1982 Oscars: Winners and Nominees

42 films were recognised at the 1982 Academy Awards, across 23 categories. 11 of them took home at least one award.

The biggest winner of the year was Raiders of the Lost Ark, with 5 awards, ahead of Chariots of Fire with 4. The categories below run from Actor in a Leading Role, Actor in a Supporting Role and Actress in a Leading Role 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 in a Leading Role

On Golden Pond(1981)
Henry Fonda
Winner
Absence of Malice(1981)
Paul Newman
Arthur(1981)
Dudley Moore
Atlantic City(1980)
Burt Lancaster
Reds(1981)
Warren Beatty

Actor in a Supporting Role

Arthur(1981)
John Gielgud
Winner
Chariots of Fire(1981)
Ian Holm
Only When I Laugh(1981)
James Coco
Ragtime(1981)
Howard E. Rollins, Jr.
Reds(1981)
Jack Nicholson

Actress in a Leading Role

On Golden Pond(1981)
Katharine Hepburn
Winner
Atlantic City(1980)
Susan Sarandon
Only When I Laugh(1981)
Marsha Mason
Reds(1981)
Diane Keaton
The French Lieutenant's Woman(1981)
Meryl Streep

Actress in a Supporting Role

Reds(1981)
Maureen Stapleton
Winner
Absence of Malice(1981)
Melinda Dillon
On Golden Pond(1981)
Jane Fonda
Only When I Laugh(1981)
Joan Hackett
Ragtime(1981)
Elizabeth McGovern

Art Direction

Raiders of the Lost Ark(1981)
Art Direction: Norman Reynolds, Leslie Dilley; Set Decoration: Michael Ford
Winner
Heaven's Gate(1980)
Art Direction: Tambi Larsen; Set Decoration: Jim Berkey
Ragtime(1981)
Art Direction: John Graysmark, Patrizia Von Brandenstein, Anthony Reading; Set Decoration: George de Titta, Sr., George de Titta, Jr., Peter Howitt
Reds(1981)
Art Direction: Richard Sylbert; Set Decoration: Michael Seirton
The French Lieutenant's Woman(1981)
Art Direction: Assheton Gorton; Set Decoration: Ann Mollo

Best Picture

Chariots of Fire(1981)
David Puttnam, Producer
Winner
Atlantic City(1980)
Denis Heroux and John Kemeny, Producers
On Golden Pond(1981)
Bruce Gilbert, Producer
Raiders of the Lost Ark(1981)
Frank Marshall, Producer
Reds(1981)
Warren Beatty, Producer

Cinematography

Reds(1981)
Vittorio Storaro
Winner
Excalibur(1981)
Alex Thomson
On Golden Pond(1981)
Billy Williams
Ragtime(1981)
Miroslav Ondricek
Raiders of the Lost Ark(1981)
Douglas Slocombe

Costume Design

Chariots of Fire(1981)
Milena Canonero
Winner
Pennies from Heaven(1981)
Bob Mackie
Ragtime(1981)
Anna Hill Johnstone
Reds(1981)
Shirley Russell
The French Lieutenant's Woman(1981)
Tom Rand

Directing

Reds(1981)
Warren Beatty
Winner
Atlantic City(1980)
Louis Malle
Chariots of Fire(1981)
Hugh Hudson
On Golden Pond(1981)
Mark Rydell
Raiders of the Lost Ark(1981)
Steven Spielberg

Documentary (Feature)

Genocide(1982)
Arnold Schwartzman and Rabbi Marvin Hier, Producers
Winner
Against Wind and Tide: A Cuban Odyssey(1981)
Suzanne Bauman, Paul Neshamkin and Jim Burroughs, Producers
Brooklyn Bridge(1981)
Ken Burns, Producer
Eight Minutes to Midnight: A Portrait of Dr. Helen Caldicott(1981)
Mary Benjamin, Susanne Simpson and Boyd Estus, Producers
El Salvador: Another Vietnam(1981)
Glenn Silber and Tete Vasconcellos, Producers

Documentary (Short Subject)

Close Harmony(1981)
Nigel Noble, Producer
Winner
Americas in Transition(1982)
Obie Benz, Producer
Journey for Survival(1981)
Dick Young, Producer
See What I Say(1981)
Linda Chapman, Pam LeBlanc and Freddi Stevens, Producers
Urge to Build(1981)
Roland Hallé and John Hoover, Producers

Film Editing

Raiders of the Lost Ark(1981)
Michael Kahn
Winner
Chariots of Fire(1981)
Terry Rawlings
On Golden Pond(1981)
Robert L. Wolfe
Reds(1981)
Dede Allen, Craig McKay
The French Lieutenant's Woman(1981)
John Bloom

International Feature Film

Mephisto(1981)
Hungary
Winner
Man of Iron(1981)
Poland
Muddy River(1981)
Japan
The Boat Is Full(1981)
Switzerland
Three Brothers(1981)
Italy

Music (Original Score)

Chariots of Fire(1981)
Vangelis
Winner
Dragonslayer(1981)
Alex North
On Golden Pond(1981)
Dave Grusin
Ragtime(1981)
Randy Newman
Raiders of the Lost Ark(1981)
John Williams

Music (Original Song)

Arthur(1981)
Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do) in "Arthur" Music and Lyric by Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager, Christopher Cross and Peter Allen
Winner
Endless Love(1981)
Endless Love in "Endless Love" Music and Lyric by Lionel Richie
For Your Eyes Only(1981)
For Your Eyes Only in "For Your Eyes Only" Music by Bill Conti; Lyric by Mick Leeson
Ragtime(1981)
One More Hour in "Ragtime" Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
The Great Muppet Caper(1981)
The First Time It Happens in "The Great Muppet Caper" Music and Lyric by Joe Raposo

Sound

Raiders of the Lost Ark(1981)
Bill Varney, Steve Maslow, Gregg Landaker, Roy Charman
Winner
On Golden Pond(1981)
Richard Portman, David Ronne
Outland(1981)
John K. Wilkinson, Robert W. Glass, Jr., Robert M. Thirlwell, Robin Gregory
Pennies from Heaven(1981)
Michael J. Kohut, Jay M. Harding, Richard Tyler, Al Overton
Reds(1981)
Dick Vorisek, Tom Fleischman, Simon Kaye

Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen)

Chariots of Fire(1981)
Colin Welland
Winner
Absence of Malice(1981)
Kurt Luedtke
Arthur(1981)
Steve Gordon
Atlantic City(1980)
John Guare
Reds(1981)
Warren Beatty, Trevor Griffiths

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

On Golden Pond(1981)
Ernest Thompson
Winner
Pennies from Heaven(1981)
Dennis Potter
Prince of the City(1981)
Jay Presson Allen, Sidney Lumet
Ragtime(1981)
Michael Weller
The French Lieutenant's Woman(1981)
Harold Pinter

Short Film (Animated)

Crac!(1980)
Producer
Winner
The Creation(1981)
Will Vinton, Producer
The Tender Tale of Cinderella Penguin(1981)
Janet Perlman, Producer

Short Film (Live Action)

Violet(1981)
Paul Kemp and Shelley Levinson, Producers
Winner
Couples and Robbers(1981)
Christine Oestreicher, Producer
First Winter(1982)
John N. Smith, Producer

Makeup

An American Werewolf in London(1981)
Rick Baker
Winner
Heartbeeps(1981)
Stan Winston

Visual Effects

Raiders of the Lost Ark(1981)
Richard Edlund, Kit West, Bruce Nicholson, Joe Johnston
Winner
Dragonslayer(1981)
Dennis Muren, Phil Tippett, Ken Ralston, Brian Johnson

Special Achievement Award (Sound Effects Editing)

Raiders of the Lost Ark(1981)
Ben Burtt, Richard L. Anderson
Winner