1932 Oscars: Winners and Nominees

22 films were recognised at the 1932 Academy Awards, across 8 categories. 6 of them took home at least one award.

The biggest winner of the year was Cimarron, with 3 awards. The categories below run from Actor, Actress and Art Direction to the smaller prizes, and in every one the winner is listed first, followed by the other nominees.

Each title links to the film's full award history at all four awards, and the links at the bottom step to the previous and next ceremony.

Last updated August 12, 2026

Actor

A Free Soul(1931)
Lionel Barrymore
Winner
Cimarron(1931)
Richard Dix
Skippy(1931)
Jackie Cooper
The Front Page(1931)
Adolphe Menjou
The Royal Family of Broadway(1930)
Fredric March

Actress

Min and Bill(1930)
Marie Dressler
Winner
A Free Soul(1931)
Norma Shearer
Cimarron(1931)
Irene Dunne
Holiday(1930)
Morocco(1930)
Marlene Dietrich

Art Direction

Cimarron(1931)
Winner
Just Imagine(1930)
Stephen Goosson, Ralph Hammeras
Morocco(1930)
Hans Dreier
Svengali(1931)
Anton Grot
Whoopee!(1930)
Richard Day

Best Picture

Cimarron(1931)
RKO Radio
Winner
East Lynne(1931)
Fox
Skippy(1931)
Paramount Publix
The Front Page(1931)
The Caddo Company
Trader Horn(1931)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Cinematography

Tabu: A Story of the South Seas(1931)
Floyd Crosby
Winner
Cimarron(1931)
Edward Cronjager
Morocco(1930)
Lee Garmes
Svengali(1931)
Barney "Chick" McGill
The Right to Love(1930)
Charles Lang

Directing

Skippy(1931)
Norman Taurog
Winner
A Free Soul(1931)
Clarence Brown
Cimarron(1931)
Wesley Ruggles
Morocco(1930)
Josef Von Sternberg
The Front Page(1931)
Lewis Milestone

Writing (Adaptation)

Cimarron(1931)
Howard Estabrook
Winner
Holiday(1930)
Little Caesar(1931)
Francis Faragoh, Robert N. Lee
Skippy(1931)
Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Sam Mintz
The Criminal Code(1931)
Seton I. Miller, Fred Niblo, Jr.

Writing (Original Story)

The Dawn Patrol(1930)
John Monk Saunders
Winner
Laughter(1930)
Harry d'Abbadie d'Arrast, Douglas Doty, Donald Ogden Stewart
Smart Money(1931)
Lucien Hubbard, Joseph Jackson
The Doorway to Hell(1930)
Rowland Brown
The Public Enemy(1931)
John Bright, Kubec Glasmon