The 43rd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., with the stated goal of adva ...

, was held on April 15, 1971, and took place at the

Dorothy Chandler Pavilion The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion is one of the halls in the Los Angeles Music Center, which is one of the largest performing arts centers in the United States. The Music Center's other halls include the Mark Taper Forum, Ahmanson Theatre, and Walt ...

to honor the best films of 1970. The Awards, without a host for the third consecutive year, were broadcast by NBC for the first time in 11 years. George C. Scott, winner of Best Actor for '' Patton'', became the first actor to decline an Oscar, having previously protested his nomination for Best Supporting Actor for '' The Hustler'' ( 1961) and quoted as saying that the Academy Awards were "a two-hour meat parade, a public display with contrived suspense for economic reasons." He also maintained that it was "degrading for actors to compete against one another." Co-star Karl Malden agreed, but felt that Scott could have made his denunciation more subtly. With her Best Supporting Actress win for ''

Airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial Aviation, air transport. They usually consist of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surf ...

'',

Helen Hayes Helen Hayes MacArthur (; October 10, 1900 – March 17, 1993) was an American actress. Often referred to as the "First Lady of American Theatre", she was the second person and first woman to win EGOT, the EGOT (an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and ...

became the first performer to win Oscars in both lead and supporting categories (having won Best Actress 39 years before for '' The Sin of Madelon Claudet''). Her win set a record for the biggest gap between acting wins, subsequently broken by

Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an American actress whose Katharine Hepburn on screen and stage, career as a Golden Age of Hollywood, Hollywood leading lady spanned six decades. She was known for her headstrong ...

(48 years between her first and

last A last is a mechanical form shaped like a human foot. It is used by shoemakers and cordwainers in the manufacture and repair of shoes. Lasts come in many styles and sizes, depending on the exact job they are designed for. Common variations ...

wins). The documentary film ''

Woodstock The Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held from August 15 to 18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, southwest of the town of Woodstock, New York, Woodstock. Billed as "a ...

'' garnered three Oscar nominations, making it the most nominated documentary film in Oscar history (its record was later tied by '' Flee'', 51 years later). This was the only time since the 6th Academy Awards that all five nominees for Best Actress were first-time nominees, and was the last time that either lead acting category was entirely composed of new nominees until the 95th Academy Awards. It was also the first time since the

7th Academy Awards The 7th Academy Awards, honoring the best films for 1934, was held on February 27, 1935, at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, California. They were hosted by Irvin S. Cobb. Since this ceremony, the Academy's award eligibility period coincid ...

in which none of the nominees for the Best Actor had a previous nomination in that category. As of 2024, this is the most recent ceremony in which the 4 highest-grossing films of the year were nominated for Best Picture (''Love Story'', ''Airport'', ''M*A*S*H'' and ''Patton'').

Winners and nominees

Nominees were announced on February 23, 1971. Winners are listed first, highlighted in boldface and indicated with a double dagger (). Select "1970" in the "Award Year(s)" drop-down menu and press "Search".

Films with multiple wins and nominations

Honorary Awards

* To

Lillian Gish Lillian Diana Gish (October 14, 1893 – February 27, 1993) was an American actress best known for her work in movies of the silent era. Her film-acting career spanned 75 years, from 1912, in silent film shorts, to 1987. Gish was dubbed the "F ...

for superlative artistry and for distinguished contribution to the progress of motion pictures. * To

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American director, actor, writer, producer, and magician who is remembered for his innovative work in film, radio, and theatre. He is among the greatest and most influential film ...

for superlative artistry and versatility in the creation of motion pictures.

Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...

Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award

Ingmar Bergman Ernst Ingmar Bergman (14 July 1918 – 30 July 2007) was a Swedish film and theatre director and screenwriter. Widely considered one of the greatest and most influential film directors of all time, his films have been described as "profoun ...

Presenters and performers

The following individuals presented awards or performed musical numbers.

Presenters

Performers

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Academy Awards, 43 Academy Awards ceremonies 1970 film awards 1971 in Los Angeles 1971 in American cinema April 1971 in the United States