This is a list of Brazilian Academy Awards winners and nominees, totaling twenty-six nominations in fifteen different categories and one win.
The first Brazilian to be nominated for an Academy Award was Ary Barroso, one of Música Popular Brasileira's greatest composers, in 1945 for Best Music (Original Song). In 2025, the film I'm Still Here became the first Brazilian victory at the Academy Awards, winning the Best International Feature Film category.
In this list, the nominations are presented by categories (for Brazilian nominees) and by productions (for Brazilian coproductions and nominees).
By category This section presents a list of films in which at least one of the nominees in the category is a Brazilian artist.
Best Picture Best PictureYearFilm TitleNominee(s)StatusMilestone/Notes2024I'm Still Here(Ainda Estou Aqui)Maria Carlota BrunoRodrigo TeixeiraFirst Portuguese-speaking movie nominated in this category.
Best Directing Best DirectingYearFilm TitleNominee(s)StatusMilestone/Notes1985Kiss of the Spider Woman(O Beijo da Mulher Aranha)Héctor BabencoBabenco was an Argentine-born Brazilian director. 2002City of God(Cidade de Deus)Fernando Meirelles
Best Actor in a Leading Role Best Actor in a Leading RoleYearFilm TitleNominee(s)StatusMilestone/Notes2025The Secret Agent(O Agente Secreto)Wagner Moura
Best Actress in a Leading Role Best Actress in a Leading RoleYearFilm TitleNominee(s)StatusMilestone/Notes1998Central Station(Central do Brasil)Fernanda MontenegroFirst Latin American to be nominated for Best Actress and first actress to be nominated for a Portuguese-speaking role. 2024I'm Still Here(Ainda Estou Aqui)Fernanda TorresFernanda Montenegro's daughter. They became the second mother and daughter duo to be nominated for best actress.
Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay) Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay)YearFilm TitleNominee(s)StatusMilestone/Notes2002City of God(Cidade de Deus)Bráulio Mantovani
Best Animated Feature Film Best Animated Feature FilmYearFilm TitleNominee(s)StatusMilestone/Notes2015Boy and the World(O Menino e o Mundo)Alê Abreu2017FerdinandCarlos SaldanhaSaldanha was nominated with producer Lori Forte.
Best International Feature Film
Best International Feature FilmYearFilm TitleDirectionStatusMilestone/Notes1962Keeper of Promises(O Pagador de Promessas)Anselmo DuarteFirst Brazilian production to receive a nomination at the Academy Awards. 1995O QuatrilhoFábio Barreto1997Four Days in September(O Que É Isso, Companheiro?)Bruno Barreto1998Central Station(Central do Brasil)Walter Salles2024I'm Still Here(Ainda Estou Aqui)Walter SallesFirst Brazilian production to win an Academy Award.2025The Secret Agent(O Agente Secreto)Kleber Mendonça Filho
Best Documentary Feature Film Best Documentary Feature FilmYearFilm TitleNominee(s)StatusMilestone/Notes1981El Salvador: Another VietnamTetê VasconcellosVasconcellos was Brazil's first director nominated for an Oscar. She was nominated with director Glenn Silber. 2014The Salt of the Earth(O Sal da Terra)Juliano Ribeiro SalgadoSalgado is a French-born Brazilian director. He was nominated with producer Wim Wenders and David Rosier.2019The Edge of Democracy(Democracia em Vertigem)Petra CostaTiago PavanCosta and Pavan were nominated with producers Joanna Natasegara and Shane Boris.
Best Documentary Short Film Best Documentary Short FilmYearFilm TitleNominee(s)StatusMilestone/Notes2021Lead Me HomePedro KosKos was nominated with director Jon Shenk.
Best Live Action Short Film Best Live Action Short FilmYearFilm TitleNominee(s)StatusMilestone/Notes2000A Soccer Story(Uma História de Futebol)Paulo Machline
Best Animated Short Film Best Animated Short FilmYearFilm TitleNominee(s)StatusMilestone/Notes2003Gone NuttyCarlos SaldanhaFirst animated short film directed by a Latin American director to be nominated in this category. Saldanha was nominated with producer John C. Donkin.
Best Music (Original Song) Best Music (Original Song)YearFilm TitleSongNominee(s)StatusMilestone/Notes1944Brazil"Rio de Janeiro"Ary BarrosoFirst Brazilian and Latin-American songwriter to be nominated. Barroso was nominated with lyricist Ned Washington. 2011Rio"Real in Rio"Sergio MendesCarlinhos BrownFirst two Brazilian songwriters to be nominated together. Brown was the first black Latin songwriter to be nominated. They were nominated with lyricist Siedah Garrett.
Best Cinematography Best CinematographyYearFilm TitleNominee(s)StatusMilestone/Notes2025Train DreamsAdolpho Veloso
Best Film Editing Best Film EditingYearFilm TitleNominee(s)StatusMilestone/Notes2003City of God(Cidade de Deus)Daniel Rezende
Best Casting Best CastingYearFilm TitleNominee(s)StatusMilestone/Notes2025The Secret Agent(O Agente Secreto)Gabriel Domingues
By production This section presents a list of all films that involve Brazilian co-productions and Brazilian nominees for the Oscars.
Although four Brazilian co-productions have already won an Academy Award, none of them were awarded to Brazilians. The first victory, in fact, only occurred in 2025, with the film I'm Still Here winning the Best International Film category.
Nominees who do not have Brazilian citizenship are indicated with a double dagger "‡" and with a gray background in the status.
YearFilm titleCategoryNominee(s)StatusProduction1944BrazilBest Music (Song)for "Rio de Janeiro"Ary Barroso‡ Ned Washington 1959Black OrpheusBest Foreign Language Film‡ France1962Keeper of PromisesBest Foreign Language FilmBrazil1978RaoniBest Documentary (Feature)‡ Jean-Pierre Dutilleux‡ Barry Williams‡ Michel Gast1981El Salvador: Another VietnamBest Documentary (Feature)‡ Glenn SilberTetê Vasconcellos1985Kiss of the Spider WomanBest Picture‡ David WeismanBest DirectingHéctor BabencoBest Actor in a Leading Role‡ William HurtBest Writing (Screenplay Basedon Material from Another Medium)‡ Leonard Schrader1995O QuatrilhoBest Foreign Language FilmBrazil1997Four Days in SeptemberBest Foreign Language FilmBrazil1998Central StationBest Actress in a Leading RoleFernanda MontenegroBest Foreign Language FilmBrazil2000A Soccer StoryBest Short Film (Live Action)Paulo Machline2002City of GodBest DirectingFernando MeirellesBest Writing (Adapted Screenplay)Bráulio MantovaniBest Cinematography‡ César CharloneBest Film EditingDaniel Rezende2003Gone NuttyBest Short Film (Animated)Carlos Saldanha‡ John C. Donkin2004The Motorcycle DiariesBest Writing (Adapted Screenplay)‡ José RiveraBest Music (Original Song)for "Al otro lado del río"‡ Jorge Drexler2010Waste LandBest Documentary (Feature)‡ Lucy Walker‡ Angus Aynsley2011RioBest Music (Original Song)for "Real in Rio"Sérgio MendesCarlinhos Brown‡ Siedah Garrett2014The Salt of the EarthBest Documentary (Feature)Juliano Ribeiro Salgado‡ Wim Wenders‡ David Rosier2015Boy and the WorldBest Animated Feature FilmAlê Abreu2017Call Me by Your NameBest Picture‡ Peter Spears‡ Luca Guadagnino‡ Émilie Georges‡ Marco MorabitoBest Actor in a Leading Role‡ Timothée ChalametBest Writing (Adapted Screenplay)‡ James IvoryBest Music (Original Song)for "Mystery of Love"‡ Sufjan Stevens2017FerdinandBest Animated Feature FilmCarlos Saldanha‡ Lori Forte2019The Edge of DemocracyBest Documentary (Feature)Petra Costa‡ Joanna Natasegara‡ Shane BorisTiago Pavan2021Lead Me HomeBest Documentary (Short Subject)Pedro Kos‡ Jon Shenk2024I'm Still HereBest PictureMaria Carlota BrunoRodrigo TeixeiraBest Actress in a Leading RoleFernanda TorresBest International Feature FilmBrazil2026Train DreamsBest CinematographyAdolpho Veloso2026The Secret AgentBest Picture‡ Emilie LesclauxBest Actor in a Leading RoleWagner MouraBest International Feature FilmBrazilBest CastingGabriel Domingues
References