This article is a list of German individuals working in the cinema industry who have been nominated for or have won an Academy Award. It includes artists and filmmakers of German nationality, as well as those with dual citizenship that have been awarded or honored by the Academy.
Acting categories
Actor in a Leading Role ActorYearNameFilmStatusMilestone / Notes 1928/29Emil Jannings The Way of All Flesh & The Last Command Jannings was a Swiss-born German actor.
Actor in a Supporting Role Supporting ActorYearNameFilmStatusMilestone / Notes 1940 Albert Bassermann Foreign Correspondent 1996 Armin Mueller-Stahl Shine 2009 Christoph Waltz Inglourious Basterds Waltz is an Austrian-German actor. 2012 Django Unchained
Actress in a Leading Role
ActressYearNameFilmStatusMilestone / Notes 1930/31 Marlene Dietrich Morocco 1936 Luise Rainer The Great Ziegfeld Due to the political atmosphere, Rainer was promoted to be Austrian by this time. 1937 The Good Earth First actor regardless of gender to win two consecutive awards. 2010Sandra BullockThe Blind Side Bullock's mother is German and she holds dual German-American citizenship. She speaks some German, but she is not fluent, as is evident during interviews. 2014Gravity 2023Sandra HüllerAnatomy of a Fall
Actress in a Supporting Role Supporting ActressYearNameFilmStatusMilestone / Notes 2021Kirsten Dunst The Power of the Dog Born in the USA, Dunst has a German father. She obtained German citizenship in 2011.
Best Art Direction Art DirectionYearNameFilmStatusMilestone / Notes 1927/28 Rochus Gliese Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans 1928/29 Hans Dreier The Patriot No official nominees were announced that year. 1929 The Love Parade 1930 The Vagabond King Morocco 1932 A Farewell to Arms Shared with the American-born Roland Anderson. 1937 Souls at Sea 1938 Carl Jules Weyl The Adventures of Robin Hood Hans Dreier If I Were King Shared with the American-born John B. Goodman. 1939 Beau Geste Shared with the American-born Robert Odell. 1940 Arise, My Love Nominated in the black-and-white category.Shared with the American-born Robert Usher.North West Mounted Police Nominated in the color category.Shared with the American-born Roland Anderson. 1941 Hold Back the Dawn Nominated in the black-and-white category.Shared with the American-born Robert Usher, and Samuel M. Comer. 1942 Reap the Wild Wind Nominated in the color category.Shared with the American-born Roland Anderson, and George Sawley.Take a Letter, Darling Nominated in the black-and-white category.Shared with the American-born Roland Anderson, and Samuel M. Comer.1943 For Whom the Bell Tolls Nominated in the color category.Shared with the American-born Haldane Douglas, and Bertram C. Granger.Hans DreierErnst Fegté Five Graves to Cairo Nominated in the black-and-white category.Shared with the American-born Bertram C. Granger.Carl Jules Weyl Mission to Moscow Nominated in the black-and-white category.Shared with the American-born George James Hopkins.1944 Paul Huldschinsky Gaslight Nominated in the black-and-white category.Shared with the Irish-American Cedric Gibbons, and American-born William Ferrari and Edwin B. Willis.Walter Holscher Address Unknown Nominated in the black-and-white category.Holscher was a German-born American art director.Shared with the American-born Lionel Banks, and Joseph Kish.Ernst Fegté The Princess and the Pirate Nominated in the color category.Shared with the American-born Howard Bristol. Hans Dreier Lady in the Dark Nominated in the color category.Shared with the American-born Raoul Pene Du Bois, and Ray Moyer.No Time for Love Nominated in the black-and-white category.Shared with the American-born Robert Usher, and Samuel M. Comer.1945 Love Letters Nominated in the black-and-white category.Shared with the American-born Roland Anderson, Samuel M. Comer, and Ray Moyer.Hans DreierErnst Fegté Frenchman's Creek Nominated in the color category.Shared with the American-born Samuel M. Comer. 1946 Hans Dreier Kitty Nominated in the black-and-white category.Shared with the American-born Walter H. Tyler, Samuel M. Comer, and Ray Moyer. 1947 Alfred Junge Black Narcissus Nominated in the color category. 1948 Hein Heckroth The Red Shoes Nominated in the color category.Shared with the British-born Arthur Lawson.1950 Hans Dreier Sunset Boulevard Nominated in the black-and-white category.First person to win both art direction categories in the same year.Shared with the American-born John Meehan, Samuel M. Comer, and Ray Moyer.Samson and Delilah Nominated in the color category.Shared with the American-born Walter H. Tyler, Samuel M. Comer, and Ray Moyer.Ernst Fegté Destination Moon Nominated in the color category.Shared with the American-born George Sawley.1951 Hein Heckroth The Tales of Hoffmann Nominated in the color category.1953 Alfred Junge Knights of the Round Table Nominated in the color category.Shared with the British-born Hans Peters, and John Jarvis.Paul MarkwitzFritz Maurischat Martin Luther Nominated in the black-and-white category.1954 Max Ophüls Le Plaisir Nominated in the black-and-white category.First person to receive nominations for writing and art direction. 1957 Walter Holscher Pal Joey Shared with the American-born William Kiernan, and Louis Diage. 1959 Franz Bachelin Journey to the Center of the Earth Nominated in the color category.Shared with the American-born Lyle R. Wheeler, Herman A. Blumenthal, Walter M. Scott, and Joseph Kish. 1968 Harry Lange 2001: A Space Odyssey Lange was a German-born British.Shared with the British-born Anthony Masters, and Ernest Archer. 1972 Hans Jürgen KiebachHerbert StrabelRolf Zehetbauer Cabaret 1980 Harry Lange Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back Shared with the British-born Norman Reynolds, Michael D. Ford, and Alan Tomkins, and Welsh-born Leslie Dilley. 1981 Patrizia von Brandenstein Ragtime of German-Russian descent. 1984 Amadeus 1985 J. Michael Riva The Color Purple The grandson of German actress Marlene Dietrich. 1987 Patrizia von Brandenstein The Untouchables of German-Russian descent. 1996Brigitte Broch Romeo + Juliet Broch is a German-born Mexican production designer.Shared with the Australian-born Catherine Martin. 2001Moulin Rouge! 2015 Bernhard Henrich Bridge of Spies Shared with the American-born Adam Stockhausen and Rena DeAngelo.
Best Cinematography CinematographyYearNameFilmStatusMilestone / Notes 1937 Karl Freund The Good Earth 1941 The Chocolate Soldier Nominated in the black-and-white category.Blossoms in the Dust Nominated in the color category. 1961 Eugen Schüfftan The Hustler Nominated in the black-and-white category.1964Walter LassallyZorba the Greek 1980Ralf D. BodeCoal Miner's Daughter Bode was a German-born American cinematographer. 1981 Jost Vacano Das Boot 1987 Michael Ballhaus Broadcast News 1989 The Fabulous Baker Boys 2002 Gangs of New York 2022Florian HoffmeisterTár
Best Costume Design Costume DesignYearNameFilmStatusMilestone / Notes 1951 Hein Heckroth The Tales of Hoffmann Nominated in the color category. 1994 Moidele Bickel Queen Margot (La reine Margot) 2011 Lisy Christl Anonymous 2020 Bina Daigeler Mulan 2024Lisy ChristlConclave
Documentary categories Documentary Feature Film Documentary FeatureYearNameFilmStatusMilestone / Notes 1950 Curt Oertel The Titan: Story of Michelangelo 1959 Bernhard Grzimek Serengeti darf nicht sterben 1970 Harald Reinl Erinnerungen an die Zukunft 1971 Marcel Ophüls Le chagrin et la pitié 1972Eckehard MunckThe Silent Revolution 1973 Bengt von zur Mühlen Schlacht um Berlin 1980 Der Gelbe Stern Shared with the Swiss-born Arthur Cohn. 1988 Marcel Ophüls Hôtel Terminus 1999 Wim WendersUlrich FelsbergBuena Vista Social Club 2008 Werner Herzog Encounters at the End of the World Shared with the American-born Henry Kaiser. 2011 Gian-Piero Ringel Wim Wenders Pina 2014 Wim Wenders The Salt of the Earth Shared with the Brazilian-born Juliano Ribeiro Salgado, and French-born David Rosier.Dirk Wilutzky Citizenfour Shared with the American-born Laura Poitras, and French-born Mathilde Bonnefoy.
Documentary Short Film Documentary Short FilmYearNameFilmStatusMilestone / Notes1949Edward SelzerSo Much for So Little 1972 Peter Schamoni Hundertwassers Regentag 1974Robin LehmanDon't 1975The End of the Game Manfred Baier Millions of Years Ahead of Man 2003 Katja Esson Ferry Tales
Best Director DirectorYearNameFilmStatusMilestone / Notes 1928/29 Ernst Lubitsch The Patriot No official nominees were announced. 1929 The Love Parade 1937 William Dieterle The Life of Emile Zola 1946 Robert Siodmak The Killers 1947 Henry Koster The Bishop's Wife 1966Mike NicholsWho's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Nichols is a German-born American director and producer. 1967 The Graduate 1982 Wolfgang Petersen Das Boot 1983Mike NicholsSilkwood 1988Working Girl
Best Editing EditingYearNameFilmStatusMilestone / Notes 1938 Tom Held The Great Waltz Test Pilot 1982 Hannes Nikel Das Boot 1985 Rudi Fehr Prizzi's Honor Shared with his American-born daughter, Kaja Fehr.
Best International Feature Film
International Feature FilmYearDirectorFilmOriginal TitleStatusMilestone / Notes 1956Helmut Käutner The Captain from Köpenick Der Hauptmann von Köpenick Producers Gyula Trebitsch and Walter Koppel were officially nominated in 1957. 1957 Robert Siodmak The Devil Strikes at NightNachts, wenn der Teufel kam 1958Franz Peter Wirth Arms and the ManHelden 1959Bernhard Wicki Die BrückeDie Brücke 1973Maximilian Schell The Pedestrian Der Fußgänger First filmmaker to have two of his films nominated for different countries. 1976Frank Beyer Jacob the Liar Jakob der Lügner First and only film from East Germany to be nominated for an Academy Award. 1978Hans W. Geißendörfer The Glass Cell Die gläserne Zelle 1979Volker Schlöndorff The Tin DrumDie Blechtrommel First German film to win the Oscar in this category. It is also the only West German film to win this category prior to German reunification in 1990. 1985Agnieszka Holland Angry Harvest Bittere Ernte First female filmmaker to direct a German-language nominated film. 1990Michael Verhoeven The Nasty Girl Das schreckliche Mädchen First submission of reunified Germany to be nominated. 1992Helmut Dietl Schtonk! Schtonk! 1997Caroline Link Beyond SilenceJenseits der Stille Some parts in English, German Sign Language & Spanish. 2002Nowhere in AfricaNirgendwo in Afrika Second German film to win the Oscar in this category. It is also the first film from a reunified Germany to win. Caroline Link is the second female filmmaker to direct a Foreign-Language-Film winner. 2004Oliver Hirschbiegel DownfallDer Untergang 2005Marc Rothemund Sophie Scholl – The Final DaysSophie Scholl – Die letzten Tage 2006Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck The Lives of Others Das Leben der Anderen Third German film to win the Oscar in this category. It is also the second film from a reunified Germany to win.2008Uli Edel The Baader Meinhof Complex Der Baader-Meinhof-Komplex 2009 Michael Haneke The White RibbonDas weiße Band 2016 Maren Ade Toni Erdmann Toni Erdmann Some parts in English and Romanian. 2018 Florian Henckel von DonnersmarckNever Look Away Werk ohne Autor 2022 Edward BergerAll Quiet on the Western Front Im Westen nichts Neues Fourth German film to win the Oscar in this category. It is also the third film from a reunified Germany to win. 2023 İlker ÇatakThe Teachers' Lounge Das Lehrerzimmer 2024 Mohammad RasoulofThe Seed of the Sacred Fig دانهی انجیر معابد Film is completely in Persian
Best Makeup and Hairstyling Makeup and HairstylingYearNameFilmStatusMilestone / Notes 2019 Nicki Ledermann Joker Shared with the American-born Kay Georgiou. 2020 Claudia Stolze Emma. Stolze is a German-born British make-up artist.Shared with British-born Marese Langan and American-born Laura Allen.
Music categories Best Original Score