1948 (21st Annual Awards)
Winners Only

Listed below are the Academy Award winners for the year 1948 (non-winning nominations have been omitted from this list). 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 winners from that year.

Best Motion Picture

Hamlet, J. Arthur Rank-Two Cities Films; Universal-International. (UK)

Best Actor

Laurence Olivier in Hamlet, J. Arthur Rank-Two Cities Films; Universal-International. (UK)

Best Actress

Jane Wyman in Johnny Belinda, Warner Bros.

Actor in a Supporting Role

Walter Huston in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Warner Bros.

Actress in a Supporting Role

Claire Trevor in Key Largo, Warner Bros.

Directing

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Warner Bros. John Huston.

Art Direction-Set Decoration

(Black-and-White)

Hamlet, J. Arthur Rank-Two Cities Films; Universal-International. (UK) Art direction by Roger K. Furse; set decoration by Carmen Dillon.

(Color)

The Red Shoes, J. Arthur Rank-Archers; Eagle Lion. (UK) Art direction by Hein Heckroth; set decoration by Arthur Lawson.

Cinematography

(Black-and-White)

The Naked City, Mark Hellinger Productions; Universal-International. William Daniels.

(Color)

Joan of Arc, Sierra Pictures; RKO Radio. Joseph Valentine, William V. Skall and Winton Hoch.

Costume Design

(Black-and-White)

Hamlet, J. Arthur Rank-Two Cities Films; Universal-International. (UK) Roger K. Furse.

(Color)

Joan of Arc, Sierra Pictures; RKO Radio. Dorothy Jeakins and Karinska.

Documentary

(Feature)

The Secret Land, United States Navy; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Orville O. Dull, Producer.

(Short Subject)

Toward Independence, United States Army.

Film Editing

The Naked City, Mark Hellinger Productions; Universal-International. Paul Weatherwax.

Music

(Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture)

The Red Shoes, J. Arthur Rank-Archers; Eagle Lion. (UK) Brian Easdale.

(Scoring of a Musical Picture)

Easter Parade, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Johnny Green and Roger Edens.

(Song)

Buttons and Bows from The Paleface, Paramount. Music and lyrics by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans.

Short Subjects

(Cartoons)

The Little Orphan, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. [Tom & Jerry Series] Fred Quimby, Producer.

(One-reel)

Symphony of a City, 20th Century-Fox. (Sweden) [Movietone Specialty Series] Edmund H. Reek, Producer.

(Two-reel)

Seal Island, Walt Disney Productions; RKO Radio. [True Life Adventure Series] Walt Disney, Producer.

Sound Recording

The Snake Pit, 20th Century-Fox. 20th Century-Fox Studio Sound Department, Thomas T. Moulton, Sound Director.

Special Effects

Portrait of Jennie, Vanguard Films; Selznick Releasing Organization (SRO). Special visual effects by Paul Eagler, J. McMillan Johnson, Russell Shearman and Clarence Slifer; special audible effects by Charles Freeman and James G. Stewart.

Writing

(Motion Picture Story)

The Search, Praesens Films; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. (Switzerland, USA) Richard Schweizer and David Wechsler.

(Screenplay)

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Warner Bros. John Huston.

Special Award

To Sid Grauman, master showman, who raised the standard of exhibition of motion pictures. [ [Statuette]]

To Adolph Zukor, a man who has been called the father of the feature film in America, for his services to the industry over a period of forty years. [ [Statuette]]

To Walter Wanger for distinguished service to the industry in adding to its moral stature in the world community by his production of the picture Joan of Arc. [ [Statuette]]

To Jean Hersholt, in recognition of his service to the Academy during four terms as president. [ [Statuette]]

(Foreign Language Film)

To Monsieur Vincent. (France) – voted by the Academy Board of Governors as the most outstanding foreign language film released in the United States during 1948. [ [Statuette]]

(Juvenile)

To Ivan Jandl for the outstanding juvenile performance of 1948, as “Karel Malik” in The Search. [ [Miniature Statuette]]

Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award

Jerry Wald

Scientific or Technical Award

(Class II)

To Victor Caccialanza, Maurice Ayers, and the Paramount Studio Set Construction Department for the development and application of “Paralite,” a new lightweight plaster process for set construction.

To Nick Kalten, Louis J. Witti, and the 20th Century-Fox Studio Mechanical Effects Department for a process of preserving and flame-proofing foliage.

(Class III)

To Marty Martin, Jack Lannon, Russell Shearman and the RKO Radio Studio Special Effects Department for the development of a new method of simulating falling snow on motion picture sets.

To A. J. Moran and the Warner Bros. Studio Electrical Department for a method of remote control for shutters on motion picture arc lighting equipment.