52nd Academy Awards


The 52nd Academy Awards were presented April 14, 1980, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles. The ceremonies were presided over by Johnny Carson who, in noting the long duration of the production, joked that President Jimmy Carter was working hard for their "release" from the ceremonies, a clear reference to the Iranian hostage crisis.
Among the nominees for Best Supporting Actor were 8 year-old Justin Henry—the youngest Best Supporting Actor nominee ever—and 79-year-old Melvyn Douglas. This was the largest age difference between two competing actors in Oscar history until 2013. Their age difference was partially the reason why Douglas did not attend the Oscars that night, despite winning the award. Henry was nominated for Kramer vs. Kramer, which out of its eight other nominations, finished with five awards, including Best Picture, Best Director for Robert Benton, and Best Actor for Dustin Hoffman.

Awards

Winners are listed first, highlighted in boldface and indicated with a double dagger.
Best PictureBest Director

  • Robert Benton – Kramer vs. Kramer
  • *Bob Fosse – All That Jazz
  • *Francis Ford Coppola – Apocalypse Now
  • *Peter Yates – Breaking Away
  • *Édouard Molinaro – La Cage aux Folles
  • Best ActorBest Actress
  • Dustin 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 Chance
  • Sally FieldNorma 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 Foster
  • Best Supporting ActorBest Supporting Actress
  • Melvyn 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 Dailey
  • Meryl StreepKramer vs. Kramer as Joanna Kramer
  • *Jane Alexander – Kramer vs. Kramer as Margaret Phelps
  • *Barbara Barrie – Breaking Away as Evelyn Stoller
  • *Candice Bergen – Starting Over as Jessica Potter
  • *Mariel Hemingway – Manhattan as Tracy
  • Best Screenplay Written Directly for the ScreenBest Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium
  • Breaking AwaySteve Tesich
  • *All That Jazz – Robert Alan Aurthur and Bob Fosse
  • *...And Justice for All.Valerie Curtin and Barry Levinson
  • *The China SyndromeMike Gray, T. S. Cook, and James Bridges
  • *ManhattanWoody Allen and Marshall Brickman
  • Kramer 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 FollesFrancis Veber, Édouard Molinaro, Marcello Danon and Jean Poiret based on the play by Jean Poiret
  • *A Little RomanceAllan Burns based on the novel E=MC2 mon amour by Patrick Cauvin
  • *Norma RaeIrving Ravetch and Harriet Frank Jr. based on the book Crystal Lee, a Woman of Inheritance by Hank Leiferman
  • Best Foreign Language FilmBest Documentary Feature
  • The Tin Drum
  • *The Maids of Wilko
  • *Mama Turns 100
  • *A Simple Story
  • *To Forget Venice
  • Best 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 Brown
  • Best Documentary Short SubjectBest Live Action Short Film
  • – Saul J. Turell
  • *Dae – Risto Teofilovski
  • *Koryo Celadon – Donald A. Connolly and James R. Messenger
  • *NailsPhillip Borsos
  • *Remember MeDick Young
  • Board and Care – Sarah Pillsbury and Ron Ellis
  • *Bravery in the FieldRoman Kroitor and Stefan Wodoslawsky
  • *Oh Brother, My Brother – Carol Lowell and Ross Lowell
  • *The Solar FilmSaul Bass and Michael Britton
  • *Solly's Diner – Harry Mathias, Jay Zukerman and Larry Hankin
  • Best Animated Short FilmBest Original Score
  • Every ChildDerek Lamb
  • *Dream DollBob Godfrey
  • *Its So Nice to Have a Wolf Around the HousePaul Fierlinger
  • A Little Romance – Georges Delerue
  • *10Henry Mancini
  • *The Amityville HorrorLalo Schifrin
  • *The ChampDave Grusin
  • *' – Jerry Goldsmith
  • Best Original Song Score and Its Adaptation or Adaptation ScoreBest Original Song
  • All That JazzRalph Burns
  • *Breaking AwayPatrick 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 MovieMusic and Lyrics by Paul Williams and Kenny Ascher
  • *"Through the Eyes of Love" from Ice Castles – Music by Marvin Hamlisch; Lyrics by Carole Bayer Sager
  • Best SoundBest Costume Design
  • Apocalypse Now – Walter Murch, Mark Berger, Richard Beggs and Nat Boxer
  • *1941Robert Knudson, Robert Glass, Don MacDougall and Gene Cantamessa
  • *The Electric HorsemanArthur Piantadosi, Les Fresholtz, Michael Minkler and Al Overton Jr.
  • *MeteorWilliam McCaughey, Aaron Rochin, Michael J. Kohut and Jack Solomon
  • *The RoseTheodore Soderberg, Douglas Williams, Paul Wells and Jim Webb
  • All That JazzAlbert Wolsky
  • *AgathaShirley Russell
  • *' – William Ware Theiss
  • *The EuropeansJudy Moorcroft
  • *La Cage aux FollesPiero Tosi and Ambra Danon
  • Best Art DirectionBest Cinematography
  • All 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
  • *' – Art Direction: Harold Michelson, Joe Jennings, Leon Harris and John Vallone; Set Decoration: Linda DeScenna
  • Apocalypse NowVittorio Storaro
  • *1941 – William A. Fraker
  • *All That JazzGiuseppe Rotunno
  • *The Black Hole – Frank Phillips
  • *Kramer vs. KramerNéstor Almendros
  • Best Film EditingBest Visual Effects
  • All That Jazz – Alan Heim
  • *Apocalypse NowRichard Marks, Walter Murch, Gerald B. Greenberg and Lisa Fruchtman
  • *The Black StallionRobert Dalva
  • *Kramer vs. KramerJerry Greenberg
  • *The Rose – Robert L. Wolfe and C. Timothy O'Meara
  • Alien – H. R. Giger, Carlo Rambaldi, Brian Johnson, Nick Allder and Dennis Ayling
  • *1941Gregory Jein, William A. Fraker and A. D. Flowers
  • *The Black HolePeter Ellenshaw, Art Cruickshank, Eustace Lycett, Danny Lee, Harrison Ellenshaw and Joe Hale
  • *MoonrakerDerek Meddings, Paul Wilson and John Evans
  • *' – Douglas Trumbull, John Dykstra, Richard Yuricich, Robert Swarthe, Dave Stewart and Grant McCune
  • Special Achievement Awards

  • Alan Splet for sound effects editing in The Black Stallion

    Academy Honorary Awards

  • Hal Elias
  • Alec Guinness

    Medal of Commendation

  • John O. Aalberg
  • Charles G. Clarke
  • John G. Frayne

    Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award

  • Robert Benjamin

    Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award

  • Ray Stark

    Presenters and performers

  • The following individuals, listed in order of appearance, presented awards or performed musical numbers.

    Presenters

    Performers

    Multiple nominations and awards

    These films had multiple nominations:
    The following films received multiple awards.