Academy Awards
As of 2024, Disney has won a total of 150 Academy Awards, but the impressive number is that of these, 32 were won by Walt Disney personally. This is by far the record, and Walt Disney is listed in the Guinness World Records book for this distinction. (Second in line is Cedric Gibbons, the MGM art director, with 11 awards.) Most of Walt Disney’s awards came to him as producer of a film. He also won the prestigious Irving Thalberg Award, given by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Animated Disney characters have occasionally appeared on the Academy Awards show. While Minnie, Donald, and Daisy watched from the audience, Mickey Mouse interacted with Tom Selleck in 1988, an animated Belle and Beast appeared in 1992, Snow White was a guest in 1993, and Woody and Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story helped present an award in 1996. Mickey Mouse appeared again in 2003, as did Woody and Buzz in 2016. C-3PO, R2-D2, and BB-8 also appeared onstage in 2016. The use of a live Snow White in an uncomplimentary musical number with Rob Lowe in 1989 led to an immediate lawsuit by Disney, which was dropped after the Academy offered an apology.
The awards, listed by the year in which they were presented, are as follows:
1932
1)* Flowers and Trees (Cartoon Short Subject, 1931-32)
2)* Special Award to Walt Disney for the creation of Mickey Mouse
1934
3)* Three Little Pigs (Cartoon Short Subject, 1932-33)
1935
4)* The Tortoise and the Hare (Cartoon Production, 1934)
1936
5)* Three Orphan Kittens (Cartoon Production, 1935)
1937
6)* The Country Cousin (Cartoon Short Subject, 1936)
1938
7)* The Old Mill (Cartoon Short Subject, 1937)
8)* Top Technical Award to Walt Disney Productions for the design and application to production of the Multi-Plane Camera, 1937
1939
9)* Ferdinand the Bull (Cartoon Short Subject, 1938)
10)* Special Award to Walt Disney for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs–recognized as a significant screen innovation which has charmed millions and pioneered a great new entertainment field for the motion picture cartoon
1940
11)* The Ugly Duckling (Cartoon Short Subject, 1939)
1941
12) Pinocchio (Song, 1940: “When You Wish Upon A Star” by Leigh Harline and Ned Washington)
13) Pinocchio (Original Score, 1940, by Leigh Harline, Paul J. Smith, and Ned Washington)
1942
14)* Irving Thalberg Memorial Award to Walt Disney for “the most consistent high quality of production achievement by an individual producer.” (This is not an Oscar but a special award in the form of a bust of Thalberg.)
15)* Special Technical Award for “outstanding contribution to the advancement of the use of sound in motion pictures through the production of Fantasia”
16)* Lend a Paw (Cartoon Short Subject, 1941)
17) Special Award to Leopold Stokowski and associates for their achievement “in the creation of a new form of visualized music” (Fantasia)
18) Dumbo (Original Score, 1941, by Frank Churchill and Oliver Wallace)
1943
19)* Der Fuehrer’s Face (Best Cartoon Short Subject, 1942-43)
1947
20) Special Technical Award to Members of the Walt Disney Studio Sound Department, for a process of checking and locating noise in sound tracks
1948
21) Song of the South (Song, 1947: “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah”; Music by Allie Wrubel, Lyrics by Ray Gilbert)
22) Song of the South (Honorary Award to James Baskett, for his “able and heartwarming characterization of Uncle Remus, friend and storyteller to the children of the world”)
1949
23)* Seal Island (Two-Reel Short Subject, 1948)
1950
24) Honorary Award to Bobby Driscoll, outstanding juvenile actor of 1949 (performances included So Dear to My Heart)
1951
25)* In Beaver Valley (Two-Reel Short Subject, 1950)
1952
26)* Nature’s Half Acre (Two-Reel Short Subject, 1951)
1953
27)* Water Birds (Two-Reel Short Subject, 1952)
1954
28)* The Living Desert (Documentary Feature, 1953)
29)* Bear Country (Two-Reel Short Subject, 1953)
30)* The Alaskan Eskimo (Documentary Short Subject, 1953)
31)* Toot, Whistle, Plunk, and Boom (Cartoon Short Subject, 1953)
1955
32)* The Vanishing Prairie (Documentary Feature, 1954)
33)* 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Achievement with Special Effects, 1954)
34) 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Achievement in Art and Set Decoration, 1954; John Meehan and Emile Kuri)
1956
35)* Men Against the Arctic (Documentary Short Subject, 1955)
1958
36)* The Wetback Hound (Live-Action Short Subject, 1957; Walt Disney, Executive Producer; Larry Lansburgh, Producer)
1959
37)* White Wilderness (Documentary Feature, 1958)
38)* Grand Canyon (Live-Action Short Subject, 1958)
39)* Ama Girls (Documentary Short Subject, 1958; Walt Disney, Executive Producer; Ben Sharpsteen, Producer)
1960
40) Special Technical Award to Ub Iwerks for the design of an improved optical printer for special effects and matte shots
1961
41)* The Horse With the Flying Tail (Documentary Feature, 1960; Walt Disney, Executive Producer; Larry Lansburgh, Producer)
42) Pollyanna (Honorary Award to Hayley Mills for the most outstanding juvenile performance during 1960)
1965
43) Mary Poppins (Actress, 1964; Julie Andrews)
44) Mary Poppins (Song, 1964: “Chim-Chim Cheree” by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman)
45) Mary Poppins (Musical Score, Original, 1964, by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman)
46) Mary Poppins (Film Editing, 1964; Cotton Warburton)
47) Mary Poppins (Special Visual Effects, 1964; Peter Ellenshaw, Hamilton Luske, and Eustace Lycett)
48) Special Technical Award to Petro Vlahos, Wadsworth Pohl, and Ub Iwerks for conception and perfection of techniques of color traveling matte composite cinematography [Mary Poppins]
1969
49)* Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day (Cartoon Short Subject, 1968; Walt Disney, Executive Producer)
1970
50) It’s Tough to Be a Bird (Cartoon Short Subject, 1969; Ward Kimball, Producer)
1972
51) Bedknobs and Broomsticks (Special Visual Effects, 1971; Danny Lee, Eustace Lycett, and Alan Maley)
1986
52) Technical Achievement Award to David W. Spencer for the development of an Animation Photo Transfer process (APT)
1987
53) The Color of Money (Actor, 1986; Paul Newman)
1989
54) Who Framed Roger Rabbit (Award for Special Achievement in Animation Direction to Richard Williams)
55) Who Framed Roger Rabbit (Film Editing, 1988; Arthur Schmidt)
56) Who Framed Roger Rabbit (Sound Effects Editing, 1988; Charles L. Campbell, Louis L. Edemann)
57) Who Framed Roger Rabbit (Visual Effects, 1988; Ken Ralston, Richard Williams, Edward Jones, George Gibbs)
1990
58) Dead Poets Society (Original Screenplay, 1989; Tom Schulman)
59) The Little Mermaid (Original Score, 1989; Alan Menken)
60) The Little Mermaid (Best Song, 1989: “Under the Sea”; Music by Alan Menken, Lyrics by Howard Ashman)
1991
61) Dick Tracy (Makeup, 1990; John Caglione Jr., Doug Drexler)
62) Dick Tracy (Art Direction/Set Decoration, 1990; Richard Sylbert [art]; Rick Simpson [set])
63) Dick Tracy (Best Song, 1990: “Sooner or Later [I Always Get My Man]”; Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim)
1992
64) Scientific/Technical Award to Members of the Walt Disney Feature Animation Department, for CAPS (Computer Animated Production System), showcased in Beauty and the Beast. The system enables the seamless combination of hand-drawn and computer animation. Disney employees receiving awards: Randy Cartwright, David B. Coons, Lem Davis, James Houston, Mark Kimball, Thomas Hahn, Peter Nye, Michael Shantzis, and David F. Wolf
65) Scientific/Technical award to YCM Laboratories for the motion picture restoration process with liquid gate and registration correction on a contact printer, as used in the restoration of Fantasia
66) Beauty and the Beast (Original Score, 1991; Alan Menken)
67) Beauty and the Beast (Best Song, 1991: “Beauty and the Beast”; Music by Alan Menken, Lyrics by Howard Ashman)
1993
68) Aladdin (Original Score, 1992; Alan Menken)
69) Aladdin (Best Song, 1992: “A Whole New World”; Music by Alan Menken, Lyrics by Tim Rice)
1995
70) Ed Wood (Supporting Actor, 1994; Martin Landau)
71) Ed Wood (Makeup, 1994; Rick Baker, Ve Neill, Yolanda Toussieng)
72) The Lion King (Original Score, 1994; Hans Zimmer)
73) The Lion King (Best Song, 1994: “Can You Feel the Love Tonight”; Music by Elton John, Lyrics by Tim Rice)
1996
74) Special Achievement Oscar, 1995, to John Lasseter, director and co-writer of Toy Story, for “the development and inspired application of techniques that have made possible the first feature-length computer-animated film.”
75) Pocahontas (Original Musical or Comedy Score, 1995; Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz)
76) Pocahontas (Best Song, 1995: “Colors of the Wind”; Music by Alan Menken, Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz)
1997
77) Evita (Best Song, 1996: “You Must Love Me”; Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Lyrics by Tim Rice)
2000
78) Tarzan (Best Song, 1999: “You’ll Be in My Heart”; Music and lyrics by Phil Collins)
79) Scientific/Technical Award to Hoyt H. Yeatman Jr. of DREAM QUEST IMAGES and John C. Brewer of Eastman Kodak for the identification and diagnosis leading to the elimination of the ‘red fringe’ artifact in traveling matte composite photography.
2002
80) Monsters, Inc. (Best Song, 2001: “If I Didn’t Have You”; Music and lyrics by Randy Newman)
81) Pearl Harbor (Best Sound Editing; George Watters II, Christopher Boyes)
2003
82) Scientific/Technical Award to Eric Daniels, George Kanatics, Tasso Lappas, and Chris Springfield (Feature Animation) for the development of the Deep Canvas rendering software which was used first in Tarzan and more extensively in Treasure Planet
83) Spirited Away (Best Animated Feature, Hiyao Miyazaki, producer)
2004
84) Finding Nemo (Best Animated Feature, Andrew Stanton, producer)
2005
85) The Incredibles (Best Animated Feature, Brad Bird, writer-director)
86) The Incredibles (Best Sound Editing, Randy Thom, Michael Silvers)
2006
87) The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (Best Makeup, Howard Berger, Tami Lane)
2007
88) Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (Best Visual Effects, John Knoll, Hal Hickel, Charles Gibson, Allen Hall)
2008
89) Ratatouille (Best Animated Feature, Brad Bird, director)
2009
90) WALL•E (Best Animated Feature, Andrew Stanton, director)
2010
91) Up (Best Animated Feature, Pete Docter, director)
92) Up (Best Original Score, Michael Giacchino)
2011
93) Toy Story 3 (Best Animated Feature, Lee Unkrich, director)
94) Toy Story 3 (Best Song, “We Belong Together,” music and lyrics by Randy Newman)
95) Alice in Wonderland (Best Art Direction; Production Design – Robert Stromberg, Set Decoration – Karen O’Hara)
96) Alice in Wonderland (Best Costume Design, Colleen Attwood)
2012
97) The Help (Best Supporting Actress, Octavia Spencer)
98) The Muppets (Best Original Song, “Man or Muppet,” Bret McKenzie)
2013
99) Lincoln (Best Actor, Daniel Day-Lewis)
100) Lincoln (Best Production Design, Rick Carter and Jim Erickson)
101) Brave (Best Animated Feature, Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman)
102) Paperman (Best Animated Short, John Kahrs)
2014
103) Frozen (Best Animated Feature, Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee, Peter Del Vecho)
104) Frozen (Best Original Song, “Let It Go,” music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez)
105) Scientific and Technical Award to Florian Kainz, Jeffery Yost, Philip Hubbard and Jim Hourihan [ILM] for the architecture and development of the Zeno application framework.
106) Scientific and Technical Award to Oliver Maury, Ian Sachs and Dan Piponi for the creation of the ILM Plume system that simulates and renders fire, smoke, and explosions for motion picture visual effects.
2015
107) Big Hero 6 (Best Animated Feature, Don Hall, Chris Williams, Roy Conli)
108) Feast (Best Animated Short, Patrick Osborne and Kristina Reed)
109) Scientific and Technical Award to Cary Phillips, Nicholas Popravka, Philip Peterson, and Colette Mullenhoff [ILM for the architecture, development and creation of the artist-driven interface of the ILM Shape Sculpting System.
110) Scientific and Technical Award to Brice Criswell and Ron Fedkiw for the development of the ILM PhysBAM Destruction System.
2016
111) Bridge of Spies (Best Supporting Actor, Mark Rylance)
112) Inside Out (Best Animated Feature, Pete Docter, Jonas Rivera)
113) Scientific and Technical Award to Ronald Mallet and Christoph Bregler for the design and engineering of the Industrial Light & Magic Geometry Tracker, which facilitates convincing interaction of digital and live-action elements within a scene.
2017
114) O.J.: Made in America (Best Documentary Feature, 2016: Ezra Edelman and Caroline Waterlow)
115) The Jungle Book (Best Visual Effects, 2016: Robert Legato, Adam Valdez, Andrew R. Jones, and Dan Lemmon)
116) Piper (Best Animated Short, 2016: Alan Barillaro and Marc Sondheimer)
117) Zootopia (Best Animated Feature, 2016: Byron Howard, Rich Moore, and Clark Spencer)
118) Technical Achievement Award to Brian Whited for the design and development of the Meander drawing system at Walt Disney Animation Studios.
119) Technical Achievement Award to Kiran Bhat, Michael Koperwas, Brian Cantwell, and Paige Warner for the design and development of the ILM facial performance-capture solving system.
2018
120) Coco (Best Animated Feature, 2017: Lee Unkrich and Darla K. Anderson).
121) Coco (Best Original Song, 2017: “Remember Me”; music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez).
122) Technical Achievement Award to Jason Smith and Jeff White for the original design and Rachel Rose and Mike Jutan for the architecture and engineering of the Block Party procedural rigging system at Industrial Light and Magic.
123) Technical Achievement Award to Rob Jensen for the foundational design and continued development, to Thomas Hahn for the animation toolset, and to George ElKoura, Adam Woodbury, and Dirk Van Gelder for the high-performance execution engine of the Presto Animation System at Pixar Animation Studios.
2019
124) Black Panther (Best Costume Design, 2018: Ruth Carter)
125) Black Panther (Best Original Score, 2018: Ludwig Göransson)
126) Black Panther (Best Production Design, 2018: Hannah Beachler, production designer; Jay Hart, set decorator)
127) Bao (Best Animated Short, 2018: Domee Shi and Becky Neiman-Cobb)
128) Technical Achievement Award to Thabo Beeler, Derek Bradley, Bernd Bickel, and Markus Gross for the conception, design, and engineering of the Medusa Performance Capture System.
2020
129) Toy Story 4 (Best Animated Feature, 2019: Josh Cooley, Mark Nielsen, and Jonas Rivera)
130) Ford v Ferrari (Best Film Editing, 2019: Michael McCusker and Andrew Buckland)
131) Ford v Ferrari (Best Sound Editing, 2019: Donald Sylvester)
132) Jojo Rabbit (Best Adapted Screenplay, 2019: Taika Waititi)
2021
133) Soul (Best Animated Feature, 2020: Pete Docter and Dana Murray)
134) Soul (Best Original Score, 2020: Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Jon Batiste)
135) Nomadland (Best Actress in a Leading Role, 2020: Frances McDormand)
136) Nomadland (Best Director, 2020: Chloé Zhao)
137) Nomadland (Best Picture, 2020: Frances McDormand, Peter Spears, Mollye Asher, Dan Janvey, and Chloé Zhao)
2022
138) Cruella (Best Costume Design, 2021: Jenny Beavan)
139) Encanto (Best Animated Feature, 2021: Jared Bush and Byron Howard, directors; Yvett Merino and Clark Spencer, producers)
140) West Side Story (Actress in a Supporting Role, 2021: Ariana DeBose [“Anita”])
141) The Eyes of Tammy Faye (Best Actress in a Leading Role, 2021: Jessica Chastain [“Tammy Faye Bakker”])
142) The Eyes of Tammy Faye (Best Makeup and Hairstyling, 2021: Linda Dowds, Stephanie Ingram, and Justin Raleigh)
143) Summer of Soul ( . . . Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (Best Documentary [Feature], 2021: Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, Joseph Patel, Robert Fyvolent, and David Dinerstein)
2023
144) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Best Costume Design, 2022: Ruth E. Carter)
145) Avatar: The Way of Water (Best Visual Effects, 2022: Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, and Daniel Barrett)
2024
146) Poor Things (Best Actress, 2023: Emma Stone)
147) Poor Things (Best Production Design, 2023: James Price and Shona Heath [Production Design], Zsuzsa Mihalek [Set Decoration])
148) Poor Things (Best Costume Design, 2023: Holly Waddington)
149) Poor Things (Best Makeup and Hairstyling, 2023: Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier, and Josh Weston)
150) The Last Repair Shop (Best Documentary Short Film, 2023: Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers)