| 51st Academy Awards | |
|---|---|
 Official poster | |
| Date | April 9, 1979 |
| Site | Dorothy Chandler Pavilion Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Hosted by | Johnny Carson |
| Produced by | Jack Haley Jr. |
| Directed by | Marty Pasetta |
| Highlights | |
| Best Picture | The Deer Hunter |
| Most awards | The Deer Hunter (5) |
| Most nominations | The Deer Hunter and Heaven Can Wait (9) |
| TV in the United States | |
| Network | ABC |
| Duration | 3 hours, 25 minutes[1] |
| Ratings | 46.3 million[2] 34.6 (Nielsen ratings)[3] |
The 51st Academy Awards ceremony, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored films released in 1978 and took place on April 9, 1979, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, beginning at 7:00 p.m. PST / 10:00 p.m. EST. During the ceremony, AMPAS presented Academy Awards (commonly referred to as Oscars) in 23 categories. The ceremony, televised in the United States by ABC, was produced by Jack Haley Jr. and directed by Marty Pasetta.[4] Comedian and talk show host Johnny Carson hosted the show for the first time.[5] Three days earlier, in a ceremony held at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, the Academy Awards for Technical Achievement were presented by hosts Gregory Peck and Christopher Reeve.[6]
The Deer Hunter won five awards at the main awards ceremony, including Best Picture.[7] Other winners included Coming Home with three awards, Midnight Express with two, and The Buddy Holly Story, California Suite, Days of Heaven, Death on the Nile, The Flight of the Gossamer Condor, Get Out Your Handkerchiefs, Heaven Can Wait, Scared Straight!, Special Delivery, Superman, Teenage Father, and Thank God It's Friday with one. The telecast was watched by 46.3 million viewers and earned a 34.6 Nielsen rating in the United States.[2][3]
- ^ Osborne 2013, p. 252
- ^ a b "Top-10 Most Watched Academy Awards Broadcasts". Nielsen N.V. February 18, 2009. Archived from the original on January 27, 2016. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
- ^ a b "New Shows Disappointing". Boca Raton News. April 20, 1979. Archived from the original on June 7, 2022. Retrieved August 25, 2015 – via Google News Archive.
- ^ "War Film, Comedy Head List". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Cowles Publishing Company. April 6, 1979. p. 7. Archived from the original on June 7, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2015 – via Google News Archive.
- ^ "Frank Won't Sing Without G Notes". Chicago Tribune. October 3, 1978. p. 136.
- ^ "Past Scientific & Technical Awards Ceremonies". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on February 13, 2014. Retrieved July 31, 2013.
- ^ Siskel, Gene (April 10, 1979). "Oscars to Fonda, Voight, 'Hunter'". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on March 8, 2016. Retrieved August 24, 2015.