The 52nd Academy Awards ceremony, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored films released in 1979 and took place on April 14, 1980, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, beginning at 6:00 p.m. PST / 9:00 p.m. EST. During the ceremony, AMPAS presented Academy Awards (commonly referred to as Oscars) in 22 categories. The ceremony, televised in the United States by ABC, was produced by Howard W. Koch and directed by Marty Pasetta. Comedian and talk show host Johnny Carson hosted the show for the second consecutive year. Three days earlier, in a ceremony held at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, on April 11, the Academy Scientific and Technical Awards were presented by hosts Cloris Leachman and William Shatner.

Kramer vs. Kramer won five awards, including Best Picture, Best Director for Robert Benton, Best Actor for Dustin Hoffman, and Best Supporting Actress for Meryl Streep. Sally Field received Best Actress honors for Norma Rae, and Melvyn Douglas won Best Supporting Actor for Being There. The telecast received a mixed reception, with critics praising Carson's hosting performance but criticising the pacing and predictability of the ceremony. It garnered 49 million viewers in the United States, which was a 6% increase from the previous year.

Winners and nominees The nominees for the 52nd Academy Awards were announced on February 25, 1980, by Academy president Fay Kanin and actors Ed Asner and Yvette Mimieux. All That Jazz and Kramer vs. Kramer tied for the most nominations, with nine each. The winners were announced at the awards ceremony on April 14. At age eight, Best Supporting Actor nominee Justin Henry became the youngest person nominated for an Oscar.

Awards

Winners are listed first, highlighted in boldface and indicated with a double dagger ().

+Kramer vs. Kramer – Stanley R. Jaffe, producerAll That Jazz – Robert Alan Aurthur, producer Apocalypse Now – Francis Coppola, producer; Fred Roos, Gray Frederickson and Tom Sternberg, co-producers Breaking Away – Peter Yates, producer Norma Rae – Tamara Asseyev and Alex Rose, producers | style="vertical-align:top; width:50%;"|Robert Benton – Kramer vs. Kramer Bob Fosse – All That Jazz Francis Ford Coppola – Apocalypse Now Peter Yates – Breaking Away Édouard Molinaro – La Cage aux FollesDustin Hoffman – Kramer vs. Kramer as Ted Kramer Jack Lemmon – The China Syndrome as Jack Godell Al Pacino – ...And Justice for All. as Arthur Kirkland Roy Scheider – All That Jazz as Joseph "Joe" Gideon Peter Sellers – Being There as ChanceSally Field – Norma Rae as Norma Rae Webster Jill Clayburgh – Starting Over as Marilyn Holmberg Jane Fonda – The China Syndrome as Kimberly Wells Marsha Mason – Chapter Two as Jennie MacLaine Bette Midler – The Rose as Mary Rose "The Rose" FosterMelvyn Douglas – Being There as Ben Rand Robert Duvall – Apocalypse Now as Lieutenant Colonel William "Bill" Kilgore Frederic Forrest – The Rose as Huston Dyer Justin Henry – Kramer vs. Kramer as Billy Kramer Mickey Rooney – The Black Stallion as Henry DaileyMeryl Streep – Kramer vs. Kramer as Joanna Kramer Jane Alexander – Kramer vs. Kramer as Margaret Phelps Barbara Barrie – Breaking Away as Evelyn Stohler Candice Bergen – Starting Over as Jessica Potter Mariel Hemingway – Manhattan as TracyBreaking Away – Steve Tesich All That Jazz – Robert Alan Aurthur and Bob Fosse ...And Justice for All. – Valerie Curtin and Barry Levinson The China Syndrome – Mike Gray, T. S. Cook, and James Bridges Manhattan – Woody Allen and Marshall BrickmanKramer vs. Kramer – Robert Benton based on the novel by Avery Corman Apocalypse Now – Francis Coppola and John Milius based on the novel Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad La Cage aux Folles – Francis Veber, Édouard Molinaro, Marcello Danon and Jean Poiret based on the play by Jean Poiret A Little Romance – Allan Burns based on the novel E=mc2 mon amour by Patrick Cauvin Norma Rae – Irving Ravetch and Harriet Frank Jr. based on the book Crystal Lee, a Woman of Inheritance by Hank LeifermanThe Tin Drum (Federal Republic of Germany) in German – directed by Volker Schlöndorff The Maids of Wilko (Poland) in Polish – directed by Andrzej Wajda Mama Turns 100 (Spain) in Spanish – directed by Carlos Saura A Simple Story (France) in English and French – directed by Claude Sautet To Forget Venice (Italy) in Italian – directed by Franco BrusatiBest Boy – Ira Wohl Generation on the Wind – David A. Vassar Going the Distance – Paul Cowan and Jacques Bobet The Killing Ground – Steve Singer and Tom Priestley The War at Home – Glenn Silber and Barry Alexander BrownPaul Robeson: Tribute to an Artist – Saul J. Turell Dae – Risto Teofilovski Koryo Celadon – Donald A. Connolly and James R. Messenger Nails – Phillip Borsos Remember Me – Dick YoungBoard and Care – Sarah Pillsbury and Ron Ellis Bravery in the Field – Roman Kroitor and Stefan Wodoslawsky Oh Brother, My Brother – Carol Lowell and Ross Lowell The Solar Film – Saul Bass and Michael Britton Solly's Diner – Harry Mathias, Jay Zukerman and Larry HankinEvery Child – Derek Lamb Dream Doll – Bob Godfrey and Zlatko Grgić It's So Nice to Have a Wolf Around the House – Paul FierlingerA Little Romance – Georges Delerue 10 – Henry Mancini The Amityville Horror – Lalo Schifrin The Champ – Dave Grusin Star Trek: The Motion Picture – Jerry GoldsmithAll That Jazz – Ralph Burns Breaking Away – Patrick Williams The Muppet Movie – Songs by Paul Williams and Kenny Ascher; Adaptation by Paul Williams"It Goes Like It Goes" from Norma Rae – Music by David Shire; lyrics by Norman Gimbel "I'll Never Say Goodbye" from The Promise – Music by David Shire; lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman "It's Easy to Say" from 10 – Music by Henry Mancini; lyrics by Robert Wells "Rainbow Connection" from The Muppet Movie – Music and lyrics by Paul Williams and Kenny Ascher "Through the Eyes of Love" from Ice Castles – Music by Marvin Hamlisch; lyrics by Carole Bayer SagerApocalypse Now – Walter Murch, Mark Berger, Richard Beggs and Nat Boxer 1941 – Robert Knudson, Robert Glass, Don MacDougall and Gene Cantamessa The Electric Horseman – Arthur Piantadosi, Les Fresholtz, Michael Minkler and Al Overton Jr. Meteor – William McCaughey, Aaron Rochin, Michael J. Kohut and Jack Solomon The Rose – Theodore Soderberg, Douglas Williams, Paul Wells and Jim WebbAll That Jazz – Art Direction: Philip Rosenberg and Tony Walton; Set Decoration: Edward Stewart and Gary J. Brink Alien – Art Direction: Michael Seymour, Leslie Dilley and Roger Christian; Set Decoration: Ian Whittaker Apocalypse Now – Art Direction: Dean Tavoularis and Angelo P. Graham; Set Decoration: George R. Nelson The China Syndrome – Art Direction: George Jenkins; Set Decoration: Arthur Jeph Parker Star Trek: The Motion Picture – Art Direction: Harold Michelson, Joe Jennings, Leon Harris and John Vallone; Set Decoration: Linda DeScennaApocalypse Now – Vittorio Storaro 1941 – William A. Fraker All That Jazz – Giuseppe Rotunno The Black Hole – Frank Phillips Kramer vs. Kramer – Néstor AlmendrosAll That Jazz – Albert Wolsky Agatha – Shirley Russell Butch and Sundance: The Early Days – William Ware Theiss The Europeans – Judy Moorcroft La Cage aux Folles – Piero Tosi and Ambra DanonAll That Jazz – Alan Heim Apocalypse Now – Richard Marks, Walter Murch, Gerald B. Greenberg and Lisa Fruchtman The Black Stallion – Robert Dalva Kramer vs. Kramer – Jerry Greenberg The Rose – Robert L. Wolfe and C. Timothy O'MearaAlien – H. R. Giger, Carlo Rambaldi, Brian Johnson, Nick Allder and Dennis Ayling 1941 – Gregory Jein, William A. Fraker and A. D. Flowers The Black Hole – Peter Ellenshaw, Art Cruickshank, Eustace Lycett, Danny Lee, Harrison Ellenshaw and Joe Hale Moonraker – Derek Meddings, Paul Wilson and John Evans Star Trek: The Motion Picture – Douglas Trumbull, John Dykstra, Richard Yuricich, Robert Swarthe, Dave Stewart and Grant McCune

Special Achievement Award (Sound Editing) The Black Stallion – Alan Splet.

Honorary Awards To Alec Guinness for advancing the art of screen acting through a host of memorable and distinguished performances. To Hal Elias for his dedication and distinguished service to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award The award recognizes individuals whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the motion picture industry.

Robert Benjamin

Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award The award honors "creative producers whose bodies of work reflect a consistently high quality of motion picture production".

Ray Stark

Multiple nominations and awards

+ Films with multiple nominations Nominations Film 9 All That Jazz Kramer vs. Kramer 8 Apocalypse Now 5 Breaking Away 4 The China Syndrome Norma Rae The Rose 3 1941 La Cage aux Folles Star Trek: The Motion Picture 2 Alien ...And Justice for All. Being There The Black Hole The Black Stallion A Little Romance Manhattan The Muppet Movie Starting Over 10

+ Films with multiple wins Wins Film5 Kramer vs. Kramer 4 All That Jazz 2 Apocalypse Now Norma Rae

Presenters and performers The following individuals, listed in order of appearance, presented awards or performed musical numbers:

Presenters + Name(s) Role Announcer of the 52nd Academy Awards (AMPAS president) Gave opening remarks welcoming guests to the awards ceremony Explained the voting rules to the public Jack Lemmon Presenters of the award for Best Supporting Actress Mickey Rooney Presenters of the award for Best Art Direction Ben Vereen Presenters of the awards for Best Original Song Score and Its Adaptation or Adaptation Score and Best Original Score Presenter of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award to Robert Benjamin Kristy McNichol Presenters of the award for Best Costume Design Harold Russell Presenters of the award for Best Visual Effects William Shatner Presenters of the awards Best Documentary Feature and Best Documentary Short Telly Savalas Presenters of the awards for Best Animated Short Film and Best Live Action Short Film Presenter of the Academy Award for Technical Achievement to Mark Serrurier Jack Valenti Presenters of the award for Best Foreign Language Film Rod Steiger Presenters of the award for Best Sound Presenter of the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award to Ray Stark George Hamilton Presenters of the award for Best Cinematography Olivia Newton-John Presenters of the award for Best Original Song Christopher Reeve Presenters of the award for Best Film Editing Liza Minnelli Presenters of the award for Best Supporting Actor Presenter of the Academy Honorary Award to Alec Guinness Presenter of the awards for Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen and Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium Presenter of the Academy Honorary Award to Hal Elias Presenter of the award for Best Actor Presenter of the award for Best Actress Steven Spielberg Presenters of the award for Best Director Presenter of the award for Best Picture

Performers + Name Role Performed Musical arrangerConductor Orchestral Performer "Rainbow Connection" from The Muppet Movie Helen Reddy Performers "Song from 10 (It's Easy to Say)" from 10 Performer "Through the Eyes of Love" from Ice Castles and "I'll Never Say Goodbye" from The Promise Performer "Dancin' on the Silver Screen" Performer "It Goes Like It Goes" from Norma Rae Performers "That's Entertainment" during the closing credits

Ceremony information