Editing Academy Award for Best Picture (section)

==History==
===Category name changes===
At the [[1st Academy Awards]] ceremony held in 1929 (for films made in 1927 and 1928), there were two categories of awards that were each considered the top award of the night: "Outstanding Picture" and "Unique and Artistic Picture", the former being won by the war epic ''[[Wings (1927 film)|Wings]]'', and the latter by the art film ''[[Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans|Sunrise]]''. Each award was intended to honor different and equally important aspects of superior filmmaking. In particular, ''[[The Jazz Singer]]'' was disqualified from both awards, since its use of [[synchronized sound]] made the film a ''[[sui generis]]'' item that would have unfairly competed against either category, and the Academy granted the film an honorary award instead.<ref>{{cite book | last1 = Block | first1 = Alex Ben | last2 = Wilson | first2 = Lucy Autrey | title = George Lucas's Blockbusting: A Decade-by-Decade Survey of Timeless Movies Including Untold Secrets of Their Financial and Cultural Success | publisher = HarperCollins | location = New York | year = 2010 | isbn = 978-0-06-177889-6 | url = https://archive.org/details/georgelucassbloc00alex |pages=110–113}}</ref>

The following year, the Academy dropped the ''Unique and Artistic Picture'' award, deciding retroactively that the award won by ''Wings'' was the highest honor that could be awarded, and allowed synchronized sound films to compete for the award.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/326478/sunrise-a-song-of-two-humans#articles-reviews|title=Why SUNRISE: A SONG OF TWO HUMANS is Essential|publisher=Turner Classic Movies|access-date=May 24, 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120405101632/http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/326478/Sunrise-A-Song-of-Two-Humans/articles.html|archive-date=April 5, 2012}}</ref> Although the award kept the title ''Outstanding Picture'' for the next ceremony, the name underwent several changes over the years, as seen below. Since 1962, the award has been simply called ''Best Picture''.<ref name="data"/>

* [[1st Academy Awards|1927/28]]–[[2nd Academy Awards|1928/29]]: Academy Award for Outstanding Picture
* [[3rd Academy Awards|1929/30]]–[[13th Academy Awards|1940]]: Academy Award for Outstanding Production
* [[14th Academy Awards|1941]]–[[16th Academy Awards|1943]]: Academy Award for Outstanding Motion Picture
* [[17th Academy Awards|1944]]–[[34th Academy Awards|1961]]: Academy Award for Best Motion Picture
* [[35th Academy Awards|1962]]–present: Academy Award for Best Picture

===Recipients===
Until 1950, this award was presented to a representative of the production company. That year the protocol was changed so that the award was presented to all credited producers. This rule was modified in 1999 to apply a maximum limit of three producers receiving the award, after the five producers of ''[[Shakespeare in Love]]'' had received the award.<ref name="Associated Press">{{cite news|url=https://www.smh.com.au/news/Oscars-2005/Who-gets-the-Oscar/2005/02/03/1107409980177.html|title=Who gets the Oscar?|agency=Associated Press|date=February 4, 2005|work=Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=October 23, 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924194423/http://www.smh.com.au/news/Oscars-2005/Who-gets-the-Oscar/2005/02/03/1107409980177.html|archive-date=September 24, 2015}}</ref><ref name="bbc1408671">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1408671.stm|title=Academy restricts Oscar winners|date=June 26, 2001|publisher=BBC|access-date=October 23, 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131214183006/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1408671.stm|archive-date=December 14, 2013}}</ref><ref name="McNary2008">{{cite journal |last=McNary |first=Dave |date=January 21, 2008 |title=PGA avoids credit limit |journal=Variety |url=https://variety.com/2008/film/news/pga-avoids-credit-limit-1117979406/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131024204140/http://variety.com/2008/film/news/pga-avoids-credit-limit-1117979406/ |archive-date=October 24, 2013 }}</ref>

{{as of|2020}}, the "Special Rules for the Best Picture of the Year Award" limit recipients to those who meet two main requirements:<ref name="rule16">{{cite web| url= https://www.oscars.org/sites/oscars/files/92aa_rules.pdf| title= 92ND ACADEMY AWARDS OF MERIT|publisher= Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences | year= 2019 | access-date=April 26, 2020|page=23 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190424163237/https://www.oscars.org/sites/oscars/files/92aa_rules.pdf | archive-date=April 24, 2019 | url-status=live }}</ref>
* Those with [[motion picture credits|screen credit]] of "producer" or "produced by", explicitly excluding those with the screen credit "executive producer, co-producer, associate producer, line producer, or produced in association with"
* those three or fewer producers who have performed the major portion of the producing functions
The rules allow a {{lang|la|bona fide}} team of not more than two people to be considered a single "producer" if the two individuals have had an established producing partnership as determined by the [[Producers Guild of America]] Producing Partnership Panel. Final determination of the qualifying producer nominees for each nominated picture will be made by the Producers Branch Executive Committee, including the right to name any additional qualified producer as a nominee.<ref name="rule16"/>

The Academy can make exceptions to the limit, as when [[Anthony Minghella]] and [[Sydney Pollack]] were posthumously included among the four producers nominated for ''[[The Reader (2008 film)|The Reader]]''.<ref name="Yamato">{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/10009498-reader/news/1793050/academy_makes_exceptions_for_pollack_minghella/ |title=Academy Makes Exceptions for Pollack, Minghella Does this mean more Oscar sympathy for surprise nominee The Reader? |last=Yamato |first=Jen |date=January 27, 2009 |work=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=October 18, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131027072805/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/10009498-reader/news/1793050/academy_makes_exceptions_for_pollack_minghella/ |archive-date=October 27, 2013}}</ref> {{as of|2014}} the Producers Branch Executive Committee determines such exceptions, noting they take place only in "rare and extraordinary circumstance[s]."<ref name="rule16"/>

[[Steven Spielberg]] currently holds the record for most nominations at thirteen, winning one, while [[Kathleen Kennedy (producer)|Kathleen Kennedy]] holds the record for most nominations without a win at eight. [[Sam Spiegel]] and [[Saul Zaentz]] tie for the most wins with three each. During the time when the Oscar was given to production companies instead, [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] received the most, with five wins and 40 nominations.

===Best Picture and Best Director===
The Academy Awards for Best Picture and [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]] have been closely linked throughout their history. Of the 97 films that have won Best Picture, 70 have also been awarded Best Director. Only six films have been awarded Best Picture without receiving a Best Director nomination: ''[[Wings (1927 film)|Wings]]'' directed by [[William A. Wellman]] (1927/28), ''[[Grand Hotel (1932 film)|Grand Hotel]]'' directed by [[Edmund Goulding]] (1931/32), ''[[Driving Miss Daisy]]'' directed by [[Bruce Beresford]] (1989), ''[[Argo (2012 film)|Argo]]'' directed by [[Ben Affleck]] (2012), ''[[Green Book (film)|Green Book]]'' directed by [[Peter Farrelly]] (2018), and ''[[CODA (2021 film)|CODA]]'' directed by [[Sian Heder]] (2021). The only two Best Director winners to win for films that did not receive a Best Picture nomination were during the early years of the awards: [[Lewis Milestone]] for ''[[Two Arabian Knights]]'' (1927/28), and [[Frank Lloyd]] for ''[[The Divine Lady]]'' (1928/29).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.filmsite.org/bestdirs1.html|title=Best Director Facts – Trivia (Part 2)|publisher=Filmsite|access-date=November 13, 2009|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090901210327/http://www.filmsite.org/bestdirs1.html|archive-date=September 1, 2009}}</ref>

===Nomination limit increased===
On June 24, 2009, the [[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]] (AMPAS) announced that the number of films to be nominated in the Best Picture award category would increase from 5 to 10, starting with the [[82nd Academy Awards]] (2009).<ref name="10noms">{{cite news|author=Joyce Eng |title=Oscar Expands Best Picture Race to 10 Nominees |url=https://www.tvguide.com/Movie-News/Oscar-Expands-Best-1007223.aspx |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121208200429/http://www.tvguide.com/Movie-News/Oscar-Expands-Best-1007223.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 8, 2012 |work=TV Guide Online |date=June 24, 2009 |access-date=June 24, 2009 }}</ref> Although the Academy never officially said so, many commenters noted the expansion was likely in part a response to public criticism of ''[[The Dark Knight]]'' and ''[[WALL-E]]'' (both 2008) (and, in previous years, other blockbusters and popular films) not being nominated for Best Picture.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Buchanan|first=Kyle|date=January 22, 2020|title=10 Years Later, an Oscar Experiment That Actually Worked|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/22/movies/expanded-best-picture-oscar.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200122200021/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/22/movies/expanded-best-picture-oscar.html |archive-date=January 22, 2020 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=June 5, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Rogers|first=Nathaniel|date=July 18, 2018|title=How a Dark Knight Best Picture snub forced the Oscars to change|url=https://www.polygon.com/2018/7/18/17585878/dark-knight-oscars-best-picture|access-date=June 5, 2020|website=Polygon|language=en|archive-date=July 18, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180718193222/https://www.polygon.com/2018/7/18/17585878/dark-knight-oscars-best-picture|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Phipps|first=Keith|date=January 30, 2020|title=A Decade Ago, the Oscars Looked Down on Superhero Movies. Now One Might Win Best Picture.|url=https://www.theringer.com/movies/2020/1/30/21114274/superhero-movies-oscars-joker-dark-knight-black-panther|access-date=June 5, 2020|website=The Ringer|language=en|archive-date=January 31, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200131154326/https://www.theringer.com/movies/2020/1/30/21114274/superhero-movies-oscars-joker-dark-knight-black-panther|url-status=live}}</ref> Officially, the Academy said the rule change was a throwback to the Academy's early years in the 1930s and 1940s, when 8 to 12 films were nominated each year. "Having 10 Best Picture nominees is going to allow Academy voters to recognize and include some of the fantastic movies that often show up in the other Oscar categories but have been squeezed out of the race for the top prize," AMPAS President [[Sid Ganis]] said in a press conference. "I can't wait to see what that list of 10 looks like when the nominees are announced in February."<ref name="10noms" />

At the same time, the voting system was switched from [[first-past-the-post]] to [[Instant-runoff voting|instant runoff voting]] (also known as preferential voting).<ref>[https://www.huffingtonpost.com/rob-richie/poll-oscars-irv_b_824246.html Poll: Vote on the Oscars Like an Academy Member] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121112164350/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rob-richie/poll-oscars-irv_b_824246.html |date=November 12, 2012 }}, Rob Richie, Huffington Post, February 16, 2011</ref> In 2011, the Academy revised the rule again so that the number of films nominated was between 5 and 10; nominated films must earn either 5% of first-place rankings or 5% after an abbreviated variation of the [[single transferable vote]] nominating process.<ref name="Rule Change">{{cite web|url=https://www.thewrap.com/awards/column-post/new-best-picture-rules-could-discard-hundreds-ballots-or-more-28412|title=New Best Picture Rules Could Discard Large Number of Oscar Ballots (Exclusive)|author=Steve Pond|date=June 22, 2011|publisher=The Wrap|access-date=January 19, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140304233702/http://www.thewrap.com/awards/column-post/new-best-picture-rules-could-discard-hundreds-ballots-or-more-28412|archive-date=March 4, 2014}}</ref> Bruce Davis, the Academy executive director at the time, said, "A Best Picture nomination should be an indication of extraordinary merit. If there are only eight pictures that truly earn that honor in a given year, we shouldn't feel an obligation to round out the number."<ref name="5to10">{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2011/06/oscar-academy-builds-surprise-into-best-picture-race-140014/ |title=OSCAR SHOCKER! Academy Builds Surprise & Secrecy Into Best Picture Race: Now There Can Be Anywhere From 5 To 10 Nominees |author=Nikki Finke |date=June 14, 2011 |work=Deadline Hollywood |publisher=MMC |access-date=June 15, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723021022/http://www.deadline.com/2011/06/oscar-academy-builds-surprise-into-best-picture-race/ |archive-date=July 23, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> This system lasted until 2021, when the Academy reverted back to a set number of ten nominees from the [[94th Academy Awards]] onward.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2021/06/oscars-changes-rules-ten-best-picture-nominees-1234784121/|title=Oscars: Academy Sets Rules And Regulations For 94th Awards; 10 Best Picture Nominees, Plus Changes In Music And Sound Categories|author=Pete Hammond|work=Deadline Hollywood|date=June 30, 2021|access-date=January 13, 2021|archive-date=June 30, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210630180725/https://deadline.com/2021/06/oscars-changes-rules-ten-best-picture-nominees-1234784121/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Language and country of origin===
Nineteen non-[[English language]] films have been nominated in the category: ''[[La Grande Illusion]]'' (French, 1938); ''[[Z (1969 film)|Z]]'' (French, 1969); ''[[The Emigrants (film)|The Emigrants]]'' (Swedish, 1972); ''[[Cries and Whispers]]'' (Swedish, 1973); ''[[Il Postino: The Postman|The Postman (Il Postino)]]'' (Italian/Spanish, 1995); ''[[Life Is Beautiful]]'' (Italian, 1998); ''[[Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon]]'' ([[Standard Chinese|Mandarin Chinese]], 2000); ''[[Letters from Iwo Jima]]'' (Japanese, 2006, but ineligible for [[Academy Award for Best International Feature Film|Best Foreign Language Film]] because it was an American production); ''[[Amour (2012 film)|Amour]]'' (French, 2012); [[Roma (2018 film)|''Roma'']] (Spanish/Mixtec, 2018); ''[[Parasite (2019 film)|Parasite]]'' (Korean, 2019); ''[[Minari (film)|Minari]]'' (Korean, 2020, but ineligible for Best International Feature Film because it was an American production);<ref name="filmsite2">{{cite web|url=http://www.filmsite.org/bestpics1.html|title=Best Pictures – Facts & Trivia (part 2)|publisher=Filmsite.org|access-date=November 13, 2009|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100109122738/http://www.filmsite.org/bestpics1.html|archive-date=January 9, 2010}}</ref> ''[[Drive My Car (film)|Drive My Car]]'' (Japanese/Korean/Mandarin Chinese/German/[[Korean Sign Language]], 2021), ''[[All Quiet on the Western Front (2022 film)|All Quiet on the Western Front]]'' (German, 2022), ''[[Anatomy of a Fall]]'' (French, 2023), ''[[Past Lives (film)|Past Lives]]'' (Korean, 2023, but ineligible for Best International Feature Film because it was an American production), ''[[The Zone of Interest (film)|The Zone of Interest]]'' (German/Polish/Yiddish, 2023), ''[[Emilia Pérez]]'' (Spanish, 2024), and ''[[I'm Still Here (2024 film)|I'm Still Here]]'' (Portuguese, 2024). ''Parasite'' became the first film not in English to win Best Picture.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Shoard|first=Catherine|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/feb/10/parasite-first-foreign-language-film-to-win-best-picture-oscar|title=Parasite makes Oscars history as first foreign language film to win best picture|date=February 10, 2020|work=The Guardian|access-date=February 10, 2020|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=March 23, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230323173436/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/feb/10/parasite-first-foreign-language-film-to-win-best-picture-oscar|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>[https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2021-03-15/2021-oscars-nominations-minari-everything-to-know "Everything to Know about Nominee 'Minari'"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220127070506/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2021-03-15/2021-oscars-nominations-minari-everything-to-know |date=January 27, 2022 }} (March 15, 2021). ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''. Retrieved July 11, 2021.</ref>

Ten films wholly financed outside the United States have won Best Picture, eight of which were financed, in part or in whole, by the United Kingdom: ''[[Hamlet (1948 film)|Hamlet]]'' (1948), ''[[Tom Jones (1963 film)|Tom Jones]]'' (1963), ''[[A Man for All Seasons (1966 film)|A Man for All Seasons]]'' (1966), ''[[Chariots of Fire]]'' (1981), ''[[Gandhi (film)|Gandhi]]'' (1982), ''[[The Last Emperor]]'' (1987), ''[[Slumdog Millionaire]]'' (2008), and ''[[The King's Speech]]'' (2010). The ninth film, ''[[The Artist (film)|The Artist]]'' (2011), was financed in France, and the tenth film, ''[[Parasite (2019 film)|Parasite]]'' (2019), was financed in South Korea.<ref name="genre">{{cite web|url=http://www.filmsite.org/bestpics2.html|title=Best Pictures – Genre Biases|publisher=Filmsite.org|access-date=November 13, 2009|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100110054846/http://www.filmsite.org/bestpics2.html|archive-date=January 10, 2010}}</ref>

===Rating===
Since 1968, most Best Picture winners have been rated R under the [[Motion Picture Association]]'s [[Motion Picture Association film rating system|rating system]]. ''[[Oliver! (film)|Oliver!]]'' is the only G-rated film and ''[[Midnight Cowboy]]'' is the only X-rated film (what is categorized as an NC-17 film today), so far, to win Best Picture; they won in back-to-back years, 1968 and 1969. The latter has since been changed to an R rating. Eleven films have won with a PG rating: the first was ''[[Patton (film)|Patton]]'' (1970) and the most recent was ''[[Driving Miss Daisy]]'' (1989). Eleven more films have won with a PG-13 rating (which was introduced in 1984): the first was ''[[The Last Emperor]]'' (1987) and the most recent was ''[[CODA (2021 film)|CODA]]'' (2021). For unrated films, ''[[A Room with a View (1985 film)|A Room with a View]]'' (1985) is the first film to not be rated by the MPA and be nominated Best Picture, though no unrated films have won Best Picture.

===Genres and mediums===
{{More citations needed|date=September 2023}}
Three animated films have been nominated for Best Picture: ''[[Beauty and the Beast (1991 film)|Beauty and the Beast]]'' (1991), ''[[Up (2009 film)|Up]]'' (2009), and ''[[Toy Story 3]]'' (2010). The latter two were nominated after the Academy expanded the number of nominees, but none have won.

No comic book film has won, although three have been nominated: ''[[Skippy (film)|Skippy]]'' (1931), ''[[Black Panther (film)|Black Panther]]'' (2018), and ''[[Joker (2019 film)|Joker]]'' (2019).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bibbiani |first=William |date=January 20, 2023 |title=The First Best Picture Oscar Nominee Based On A Comic Was In 1931 |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/1174271/the-first-best-picture-oscar-nominee-based-on-a-comic-was-in-1931/ |access-date=September 12, 2023 |website=/Film |language=en-US |archive-date=June 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230614174015/https://www.slashfilm.com/1174271/the-first-best-picture-oscar-nominee-based-on-a-comic-was-in-1931/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Two fantasy films have won: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King]]'' (2003) and ''[[The Shape of Water]]'' (2017), although more have been nominated.

''[[The Silence of the Lambs (film)|The Silence of the Lambs]]'' (1991) is the only horror/thriller film to win Best Picture. Six others have been nominated: ''[[The Exorcist]]'' (1973), ''[[Jaws (film)|Jaws]]'' (1975), ''[[The Sixth Sense]]'' (1999), ''[[Black Swan (film)|Black Swan]]'' (2010), ''[[Get Out]]'' (2017), and ''[[The Substance]]'' (2024).

Several science-fiction films have been nominated for Best Picture, though ''[[Everything Everywhere All at Once]]'' (2022) was the first one to win.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Spry |first=Jeff |date=March 14, 2023 |title='Everything Everywhere All At Once' is now the most celebrated sci-fi film in Oscar history |url=https://www.space.com/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-most-celebrated-oscars-sci-fi-film |access-date=September 12, 2023 |website=[[Space.com]] |language=en |archive-date=September 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230923013345/https://www.space.com/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-most-celebrated-oscars-sci-fi-film |url-status=live }}</ref>

''[[Titanic (1997 film)|Titanic]]'' (1997) is the only [[disaster film]] to win Best Picture, though other such films have been nominated, including ''[[Airport (1970 film)|Airport]]'' (1970) and ''[[The Towering Inferno]]'' (1974).

No documentary has been nominated for Best Picture, although ''[[Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness]]'' was nominated in the ''Unique and Artistic Picture'' category at the 1927/28 awards. A [[Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film|Best Documentary Feature]] category was introduced in 1941.

Several musical adaptations based on material previously filmed in non-musical form have won Best Picture, including ''[[Gigi (1958 film)|Gigi]]'', ''[[West Side Story (1961 film)|West Side Story]]'', ''[[My Fair Lady (film)|My Fair Lady]]'', ''[[The Sound of Music (film)|The Sound of Music]]'', ''[[Oliver! (film)|Oliver!]]'', and ''[[Chicago (2002 film)|Chicago]]''.

Several [[epic film|epics]] or historical epic films have won Best Picture, including the first recipient ''[[Wings (1927 film)|Wings]]''. Others include ''[[Cimarron (1931 film)|Cimarron]]'', ''[[Cavalcade (1933 film)|Cavalcade]]'', ''[[Gone with the Wind (film)|Gone with the Wind]]'', ''[[The Bridge on the River Kwai]]'', ''[[Ben-Hur (1959 film)|Ben-Hur]]'', ''[[Lawrence of Arabia (film)|Lawrence of Arabia]]'', ''[[Patton (film)|Patton]]'', ''[[The Godfather]]'', ''[[The Godfather Part II]]'', ''[[Gandhi (film)|Gandhi]]'', ''[[The Last Emperor]]'', ''[[Dances With Wolves]]'', ''[[Schindler's List]]'', ''[[Forrest Gump]]'', ''[[Braveheart]]'', ''[[The English Patient (film)|The English Patient]]'', ''[[Titanic (1997 film)|Titanic]]'', ''[[Gladiator (2000 film)|Gladiator]]'', ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King]]'', and ''[[Oppenheimer (film)|Oppenheimer]]''.

===Sequel nominations and winners===
Ten films that were presented as direct sequels have been nominated for Best Picture: ''[[The Bells of St. Mary's]]'' (1945; the sequel to the 1944 winner, ''[[Going My Way]]''), ''[[The Godfather Part II]]'' (1974), ''[[The Godfather Part III]]'' (1990), ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers]]'' (2002), ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King]]'' (2003), ''[[Toy Story 3]]'' (2010), ''[[Mad Max: Fury Road]]'' (2015)'', [[Avatar: The Way of Water]]'' (2022), ''[[Top Gun: Maverick]]'' (2022), and ''[[Dune: Part Two]]'' (2024).

''Toy Story 3'', ''Mad Max: Fury Road'', and ''Top Gun: Maverick'' are the only sequels to be nominated without any predecessors being nominated. ''The Godfather Part II'' and ''The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King'' are the only sequels to have won the award, and their respective trilogies are the only series to have three films nominated. [[The Godfather (film series)|''The Godfather'' series]] is the only film series with multiple Best Picture winners, with the [[The Godfather|first film]] winning the award for 1972 and the [[The Godfather Part II|second film]] winning the award for 1974.<ref name="filmsite2" />

Another nominee, ''[[Broadway Melody of 1936]]'', was a follow-up of sorts to previous winner ''[[The Broadway Melody]]'', but beyond the title and some music, the two films have mutually independent stories. ''[[The Silence of the Lambs (film)|The Silence of the Lambs]]'' was adapted from the sequel novel to ''[[Red Dragon (novel)|Red Dragon]]''. The latter had been adapted for film as ''[[Manhunter (film)|Manhunter]]'' by a different studio, and the two films have different casts and creative teams and were not presented as a series.<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 27, 2022 |title=The only sequels to have won Best Picture Oscars |url=https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/the-only-sequels-to-have-won-best-picture-oscars/ |access-date=January 22, 2023 |website=faroutmagazine.co.uk |language=en-US |archive-date=January 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230122071930/https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/the-only-sequels-to-have-won-best-picture-oscars/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Conversely, 2024's ''[[Wicked (2024 film)|Wicked]]'' uses iconography and characters who appeared in 1939's ''[[The Wizard of Oz]]'' and other ''Oz'' films, but is not a direct prequel to any film. 

''[[The Lion in Winter (1968 film)|The Lion in Winter]]'' features [[Peter O'Toole]] as [[Henry II of England|King Henry II]], a role he had played previously in the film ''[[Becket (1964 film)|Becket]]'', but ''The Lion in Winter'' is not a sequel to ''Becket''. Similarly, ''[[The Queen (2006 film)|The Queen]]'' features [[Michael Sheen]] as [[Tony Blair]], a role he had played previously in the television film ''[[The Deal (2003 film)|The Deal]]''. [[Christine Langan]], producer of both productions, described ''The Queen'' as not being a direct sequel, only that it reunited the same creative team.<ref>Wells, Matt (August 30, 2004). "[https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2004/aug/30/media.arts Helen Mirren poised for royal role] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307163813/https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2004/aug/30/media.arts |date=7 March 2016 }}". Guardian Unlimited (Guardian News and Media). Retrieved on January 15, 2022.</ref>

[[Clint Eastwood]]'s ''[[Letters from Iwo Jima]]'' was a companion piece to his film ''[[Flags of Our Fathers (film)|Flags of Our Fathers]]'' that was released earlier the same year. These two films depict the same battle from the different viewpoints of Japanese and United States military forces; the two films were shot back-to-back.

In addition, ''[[Black Panther (film)|Black Panther]]'' is a continuation of the events that occurred in ''[[Captain America: Civil War]]'' and the [[Marvel Cinematic Universe]].

===Remake nominations and winners===
Along similar lines to sequels, there have been few nominees and winners that are either remakes or adaptations of the same source materials or subjects.

''[[Ben-Hur (1959 film)|Ben-Hur]]'', which won Best Picture of 1959, is a remake of the [[Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925 film)|1925 silent film with a similar title]] and both were adapted from [[Lew Wallace]]'s 1880 novel ''[[Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ]]''. ''[[The Departed]]'', which won Best Picture of 2006, is a remake of the 2002 [[Hong Kong cinema|Hong Kong]] film ''[[Infernal Affairs]]'' and is the first remake of a non-English language or international film to win.

Other nominees include 1963's ''[[Cleopatra (1963 film)|Cleopatra]]'' about the [[Cleopatra|titular last queen of Egypt]] following the [[Cleopatra (1934 film)|1934 version]], 2018's ''[[A Star Is Born (2018 film)|A Star is Born]]'' following the [[A Star Is Born (1937 film)|1937 film of the same name]], and 2019's ''[[Little Women (2019 film)|Little Women]]'' following the [[Little Women (1933 film)|1933 film of the same name]] with both being adaptations of the [[Little Women|1868 novel]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/greta-gerwigs-adaptation-brings-little-women-oscar-noms-tally-14-1268988/|title=Oscars: Greta Gerwig's Adaptation Brings 'Little Women' Noms Tally to 14|first1=Jordan|last1=Wilson|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=January 13, 2020|access-date=March 26, 2022|archive-date=March 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220318173856/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/greta-gerwigs-adaptation-brings-little-women-oscar-noms-tally-14-1268988/|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[True Grit (2010 film)|True Grit]]'', which was nominated for Best Picture at the [[83rd Academy Awards]], is the second adaptation of [[Charles Portis]]'s [[True Grit (novel)|1968 novel]] following the [[True Grit (1969 film)|1969 film of the same name]].

Four of the nominees for the [[94th Academy Awards|94th ceremony]] were based on source material previously made into films: ''[[CODA (2021 film)|CODA]]'', ''[[Dune (2021 film)|Dune]]'', ''[[Nightmare Alley (2021 film)|Nightmare Alley]]'', and ''[[West Side Story (2021 film)|West Side Story]]''. The 2021 version of ''West Side Story'' became the second adaptation of the same source material for a previous Best Picture winner to be nominated for the same award after 1962's ''[[Mutiny on the Bounty (1962 film)|Mutiny on the Bounty]]''.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/25/movies/oscars-best-picture-remakes.html|title=Four Best Picture Contenders Are Remakes. Does That Matter to Oscar Voters?|first=Ben|last=Zauzmer|newspaper=The New York Times|date=March 25, 2022|access-date=March 26, 2022|archive-date=March 26, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220326185243/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/25/movies/oscars-best-picture-remakes.html|url-status=live}}</ref> For that same ceremony, ''CODA'' became the second remake of a non-English-language or international film to win.

The 2022 German-language ''[[All Quiet on the Western Front (2022 film)|All Quiet on the Western Front]]'' is the second adaptation of the [[All Quiet on the Western Front|1929 novel]] after the [[All Quiet on the Western Front (1930 film)|1930 English-language film]], and the third adaptation of the same source material of a previous Best Picture winner.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wise |first=Damon |date=January 24, 2023 |title=Edward Berger's 'All Quiet On The Western Front' Continues Remarkable Awards-Season Run With Oscar Noms Haul |url=https://deadline.com/2023/01/2023-oscars-all-quiet-on-the-western-front-9-nominations-1235238643/ |access-date=January 25, 2023 |website=Deadline |language=en-US |archive-date=January 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230125014030/https://deadline.com/2023/01/2023-oscars-all-quiet-on-the-western-front-9-nominations-1235238643/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Silent film winners===
[[File:Wings (1927).webm|left|thumb|''Wings'' (1927), winner of the first Oscar for Best Picture]]
At the [[1st Academy Awards]], the Best Picture award (then named "Academy Award for Outstanding Picture") was presented to the 1927 [[silent film]] ''[[Wings (1927 film)|Wings]]''.

''[[The Artist (film)|The Artist]]'' (2011) was the first essentially silent (with the exception of a single scene of dialogue, and a dream sequence with sound effects) film since ''Wings'' to win Best Picture. It was the first silent nominee since 1928's ''[[The Patriot (1928 film)|The Patriot]]'' and the first Best Picture winner to be produced entirely in [[black-and-white]] since 1960's ''[[The Apartment]]''. (''[[Schindler's List]]'', the 1993 winner, was predominantly black-and-white but contains some color sequences.)<ref name="genre" />

===Version availability===
No Best Picture winner has been [[lost film|lost]], though a few such as ''[[All Quiet on the Western Front (1930 film)|All Quiet on the Western Front]]'' and ''[[Lawrence of Arabia (film)|Lawrence of Arabia]]'' exist only in a form altered from their original, award-winning release form. This has usually been due to editing for reissue (and subsequently partly restored by archivists). Other winners and nominees, such as ''[[Tom Jones (1963 film)|Tom Jones]]'' (prior to its 2018 reissues by [[The Criterion Collection]] and the [[British Film Institute]]) and ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'', are widely available only in subsequently altered versions. ''[[The Broadway Melody]]'' originally had some sequences photographed in [[Technicolor#Process 3|two-color Technicolor]]. This footage survives only in black and white.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=3068 |title=The Broadway Melody |website=AFI Catalog of Feature Films |publisher=[[American Film Institute]] |access-date=July 7, 2014 |quote="The Technicolor footage for this sequence has since been lost, and only a black-and-white version is now available." |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714220955/http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=3068 |archive-date=July 14, 2014 }}</ref>

The 1928 film ''[[The Patriot (1928 film)|The Patriot]]'' is the only Best Picture nominee that is lost (about one-third is extant).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oscars.org/mostwanted/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121001033156/http://www.oscars.org/mostwanted/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 1, 2012 |title=Oscar's Most Wanted |publisher=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences |access-date=May 24, 2012}}</ref> ''[[The Racket (1928 film)|The Racket]]'', also from 1928, was believed lost for many years until a print was found in [[Howard Hughes]]' archives. It has since been restored and shown on [[Turner Classic Movies]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.silentera.com/PSFL/data/R/Racket1928.html|title=The Racket – Progressive Silent Film List|publisher=Silent Era|access-date=May 24, 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120331231944/http://www.silentera.com/PSFL/data/R/Racket1928.html|archive-date=March 31, 2012}}</ref> The only surviving complete prints of 1931's ''[[East Lynne (1931 film)|East Lynne]]'' and 1934's ''[[The White Parade]]'' exist within the [[UCLA]] film archive.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/73829/east-lynne#trivia|title=East Lynne Trivia|publisher=Turner Classic Movies|access-date=May 24, 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131215055955/http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/73829/East-Lynne/trivia.html|archive-date=December 15, 2013}}</ref>

===Diversity standards===
The Academy has established a set of "representation and inclusion standards", called Academy Aperture 2025, which a film will be required to satisfy in order to compete in the Best Picture category, starting with the [[96th Academy Awards]] for films released in 2023.<ref name="standards">{{cite web |date=August 2022 |title=Representation and Inclusion Standards |url=https://www.oscars.org/awards/representation-and-inclusion-standards |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230215073102/https://www.oscars.org/awards/representation-and-inclusion-standards |archive-date=February 15, 2023 |access-date=February 15, 2023 |website=Oscars.org}}</ref><ref>[https://www.npr.org/sections/live-updates-protests-for-racial-justice/2020/09/08/910928503/new-diversity-standards-for-best-picture-oscar-nominees-starting-in-2024 New Diversity Standards For Best Picture Oscar Nominees, Starting In 2024] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240204135656/https://www.npr.org/sections/live-updates-protests-for-racial-justice/2020/09/08/910928503/new-diversity-standards-for-best-picture-oscar-nominees-starting-in-2024 |date=February 4, 2024 }}, NPR, September 8, 2020</ref> There are four general standards, of which a film must satisfy two to be considered for Best Picture: (a) on-screen representation, themes and narratives; (b) creative leadership and project team; (c) industry access and opportunities; and (d) audience development.<ref name="standards" /> As explained by [[Vox (website)|Vox]], the standards "basically break down into two big buckets: standards promoting more inclusive representation and standards promoting more inclusive employment".<ref name="wilkinson">{{cite web |last1=Wilkinson |first1=Alissa |date=September 9, 2020 |title=The Oscars' new rules for Best Picture nominees, explained |url=https://www.vox.com/culture/2020/9/9/21429083/oscars-best-picture-rules-diversity-inclusion |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230215073105/https://www.vox.com/culture/2020/9/9/21429083/oscars-best-picture-rules-diversity-inclusion |archive-date=February 15, 2023 |access-date=February 15, 2023 |website=[[Vox (website)|Vox]]}}</ref> The standards are intended to provide greater opportunities for employment, in cast, crew, studio apprenticeships and internships, and development, marketing, publicity, and distribution executives, among underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, women, LGBTQ+ people, and persons with [[Disabilities affecting intellectual abilities|cognitive]] or [[Physical disability|physical disabilities]], or who are [[Deafness|deaf or hard of hearing]].<ref name="standards" /><ref>[https://deadline.com/2021/02/coming-soon-film-academys-inclusion-standards-form-1234697847/ Coming Soon: The Film Academy’s “Inclusion Standards” Form] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230702065127/https://deadline.com/2021/02/coming-soon-film-academys-inclusion-standards-form-1234697847/ |date=July 2, 2023 }}, Deadline Hollywood, February 22, 2021</ref>

For the [[94th Academy Awards|94th]] and [[95th Academy Awards]] (films released in 2021 and 2022), filmmakers were required to submit a confidential Academy Inclusion Standards form to be considered for Best Picture but were not required to fulfill the standards.<ref name="wilkinson" /> These standards will only apply to the Best Picture category and do not affect a film's eligibility in other Oscar categories.<ref name="standards" />

===2016 ceremony mistake===
At the [[89th Academy Awards]] on February 26, 2017, presenter [[Faye Dunaway]] read ''[[La La Land]]'' as the winner of the award. However, she and [[Warren Beatty]] had mistakenly been given the duplicate envelope for the "[[Academy Award for Best Actress|Best Actress in a Leading Role]]" award, which [[Emma Stone]] had won for her role in ''La La Land''. While accepting the award, ''La La Land'' producer [[Jordan Horowitz]], who was given the correct envelope, realized the mistake and announced that ''[[Moonlight (2016 film)|Moonlight]]'' had won the award.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/moonlight-wins-best-picture-mistake-presenter-warren-beatty/story?id=45769592|title='Moonlight' wins best picture after 'La La Land' mistakenly announced|last2=Edison Hayden|last1=Rothman|first2=Michael|first1=Michael|date=February 27, 2017|work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|access-date=February 27, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170227052424/http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/moonlight-wins-best-picture-mistake-presenter-warren-beatty/story?id=45769592|archive-date=February 27, 2017}}</ref>