1979 (52nd Annual Awards)
Winners Only

Listed below are the Academy Award winners for the year 1979 (non-winning nominations have been omitted from this list). Click on the name of a film, person or song in the list to display more information about that film, person or song Or, click on a year in the column on the right to display the winners from that year.

Best Picture

Kramer vs. Kramer, Stanley Jaffe Productions; Columbia. Stanley R. Jaffe, Producer.

Actor in a Leading Role

Dustin Hoffman in Kramer vs. Kramer, Stanley Jaffe Productions; Columbia.

Actress in a Leading Role

Sally Field in Norma Rae, 20th Century-Fox Production; 20th Century-Fox.

Actor in a Supporting Role

Melvyn Douglas in Being There, Lorimar Film-und Fernsehproduktion GmbH Production; United Artists. (USA, West Germany)

Actress in a Supporting Role

Meryl Streep in Kramer vs. Kramer, Stanley Jaffe Productions; Columbia.

Directing

Kramer vs. Kramer, Stanley Jaffe Productions; Columbia. Robert Benton.

Art Direction-Set Decoration

All That Jazz, Columbia/20th Century-Fox Production; 20th Century-Fox. Art direction by Philip Rosenberg and Tony Walton; set decoration by Edward Stewart and Gary Brink.

Cinematography

Apocalypse Now, Omni Zoetrope Production; United Artists. Vittorio Storaro.

Costume Design

All That Jazz, Columbia/20th Century-Fox Production; 20th Century-Fox. Albert Wolsky.

Documentary

(Feature)

Best Boy, Only Child Motion Pictures, Inc. Ira Wohl, Producer.

(Short Subject)

Paul Robeson: Tribute to an Artist, Janus Films Inc. Saul J. Turell, Producer.

Film Editing

All That Jazz, Columbia/20th Century-Fox Production; 20th Century-Fox. Alan Heim.

Foreign Language Film

The Tin Drum, Franz Seitz Film/Bioskop Film/Artemis Film/Hallelujah Film/GGB 14.KG/Argos Films Production. (West Germany, France, Poland, Yugoslavia)

Music

(Original Score)

A Little Romance, Pan Arts Associates Production; Orion Pictures Company. (France, USA) Georges Delerue.

(Original Song)

It Goes Like It Goes from Norma Rae, 20th Century-Fox Production; 20th Century-Fox. Music by David Shire; lyric by Norman Gimbel.

(Original Song Score and Its Adaptation -or- Adaptation Score)

All That Jazz, Columbia/20th Century-Fox Production; 20th Century-Fox. Adaptation score by Ralph Burns.

Short Films

(Animated)

Every Child, National Film Board of Canada. (Canada) Derek Lamb, Producer.

(Live Action)

Board and Care, Ron Ellis Films. Sarah Pillsbury and Ron Ellis, Producers.

Sound

Apocalypse Now, Omni Zoetrope Production; United Artists. Walter Murch, Mark Berger, Richard Beggs and Nat Boxer.

Special Achievement Award

(Sound Editing)

The Black Stallion, Omni Zoetrope Production; United Artists. Alan Splet.

Visual Effects

Alien, 20th Century-Fox Productions, Ltd.; 20th Century-Fox. (UK, USA) H. R. Giger, Carlo Rambaldi, Brian Johnson, Nick Allder and Denys Ayling.

Writing

(Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium)

Kramer vs. Kramer, Stanley Jaffe Productions; Columbia. Robert Benton.

(Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen)

Breaking Away, 20th Century-Fox Production; 20th Century-Fox. Steve Tesich.

Honorary Award

To Alec Guinness for advancing the art of screen acting through a host of memorable and distinguished performances. [ [Statuette]]

To Hal Elias for his dedication and distinguished service to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. [ [Statuette]]

To John O. Aalberg, Charles G. Clarke and John G. Frayne in appreciation for outstanding service and dedication in upholding the high standards of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. [ [Medal of Commendation]]

Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award

Robert Benjamin

Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award

Ray Stark

Scientific or Technical Award

(Academy Award of Merit)

To Mark Serrurier for the progressive development of the Moviola from the 1924 invention of his father, Iwan Serrurier, to the present Series 20 sophisticated film editing equipment.

(Scientific and Engineering Award)

To Neiman-Tillar Associates for the creative development and to Mini-Micro Systems, Incorporated, for the design and engineering of an Automated Computer-Controlled Editing Sound System (ACCESS) for motion picture post-production.

(Technical Achievement Award)

To Michael V. Chewey, Walter G. Eggers and Allen Hecht of M-G-M Laboratories for the development of a Computer-controlled Paper Tape Programmer System and its applications in the motion picture laboratory.

To Irwin Young, Paul Kaufman and Fredrik Schlyter of Du Art FilmLaboratories, Incorporated, for the development of a Computer-controlled Paper Tape Programmer System and its applications in the motion picture laboratory.

To James S. Stanfield and Paul W. Trester for the development and manufacture of a device for the repair or protection of sprocket holes in motion picture film.

To Zorin Perisic of Courier Films, Limited, for the Zoptic Special Optical Effects Device for motion picture photography.

To A. D. Flowers and Logan R. Frazee for the development of a device to control flight patterns of miniature airplanes during motion picture photography.

To Photo Research Division of Kollmorgen Corporation for the development of the Spectra Series II Cine Special Exposure Meter for motion picture photography.

To Bruce Lyon and John Lamb for the development of a Video Animation System for testing motion picture animation sequences.

To Ross Lowell of Lowel-Light Manufacturing, Incorporated, for the development of compact lighting equipment for motion picture photography.