81st Academy Awards® Press Transcripts
Winner’s Onstage and Backstage Transcripts
All transcripts will be available here for download as they become available. Transcript distribution is not immediate. Varying lengths of speeches and/or interviews may cause some transcripts to be delayed. Please note that Academy Awards transcripts are for use by legitimate press representatives only.
Performance by an actor in a leading role
Sean Penn in “Milk” (Focus Features)
Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Heath Ledger in “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.)
Performance by an actress in a leading role
Kate Winslet in “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company)
Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Penélope Cruz in “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” (The Weinstein Company)
Best animated feature film of the year
“WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Andrew Stanton
Achievement in art direction
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Art Direction: Donald Graham Burt, Set Decoration: Victor J. Zolfo
Achievement in cinematography
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Anthony Dod Mantle
Achievement in costume design
“The Duchess” (Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films), Michael O’Connor
Achievement in directing
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Danny Boyle
Best documentary feature
“Man on Wire” (Magnolia Pictures), A Wall to Wall in association with Red Box Films Production, James Marsh and Simon Chinn
Best documentary short subject
“Smile Pinki” A Principe Production, Megan Mylan
Achievement in film editing
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Chris Dickens
- Onstage Speech
- No Backstage Interview
Best foreign language film of the year
“Departures” (Regent Releasing), A Departures Film Partners Production, Japan
Achievement in makeup
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Greg Cannom
- Onstage Speech
- No Backstage Interview
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), A.R. Rahman
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
“Jai Ho” from “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Music by A.R. Rahman, Lyric by Gulzar
Best motion picture of the year
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), A Celador Films Production, Christian Colson, Producer
Best animated short film
“La Maison en Petits Cubes” A Robot Communications Production, Kunio Kato
Best live action short film
“Spielzeugland (Toyland)” A Mephisto Film Production, Jochen Alexander Freydank
Achievement in sound editing
“The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Richard King
Achievement in sound mixing
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke and Resul Pookutty
Achievement in visual effects
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton and Craig Barron
Adapted screenplay
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Screenplay by Simon Beaufoy
Original screenplay
“Milk” (Focus Features), Written by Dustin Lance Black
Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award
Jerry Lewis
- Onstage Speech
- No Backstage Interview
