# 55th Academy Awards
The 55th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the [Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences](https://www.edgepedia.org/academy-of-motion-picture-arts-and-sciences), honored films released in 1982 and took place on Monday, April 11, 1983, at the [Dorothy Chandler Pavilion](https://www.edgepedia.org/dorothy-chandler-pavilion) in Los Angeles.[1](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1983/M) Richard Attenborough's biographical epic *Gandhi* dominated the evening, winning eight of its eleven nominations, including Best Picture, over [Steven Spielberg](https://www.edgepedia.org/steven-spielberg)'s *E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial* and Sydney Pollack's *Tootsie*.[2](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1983/memorable-moments) • [3](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1983/04/12/and-the-winners-are-gandhi-best-picture-sweeps-oscars/3c98414d-8bbb-4a52-b200-b7ec438e0368)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date and venue | Monday, April 11, 1983, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles; honoring 1982 releases[1](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1983/M) |
| Nominations announced | Thursday, February 17, 1983[4](https://www.cinemasight.com/awards-history/55th-academy-awards-1982/55th-academy-awards-1982-the-ceremony/) |
| Hosts | Walter Matthau, Liza Minnelli, Dudley Moore, and Richard Pryor[2](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1983/memorable-moments) |
| Best Picture | *Gandhi* (Richard Attenborough, producer), beating *E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial*, *Missing*, *Tootsie*, and *The Verdict*[1](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1983/M) |
| Leading films | *Gandhi* 11 nominations and 8 wins; *Tootsie* 10 nominations; *E.T.* 9 nominations and 4 wins[2](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1983/memorable-moments) • [5](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1983/02/18/gandhi-tops-oscar-nominations/2985e90f-7b7f-4e5c-b274-5ef0e4cbba97) |
| Acting winners | Ben Kingsley (*Gandhi*), Meryl Streep (*Sophie's Choice*), Louis Gossett, Jr. (*An Officer and a Gentleman*), Jessica Lange (*Tootsie*)[1](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1983/M) |
| Honorary awards | Honorary Award to Mickey Rooney; Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award to Walter Mirisch[2](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1983/memorable-moments) |
## The race
Nominations were announced on February 17, 1983, with *Gandhi* leading at 11 nominations, followed by *Tootsie* with 10 and *E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial* with 9.[5](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1983/02/18/gandhi-tops-oscar-nominations/2985e90f-7b7f-4e5c-b274-5ef0e4cbba97) The Best Picture lineup paired the three frontrunners with the political thriller *Missing* and the courtroom drama *The Verdict*.[5](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1983/02/18/gandhi-tops-oscar-nominations/2985e90f-7b7f-4e5c-b274-5ef0e4cbba97)
__Gandhi versus E.T.__ was the central contest. *E.T.* was the box-office phenomenon of 1982, the highest-grossing film in history at that point with more than $350 million worldwide, while *Gandhi* ran three hours and five minutes as a historical epic.[6](https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0%2C33009%2C923577-1%2C00.html) In the end *Gandhi* won eight Oscars: Best Picture, Directing (Attenborough), Actor ([Ben Kingsley](https://www.edgepedia.org/ben-kingsley)), Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen (John Briley), Cinematography ([Billy Williams](https://www.edgepedia.org/billy-williams) and Ronnie Taylor), Film Editing (John Bloom), Art Direction-Set Decoration, and Costume Design.[2](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1983/memorable-moments) *E.T.* took four awards: Original Score ([John Williams](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-williams)), Sound, Sound Effects Editing, and Visual Effects.[6](https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0%2C33009%2C923577-1%2C00.html) Gandhi's eight wins were the most for any film since *Cabaret* took eight in 1972.[6](https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0%2C33009%2C923577-1%2C00.html)
## Major winners
**Acting.** Ben Kingsley won Best Actor for the title role in *Gandhi*, against [Dustin Hoffman](https://www.edgepedia.org/dustin-hoffman) (*Tootsie*), [Jack Lemmon](https://www.edgepedia.org/jack-lemmon) (*Missing*), [Paul Newman](https://www.edgepedia.org/paul-newman) (*The Verdict*), and Peter O'Toole (*My Favorite Year*).[1](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1983/M) Meryl Streep won Best Actress, her second Oscar, for *Sophie's Choice*.[2](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1983/memorable-moments) Louis Gossett, Jr. won Best Supporting Actor for *An Officer and a Gentleman*, becoming the third African-American performer to win a competitive Oscar, after Hattie McDaniel and Sidney Poitier, and the first to win in the supporting actor category.[2](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1983/memorable-moments) Jessica Lange won Best Supporting Actress for *Tootsie*.[1](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1983/M)
**Other categories.** *An Officer and a Gentleman* also won Original Song for "Up Where We Belong," and *Victor/Victoria* won Original Song Score or Adaptation Score for Henry Mancini and [Leslie Bricusse](https://www.edgepedia.org/leslie-bricusse).[1](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1983/M) *Quest for Fire* won the Makeup award.[1](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1983/M) Spain's *Volver a Empezar* ("To Begin Again") won Foreign Language Film, over entries from [Nicaragua](https://www.edgepedia.org/nicaragua), France, Sweden, and the Soviet Union.[1](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1983/M)
## Records and firsts
[Jessica Lange](https://www.edgepedia.org/jessica-lange) was nominated both as Best Supporting Actress for *Tootsie* and Best Actress for *Frances*, and won the supporting prize. This was only the fourth time in Academy history that a performer competed in two acting categories in the same year, after Fay Bainter in 1938, [Teresa Wright](https://www.edgepedia.org/teresa-wright) in 1942, and [Barry Fitzgerald](https://www.edgepedia.org/barry-fitzgerald) in 1944.[2](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1983/memorable-moments)
Bhanu Athaiya, who shared the Costume Design Oscar for *Gandhi* with John Mollo, became the first Indian national to win an Academy Award.[7](https://sightlines.media/film/783/gandhi-1982) The Best Picture went to a British film for the second consecutive year, following *Chariots of Fire* the year before.[3](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1983/04/12/and-the-winners-are-gandhi-best-picture-sweeps-oscars/3c98414d-8bbb-4a52-b200-b7ec438e0368)
## The ceremony
[Walter Matthau](https://www.edgepedia.org/walter-matthau), Liza Minnelli, Dudley Moore, and Richard Pryor shared hosting duties, opening the show together with a musical number.[2](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1983/memorable-moments) • [8](https://time.com/5534588/oscar-hosts-memorable-moments/) Attenborough's Best Picture acceptance became the longest speech of the evening, closing the show about half an hour overtime.[3](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1983/04/12/and-the-winners-are-gandhi-best-picture-sweeps-oscars/3c98414d-8bbb-4a52-b200-b7ec438e0368) TIME attributed Gandhi's sweep less to any backlash against Spielberg than to the Academy's habit of favoring serious films over popular entertainment, noting the Academy's roughly 3,953 voting members.[6](https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0%2C33009%2C923577-1%2C00.html)
## References
1. [The 55th Academy Awards, Oscars.org](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1983/M)
2. [The 55th Academy Awards Memorable Moments, Oscars.org](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1983/memorable-moments)
3. [AND THE WINNERS ARE... 'Gandhi,' Best Picture, Sweeps Oscars - The Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1983/04/12/and-the-winners-are-gandhi-best-picture-sweeps-oscars/3c98414d-8bbb-4a52-b200-b7ec438e0368)
4. [55th Academy Awards (1982): The Ceremony, Cinema Sight](https://www.cinemasight.com/awards-history/55th-academy-awards-1982/55th-academy-awards-1982-the-ceremony/)
5. ["Gandhi Tops Oscar Nominations" / "And the Winners Are... 'Gandhi,' Best Picture, Sweeps Oscars", The Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1983/02/18/gandhi-tops-oscar-nominations/2985e90f-7b7f-4e5c-b274-5ef0e4cbba97)
6. ["Show Business: History Crunches Popcorn", TIME, April 25, 1983](https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0%2C33009%2C923577-1%2C00.html)
7. [Gandhi (1982), Sightlines](https://sightlines.media/film/783/gandhi-1982)
8. ["The Most Memorable Moments in Oscar Hosting History", TIME](https://time.com/5534588/oscar-hosts-memorable-moments/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Awards and screen reference › Academy Awards ceremonies and categories*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 20, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 20, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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