The 81st Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 2008 and took place on February 22, 2009, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST. During the ceremony, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presented Academy Awards (commonly referred to as Oscars) in 24 categories. The ceremony was televised in the United States by ABC, and was produced by Bill Condon and Laurence Mark and directed by Roger Goodman. Hugh Jackman hosted the show for the first time. Two weeks earlier in a ceremony at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, California held on February 7, the Academy Awards for Technical Achievement were presented by host Jessica Biel.
Slumdog Millionaire won eight awards, including Best Picture. Other winners included The Curious Case of Benjamin Button with three awards, The Dark Knight and Milk with two, and Departures, The Duchess, La Maison en Petits Cubes, Man on Wire, The Reader, Smile Pinki, Toyland, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, and WALL-E with one. The telecast garnered almost 37 million viewers in the United States.
Winners and nominees
The nominees for the 81st Academy Awards were announced on January 22, 2009, at 5:38 p.m. PST (13:38 UTC) at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, California, by Sid Ganis, president of the Academy, and the actor Forest Whitaker. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button received the most nominations with thirteen (the ninth film to garner that many nominations); Slumdog Millionaire came in second with ten. This would be the fifth year that all five Best Picture nominees were also nominated for Best Director; it would also be the last due to the Academy extending the number of Best Picture nominees from five to ten for the following ceremonies.
The winners were announced during the awards ceremony on February 22, 2009. Slumdog Millionaire was the eleventh film to win Best Picture without any acting nominations. Sean Penn became the ninth person to win Best Lead Actor twice. Best Supporting Actor winner Heath Ledger became the second performer to win a posthumous acting Oscar. The first actor to receive this distinction was Peter Finch, who posthumously won Best Actor for Network two months after his death in January 1977. Coincidentally, both actors were the first native Australians to win Oscars in their respective categories. With its six nominations, WALL•E tied with 1991's Beauty and the Beast as the most nominated animated film in Oscar history.
Awards
Winners are listed first, highlighted in boldface and indicated with a double dagger ().
Slumdog Millionaire – Christian Colson, producer The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Ceán Chaffin, producers Frost/Nixon – Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Eric Fellner, producers Milk – Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen, producers The Reader – Anthony Minghella, Sydney Pollack, Donna Gigliotti and Redmond Morris, producers | valign="top" width="50%" |
Danny Boyle – Slumdog Millionaire David Fincher – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Ron Howard – Frost/Nixon Gus Van Sant – Milk Stephen Daldry – The Reader Sean Penn – Milk as Harvey Milk Richard Jenkins – The Visitor as Walter Vale Frank Langella – Frost/Nixon as Richard Nixon Brad Pitt – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button as Benjamin Button Mickey Rourke – The Wrestler as Randy "The Ram" Robinson Kate Winslet – The Reader as Hanna Schmitz Anne Hathaway – Rachel Getting Married as Kym Buchman Angelina Jolie – Changeling as Christine Collins Melissa Leo – Frozen River as Ray Eddy Meryl Streep – Doubt as Sister Aloysius Beauvier Heath Ledger† – The Dark Knight as The Joker (posthumous award) Josh Brolin – Milk as Dan White Robert Downey Jr. – Tropic Thunder as Kirk Lazarus Philip Seymour Hoffman – Doubt as Father Brendan Flynn Michael Shannon – Revolutionary Road as John Givings Jr. Penélope Cruz – Vicky Cristina Barcelona as María Elena Amy Adams – Doubt as Sister James Viola Davis – Doubt as Mrs. Miller Taraji P. Henson – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button as Queenie Marisa Tomei – The Wrestler as Cassidy/Pam Milk – Dustin Lance Black Frozen River – Courtney Hunt Happy-Go-Lucky – Mike Leigh In Bruges – Martin McDonagh WALL-E – Screenplay by Andrew Stanton and Jim Reardon; Original story by Andrew Stanton and Pete Docter Slumdog Millionaire – Simon Beaufoy; The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – Screenplay by Eric Roth; Screen story by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord; Doubt – John Patrick Shanley; Frost/Nixon – Peter Morgan; The Reader – David Hare; WALL-E – Andrew Stanton Bolt – Chris Williams and Byron Howard Kung Fu Panda – John Stevenson and Mark Osborne Departures (Japan) in Japanese – Yōjirō Takita The Baader Meinhof Complex (Germany) in German – Uli Edel The Class (France) in French – Laurent Cantet Revanche (Austria) in German – Götz Spielmann Waltz with Bashir (Israel) in Hebrew – Ari Folman Man on Wire – James Marsh and Simon Chinn The Betrayal – Nerakhoon – Ellen Kuras and Thavisouk Phrasavath Encounters at the End of the World – Werner Herzog and Henry Kaiser The Garden – Scott Hamilton Kennedy Trouble the Water – Tia Lessin and Carl Deal Smile Pinki – Megan Mylan The Conscience of Nhem En – Steven Okazaki The Final Inch – Irene Taylor Brodsky and Tom Grant The Witness: From the Balcony of Room 306 – Adam Pertovsky and Margaret Hyde Toyland (Spielzeugland) – Jochen Alexander Freydank Manon on the Asphalt – Elizabeth Marre and Olivier Pont New Boy – Steph Green and Tamara Anghie On the Line (Auf der Strecke) – Reto Caffi The Pig (Grisen) – Tivi Magnusson and Dorte Høgh La Maison en Petits Cubes – Kunio Katō Lavatory – Lovestory – Konstantin Bronzit Oktapodi – Emud Mokhberi and Thierry Marchand Presto – Doug Sweetland This Way Up – Alan Smith and Adam Foulkes Slumdog Millionaire – A. R. Rahman The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – Alexandre Desplat Defiance – James Newton Howard Milk – Danny Elfman WALL-E – Thomas Newman "Jai Ho" from Slumdog Millionaire – Music by A. R. Rahman; lyrics by Gulzar "Down to Earth" from WALL-E – Music by Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman; lyrics by Peter Gabriel "O Saya" from Slumdog Millionaire – Music and lyrics by A. R. Rahman and Maya Arulpragasam The Dark Knight – Richard King Iron Man – Frank Eulner and Christopher Boyes Slumdog Millionaire – Glenn Freemantle and Tom Sayers WALL-E – Ben Burtt and Matthew Wood Wanted – Wylie Stateman Slumdog Millionaire – Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke and Resul Pookutty The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Mark Weingarten The Dark Knight – Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo and Ed Novick WALL-E – Tom Myers, Michael Semanick and Ben Burtt Wanted – Chris Jenkins, Frank A. Montaño and Petr Forejt The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – Art Direction: Donald Graham Burt; Set Decoration: Victor J. Zolfo Changeling – Art Direction: James J. Murakami; Set Decoration: Gary Fettis The Dark Knight – Art Direction: Nathan Crowley; Set Decoration: Peter Lando The Duchess – Art Direction: Michael Carlin; Set Decoration: Rebecca Alleway Revolutionary Road – Art Direction: Kristi Zea; Set Decoration: Debra Schutt Slumdog Millionaire – Anthony Dod Mantle Changeling – Tom Stern The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – Claudio Miranda The Dark Knight – Wally Pfister The Reader – Chris Menges and Roger Deakins The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – Greg Cannom The Dark Knight – John Caglione Jr. and Conor O'Sullivan Hellboy II: The Golden Army – Mike Elizalde and Thomas Floutz The Duchess – Michael O'Connor Australia – Catherine Martin The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – Jacqueline West Milk – Danny Glicker Revolutionary Road – Albert Wolsky Slumdog Millionaire – Chris Dickens The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall The Dark Knight – Lee Smith Frost/Nixon – Mike Hill and Dan Hanley Milk – Elliot Graham The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton and Craig Barron The Dark Knight – Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Tim Webber and Paul Franklin Iron Man – John Nelson, Ben Snow, Dan Sudick and Shane Mahan
Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award Jerry Lewis
Films with multiple nominations and awards
The following 15 films received multiple nominations:
+ Films with multiple nominations Nominations Film 13 The Curious Case of Benjamin Button 10 Slumdog Millionaire 8 The Dark Knight Milk 6 WALL•E 5 Doubt Frost/Nixon The Reader 3 Changeling Revolutionary Road 2 The Wrestler The Duchess Frozen River Iron Man Wanted
The following four films received multiple awards:
+ Films with multiple awards Awards Film 8 Slumdog Millionaire 3 The Curious Case of Benjamin Button 2 The Dark Knight Milk
Presenters and performers The following individuals presented awards or performed musical numbers.
Presenters Name(s) Role Announcer for the 81st annual Academy AwardsGoldie HawnAnjelica HustonEva Marie SaintTilda Swinton Presenters of the award for Best Supporting ActressSteve Martin Presenters of the awards for Best Original Screenplay and Best Adapted ScreenplayJack Black Introducers of the Animation 2008 montage and presenters of the awards for Best Animated Feature Film and Best Animated Short FilmSarah Jessica Parker Presenters of the awards for Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design and Best MakeupAmanda Seyfried Introducers of the Romance 2008 montageBen Stiller Presenter of the award for Best Cinematography Presenter of the segment of the Academy Awards for Technical Achievement and the Gordon E. Sawyer AwardSeth RogenJanusz Kamiński Presenters of the award for Best Live Action Short FilmCuba Gooding Jr.Joel GreyKevin KlineChristopher Walken Presenters of the award for Best Supporting Actor Presenter of the awards for Best Documentary Feature and Best Documentary Short Subject Presenter of the awards for Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing and Best Film Editing Presenter of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian AwardAlicia Keys Presenters of the awards for Best Original Score and Best Original Song and introducers of the special song and dance number performing the Best Original Song nomineesFreida Pinto Presenters of the award for Best Foreign Language Film Presenter of the "In Memoriam" tribute Presenter of the award for Best DirectorMarion CotillardNicole KidmanSophia LorenShirley MacLaine Presenters of the award for Best ActressMichael DouglasRobert De NiroAnthony HopkinsBen Kingsley Presenters of the award for Best Actor Presenter of the Best Picture segment and the award for Best Picture
Performers Name(s) Role Performed Musical Arranger OrchestralAnne Hathaway Performers Opening NumberBeyoncéZac EfronVanessa HudgensAmanda SeyfriedDominic CooperSpirit of Troy Performers "Top Hat, White Tie and Tails" from Top Hat "Singin' in the Rain" from Singin' in the Rain "Big Spender" from Sweet Charity "Maria" from West Side Story "You're the One That I Want" from Grease "Maria" from The Sound of Music "All That Jazz" from Chicago "Lady Marmalade" from Moulin Rouge! "One Night Only" from Dreamgirls "You Can't Stop the Beat" from Hairspray "I Don't Know How to Love Him" from Jesus Christ Superstar "At Last" from Orchestra Wives "Last Chance" from High School Musical 3: Senior Year "Mamma Mia" from Mamma Mia! "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" from Evita "Over the Rainbow" from The Wizard of Oz "Somewhere" from West Side StoryA.R. Rahman Performer "O Saya" from Slumdog MillionaireSoweto Gospel Choir Performers "Down to Earth" from WALL-EA.R. RahmanMahalakshmi IyerTanvi Shah Performers "Jai Ho" from Slumdog Millionaire Performer "I'll Be Seeing You" during the annual "In Memoriam" tribute
Ceremony information