1974 Oscars: Winners and Nominees

46 films were recognised at the 1974 Academy Awards, across 21 categories. 13 of them took home at least one award.

The biggest winner of the year was The Sting, with 7 awards, ahead of The Way We Were with 2. The categories below run from Actor, Actor in a Supporting Role and Actress 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

Save the Tiger(1973)
Jack Lemmon
Winner
Last Tango in Paris(1972)
Marlon Brando
Serpico(1973)
Al Pacino
The Last Detail(1973)
Jack Nicholson
The Sting(1973)
Robert Redford

Actor in a Supporting Role

The Paper Chase(1973)
John Houseman
Winner
Bang the Drum Slowly(1973)
Vincent Gardenia
Save the Tiger(1973)
Jack Gilford
The Exorcist(1973)
Jason Miller
The Last Detail(1973)
Randy Quaid

Actress

A Touch of Class(1973)
Glenda Jackson
Winner
Cinderella Liberty(1973)
Marsha Mason
Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams(1973)
Joanne Woodward
The Exorcist(1973)
Ellen Burstyn
The Way We Were(1973)
Barbra Streisand

Actress in a Supporting Role

Paper Moon(1973)
Tatum O'Neal
Winner
American Graffiti(1973)
Candy Clark
Paper Moon(1973)
Madeline Kahn
Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams(1973)
Sylvia Sidney
The Exorcist(1973)
Linda Blair

Art Direction

The Sting(1973)
Art Direction: Henry Bumstead; Set Decoration: James Payne
Winner
Brother Sun, Sister Moon(1972)
Art Direction: Lorenzo Mongiardino, Gianni Quaranta; Set Decoration: Carmelo Patrono
The Exorcist(1973)
Art Direction: Bill Malley; Set Decoration: Jerry Wunderlich
The Way We Were(1973)
Art Direction: Stephen Grimes; Set Decoration: William Kiernan
Tom Sawyer(1973)
Art Direction: Philip Jefferies; Set Decoration: Robert de Vestel

Best Picture

The Sting(1973)
Tony Bill, Michael Phillips and Julia Phillips, Producers
Winner
A Touch of Class(1973)
Melvin Frank, Producer
American Graffiti(1973)
Francis Ford Coppola, Producer; Gary Kurtz, Co-Producer
Cries and Whispers(1972)
Ingmar Bergman, Producer
The Exorcist(1973)
William Peter Blatty, Producer

Cinematography

Cries and Whispers(1972)
Sven Nykvist
Winner
Jonathan Livingston Seagull(1973)
Jack Couffer
The Exorcist(1973)
Owen Roizman
The Sting(1973)
Robert Surtees
The Way We Were(1973)
Harry Stradling, Jr.

Costume Design

The Sting(1973)
Edith Head
Winner
Cries and Whispers(1972)
Marik Vos
Ludwig(1973)
Piero Tosi
The Way We Were(1973)
Dorothy Jeakins, Moss Mabry
Tom Sawyer(1973)
Donfeld

Directing

The Sting(1973)
George Roy Hill
Winner
American Graffiti(1973)
George Lucas
Cries and Whispers(1972)
Ingmar Bergman
Last Tango in Paris(1972)
Bernardo Bertolucci
The Exorcist(1973)
William Friedkin

Documentary (Feature)

The Great American Cowboy(1974)
Kieth Merrill, Producer
Winner
Always a New Beginning(1974)
John D. Goodell, Producer
Battle of Berlin(1973)
Bengt von zur Muehlen, Producer
Journey to the Outer Limits(1973)
Alex Grasshoff, Producer
Walls of Fire(1971)
Gertrude Ross Marks and Edmund F. Penney, Producers

Documentary (Short Subject)

Princeton: A Search for Answers(1974)
Julian Krainin and DeWitt L. Sage, Jr., Producers
Winner
Background(1973)
Carmen D'Avino, Producer
Children at Work(1973)
Louis Marcus, Producer
Christo's Valley Curtain(1974)
Albert Maysles and David Maysles, Producers
Four Stones for Kanemitsu(1973)
Terry Sanders and June Wayne, Producers

Film Editing

The Sting(1973)
William Reynolds
Winner
American Graffiti(1973)
Verna Fields, Marcia Lucas
Jonathan Livingston Seagull(1973)
Frank P. Keller, James Galloway
The Day of the Jackal(1973)
Ralph Kemplen
The Exorcist(1973)
Jordan Leondopoulos, Bud Smith, Evan Lottman, Norman Gay

International Feature Film

Day for Night(1973)
France
Winner
The House on Chelouche Street(1973)
Israel
The Invitation(1973)
Switzerland
The Pedestrian(1973)
West Germany
Turkish Delight(1973)
The Netherlands

Music (Original Dramatic Score)

The Way We Were(1973)
Marvin Hamlisch
Winner
A Touch of Class(1973)
John Cameron
Cinderella Liberty(1973)
John Williams
Papillon(1973)
Jerry Goldsmith
The Day of the Dolphin(1973)
Georges Delerue

Music (Song)

The Way We Were(1973)
The Way We Were in "The Way We Were" Music by Marvin Hamlisch; Lyrics by Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman
Winner
A Touch of Class(1973)
All That Love Went To Waste in "A Touch of Class" Music by George Barrie; Lyrics by Sammy Cahn
Cinderella Liberty(1973)
Nice To Be Around in "Cinderella Liberty" Music by John Williams; Lyrics by Paul Williams
Live and Let Die(1973)
Live And Let Die in "Live and Let Die" Music and Lyrics by Paul McCartney and Linda McCartney
Robin Hood(1973)
Love in "Robin Hood" Music by George Bruns; Lyrics by Floyd Huddleston

Sound

The Exorcist(1973)
Robert Knudson, Chris Newman
Winner
Paper Moon(1973)
Richard Portman, Les Fresholtz
The Day of the Dolphin(1973)
Richard Portman, Lawrence O. Jost
The Paper Chase(1973)
Donald O. Mitchell, Lawrence O. Jost
The Sting(1973)
Ronald K. Pierce, Robert Bertrand

Writing (Screenplay--based on material from another medium)

The Exorcist(1973)
William Peter Blatty
Winner
Paper Moon(1973)
Alvin Sargent
Serpico(1973)
Waldo Salt, Norman Wexler
The Last Detail(1973)
Robert Towne
The Paper Chase(1973)
James Bridges

Writing (Story and Screenplay--based on factual material or material not previously published or produced)

The Sting(1973)
David S. Ward
Winner
A Touch of Class(1973)
Melvin Frank, Jack Rose
American Graffiti(1973)
George Lucas, Gloria Katz, Willard Huyck
Cries and Whispers(1972)
Ingmar Bergman
Save the Tiger(1973)
Steve Shagan

Music (Scoring: Original Song Score and Adaptation -or- Scoring: Adaptation)

The Sting(1973)
Adaptation Score by Marvin Hamlisch
Winner
Jesus Christ Superstar(1973)
Adaptation Score by Andre Previn, Herbert Spencer and Andrew Lloyd Webber
Tom Sawyer(1973)
Song Score by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman; Adaptation Score by John Williams

Short Subject (Animated)

Frank Film(1973)
Frank Mouris, Producer
Winner
Pulcinella(1973)
Emanuele Luzzati and Giulio Gianini, Producers
The Legend of John Henry(1974)
Nick Bosustow and David Adams, Producers

Short Subject (Live Action)

The Bolero(1973)
Allan Miller and William Fertik, Producers
Winner
Clockmaker(1971)
Richard Gayer, Producer
Life Times Nine(1973)
Pen Densham and John Watson, Producers