These Are the Only Horror Films That Actually Won Academy Awards

The Academy Awards aren’t exactly an objective measure of cinematic quality, but it’s always gratifying to see hard-working artists be rewarded for their output – especially when those artists happen to work in the horror genre. And in honor of Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance being nominated for a whopping five Oscars this year, we’ve decided to look back on the small selection of horror movies that have managed to win Academy Awards.

Of course, the lines separating one genre from another can sometimes be hard to define, so don’t be surprised if we end up disagreeing on what does or doesn’t count as a proper horror picture. That being said, don’t forget to comment below with your own Oscar-winning favorites if you think we missed a particularly good one.

With that out of the way, onto the list…

14. Rosemary’s Baby (1968)

Often cited as one of the greatest horror films of all time, Rosemary’s Baby boasts a respectable collection of international accolades celebrating its talented cast and crew. However, when it was time to compete in the Oscars, the film’s only win came in the form of Best Supporting Actress, with Ruth Gordon receiving the award for her role as Minnie Castevet.

13. The Exorcist (1973)

The first ever horror film to be nominated for Best Picture (among nine other major awards), William Friedkin’s The Exorcist may have only left the ceremony with Best Sound and Best Adapted Screenplay, but most horror fans agree that, at least in our hearts, this groundbreaking classic was the best movie of 1973.

12. Jaws (1974)

Steven Spielberg’s iconic monster movie didn’t just invent the summer blockbuster, it also impressed critics with the director’s minimalist approach to crafting suspense. Of course, the Academy’s general reluctance in recognizing genre cinema meant that the film would only go home with awards for Best Editing, Best Sound and Best Dramatic Score. At the end of the day, not even the snobbiest voter could ignore John Williams!

11. The Omen (1976)

Another rare case of the Academy recognizing a composer’s talent despite his work appearing in a horror film, Jerry Goldsmith’s haunting contributions to The Omen were simply too scary to be ignored. Either that, or some Satan-worshipper was pulling strings behind the scenes so that the film could at least walk away with Best Dramatic Score.

10. Alien (1979)

Ridley Scott’s cosmic horror opus didn’t exactly boast a blockbuster budget, but it still managed to beat both Star Trek: The Motion Picture and Moonraker in the race for Best Visual Effects at the 52^nd Academy Awards Ceremony. And if you ask me, the miniature work in the original Alien is still more impressive than any of the CGI spaceships that showed up in later sequels.

9. An American Werewolf in London (1981)

The Academy Award for Best Makeup was originally conceived as a mea culpa of sorts directed at the artists who worked on David Lynch’s The Elephant Man, but An American Werewolf in London became the very first recipient of the then-new statuette after Rick Baker wowed voters with his phenomenal transformation effects. This wouldn’t be the only time that Baker would impress the Academy, however, as the effects master would go on to receive six more Oscars before retiring in 2015.

8. The Fly (1986)

Chris Walas and Stephan Dupuis’ disgustingly memorable work on The Fly may have been competing with Legend’s devil design back in ’86, but even the Academy had to admit that, when it comes to memorable use of freaky makeup effects, no one does it better than David Cronenberg.

7. Misery (1990)

Here’s a hot take: I actually prefer Rob Reiner’s adaptation of Misery to the novel it’s based on. It’s not that I don’t think it’s one of Stephen King’s most disturbing books, it’s just that Kathy Bates brings Annie Wilkes to life in ways that the written word simply couldn’t compete with. I’m clearly not the only one who thinks so, as Bates’ performance earned her the coveted Best Actress Award back in ’91.

6. Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)

Francis Ford Coppola is obviously no stranger to the Academy Awards, so it stands to reason that his adaptation of Dracula would still win a handful of Oscars despite the organization’s clear disdain for genre pictures. And while Best Sound Editing, Best Makeup and Best Costume Design are nothing to scoff at, I still find it baffling how Bram Stoker’s Dracula lost Best Art Direction to Howards End.

5. The Silence of the Lambs (1993)

The only horror movie to ever claim the coveted Best Picture Award at the Oscars – which it won alongside Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Adapted Screenplay – The Silence of the Lambs remains the gold-standard for award-winning genre films. It’s also a beacon of hope for genre creators who wish to be recognized for their often-overlooked talents.

4. Sleepy Hollow (1999)

Tim Burton’s oddball throwback to the glory days of Hammer Horror pictures may not be for everyone, but even the film’s harshest critics have to agree that it does a great job of transporting viewers into its gloomy yet stylish world. That’s why no one contested the film’s Best Art Direction win back in 2000.

3. The Wolfman (2010)

Say what you will about the rest of Joe Johnston’s troubled remake, but I’ll always defend Rick Baker and Dave Elsey’s updated Wolfman design as one of the all-time best. That’s why I’m glad that this schlocky flop still managed to take home the Best Makeup award even though the film’s rushed production resulted in Benicio Del Toro’s transformations being mostly achieved through CGI.

2. Get Out (2018)

The academy appears to have softened its anti-genre stance over the past decade or so, and high-profile genre films like Jordan Peele’s Get Out are a big part of that change. A terrifying parable about race relations that isn’t afraid to flaunt its spooky roots, Get Out’s Best Original Screenplay Award wasn’t just a personal win for Peele – it was also a hard-earned victory for the horror genre itself.

1. Godzilla Minus One (2023)

The most recent entry on this list, Takashi Yamazaki’s kaiju epic was more than just a financial success, with the film also earning a myriad of prizes across the globe. Unfortunately, Toho didn’t foresee that Godzilla Minus One would become a critical darling in America, which is why the film only ended up running for – and deservedly winning – the award for Best Visual Effects.

Will The Substance take home any Oscars this year? We’ll find out this Sunday night.

‘The Substance’

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