Awards¶
Twenty-eight competitive Academy Award nominations across three films, nine wins, one declined and one rescinded.
Academy Awards¶
The Godfather — 45th Academy Awards (March 27, 1973)¶
3 wins from 10 nominations
| Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Best Picture | Albert S. Ruddy | Won |
| Best Actor | Marlon Brando | Won — declined |
| Best Adapted Screenplay | Mario Puzo, Francis Ford Coppola | Won |
| Best Director | Francis Ford Coppola | Lost — Bob Fosse, Cabaret |
| Best Supporting Actor | Al Pacino | Lost — Joel Grey, Cabaret |
| Best Supporting Actor | James Caan | Lost |
| Best Supporting Actor | Robert Duvall | Lost |
| Best Costume Design | Anna Hill Johnstone | Lost |
| Best Film Editing | William Reynolds, Peter Zinner | Lost |
| Best Sound | Bud Grenzbach, Richard Portman, Christopher Newman | Lost |
Notes. Pacino is on screen longer than Brando and was nominated in Supporting; he objected publicly and reportedly boycotted the ceremony. Three of the film's own actors split the supporting category. Gordon Willis was not nominated. Nino Rota's score nomination was rescinded — see below.
The Godfather Part II — 47th Academy Awards (April 8, 1975)¶
6 wins from 11 nominations
| Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Best Picture | Coppola, Gray Frederickson, Fred Roos | Won |
| Best Director | Francis Ford Coppola | Won |
| Best Supporting Actor | Robert De Niro | Won |
| Best Adapted Screenplay | Coppola, Puzo | Won |
| Best Original Dramatic Score | Nino Rota, Carmine Coppola | Won |
| Best Art Direction | Dean Tavoularis, Angelo Graham, George R. Nelson | Won |
| Best Actor | Al Pacino | Lost — Art Carney, Harry and Tonto |
| Best Supporting Actor | Michael V. Gazzo | Lost |
| Best Supporting Actor | Lee Strasberg | Lost |
| Best Supporting Actress | Talia Shire | Lost |
| Best Costume Design | Theadora Van Runkle | Lost |
Notes. The first sequel ever to win Best Picture, matched since only by The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. The Godfather and Part II are the only original/sequel pair to both win. Gazzo and Strasberg split the supporting vote against their castmate De Niro. Pacino's loss to Art Carney is routinely listed among the Academy's worst decisions.
The Godfather Part III — 63rd Academy Awards (March 25, 1991)¶
0 wins from 7 nominations
| Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Best Picture | Coppola | Lost — Dances with Wolves |
| Best Director | Francis Ford Coppola | Lost |
| Best Supporting Actor | Andy García | Lost |
| Best Cinematography | Gordon Willis | Lost |
| Best Film Editing | Barry Malkin, Lisa Fruchtman, Walter Murch | Lost |
| Best Art Direction | Dean Tavoularis, Gary Fettis | Lost |
| Best Original Song | "Promise Me You'll Remember" — Carmine Coppola, John Bettis | Lost |
Notes. All three films were nominated for Best Picture — a feat matched only by The Lord of the Rings. This is Willis's second and last nomination.
The two footnotes¶
Brando's refusal¶
He won Best Actor and did not attend. Sacheen Littlefeather declined it on his behalf, citing the industry's treatment of Native Americans and the standoff at Wounded Knee. She was given about sixty seconds and improvised; Brando's prepared statement ran to pages and she read it publicly afterward.
The Academy formally apologized to her in 2022, shortly before her death. Her claimed Apache heritage was disputed by her own family after she died, and the matter remains unresolved.
Rota's rescinded nomination¶
Nino Rota's score for The Godfather was nominated and then withdrawn when it emerged the Love Theme was adapted from his own 1958 score for Fortunella. The rule barred previously used material. The AFI later ranked the same score #5 among all film scores.
He won two years later for Part II.
Golden Globes¶
| Film | Nominations | Wins |
|---|---|---|
| The Godfather | 7 | 5 — Picture (Drama), Director, Actor (Brando), Screenplay, Score |
| Part II | 6 | 0 |
| Part III | 7 | 0 |
BAFTA¶
The Godfather: wins for Brando (Best Actor) and Nino Rota (Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music); nominations including Pacino as Most Promising Newcomer.
Part II: Al Pacino won Best Actor (shared recognition with Dog Day Afternoon); De Niro nominated as Most Promising Newcomer; Rota nominated for music; the editors nominated.
Guilds and critics¶
| Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Directors Guild of America | Part II | Won — Coppola |
| Writers Guild of America | The Godfather | Won |
| Writers Guild of America | Part II | Won |
| National Society of Film Critics — Best Director | Part II | Won — Coppola |
| National Society of Film Critics — Best Cinematography | Part II | Won — Gordon Willis |
| Palme d'Or | The Conversation (Coppola, between the two films) | Won |
Golden Raspberry Awards¶
11th Razzies (1991) — Sofia Coppola won Worst Supporting Actress and Worst New Star for Part III.
Context and the case against: Mary Corleone and Part III Reassessed.
Rankings and honors¶
American Film Institute¶
| List | Placement |
|---|---|
| 100 Years…100 Movies (1998) | The Godfather #3, Part II #32 |
| 100 Years…100 Movies, 10th Anniversary (2007) | The Godfather #2, Part II #32 |
| 10 Top 10 — Gangster (2008) | The Godfather #1, Part II #3 |
| 100 Movie Quotes (2005) | "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse" #2; "Keep your friends close…" #58 |
| 100 Heroes & Villains (2003) | Vito Corleone #10 Hero; Michael Corleone #11 Villain |
| 100 Years of Film Scores (2005) | The Godfather #5 |
Other¶
- National Film Registry: The Godfather inducted 1990 (first year of eligibility); Part II inducted 1993
- Sight & Sound directors' poll: Part II #9 (1992), #2 (2002), #30 (2012)
- Sight & Sound critics' poll: Part II #4 (2002), #31 (2012); The Godfather has appeared in the top 25 in every edition since 1992
- Writers Guild of America, 101 Greatest Screenplays (2006): The Godfather #2; Part II #10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 97% / 96% / 67% (86% for Coda)
- Metacritic: 100 / 90 / 60 (76 for Coda) — the first film holds one of very few perfect scores on the site