All 9 Oscars The Godfather Movies Won Explained

Summary

• The Godfather trilogy received a total of 9 Academy Awards, with The Godfather winning 3 and Part II receiving 6 awards.
• The iconic film series, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, remains a touchstone in popular culture even 50 years after its first release.
• The screenplay for The Godfather series, co-written by Mario Puzo and Coppola, expertly translated the novel’s themes into a cinematic masterpiece.

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The Godfather trilogy included some of the most acclaimed movies of all time, went on to take home nine Academy Awards, and received an astounding 28 nominations. As one of the crowning achievements in director Francis Ford Coppola’s vast and varied career, more than 50 years since the first film was released, The Godfather series has remained an important touchstone in popular culture. With fantastic performances, unmatched screenplays, and an iconic aesthetic, The Godfather films received acclaim at the time of their release, and their reputation has only grown over the years.

The Godfather and The Godfather Part II were among the greatest films ever produced, while The Godfather Part III was a fitting epilogue to the story of the Italian-American Mafia Corleone family. The Godfather received an impressive three Academy Awards; Part II took home an incredible six awards, and Part III received seven nominations but did not win any. When taken together, The Godfather trilogy was one of the most nominated series in film history and deserved to be remembered as one of cinema’s greatest achievements.

Academy Awards	The Godfather (1972)	The Godfather Part (1974)	The Godfather Part III (1990)
Best Picture	Won	Won	Nominated
Best Director	Nominated	Won	Nominated
Best Actor	Won	Nominated
Best Supporting Actor	Nominated	Won	Nominated
Best Supporting Actress		Nominated
Best Adapted Screenplay	Won	Won
Best Art Direction		Won	Nominated
Best Cinematography			Nominated
Best Costume Design	Nominated	Nominated
Best Film Editing	Nominated		Nominated
Best Original Dramatic Score		Won
Best Original Song			Nominated
Best Sound	Nominated

9 Francis Ford Coppola & Mario Puzo Won Adapted Screenplay

The Godfather (1972)

Film	Nominee	Source Material
The Godfather	Francis Ford Coppola & Mario Puzo	The novel by Puzo
Cabaret	Jay Presson Allen	The musical by Joe Masteroff
The Emigrants	Bengt Forslund & Jan Troell	The novels The Emigrants & Unto a Good Land by Vilhelm Moberg
Pete ‘n’ Tillie	Julius J. Epstein	The novella Witch’s Milk by Peter De Vries
Sounder	Lonne Elder III	The novel by William H. Armstrong

Together, The Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo, the novelist whose book the movie was based on, took home the Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award. While Puzo’s original novel told the story of the Italian mob boss Vito Corleone from childhood to adulthood, Coppola wanted to emphasize the themes of culture, character, power, and family in the film (via The Week.) While the two worked on their scripts separately, they remained in contact and made decisions together about what to include in the final version.

The final Godfather screenplay was a masterclass in writing, as it seamlessly transported Puzo’s characters into film and cemented the Corleone family as true icons of cinema. With impressive world-building that incorporated the immigrant experience in America, The Godfather captured the perils of living in a new world and those who knew they could not always follow the rules if they wanted to get ahead. The influence of The Godfather can still be felt in gangster cinema today, and none of its achievements would have been possible without a strong script behind it.

The Godfather (1972)
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Crime

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Francis Ford Coppola directed this 1978 classic that would go on to become one of the most iconic crime films ever made. Starring Marlon Brando, James Caan, and Al Pacino, The Godfather gives a tense and introspective look into the Corleone crime family of New York City.

Director Francis Ford Coppola Release Date March 24, 1972 Studio(s) Paramount Pictures Distributor(s) Paramount+ Writers Mario Puzo , Francis Ford Coppola Cast Marlon Brando , Diane Keaton , James Caan , Al Pacino , Robert Duvall Runtime 175 minutes Franchise(s) The Godfather Sequel(s) The Godfather Part II , The Godfather Part III Budget $6 million

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8 Marlon Brando Won Best Actor

The Godfather (1972)

Actor	Role	Film
Marlon Brando	Vito Corleone	The Godfather
Michael Caine	Milo Tindle	Sleuth
Laurence Olivier	Andrew Wyke	Sleuth
Peter O’Toole	Jack Gurney, 14th Earl of Gurney	The Ruling Class
Paul Winfield	Nathan Lee Morgan	Sounder

By the time The Godfather was released, Marlon Brando had already secured his legacy as one of the most influential actors of all time, but his Oscar-winning role as Vito Corleone would end up being one of his most recognizable. Mario Puzo first suggested Brando for the part and sent him a letter telling him he was the “only actor who can play the Godfather“ (via Vanity Fair). Executives at Paramount were not as enthusiastic about casting Brando, as he had a reputation for having a short temper, and some of his most recent films failed.

However, Brando exceeded all expectations and delivered a truly iconic performance, as his character dominated every scene. This was Brando’s second Academy Award win after winning in 1955 for playing Terry Malloy in On the Waterfront. Famously, Brando refused his Oscar for The Godfather and controversially sent the Native American activist Sacheen Littlefeather in his place, who stated his refusal was on behalf of “Hollywood’s unfavorable depiction of Native Americans” (via Hollywood Reporter.)

7 The Godfather Won Best Picture

The Godfather (1972)

Film	Producer
The Godfather	Albert S. Ruddy
Cabaret	Cy Feuer
Deliverance	John Boorman
The Emigrants	Bengt Forslund
Sounder	Robert B. Radnitz

While plenty of acclaimed movies have been snubbed over the years, the 45th Academy Awards got things right when they awarded The Godfather Best Picture in 1973. In a stacked year that included Cabaret and Deliverance among the nominees, the rightful choice was Francis Ford Coppola’s masterful exploration of the Italian gangsters. A hit with audiences and critics, The Godfather received the highest honor Hollywood can bestow and became the then-highest-grossing movie of all time, taking in more than $250 million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo.)

Acting as the launching pad for Coppola’s acclaimed directing career and signaling Al Pacino as the biggest upcoming star to look out for, The Godfather was a defining moment in the history of Hollywood that was given rightful acclaim at the time. A perfect example of true artistry being matched perfectly with mainstream popularity, The Godfather was a smash success on all fronts. While some may have doubted the viability of a sequel, shockingly, Coppola managed to stick the landing twice and not tarnish the legacy of the original one bit with his follow-up.

6 The Godfather Part II Won Best Art Direction

The Godfather Part II (1974)

Film	Art directors	Set directors
The Godfather Part II	Dean Tavoularis and Angelo P. Graham	George R. Nelson
Chinatown	Richard Sylbert and W. Stewart Campbell	Ruby Levitt
Earthquake	Alexander Golitzen and E. Preston Ames	Frank R. McKelvy
The Island at the Top of the World	Peter Ellenshaw, John B. Mansbridge, Walter Tyler and Al Roelofs	Hal Gausman
The Towering Inferno	William Creber and Ward Preston	Raphaël Bretton

While so much of the conversation surrounding The Godfather Part II related to its incredible acting, directing, and script, this left out just how impressive every other aspect of the movie was. Thankfully, these other achievements were not forgotten at the Academy Awards, as The Godfather Part II won Best Art Direction. This went to Dean Tavoularis, Angelo P. Graham, and George R. Nelson, who helped give the film its distinctive look and feel.

Aspects such as art direction can be underappreciated, but in a film as iconic as The Godfather Part II, it was essentially that things looked as impressive as they could possibly be. With a narrative that traversed different timelines and acted as both a sequel and a prequel, it was vital that the art direction be consistent and the film has its own unique aesthetic. The Godfather Part II was a worthy recipient of this Oscar, as even 50 years after the movie was released, practically every frame would be immediately recognizable to a true cinephile.

The Godfather Part II
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Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather II continues Michael Corleone’s story as he expands the Corleones’ presence as a crime syndicate. The film is also half devoted to the backstory of Vito Corleone, following his rise to power in 1920s New York City. While The Godfather is considered one of the greatest movies ever made, The Godfather Part II was able to live up to the original and secure six Oscars at the 1975 Academy Awards.

Director Francis Ford Coppola Release Date December 20, 1974 Studio(s) Paramount Pictures Distributor(s) Paramount Pictures Writers Francis Ford Coppola , Robert De Niro , Al Pacino Cast Al Pacino , Robert De Niro , James Caan , Diane Keaton Runtime 202minutes Franchise(s) The Godfather Sequel(s) The Godfather Part III prequel(s) The Godfather (1972) Budget $13 million

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5 Nino Rota and Carmine Coppola Won Best Dramatic Score

The Godfather Part II (1974)

Film	Nominees
The Godfather Part II	Nino Rota and Carmine Coppola
Chinatown	Jerry Goldsmith
Murder on the Orient Express	Richard Rodney Bennett
Shanks	Alex North
The Towering Inferno	John Williams

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One essential component of The Godfather movies was its iconic score, composed by Nino Rota and conducted by Carmine Coppola, and for this, they were awarded the Academy Award after The Godfather Part II. For the second installment, Rota expanded upon “The Godfather Waltz,” “Michael’s Theme,” and “The Love Theme” from the first film with several new compositions. The Godfather Part II deservedly gave Rota an Oscar after the first movie was deemed ineligible for the award as he had reused melodies from his earlier score in Fortunella (via All Music.)

Rota was an acclaimed Italian composer who previously scored films by Federico Fellini and Luchino Visconti and whose unique compositions helped give The Godfather its distinctive identity. Rota passed away in 1979, so he could not compose the score for The Godfather Part III, although many of his earlier positions were reused. Although Rota wrote the scores for 150 films, The Godfather Part II was his only Academy Award win.

4 Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo Won Best Adapted Screenplay

The Godfather Part II (1974)

Film	Nominee	Source Material
The Godfather	Francis Ford Coppola & Mario Puzo	The novel by Puzo
The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz	Screenplay: Mordecai Richler; Adaptation: Lionel Chetwynd	The novel by Richler
Lenny	Julian Barr	The play by Barry
Murder on the Orient Express	Paul Dehn	The novel by Agatha Christie
Young Frankenstein	Mel Brooks & Gene Wilder	The novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley

The Godfather novelist Mario Puzo had begun work on what would become The Godfather Part II before the first film was released. This first draft was originally titled The Death of Michael Corleone (via Oscars.) The script, which once again took home the Academy Award, was credited to both Puzo and director Francis Ford Coppola, who expanded on the world they had created with a sequel equal to, and some may even say surpassed, the original.

Part of the appeal of The Godfather Part II was that it did not just merely repeat what worked about the original but instead became grander and more ambitious. Telling the story of Michael Corleone’s descent into the mafia lifestyle alongside his father’s experiences at the same age was a stroke of genius that elevated The Godfather Part II’s plot into a powerful multi-generational commentary. This willingness to reach for even greater resonance than achieved in the first movie made The Godfather Part II’s screenplay such a worthy Academy Award recipient.

3 Robert De Niro Won Best Supporting Actor

The Godfather Part II (1974)

Actor	Role	Film
Robert De Niro	Vito Corleone	The Godfather Part II
Fred Astaire	Harlee Claiborne	The Towering Inferno
Jeff Bridges	Lightfoot	Thunderbolt and Lightfoot
Michael V. Gazzo	Frank Pentangeli	The Godfather Part II
Lee Strasberg	Hyman Roth	The Godfather Part II

Recasting Marlon Brando’s Vito Corleone was a daunting prospect, but Robert DeNiro more than delivered when he gave an Oscar-winning performance in The Godfather Part II. With a story that saw Vito arriving in New York City from Sicily after the death of his family, starting on his path toward becoming a Mafia boss, and eventually avenging his family’s death, De Niro had to carry out a lot of thematic depth in his role as Vito. However, De Niro pulled it off and, together with Al Pacino, solidified his reputation as one of Hollywood’s most exciting young actors.

De Niro’s Best Supporting Actor win for The Godfather Part II was his first nomination but far from his last. Throughout the 1970s, he received two more nominations for his roles in Taxi Driver and The Deer Hunter before finally winning the Best Actor award for his lead performance in Raging Bull in 1980. In the years since, De Niro has consistently given Oscar-worthy performances and was most recently nominated for Best Supporting Actor in 2024 for his role in Killers of the Flower Moon, directed by his long-time collaborator Martin Scorsese.

2 Francis Ford Coppola Won Best Director

The Godfather Part II (1974)

Director	Film
Francis Ford Coppola	The Godfather Part II
John Cassavetes	A Woman Under the Influence
Bob Fosse	Lenny
Roman Polanski	Chinatown
François Truffaut	Day for Night

Francis Ford Coppola was nominated for Best Director for all three Godfather movies, but the only one he won was for The Godfather Part II. As perhaps the greatest sequel ever made, Coppola was a worthy award recipient as he proved that his breakout success was no fluke by delivering the two classic movies in 1974, The Godfather Part II and The Conversation. A sprawling, multi-generational, era-spanning epic, The Godfather Part II was a directorial masterpiece.

Outside of The Godfather trilogy, Coppola was only nominated for Best Director on one other occasion for Apocalypse Now; however, he lost that year to Robert Benton for Kramer vs. Kramer. Coppola’s work on The Godfather Part II signaled everything great about the series and showcased him at an incredible creative high point. With so many moving pieces and timelines to keep track of, The Godfather Part II could have easily been a bloated, muddled mess, but Coppola pulled it off and deserved the accolade.

1 The Godfather Part II Won Best Picture

The Godfather Part II (1974)

Film	Producers
The Godfather Part II	Francis Ford Coppola, Gray Frederickson, and Fred Roos
Chinatown	Robert Evans
The Conversation	Francis Ford Coppola
Lenny	Marvin Worth
The Towering Inferno	Irwin Allen

One of the greatest achievements of The Godfather movies was that it’s the only film series that won multiple Best Picture awards. After winning Best Picture in 1972, the sequel, The Godfather Part II, did what no movie before it had ever done and took home the prize for the second time. Unfortunately, the lesser-acclaimed final entry in the series could not pull off this feat for a third time, but both of these awards signified the incredible appeal of these films.

As the first sequel to win Best Picture, The Godfather Part II was a hugely influential work whose incredible storyline and strong characterization have been emulated in countless subsequent thought-provoking crime epics. The success of The Godfather Part II set a new standard for the quality of sequels to acclaimed films that has never been topped. As a real contender for the greatest movie of all time, few aspects of The Godfather Part II could be faulted, and it truly deserved to win the most sought-after prize at the 47th Academy Awards.

Sources: The Week, Vanity Fair, Hollywood Reporter, Box Office Mojo, All Music, Oscars

The Godfather Part III
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Crime
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The Godfather Part III is the third and final film in Francis Ford Coppola’s Godfather trilogy. The film again focuses on Michael Corleone, who is now in his 60s and looking for his replacement as the head of the family business. While still getting favorable reviews upon release, the film is often considered a significant drop in quality compared to its predecessors.

Director Francis Ford Coppola Release Date December 25, 1990 Studio(s) Paramount Pictures Distributor(s) Paramount Pictures Writers Francis Ford Coppola Cast Al Pacino , Andy Garcia , Diane Keaton Runtime 142 minutes Franchise(s) The Godfather Sequel(s) The Godfather Part III prequel(s) The Godfather (1972) Budget $54 million

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Category: Entertainment