List of Asian Academy Award winners and nominees
This article's factual accuracy is disputed. (May 2008) |
This is a list of Asian Academy Award winners and nominees. This list includes Academy Award winners and nominees who have Asian ancestry, including those with ancestry in East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Southwest Asia and Siberia.
Unlike the list of Black Academy Award winners and nominees, this list recognizes Asia as a continental entity, and not as a racial entity. Asia is a large and diverse region with a massive variety of racial and ethnic groups, and therefore this list is not expected to limit itself to just the cinematic achievements of those who have Far Eastern ancestry. People who were born in Asia or have Asian citizenship but do not have any documented Asian ancestry (such as Liv Ullmann or Natalie Portman) are not qualified to be on this list. Hapas (people of mixed Asian descent) on the other hand do qualify. For the category of Foreign Language Film, this list also includes Asian countries, or films in an Asian language, in addition to films with an Asian director.
This list is current as of the winners and nominees for the 81st Academy Awards which took place on February 22, 2009. The 81st ceremony had the highest number of Asian winners in Academy Award history, with at least five winners from Asia, including three from India and two from Japan.
Best Picture
Best Picture | ||||
Year | Name | Film | Status | Milestone |
---|---|---|---|---|
1986 | Ismail Merchant | A Room with a View | Nominee | First Asian nominated for Best Picture |
1989 | A. Kitman Ho | Born on the Fourth of July | Nominee | Nominated with Oliver Stone |
1991 | A. Kitman Ho | JFK | Nominee | Nominated with Oliver Stone |
1992 | Ismail Merchant | Howards End | Nominee | |
1993 | Ismail Merchant | The Remains of the Day | Nominee | Tied for third most-nominated Asian, with 4 (including recognition in Live Action Short Film category) Nominated with Mike Nichols, John Calley |
1996 | Richard Sakai | Jerry Maguire | Nominee | Nominated with James L. Brooks, Laurence Mark, Cameron Crowe |
2000 | Ang Lee William Kong Li-Kong Hsu |
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon | Nominee |
Best Lead Actor
Actor in a Leading Role | |||||
Year | Name | Film | Role | Status | Milestone |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1957 | Yul Brynner | The King and I | King Mongkut of Siam | Winner | First Asian to win the Best Actor award. |
Best Lead Actress
Actress in a Leading Role | |||||
Year | Name | Film | Role | Status | Milestone |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1935 | Merle Oberon | The Dark Angel | Kitty Vane | Nominee | First Asian nominated for any Academy Award First Asian nominated for Best Actress |
Best Supporting Actor
Actor in a Supporting Role | |||||
Year | Name | Film | Role | Status | Milestone |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1957 | Sessue Hayakawa | The Bridge on the River Kwai | Colonel Saito | Nominee | First Asian nominated for Supporting Actor |
1966 | Mako | The Sand Pebbles | Po-Han | Nominee | |
1984 | Noriyuki "Pat" Morita | The Karate Kid | Mr. Miyagi | Nominee | First Asian American (American-born) nominated for Supporting Actor |
1984 | Haing S. Ngor | The Killing Fields | Dith Pran | Winner | First Asian to win for Supporting Actor Debut performance |
2003 | Ken Watanabe | The Last Samurai | Lord Katsumoto | Nominee |
Best Supporting Actress
Actress in a Supporting Role | |||||
Year | Name | Film | Role | Status | Milestone |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1957 | Miyoshi Umeki | Sayonara | Katsumi Kelly | Winner | First Asian to win for Supporting Actress |
1985 | Meg Tilly | Agnes of God | Sister Agnes | Nominee | |
1994 | Jennifer Tilly | Bullets Over Broadway | Olive Neal | Nominee | |
2003 | Shohreh Aghdashloo | House of Sand and Fog | Nadereh Behrani | Nominee | First Iranian to be nominated for Best Supporting Actress |
2006 | Rinko Kikuchi | Babel | Chieko Wataya | Nominee | Third actress nominated in category for non-speaking role |
Best Director
Director | ||||
Year | Name | Film | Status | Milestone |
---|---|---|---|---|
1965 | Hiroshi Teshigahara | Woman in the Dunes | Nominee | First Asian nominated for Director Film was nominated in previous year for Foreign Language Film |
1985 | Akira Kurosawa | Ran | Nominee | Four previous Kurosawa films recognized in Foreign Language Film category |
1999 | M. Night Shyamalan | The Sixth Sense | Nominee | First Asian American nominated for Director |
2000 | Ang Lee | Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon | Nominee | |
2005 | Ang Lee | Brokeback Mountain | Winner | First Asian to win for Director Third nomination for Lee (not including nominations in Foreign Language Film category) |
Best Writing, Original Screenplay
Original Screenplay | ||||
Year | Name | Film | Status | Milestone |
---|---|---|---|---|
1986 | Hanif Kureishi | My Beautiful Laundrette | Nominee | First Asian nominated for writing |
1999 | M. Night Shyamalan | The Sixth Sense | Nominee | First Asian-American nominated for writing First Asian-American nominated for Original Screenplay |
2006 | Iris Yamashita | Letters from Iwo Jima | Nominee | Nominated with Paul Haggis |
Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay
Adapted Screenplay | |||||
Year | Name | Film | Adapted From | Status | Milestone |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1935 | Achmed Abdullah | The Lives of a Bengal Lancer | from the novel by Francis Yeats-Brown | Nominee (shared nomination with several others) | First person of Asian descent (mother was Afghan royalty) nominated for writing |
1997 | Hossein Amini | The Wings of the Dove | The Wings of the Dove, by Henry James | Nominee | |
2000 | Hui-Ling Wang Kuo Jung Tsai |
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon | Crane-Iron Pentalogy, by Wang Dulu | Nominee |
Best Cinematography
Cinematography | ||||
Year | Name | Film | Status | Milestone |
---|---|---|---|---|
1938 | James Wong Howe | Algiers | Nominee | First Asian nominated for Cinematography |
1940 | James Wong Howe | Abe Lincoln in Illinois | Nominee | |
1942 | James Wong Howe | Kings Row | Nominee | |
1943 | James Wong Howe | Air Force | Nominee | Nominated with Elmer Dyer, Charles A. Marshall |
1943 | James Wong Howe | The North Star | Nominee | |
1955 | James Wong Howe | The Rose Tattoo | Winner | First Asian to win for Cinematography |
1958 | James Wong Howe | The Old Man and the Sea | Nominee | |
1963 | James Wong Howe | Hud | Winner | First Asian to win two Academy Awards |
1966 | James Wong Howe | Seconds | Nominee | |
1970 | Osami Furuya Sinsaku Himeda Masamichi Satoh |
Tora! Tora! Tora! | Nominees | Nominated with Charles F. Wheeler |
1975 | James Wong Howe | Funny Lady | Nominee | Most-nominated Asian, with 10 |
1985 | Takao Saito Masaharu Ueda Asakazu Nakai |
Ran | Nominees | |
1993 | Gu Changwei | Farewell My Concubine | Nominee | |
1995 | Lü Yue | Shanghai Triad | Nominee | |
1996 | Darius Khondji | Evita | Nominee | |
2000 | Peter Pau | Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon | Winner | |
2004 | Zhao Xiaoding | House of Flying Daggers | Nominee |
Best Film Editing
Film Editing | ||||
Year | Name | Film | Status | Milestone |
---|---|---|---|---|
1975 | Richard Chew | One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest | Nominee | First Asian nominated for Film Editing Nominated with Lynzee Klingman, Sheldon Kahn |
1977 | Richard Chew | Star Wars | Winner | First Asian to win for Film Editing Shared win with Paul Hirsch, Marcia Lucas |
Best Art Direction
Art Direction | ||||
Year | Name | Film | Status | Milestone |
---|---|---|---|---|
1952 | So Matsuyama H. Motsumoto |
Rashomon | Nominees | First Asians to be nominated for Art Direction (black-and-white) |
1956 | Albert Nozaki | The Ten Commandments | Nominee | Nominated with Hal Pereira, Walter H. Tyler, Samuel M. Comer, Ray Moyer (color) |
1956 | So Matsuyama | Seven Samurai | Nominee | (black-and-white) |
1970 | Yoshiro Muraki Taizoh Kawashima |
Tora! Tora! Tora! | Nominees | Nominated with Jack Martin Smith, Richard Day, Walter M. Scott, Norman Rockette, Carl Biddiscombe |
1980 | Yoshiro Muraki | Kagemusha | Nominee | |
1985 | Yoshiro Muraki Shinobu Muraki |
Ran | Nominees | Yoshiro Muraki ties for third most-nominated Asian, with 4 (including recognition in Costume Design category) |
2000 | Timmy Yip | Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon | Winner | First Asian to win for Art Direction |
2008 | James J. Murakami | Changeling | Nominee | Nominated with Gary Fettis |
Best Costume Design
Costume Design | ||||
Year | Name | Film | Status | Milestone |
---|---|---|---|---|
1954 | Sanzo Wada | Gate of Hell | Winner | First Asian to win for Costume Design (color) |
1955 | Tadaoto Kainosho | Ugetsu | Nominee | (black-and-white) |
1956 | Kohei Ezaki | Seven Samurai | Nominee | (black-and-white) |
1961 | Yoshiro Muraki | Yojimbo | Nominee | |
1982 | Bhanu Athaiya | Gandhi | Winner | Nominated with John Mollo |
1985 | Emi Wada | Ran | Winner | |
1992 | Eiko Ishioka | Bram Stoker's Dracula | Winner | |
2000 | Timmy Yip | Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon | Nominee | |
2006 | Yee Chung Man | Curse of the Golden Flower | Nominee |
Best Makeup
Makeup | ||||
Year | Name | Film | Status | Milestone |
---|---|---|---|---|
2006 | Kazuhiro Tsuji | Click | Nominee | First Asian nominated for Makeup Nominated with Bill Corso |
2007 | Kazuhiro Tsuji | Norbit | Nominee | Nominated with Rick Baker |
Best Music, Original Score
Original Score | ||||
Year | Name | Film | Status | Milestone |
---|---|---|---|---|
1966 | Toshiro Mayuzumi | The Bible | Nominee | First Asian nominated for music |
1983 | Ravi Shankar | Gandhi | Nominee | First Asian nominated for both Oscar and Grammy Awards Shared with George Fenton |
1987 | Ryuichi Sakamoto Cong Su |
The Last Emperor | Winner | First Asians to win for music Shared win with David Byrne |
2000 | Tan Dun | Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon | Winner | |
2008 | A.R. Rahman | Slumdog Millionaire | Winner | Third Asian to win two Academy Awards. First Asian to win two Oscars in the same year. First Asian to receive three Oscar nominations in the same year. |
Best Music, Original Song
Original Song | |||||
Year | Name | Film | Song | Status | Milestone |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2000 | Tan Dun | Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon | "A Love Before Time" | Nominee | First Asian nominated for Original Song Nominated with Jorge Calandrelli, James Schamus |
2008 | A.R. Rahman Maya Arulpragasam |
Slumdog Millionaire | "O Saya" | Nominees | Rahman is first Asian nominated twice in same category for same film. Rahman is first Asian to receive three Oscar nominations in same year. Maya is first Asian nominated for Oscar and Grammy Awards in same year. |
2008 | A.R. Rahman Gulzar |
Slumdog Millionaire | "Jai Ho" | Winners | First and only Asian winners in the Original Song category. Rahman is third Asian to win two Academy Awards. Rahman is first Asian to win two Oscars in same year. |
Best Sound or Sound Mixing
Sound Mixing | ||||
Year | Name | Film | Status | Milestone |
---|---|---|---|---|
2008 | Resul Pookutty | Slumdog Millionaire | Winner | First and only Asian to win for Sound Mixing. Shared nomination with Ian Tapp and Richard Pryke. |
Best Sound Editing
Sound Editing | ||||
Year | Name | Film | Status | Milestone |
---|---|---|---|---|
2006 | Kami Asgar | Apocalypto | Nominee | First and only Asian nominated for Sound Editing |
Best Visual Effects
Visual Effects | ||||
Year | Name | Film | Status | Milestone |
---|---|---|---|---|
1977 | Gregory Jein | Close Encounters of the Third Kind | Nominee | First Asian nominated for Visual Effects Nominated with Roy Arbogast, Douglas Trumbull, Matthew Yuricich, Richard Yuricich |
1992 | Doug Chiang | Death Becomes Her | Winner | First Asian to win for Visual Effects Shared win with Ken Ralston, Douglas Smythe, Tom Woodruff Jr. |
1996 | Habib Zargarpour | Twister | Nominee | Nominated with Stefan Fangmeier, John Frazier ahd Henry LaBounta |
1999 | Jerome Chen | Stuart Little | Nominee | Nominated with John Dykstra, Henry F. Anderson III, Eric Allard |
2000 | Habib Zargarpour | The Perfect Storm | Nominee | Nominated with Stefan Fangmeier, John Frazier, Walt Conti |
Best Animated Feature
Animated Feature | ||||
Year | Name | Film | Status | Milestone |
---|---|---|---|---|
2002 | Hayao Miyazaki | Spirited Away | Winner | First Asian to win Animated Feature |
2005 | Hayao Miyazaki | Howl's Moving Castle | Nominee | |
2007 | Marjane Satrapi | Persepolis | Nominee |
Best Foreign Language Film
Foreign Language Film | |||||
Year | Country | Film | Director | Status | Milestone |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1951 | Japan | Rashômon 羅生門 |
Akira Kurosawa | Winner | Special Honorary Award |
1954 | Japan | Gate of Hell (Jigokumon) 地獄門 |
Teinosuke Kinugasa | Winner | Special Honorary Award |
1955 | Japan | Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto 宮本武蔵 |
Hiroshi Inagaki | Winner | Special Honorary Award |
1956 | Japan | Harp of Burma (Biruma no tategoto) ビルマの竪琴 |
Masayuki Takagi | Nominee | First Asian country nominated for competitive award in category |
1957 | India | Mother India (Bharat Mata) भारत माता |
Mehboob Khan | Nominee | First Asian musical film nominated in category First South Asian country nominated in category |
1961 | Japan | Immortal Love (Eien no hito) 永遠の人 |
Keisuke Kinoshita | Nominee | |
1963 | Japan | Twin Sisters of Kyoto (Koto) 古都 |
Noboru Nakamura | Nominee | |
1964 | Japan | Woman in the Dunes (Suna no onna) 砂の女 |
Hiroshi Teshigahara | Nominee | |
1964 | Israel | Sallah Shabati סאלח שבתי |
Ephraim Kishon | Nominee | |
1965 | Japan | Kwaidan 怪談 |
Masaki Kobayashi | Nominee | |
1967 | Japan | Portrait of Chieko (Chieko-sho) 智恵子抄 |
Noboru Nakamura | Nominee | |
1971 | Israel | The Policeman השוטר אזולאי |
Ephraim Kishon | Nominee | |
1971 | Japan | Dodes'ka-Den どですかでん |
Akira Kurosawa | Nominee | |
1972 | Israel | I Love You Rosa (Ani Ohev Otach Rosa) אני אוהב אותך רוזה |
Moshe Mizrahi | Nominee | |
1973 | Israel | The House on Chelouche Street הבית ברחוב שלוש |
Moshe Mizrahi | Nominee | |
1975 | Soviet Union | Dersu Uzala Дерсу Узала |
Akira Kurosawa | Winner | Second Asian to win two Academy Awards Siberian-set Russian-language film |
1975 | Japan | Sandakan No. 8 (Sandakan hachibanshokan bohkyo) サンダカン八番娼館 望郷 |
Kei Kumai | Nominee | |
1977 | Israel | Operation Thunderbolt (Mivtsa Yonatan) מבצע יונתן |
Menahem Golan | Nominee | |
1980 | Japan | Kagemusha (The Shadow Warrior) 影武者 |
Akira Kurosawa | Nominee | Fourth Kurosawa film nominated or awarded in Foreign Language Film category |
1981 | Japan | Muddy River (Doro no kawa) 泥の河 |
Kohei Oguri | Nominee | |
1984 | Israel | Beyond the Walls (e'Ahorei Hasoragim) מאחורי הסורגים |
Uri Barbash and Rudy Cohen | Nominee | |
1988 | India | Salaam Bombay! सलाम बॉम्बे |
Mira Nair | Nominee | |
1990 | China | Jú Dòu 菊豆 |
Zhang Yimou Yang Fengliang |
Nominees | |
1991 | Hong Kong | Raise the Red Lantern (Dà Hóng Dēnglóng Gāogāo Guà) 大紅燈籠高高掛 |
Zhang Yimou | Nominee | |
1993 | Hong Kong | Farewell My Concubine (Bàwáng Bié Jī) 霸王別姬 |
Chen Kaige | Nominee | |
1993 | Vietnam | The Scent of Green Papaya (Mùi đu đủ xanh) |
Anh Hung Tran | Nominee | |
1993 | Taiwan | The Wedding Banquet (Xǐyàn) 喜宴 |
Ang Lee | Nominee | |
1994 | Taiwan | Eat Drink Man Woman (yǐn shí nán nǚ) 飲食男女 |
Ang Lee | Nominee | |
1996 | Georgia | A Chef in Love (Shekvarebuli kulinaris ataserti retsepti) შეყვარებული მზარეულის 1001 რეცეპტი |
Nana Dzhordzhadze | Nominee | |
1998 | Iran | Children of Heaven (Bacheha-Ye aseman) بچه های آسمان |
Majid Majidi | Nominee | |
1999 | Nepal | Himalaya (film)(हिमालय) |
Eric Valli | Nominee | First Nepalese film to be nominated in Best Foreign Language Film category. |
2000 | Taiwan | Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Wòhǔ Cánglóng) 臥虎藏龍 |
Ang Lee | Winner | First Asian country to win competitive award in category |
2001 | India | Lagaan लगान |
Ashutosh Gowariker | Nominee | |
2002 | China | Hero (Yīngxióng) 英雄 |
Zhang Yimou | Nominee | |
2003 | Japan | The Twilight Samurai (Tasogare Seibei) たそがれ清兵衛 |
Yoji Yamada | Nominee | |
2005 | Palestine | Paradise Now الجنّة الآن |
Hany Abu-Assad | Nominee | |
2006 | Canada | Water वाटर |
Deepa Mehta | Nominee | Indo-Canadian Hindi-language film |
2007 | Israel | Beaufort בופור |
Joseph Cedar | Nominee | |
2007 | Kazakhstan | Mongol Монгол |
Sergei Bodrov | Nominee | Mongolian-language film |
2008 | Israel | Waltz with Bashir (Vals Im Bashir) ואלס עם באשיר |
Ari Folman | Nominee | |
2008 | Japan | Departures (Okuribito) おくりびと |
Yojiro Takita | Winner | 4th most-winning country of all time with 4 awards. 5th most-nominated country with 12 competitive nominations. Most winning and nominated Asian country. |
Best Documentary Feature
Documentary Feature | ||||
Year | Name | Film | Status | Milestone |
---|---|---|---|---|
1985 | Steven Okazaki | Unfinished Business | Nominee | First Asian nominated for Documentary Feature |
1988 | Rene Tajima-Pena Christine Choy |
Who Killed Vincent Chin? | Nominees | |
1990 | Mark Mori | Building Bombs | Nominee | Nominated with Susan Robinson |
1994 | Freida Lee Mock | Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision | Winner | First Asian to win for Documentary Feature Shared win with Terry Sanders |
2004 | Byambasuren Davaa | The Story of the Weeping Camel | Nominee | Shared nomination with Luigi Falorni |
2008 | Thavisouk Phrasavath | The Betrayal (Nerakhoon) | Nominee | Shared nomination with Ellen Kuras |
Best Documentary Short Subject
Documentary Short Subject | ||||
Year | Name | Film | Status | Milestone |
---|---|---|---|---|
1979 | K.K. Kapil | An Encounter with Faces | Nominee | |
1982 | Freida Lee Mock | To Live or Let Die | Nominee | |
1983 | Arthur Dong | Sewing Woman | Nominee | |
1984 | Paul T.K. Lin | The Children of Soong Ching Ling | Nominee | Nominated with Gary Bush |
1988 | Lise Yasui | Family Gathering | Nominee | Nominated with Ann Tegnell |
1990 | Freida Lee Mock | Rose Kennedy: A Life to Remember | Nominee | Nominated with Terry Sanders |
1990 | Steven Okazaki | Days of Waiting: The Life & Art of Estelle Ishigo | Winner | First Asian to win for Documentary Short Subject |
1995 | Freida Lee Mock | Never Give Up: The 20th Century Odyssey of Herbert Zipper | Nominee | Nominated with Terry Sanders |
1996 | Jessica Yu | Breathing Lessons: The Life and Work of Mark O'Brien | Winner | |
1998 | Keiko Ibi | The Personals: Improvisations on Romance in the Golden Years | Winner | |
1998 | Shui-Bo Wang | Sunrise Over Tiananmen Square | Nominee | Nominated with Donald McWilliams |
2001 | Freida Lee Mock Jessica Sanders |
Sing! | Nominees | Mock becomes second most-nominated Asian, with 5 (including recognition in Documentary Feature category) Mother/daughter team |
2005 | Steven Okazaki | The Mushroom Club | Nominee | Third nomination for Okazaki (including recognition in Documentary Feature category) |
2006 | Ruby Yang | The Blood of Yingzhou District | Winner | Shared win with Thomas Lennon |
2008 | Steven Okazaki | The Conscience of Nhem En | Nominee | Fourth nomination for Okazaki (including recognition in Documentary Feature category) |
Best Short Film, Animated
Animated Short Film | ||||
Year | Name | Film | Status | Milestone |
---|---|---|---|---|
1968 | Jimmy Murakami | The Magic Pear Tree | Nominee | First Asian nominated for Animated Short Film |
1977 | Ishu Patel | The Bead Game | Nominee | |
1984 | Ishu Patel | Paradise | Nominee | |
2002 | Koji Yamamura | Mt. Head | Nominee | |
2004 | Sejong Park | Birthday Boy | Nominee | Nominated with Andrew Gregory |
2008 | Kunio Kato | La Maison En Petits Cubes | Winner | First Asian to win Animated Short Film |
2008 | Emud Mokhberi | Oktapodi | Nominee |
Best Short Film, Live Action
Live Action Short Film | ||||
Year | Name | Film | Status | Milestone |
---|---|---|---|---|
1960 | Ismail Merchant | The Creation of Woman | Nominee | First Asian Nominated in any short film category First Asian nominated for Live Action Short Film Nominated with Charles F. Schwep |
1977 | Yuki Yoshida | I'll Find a Way | Nominee | Nominated with Beverly Shaffer |
1982 | Michael Toshiyuki Uno | The Silence | Nominee | Nominated with Joseph Benson |
1997 | Chris Tashima | Visas and Virtue | Winner | First Asian to win for Live Action Short Film Nominated with Chris Donahue |
2001 | Shameela Bakhsh | Speed for Thespians | Nominee | Nominated with Kalman Apple |
2004 | Ashvin Kumar | Little Terrorist | Nominee | |
2004 | Taika Waititi | Two Cars, One Night | Nominee | Nominated with Ainsley Gardiner |
2005 | Pia Clemente | Our Time is Up | Nominee | Nominated with Rob Pearlstein |
Non-Competitive Awards
Non-Competitive Awards | ||
Year | Name | Award |
---|---|---|
1989 | Akira Kurosawa | Honorary Academy Award For cinematic accomplishments that have inspired, delighted, enriched and entertained worldwide audiences and influenced filmmakers throughout the world. |
1991 | Satyajit Ray | Honorary Academy Award For his rare mastery of the art of motion pictures and for his profound humanitarian outlook, which has had an indelible influence on filmmakers and audiences throughout the world. |
2004 | Takuo Miyagishima | Gordon E. Sawyer Award |