2008 (81st Annual Awards)
Nominations and Winners
Listed below are the Academy Award nominations and winners for the year 2008. The
symbol appears next to the winner in each category. 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 and winners from that year.
Best Picture
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Kennedy/Marshall Production; Paramount and Warner Bros. Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Ceán Chaffin, Producers.Frost/Nixon, Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment and Working Title Production; Universal. (UK, France, USA) Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Eric Fellner, Producers.Milk, Groundswell and Jinks/Cohen Company Production; Focus Features. Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen, Producers.The Reader, Mirage Enterprises and Neunte Babelsberg Film GmbH Production; The Weinstein Company. (Germany, USA) Anthony Minghella, Sydney Pollack, Donna Gigliotti and Redmond Morris, Producers.Slumdog Millionaire, Celador Films Production; Fox Searchlight. (UK, India) Christian Colson, Producer.Actor in a Leading Role
Richard Jenkins in The Visitor, Groundswell, Participant, Next Wednesday Production; Overture Films.Frank Langella in Frost/Nixon, Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment and Working Title Production; Universal. (UK, France, USA)Brad Pitt in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Kennedy/Marshall Production; Paramount and Warner Bros.Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler, Protozoa Pictures/Wild Bunch Production; Fox Searchlight. (USA, France)Actress in a Leading Role
Kate Winslet in The Reader, Mirage Enterprises and Neunte Babelsberg Film GmbH Production; The Weinstein Company. (Germany, USA)Actor in a Supporting Role
Robert Downey, Jr. in Tropic Thunder, Red Hour Production; DreamWorks, distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount. (USA, UK, Germany)Michael Shannon in Revolutionary Road, Evamere Entertainment, BBC Films and Neal Street Production; DreamWorks, distributed by Paramount Vantage. (USA, UK)Actress in a Supporting Role
Penélope Cruz in Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Weinstein Company Production; The Weinstein Company. (Spain, USA)Taraji P. Henson in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Kennedy/Marshall Production; Paramount and Warner Bros.Marisa Tomei in The Wrestler, Protozoa Pictures/Wild Bunch Production; Fox Searchlight. (USA, France)Directing
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Kennedy/Marshall Production; Paramount and Warner Bros. David Fincher.Frost/Nixon, Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment and Working Title Production; Universal. (UK, France, USA) Ron Howard.The Reader, Mirage Enterprises and Neunte Babelsberg Film GmbH Production; The Weinstein Company. (Germany, USA) Stephen Daldry.Animated Feature Film
Kung Fu Panda, DreamWorks Animation LLC Production; DreamWorks Animation, distributed by Paramount. John Stevenson and Mark Osborne.Art Direction-Set Decoration
Changeling, Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment Production; Universal. Art direction by James J. Murakami; set decoration by Gary Fettis.The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Kennedy/Marshall Production; Paramount and Warner Bros. Art direction by Donald Graham Burt; set decoration by Victor J. Zolfo.The Dark Knight, Cape Road Limited Production; Warner Bros. (USA, UK) Art direction by Nathan Crowley; set decoration by Peter Lando.The Duchess, Qwerty Films/Magnolia Mae Films in association with Pathé Renn and BIM Distribuzione Production; Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films. (UK, Italy, France, USA) Art direction by Michael Carlin; set decoration by Rebecca Alleway.Revolutionary Road, Evamere Entertainment, BBC Films and Neal Street Production; DreamWorks, distributed by Paramount Vantage. (USA, UK) Art direction by Kristi Zea; set decoration by Debra Schutt.Cinematography
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Kennedy/Marshall Production; Paramount and Warner Bros. Claudio Miranda.The Reader, Mirage Enterprises and Neunte Babelsberg Film GmbH Production; The Weinstein Company. (Germany, USA) Chris Menges and Roger Deakins.Costume Design
Australia, 20th Century Fox/Bazmark Film 2 Pty Ltd Production; 20th Century Fox. (UK, Australia, USA) Catherine Martin.The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Kennedy/Marshall Production; Paramount and Warner Bros. Jacqueline West.The Duchess, Qwerty Films/Magnolia Mae Films in association with Pathé Renn and BIM Distribuzione Production; Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films. (UK, Italy, France, USA) Michael O’Connor.Revolutionary Road, Evamere Entertainment, BBC Films and Neal Street Production; DreamWorks, distributed by Paramount Vantage. (USA, UK) Albert Wolsky.Documentary
(Feature)
The Betrayal (Nerakhoon), Pandinlao Films Production; Cinema Guild. Ellen Kuras and Thavisouk Phrasavath.Encounters at the End of the World, Creative Differences Production; THINKFilm and Image Entertainment. Werner Herzog and Henry Kaiser.Man on Wire, Wall to Wall in association with Red Box Films Production; Magnolia Pictures. (UK, USA) James Marsh and Simon Chinn.(Short Subject)
The Final Inch, Vermilion Films in association with Google.org Production. Irene Taylor Brodsky and Tom Grant.The Witness—From the Balcony of Room 306, Rock Paper Scissors Production. Adam Pertofsky and Margaret Hyde.Film Editing
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Kennedy/Marshall Production; Paramount and Warner Bros. Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall.Frost/Nixon, Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment and Working Title Production; Universal. (UK, France, USA) Mike Hill and Dan Hanley.Foreign Language Film
The Baader Meinhof Complex, Constantin Film Production. (Germany, France, Czech Republic) Germany.The Class, Haut et Court Production; Sony Pictures Classics. (France) France.Departures, Departures Film Partners Production; Regent Releasing. (Japan) Japan.Revanche, Prisma Film/Fernseh Production; Janus Films. (Austria) Austria.Waltz with Bashir, Bridgit Folman Film Gang Production; Sony Pictures Classics. (Israel, France, Germany, USA, Finland, Switzerland, Belgium, Australia) Israel.Makeup
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Kennedy/Marshall Production; Paramount and Warner Bros. Greg Cannom.The Dark Knight, Cape Road Limited Production; Warner Bros. (USA, UK) John Caglione, Jr. and Conor O’Sullivan.Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Universal Pictures Production; Universal. (USA, Germany, Hungary) Mike Elizalde and Thom Floutz.Music
(Original Score)
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Kennedy/Marshall Production; Paramount and Warner Bros. Alexandre Desplat.(Original Song)
Down to Earth from WALL-E, Pixar Animation Studios Production; Walt Disney. Music by Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman; lyric by Peter Gabriel.Jai Ho from Slumdog Millionaire, Celador Films Production; Fox Searchlight. (UK, India) Music by A. R. Rahman; lyric by Gulzar.O Saya from Slumdog Millionaire, Celador Films Production; Fox Searchlight. (UK, India) Music and lyric by A. R. Rahman and Maya Arulpragasam.Short Films
(Animated)
Lavatory—Lovestory, Melnitsa Animation Studio and CTB Film Company Production. (Russia) Konstantin Bronzit.Oktapodi, Gobelins, l’école de l’image Production; Talantis Films. (France) Emud Mokhberi and Thierry Marchand.(Live Action)
Auf der Strecke (On the Line), Academy of Media Arts Cologne Production; Hamburg ShortFilmAgency. (Switzerland, Germany) Reto Caffi.Manon on the Asphalt, La Luna Production; La Luna Productions. (France) Elizabeth Marre and Olivier Pont.New Boy, Zanzibar Films Production; Network Ireland Television. (Ireland) Steph Green and Tamara Anghie.Sound Editing
Iron Man, Marvel Studios Production; Paramount and Marvel Entertainment. Frank Eulner and Christopher Boyes.Slumdog Millionaire, Celador Films Production; Fox Searchlight. (UK, India) Glenn Freemantle and Tom Sayers.Wanted, Universal Pictures and Spyglass Entertainment Production; Universal. (USA, Germany) Wylie Stateman.Sound Mixing
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Kennedy/Marshall Production; Paramount and Warner Bros. David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Mark Weingarten.The Dark Knight, Cape Road Limited Production; Warner Bros. (USA, UK) Lora Hirschberg, Gary A. Rizzo and Ed Novick.Slumdog Millionaire, Celador Films Production; Fox Searchlight. (UK, India) Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke and Resul Pookutty.Wanted, Universal Pictures and Spyglass Entertainment Production; Universal. (USA, Germany) Chris Jenkins, Frank A. Montaño and Petr Forejt.Visual Effects
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Kennedy/Marshall Production; Paramount and Warner Bros. Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton and Craig Barron.The Dark Knight, Cape Road Limited Production; Warner Bros. (USA, UK) Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Tim Webber and Paul Franklin.Iron Man, Marvel Studios Production; Paramount and Marvel Entertainment. John Nelson, Ben Snow, Dan Sudick and Shane Mahan.Writing
(Adapted Screenplay)
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Kennedy/Marshall Production; Paramount and Warner Bros. Screenplay by Eric Roth; screen story by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord.Frost/Nixon, Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment and Working Title Production; Universal. (UK, France, USA) Screenplay by Peter Morgan.The Reader, Mirage Enterprises and Neunte Babelsberg Film GmbH Production; The Weinstein Company. (Germany, USA) Screenplay by David Hare.Slumdog Millionaire, Celador Films Production; Fox Searchlight. (UK, India) Screenplay by Simon Beaufoy.(Original Screenplay)
Happy-Go-Lucky, Thin Man Films/Simon Channing Williams Production; Miramax Films. (UK) Written by Mike Leigh.Milk, Groundswell and Jinks/Cohen Company Production; Focus Features. Written by Dustin Lance Black.WALL-E, Pixar Animation Studios Production; Walt Disney. Screenplay by Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon; original story by Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter.Honorary Award
To Mark Kimball in appreciation for outstanding service and dedication in upholding the high standards of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. [ [John A. Bonner Medal of Commendation]]Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award
Gordon E. Sawyer Award
NOTE: The Gordon E. Sawyer Award was presented at the Scientific and Technical Awards ceremony on February 7, 2009, in the Ballroom of the Beverly Wilshire Hotel.
Scientific and Technical Award
(Scientific and Engineering Award)
To Erwin Melzner for the overall concept including the optical and cooling systems, Volker Schumacher for the optical design, and Timo Müller for the mechanical design, of the Arrimax 18/12 lighting fixture for use in motion picture production. With its choice of vari-focus and specular reflectors, the superior optical and mechanical design of this lighting fixture allows it to operate at 18,000 watts, producing unsurpassed light quality while its innovative cooling system keeps the housing safe to touch.To Jacques Delacoux for the concept and electronic design, and Alexandre Leuchter for the software and electronic design, of the Transvideo video-assist monitors for the motion picture industry. Using color LCD screens, the Transvideo monitors provide flicker-free video assist bright enough for use in sunlight and have become a ubiquitous tool in both spherical and anamorphic cinematography.To Bruno Coumert and Jacques Debize for the optical design, and Dominique Chervin and Christophe Reboulet for the mechanical design, of the compact and lightweight Angenieux 15-40 and 28-76 zoom lenses for handheld motion picture photography. With focus and zoom functions that can be easily controlled by either the operator or focus puller while filming handheld, these lightweight zoom lenses demonstrate a very high degree of engineering, supporting both ease of use and quick interchange.(Technical Achievement Award)
To Steve Hylén for the concept and his continued leadership in the further development of the Hylén Lens System for motion picture effects photography. When attached to a film or digital production camera, this versatile aerial image device can produce a wide variety of optical effects interactively, on set and in real time without post-production image manipulation.NOTE: The Scientific and Technical Awards were presented at their own ceremony on February 7, 2009, in the Ballroom of the Beverly Wilshire Hotel.