Academy Award for Best Cinematography facts for kids

The Academy Award for Best Cinematography is a special prize given out every year at the Academy Awards (also known as the Oscars). It honors the best cinematographer (the person who plans and shoots the movie's visuals) for their amazing work on a movie.

History of the Award

Charles Rosher, one of the first winners in 1928.

When the Academy Awards first started in 1927–28, this award was a bit different. Instead of honoring one movie, it recognized all the work a cinematographer did that year. For example, Karl Struss and Charles Rosher won for their work on Sunrise, but other movies they worked on were also mentioned.

In 1929, there were no official nominees for this award. But by 1931, the system changed to how it mostly is today: a single person or team is nominated for their work on one specific movie.

For many years, from 1939 to 1967 (except for 1957), there were two separate awards: one for movies shot in color and one for movies shot in black-and-white. Since 1966, only a few black-and-white films have won, like Schindler's List (1993), Roma (2018), and Mank (2020).

Floyd Crosby won the award in 1931 for Tabu. This was the last time a silent film won in this category. Hal Mohr made history in 1935 for A Midsummer Night's Dream by winning the only "write-in" Academy Award ever. This means he wasn't officially nominated but got enough votes to win! Mohr was also the first person to win for both black-and-white and color cinematography.

Some of the very first movies nominated for this award are now "lost films," meaning they no longer exist. These include The Devil Dancer (1927) and 4 Devils (1928).

Director David Lean has had the most films win this award, with five wins out of six nominations. His winning films include Great Expectations, The Bridge on the River Kwai, Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago, and Ryan's Daughter.

In 2009, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Slumdog Millionaire were the first movies nominated that were mostly shot using digital video instead of traditional film. Slumdog Millionaire was the first to win. The next year, Avatar was the first movie to be shot entirely on digital video and win.

In 2018, Rachel Morrison became the first woman ever nominated for this award. Before her, it was the only major Oscar category (besides acting awards) that had never nominated a woman.

In 2019, Alfonso Cuarón became the first person to win this award for a film he also directed, Roma. He famously spoke up for cinematographers, saying that "No single film has ever existed without cinematography."

Amazing Achievements

This section highlights some of the most impressive records for cinematographers who have won or been nominated for this award.

Winners and Nominees (Selected Years)

Below are some of the winners and nominees for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography. Winners are listed first in a colored row.

1920s

1930s

2010s

2020s

Multiple Awards and Nominations

This section shows cinematographers who have won or been nominated for this award many times.

See also

In Spanish: Anexo:Óscar a la mejor fotografía para niños

• BAFTA Award for Best Cinematography
• Independent Spirit Award for Best Cinematography
• Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Cinematography
• American Society of Cinematographers Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Theatrical Releases
• Satellite Award for Best Cinematography