1936 Oscars: Winners and Nominees

47 films were recognised at the 1936 Academy Awards, across 17 categories. 14 of them took home at least one award.

The biggest winner of the year was The Informer, with 4 awards, ahead of A Midsummer Night's Dream with 2. The categories below run from Best Picture, Dance Direction and Sound Recording 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

Best Picture

Mutiny on the Bounty(1935)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Winner
A Midsummer Night's Dream(1935)
Warner Bros.
Alice Adams(1935)
RKO Radio
Broadway Melody of 1936(1935)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Captain Blood(1935)
Cosmopolitan
David Copperfield(1935)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Les Misérables(1935)
20th Century
Naughty Marietta(1935)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Ruggles of Red Gap(1935)
Paramount
The Informer(1935)
RKO Radio
The Lives of a Bengal Lancer(1935)
Paramount
Top Hat(1935)
RKO Radio

Dance Direction

Broadway Melody of 1936(1935)
"I've Got a Feeling You're Fooling" from "Broadway Melody of 1936"
Winner
Folies Bergère(1935)
"Straw Hat" from "Folies Bergere"
Winner
All the King's Horses(1935)
"Viennese Waltz" from "All the King's Horses"
Broadway Hostess(1935)
"Playboy from Paree" from "Broadway Hostess"
Go Into Your Dance(1935)
"Latin from Manhattan" from "Go into Your Dance"
Gold Diggers of 1935(1935)
"Lullaby of Broadway" from "Gold Diggers of 1935", "The Words Are In My Heart" from "Gold Diggers of 1935"
King of Burlesque(1936)
"Lovely Lady" from "King of Burlesque", "Too Good To Be True" from "King of Burlesque"
She(1935)
"Hall of Kings" from "She"
The Big Broadcast of 1936(1935)
"It's the Animal in Me" from "Big Broadcast of 1936"
Top Hat(1935)
"Piccolino" from "Top Hat", "Top Hat, White Tie, and Tails" from "Top Hat"

Sound Recording

Naughty Marietta(1935)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio Sound Department, Douglas Shearer, Sound Director
Winner
$1,000 a Minute(1935)
Republic Studio Sound Department
Bride of Frankenstein(1935)
Universal Studio Sound Department, Gilbert Kurland, Sound Director
Captain Blood(1935)
Warner Bros.-First National Studio Sound Department, Nathan Levinson, Sound Director
I Dream Too Much(1935)
RKO Radio Studio Sound Department, Carl Dreher, Sound Director
Love Me Forever(1935)
Columbia Studio Sound Department, John Livadary, Sound Director
Thanks a Million(1935)
20th Century-Fox Studio Sound Department, E. H. Hansen, Sound Director
The Dark Angel(1935)
United Artists Studio Sound Department, Thomas T. Moulton, Sound Director
The Lives of a Bengal Lancer(1935)
Paramount Studio Sound Department, Franklin B. Hansen, Sound Director

Actress

Dangerous(1935)
Bette Davis
Winner
Alice Adams(1935)
Katharine Hepburn
Becky Sharp(1935)
Miriam Hopkins
Escape Me Never(1935)
Elisabeth Bergner
Private Worlds(1935)
Claudette Colbert
The Dark Angel(1935)
Merle Oberon

Film Editing

A Midsummer Night's Dream(1935)
Ralph Dawson
Winner
David Copperfield(1935)
Robert J. Kern
Les Misérables(1935)
Barbara McLean
Mutiny on the Bounty(1935)
Margaret Booth
The Informer(1935)
George Hively
The Lives of a Bengal Lancer(1935)
Ellsworth Hoagland

Assistant Director

The Lives of a Bengal Lancer(1935)
Clem Beauchamp, Paul Wing
Winner
A Midsummer Night's Dream(1935)
Sherry Shourds
David Copperfield(1935)
Joseph Newman
Les Misérables(1935)
Eric Stacey

Cinematography

A Midsummer Night's Dream(1935)
Hal Mohr
Winner
Barbary Coast(1935)
Ray June
Les Misérables(1935)
Gregg Toland
The Crusades(1935)
Victor Milner

Directing

The Informer(1935)
John Ford
Winner
Captain Blood(1935)
Michael Curtiz
Mutiny on the Bounty(1935)
Frank Lloyd
The Lives of a Bengal Lancer(1935)
Henry Hathaway

Music (Scoring)

The Informer(1935)
RKO Radio Studio Music Department, Max Steiner, head of department (Score by Max Steiner)
Winner
Captain Blood(1935)
Warner Bros.-First National Studio Music Department, Leo Forbstein, head of department (Score by Erich Wolfgang Korngold)
Mutiny on the Bounty(1935)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio Music Department, Nat W. Finston, head of department (Score by Herbert Stothart)
Peter Ibbetson(1935)
Paramount Studio Music Department, Irvin Talbot, head of department (Score by Ernst Toch)

Writing (Original Story)

The Scoundrel(1935)
Ben Hecht, Charles MacArthur
Winner
'G' Men(1935)
Gregory Rogers
Broadway Melody of 1936(1935)
Moss Hart
The Gay Deception(1935)
Don Hartman, Stephen Avery

Writing (Screenplay)

The Informer(1935)
Dudley Nichols
Winner
Captain Blood(1935)
Casey Robinson
Mutiny on the Bounty(1935)
Talbot Jennings, Jules Furthman, Carey Wilson
The Lives of a Bengal Lancer(1935)
Screenplay by Waldemar Young, John L. Balderston, Achmed Abdullah; Adaptation by Grover Jones, William Slavens McNutt

Actor

The Informer(1935)
Victor McLaglen
Winner
Black Fury(1935)
Paul Muni
Mutiny on the Bounty(1935)
Clark Gable, Charles Laughton, Franchot Tone

Art Direction

The Dark Angel(1935)
Richard Day
Winner
The Lives of a Bengal Lancer(1935)
Hans Dreier, Roland Anderson
Top Hat(1935)
Van Nest Polglase, Carroll Clark

Music (Song)

Gold Diggers of 1935(1935)
Lullaby Of Broadway in "Gold Diggers of 1935" Music by Harry Warren; Lyrics by Al Dubin
Winner
Roberta(1935)
Lovely To Look At in "Roberta" Music by Jerome Kern; Lyrics by Dorothy Fields and Jimmy McHugh
Top Hat(1935)
Cheek To Cheek in "Top Hat" Music and Lyrics by Irving Berlin

Short Subject (Cartoon)

Three Orphan Kittens(1935)
Walt Disney, Producer
Winner
The Calico Dragon(1935)
Harman-Ising
Who Killed Cock Robin?(1935)
Walt Disney, Producer

Short Subject (Comedy)

How to Sleep(1935)
Jack Chertok, Producer
Winner
Oh, My Nerves(1935)
Jules White, Producer
Tit for Tat(1935)
Hal Roach, Producer

Short Subject (Novelty)

Wings Over Everest(1934)
Gaumont British and Skibo Productions
Winner
Audioscopiks(1935)
Pete Smith, Producer
Camera Thrills(1935)
Universal