Norman Reynolds and Leslie Dilley; set decoration by Michael Ford.

Cinematography. Douglas Slocombe.

Film Editing. Michael Kahn.

Music (Original Score). John Williams.

Sound. Bill Varney, Steve Maslow, Gregg Landaker and Roy Charman.

Special Achievement Award (Sound Effects Editing). Ben Burtt and Richard L. Anderson.

Visual Effects. Richard Edlund, Kit West, Bruce Nicholson and Joe Johnston.

Reds, J.R.S. Production; Paramount.

Best Picture. Warren Beatty, Producer.

Actor in a Leading Role. Warren Beatty.

Actress in a Leading Role. Diane Keaton.

Actor in a Supporting Role. Jack Nicholson.

Actress in a Supporting Role. Maureen Stapleton.

Directing. Warren Beatty.

Art Direction-Set Decoration. Art direction by Richard Sylbert; set decoration by Michael Seirton.

Cinematography. Vittorio Storaro.

Costume Design. Shirley Russell.

Film Editing. Dede Allen and Craig McKay.

Sound. Dick Vorisek, Tom Fleischman and Simon Kaye.

Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen). Warren Beatty and Trevor Griffiths.

See What I Say, Michigan Women Filmmakers Productions.

Documentary (Short Subject). Linda Chapman, Pam LeBlanc and Freddi Stevens, Producers.

The Tender Tale of Cinderella Penguin, National Film Board of Canada. (Canada)

Short Films (Animated). Janet Perlman, Producer.

Three Brothers, Iter Film (Rome)/Gaumont (Paris) Production. (Italy, France)

Foreign Language Film.

Urge to Build, Roland Hallé Productions, Inc.

Documentary (Short Subject). Roland Hallé and John Hoover, Producers.

Violet, The American Film Institute. (Canada, USA)

Short Films (Live Action). Paul Kemp and Shelley Levinson, Producers.