How many Oscars JAWS won at the Academy Awards
JAWS was nominated for four Academy Awards at the 48th Oscars, which took place at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on March 29, 1976.
For a film that has three yellow barrels symbolising the shark, perhaps it was somewhat fitting that it swam away from the awards evening with three golden yellow statuettes.
It won for Best Editing, with Verna Fields – who was affectionately known as ‘Mother Cutter’ on location at Martha's Vineyard - showing the way for the golden award to go home. It was presented to her by Isabelle Adjani and Elliott Gould.
Talking of home, we hope Verna shared it with her pool, after all it was where they filmed the Ben Gardner head sequence.
JAWS was up against Dog Day Afternoon, The Man Who Would Be King, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest and Three Days of the Condor.
JAWS won for Best Sound Editing, which was the fourth award presented that evening, the noise of that turning pier haunting many post a JAWS screening. The Oscar was won by Robert L. Hoyt, Roger Heman, Earl Madery and John Carter.
And it was rather fitting that this award was presented by none other Chief Brody himself, Roy Scheider, - alongside Margaux Hemingway - and no doubt it was Polly that did the printing on the nominations envelope.
In that category JAWS was competing against Bite the Bullet, Funny Lady, The Hindenburg and The Wind and the Lion.
JAWS was also victorious for Best Original Score, with the music by John Williams practically the voice and heartbeat of the shark. It was deemed such an integral part of the film's success that Spielberg said the score was 50 per cent responsible for it.
In what must have been something of a surreal moment, John Williams didn't have far to go to collect his Oscar as he was conducting the Awards ceremony that evening. He’d then go back to conducting for the rest of the show, it was presented to him by Rod McKuen and Marlo Thomas.
JAWS won against Birds Do It, Bees Do It, Bite the Bullet, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest and The Wind and the Lion.
John Williams had previously won an Oscar for Best Adapted Score for Fiddler On The Roof (1971), but JAWS was his first gong for Original Score, which he’s go on to win the Oscar for with his music for Star Wars, E.T – the Extra-Terrestrial and Schindler’s List. His award wins just five of his 53 Oscar nominations, the most of any living person, and second to only Walt Disney.
JAWS did lose out in one category though, that of Best Picture, with that award on the night going to One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, presented by Audrey Hepburn. Other films in that category included Barry Lyndon, Dog Day Afternoon and Nashville.
Steven Spielberg wasn’t even up for an award – he’d have to wait for the 1978 Academy Awards for that to happen, for Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and wouldn’t win for directing until Schindler’s List in 1994. He’d win again for Saving Private Ryan in 1999.
Infamously, Spielberg had a live TV news crew film the 1976 Academy Award nominations, anticipating him making the Best Director shortlist at the Oscars that year, and who could blame him after having the most successful film of all time. It wasn’t to be, you can see that excruciating moment unfold here.
And to add insult to injury (not caused by a boat accident, propellor, coral reef or Jack the Ripper) none of the three main cast gained nominations either, including Robert Shaw as Quint.
Just for the astonishing delivery of the USS Indianapolis speech alone you’d think that would be enough to seal at least a nomination, with an excerpt from that scene shown on the evening. For many JAWS and film fans those voting proportions are not correct.
Tim Armitage explains why Robert Shaw not being Oscar-nominated for JAWS is the biggest snub in Oscar history, do you agree that it is certifiable that he wasn’t?
Robert Shaw was on stage though, he was one of the hosts alongside Walter Matthau, George Segal, Goldie Hawn and Gene Kelly. There’s even a short moment of Robert Shaw arriving at the Oscars and waving at the camera during the show’s opening.
Of course, as JAWS fans we’d have the film sweep the head, the tail, the whole damn categories, but the Academy that year felt they had some better suggestions.
None of the other JAWS films would gain any Oscar nominations, not even in technical categories, however JAWS 3D and JAWS the Revenge would both get nominations for the Razzies.
That’s not to say JAWS isn’t still embraced by the Academy, a model of the shark - created by super JAWS fan and special effects legend Greg Nicotero - hangs in pride of place in the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, still striking fear and awe in all who see all 25 feet of him.
Words by Dean Newman
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