The 39th Academy Awards, honoring the best in film for 1966, were held on April 10, 1967, hosted by Bob Hope at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica, California.
The Academy Awards broadcast faced the threat of cancellation due to a strike involving the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. Fortunately, the dispute was resolved just three hours before the ceremony was set to begin. Bob Hope, during his opening monologue, alluded to this uncertainty, noting that even as late as 30 minutes before the event, it was still unclear whether the telecast would proceed.
In a rare occurrence during the period with five Best Picture nominees, only two were nominated for Best Director this year: Fred Zinnemann for A Man for All Seasons (the winner) and Mike Nichols for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. The latter was the second film in Oscars history to be nominated in every eligible category (after Cimarron (1931)), as well as the first of three to date to receive acting nominations for the entire credited cast.
For the second time in Oscars history, two siblings were nominated in the same category: Vanessa and Lynn Redgrave, both nominated for Best Actress for their performances in Morgan! and Georgy Girl, respectively. This had previously occurred in 1941, when sisters Joan Fontaine and Olivia de Havilland were each nominated for Best Actress.
Elizabeth Taylor was informed of her having won the Best Actress award in London, but was so frustrated by Richard Burton's loss of the Best Actor award that she refused to hold a press conference for two weeks.
Six films won multiple Oscars this year—A Man for All Seasons, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Grand Prix, Fantastic Voyage, A Man and a Woman, and Born Free—a record that was later tied in 2010, 2012, and 2017, and surpassed in 2020/21, when seven films won at least two Oscars. Every Best Picture nominee was nominated for Best Actor as well, the only time in the era of five Best Picture nominees that each nominated film received a nomination in a single acting category.
Uniquely, this year marked the only instance in the history of the Academy Awards where all nominees for Best Actress were born outside the United States. Among the audience was Patricia Neal, who had not made a Hollywood appearance since she suffered a near-fatal stroke two years prior, and she received a standing ovation from the crowd. California's governor at the time, Ronald Reagan, also attended the ceremony, having been a longtime member and supporter of the Academy.
Additionally, this event marked the final year in which separate awards were presented for black-and-white and color films in categories such as Cinematography, Art Direction-Set Decoration, and Costume Design. One standout moment in the broadcast was Mitzi Gaynor's performance of the song "Georgy Girl," which is frequently hailed as one of the most celebrated performances in Oscar history.
Winners and nominees
Nominees were announced on February 20, 1967. Winners are listed first and highlighted in boldface. Select "1966" in the "Award Year(s)" drop-down menu and press "Search".
A Man for All Seasons – Fred Zinnemann, producer Alfie – Lewis Gilbert, producer The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming – Norman Jewison, producer The Sand Pebbles – Robert Wise, producer Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? – Ernest Lehman, producer | style="vertical-align:top; width:50%;"| Fred Zinnemann – A Man for All Seasons Michelangelo Antonioni – Blowup Claude Lelouch – A Man and a Woman Richard Brooks – The Professionals Mike Nichols – Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?Paul Scofield – A Man for All Seasons as Sir Thomas More Alan Arkin – The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming as Lt. Yuri Rozanov Richard Burton – Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? as George Michael Caine – Alfie as Alfie Elkins Steve McQueen – The Sand Pebbles as Jake HolmanElizabeth Taylor – Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? as Martha Anouk Aimée – A Man and a Woman as Anne Gauthier Ida Kamińska – The Shop on Main Street as Rozália Lautmannová Lynn Redgrave – Georgy Girl as Georgina "Georgy" Parkin Vanessa Redgrave – Morgan! as Leonie DeltWalter Matthau – The Fortune Cookie as "Whiplash Willie" Gingrich Mako – The Sand Pebbles as Po-han James Mason – Georgy Girl as James Leamington George Segal – Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? as Nick Robert Shaw – A Man for All Seasons as King Henry VIIISandy Dennis – Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? as Honey Wendy Hiller – A Man for All Seasons as Alice More Jocelyne LaGarde – Hawaii as Queen Malama Kanakoa Vivien Merchant – Alfie as Lily Geraldine Page – You're a Big Boy Now as Margery Chanticleer A Man and a Woman – Screenplay by Claude Lelouch and Pierre Uytterhoeven; Story by Claude Lelouch Blowup – Screenplay by Michelangelo Antonioni, Edward Bond and Tonino Guerra; Story by Michelangelo Antonioni The Fortune Cookie – Billy Wilder and I. A. L. Diamond Khartoum – Robert Ardrey The Naked Prey – Clint Johnston and Don Peters | valign="top" | A Man for All Seasons – Robert Bolt based on his play Alfie – Bill Naughton based on his play The Professionals – Richard Brooks based on the novel A Mule for the Marquesa by Frank O'Rourke The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming – William Rose based on the novel Off-Islanders by Nathaniel Benchley Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? – Ernest Lehman based on the play by Edward Albee |- | valign="top" |
A Man and a Woman (France) The Battle of Algiers (Italy) Loves of a Blonde (Czechoslovakia) Pharaoh (Poland) Three (Yugoslavia) | valign="top" |
The War Game – Peter Watkins The Face of a Genius – Alfred R. Kelman Helicopter Canada – Peter Jones and Tom Daly The Really Big Family – Alex Grasshoff Le Volcan interdit – Haroun Tazieff |- | valign="top" |
A Year Toward Tomorrow – Edmond A. LevyAdolescence – Marin Karmitz and Vladimir Forgency Cowboy – Michael Ahnemann and Gary Schlosser The Odds Against – Lee R. Bobker and Helen Kristt Radin Részletek J.S. Bach Máté passiójából – Mafilm Studio | valign="top" |
Wild Wings – Edgar AnsteyTurkey the Bridge – Derek Williams The Winning Strain – Leslie Winik |- | valign="top" |
A Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass Double Feature – John Hubley and Faith HubleyThe Drag – Wolf Koenig and Robert Verrall The Pink Blueprint – David H. DePatie and Friz Freleng | valign="top" |Born Free – John Barry The Bible: In the Beginning... – Toshiro Mayuzumi Hawaii – Elmer Bernstein The Sand Pebbles – Jerry Goldsmith Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? – Alex North |- | valign="top" |
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum – Ken Thorne The Gospel According to St. Matthew – Luis Bacalov Return of the Seven – Elmer Bernstein The Singing Nun – Harry Sukman Stop the World – I Want to Get Off – Al Ham | valign="top" |
"Born Free" from Born Free – Music by John Barry; Lyrics by Don Black "Alfie" from Alfie – Music by Burt Bacharach; Lyrics by Hal David "Georgy Girl" from Georgy Girl – Music by Tom Springfield; Lyrics by Jim Dale "My Wishing Doll" from Hawaii – Music by Elmer Bernstein; Lyrics by Mack David "A Time for Love" from An American Dream – Music by Johnny Mandel; Lyrics by Paul Francis Webster |- | valign="top" |
Grand Prix – Franklin Milton Gambit – Waldon O. Watson Hawaii – Gordon E. Sawyer The Sand Pebbles – James Corcoran Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? – George Groves Grand Prix – Gordon Daniel Fantastic Voyage – Walter Rossi Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? – Art Direction: Richard Sylbert; Set Decoration: George James Hopkins The Fortune Cookie – Art Direction: Robert Luthardt; Set Decoration: Edward G. Boyle The Gospel According to St. Matthew – Art Direction and Set Decoration: Luigi Scaccianoce Is Paris Burning? – Art Direction: Willy Holt; Set Decoration: Marc Frédérix and Pierre Guffroy Mister Buddwing – Art Direction: George Davis and Paul Groesse; Set Decoration: Henry Grace and Hugh Hunt Fantastic Voyage – Art Direction: Jack Martin Smith and Dale Hennesy; Set Decoration: Walter M. Scott and Stuart A. Reiss Gambit – Art Direction: Alexander Golitzen and George C. Webb; Set Decoration: John P. Austin and John McCarthy Jr. Juliet of the Spirits – Art Direction and Set Decoration: Piero Gherardi The Oscar – Art Direction: Hal Pereira and Arthur Lonergan; Set Decoration: Robert R. Benton and James W. Payne The Sand Pebbles – Art Direction: Boris Leven; Set Decoration: Walter M. Scott, John Sturtevant and William Kiernan Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? – Haskell Wexler The Fortune Cookie – Joseph LaShelle Georgy Girl – Kenneth Higgins Is Paris Burning? – Marcel Grignon Seconds – James Wong Howe A Man for All Seasons – Ted Moore Fantastic Voyage – Ernest Laszlo Hawaii – Russell Harlan The Professionals – Conrad Hall The Sand Pebbles – Joseph MacDonald Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? – Irene Sharaff The Gospel According to St. Matthew – Danilo Donati Mandragola – Danilo Donati Mister Buddwing – Helen Rose Morgan! – Jocelyn Rickards A Man for All Seasons – Joan Bridge and Elizabeth Haffenden Gambit – Jean Louis Hawaii – Dorothy Jeakins Juliet of the Spirits – Piero Gherardi The Oscar – Edith Head Grand Prix – Fredric Steinkamp, Henry Berman, Stewart Linder and Frank Santillo Fantastic Voyage – William B. Murphy The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming – Hal Ashby and J. Terry Williams The Sand Pebbles – William H. Reynolds Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? – Sam O'Steen Fantastic Voyage – Art Cruickshank Hawaii – Linwood G. Dunn
Honorary Awards To Y. Frank Freeman for unusual and outstanding service to the Academy during his thirty years in Hollywood. To Yakima Canutt for achievements as a stunt man and for developing safety devices to protect stunt men everywhere.
Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award George Bagnall
Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award Robert Wise
Multiple nominations and awards
These films had multiple nominations: 13 nominations: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? 8 nominations: A Man for All Seasons and The Sand Pebbles 7 nominations: Hawaii 5 nominations: Alfie and Fantastic Voyage 4 nominations: The Fortune Cookie, Georgy Girl, A Man and a Woman and The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming 3 nominations: Gambit, The Gospel According to St. Matthew, Grand Prix and The Professionals 2 nominations: Blowup, Born Free, Is Paris Burning?, Juliet of the Spirits, Mister Buddwing, Morgan! and The Oscar
The following films received multiple awards: 6 wins: A Man for All Seasons 5 wins: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? 3 wins: Grand Prix 2 wins: Born Free, Fantastic Voyage and A Man and a Woman
Presenters and performers The following individuals, listed in order of appearance, presented awards or performed musical numbers.
Presenters