# 73rd Academy Awards
The **73rd Academy Awards** honored films released in 2000 and were presented on Sunday, March 25, 2001, at the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Center in Los Angeles.[1](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2001/T) The ceremony is remembered for a three-way race among *[Gladiator](https://www.edgepedia.org/gladiator-2000-film)*, *Traffic*, and *Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon* that stayed open until the final envelope, and for *Gladiator*'s win as Best Picture.[2](https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/revisiting-the-oscars-how-gladiator-won-a-wide-open-race-in-2001-2/) • [9](https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/spectacle-wins-out-yet-again-1.294995)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date and venue | Sunday, March 25, 2001, Shrine Auditorium & Expo Center, honoring movies released in 2000[1](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2001/T) |
| Best Picture | *Gladiator*, produced by Douglas Wick, David Franzoni, and Branko Lustig[1](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2001/T) |
| Nomination leaders | *Gladiator* 12 nominations; *Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon* 10; *Chocolat* 5[4](https://www.cinemasight.com/awards-history/73rd-academy-awards-2000/73rd-academy-awards-2000-nominees-and-winners/) |
| Win counts | *Gladiator* 5 Oscars; *Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon* and *Traffic* 4 each[5](https://content.time.com/time/sampler/article/0%2C8599%2C103642%2C00.html) |
| Host and broadcast | Steve Martin, ABC; running time 3 hours 23 minutes; 42.93 million viewers[6](https://www.cinemasight.com/awards-history/73rd-academy-awards-2000/73rd-academy-awards-2000-the-ceremony/) |
| Directing | Steven Soderbergh won for *Traffic* while also nominated for *Erin Brockovich*[3](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2001/mar/26/awardsandprizes1) |
## The race
Nominations were announced on Tuesday, February 13, 2001, by [Kathy Bates](https://www.edgepedia.org/kathy-bates) and Robert Rehme.[6](https://www.cinemasight.com/awards-history/73rd-academy-awards-2000/73rd-academy-awards-2000-the-ceremony/) *Gladiator*, [Ridley Scott](https://www.edgepedia.org/ridley-scott)'s Roman epic, led with 12 nominations; the Mandarin-language martial-arts film *Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon* followed with 10, among them Picture, Director, and Foreign Language Film.[4](https://www.cinemasight.com/awards-history/73rd-academy-awards-2000/73rd-academy-awards-2000-nominees-and-winners/) • [7](https://archives.nd.edu/observer/2001-02-14_v34_087.pdf) The Best Picture lineup was completed by *Chocolat*, *Erin Brockovich*, and *Traffic*.[2](https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/revisiting-the-oscars-how-gladiator-won-a-wide-open-race-in-2001-2/)
Two storylines shaped the pre-ceremony discussion. *Crouching Tiger*, distributed by [Sony Pictures Classics](https://www.edgepedia.org/sony-pictures-classics), had become a commercial success in the United States, drawing $60.3 million and counting by mid-February 2001, the most ever for a foreign film at that point.[8](https://www.csmonitor.com/2001/0214/p4s2.html) [Steven Soderbergh](https://www.edgepedia.org/steven-soderbergh), meanwhile, held two of the five Directing slots, for *[Erin Brockovich](https://www.edgepedia.org/erin-brockovich-film)* and *Traffic*, and observers speculated that the double nomination might split his vote.[7](https://archives.nd.edu/observer/2001-02-14_v34_087.pdf) • [3](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2001/mar/26/awardsandprizes1)
## Winners
Gladiator won Best Picture, taking five Oscars in all: Picture, Actor ([Russell Crowe](https://www.edgepedia.org/russell-crowe)), Costume Design, Sound, and Visual Effects.[1](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2001/T) • [10](https://abcnews.com/Entertainment/gladiator-wins-oscars-tiger-traffic-close/story?id=107726) *Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon* won four, including Best Foreign Language Film, Art Direction (Tim Yip), Cinematography (Peter Pau), and Original Score (Tan Dun).[1](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2001/T) *Traffic* also won four: Director, Supporting Actor (Benicio Del Toro), Adapted Screenplay ([Stephen Gaghan](https://www.edgepedia.org/stephen-gaghan)), and Film Editing.[5](https://content.time.com/time/sampler/article/0%2C8599%2C103642%2C00.html)
Soderbergh's expected split did not happen; he won Directing for *Traffic* over [Ang Lee](https://www.edgepedia.org/ang-lee), whose [Directors Guild of America](https://www.edgepedia.org/directors-guild-of-america) win had made him a leading contender.[10](https://abcnews.com/Entertainment/gladiator-wins-oscars-tiger-traffic-close/story?id=107726) • [3](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2001/mar/26/awardsandprizes1) In the acting categories, [Julia Roberts](https://www.edgepedia.org/julia-roberts) won Best Actress for *Erin Brockovich*, Benicio Del Toro won Supporting Actor for *Traffic*, and Marcia Gay Harden won Supporting Actress for *Pollock*, a result highlighted by the Academy among the ceremony's surprises.[1](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2001/T) • [3](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2001/mar/26/awardsandprizes1) Cameron Crowe won Original Screenplay for *Almost Famous*, and Bob Dylan won Original Song for "Things Have Changed" from *Wonder Boys*, accepting live via satellite with wishes of "peace, tranquillity and goodwill" for the audience at the Shrine.[1](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2001/T) • [3](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2001/mar/26/awardsandprizes1) Other winners included *U-571* for Sound Editing.[1](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2001/T)
Honorary recognition went to cinematographer Jack Cardiff and screenwriter Ernest Lehman, who each received Honorary Oscars, and producer Dino de Laurentiis received the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award.[11](https://www.oscars.org/videos-photos/73rd-oscars-highlights)
## The broadcast
[Steve Martin](https://www.edgepedia.org/steve-martin) hosted the ABC telecast, which ran 3 hours and 23 minutes and drew a 25.86 Nielsen rating with 42.93 million viewers.[6](https://www.cinemasight.com/awards-history/73rd-academy-awards-2000/73rd-academy-awards-2000-the-ceremony/) Presenters included [Nicolas Cage](https://www.edgepedia.org/nicolas-cage), Angelina Jolie, Julia Roberts, Morgan Freeman, and [Ben Stiller](https://www.edgepedia.org/ben-stiller), among others.[6](https://www.cinemasight.com/awards-history/73rd-academy-awards-2000/73rd-academy-awards-2000-the-ceremony/)
The Best Picture announcement by [Michael Douglas](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-douglas) ended a contest that press accounts described as evenly matched: by the end of the evening *Gladiator*, *Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon*, and *Traffic* had each collected four Oscars before *Gladiator*'s fifth win settled the top prize.[9](https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/spectacle-wins-out-yet-again-1.294995) • [5](https://content.time.com/time/sampler/article/0%2C8599%2C103642%2C00.html) *Chocolat*, with five nominations, went home with no awards.[4](https://www.cinemasight.com/awards-history/73rd-academy-awards-2000/73rd-academy-awards-2000-nominees-and-winners/)
## References
1. [The 73rd Academy Awards | 2001, Oscars.org](https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2001/T)
2. [Revisiting the Oscars: How Gladiator Won a "Wide-Open" Race in 2001, Rotten Tomatoes](https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/revisiting-the-oscars-how-gladiator-won-a-wide-open-race-in-2001-2/)
3. [Peace, love and understanding the Academy, The Guardian (March 26, 2001)](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2001/mar/26/awardsandprizes1)
4. [73rd Academy Awards (2000): Nominees and Winners, Cinema Sight](https://www.cinemasight.com/awards-history/73rd-academy-awards-2000/73rd-academy-awards-2000-nominees-and-winners/)
5. [Crouching Traffic, Hidden Winner, TIME (2001)](https://content.time.com/time/sampler/article/0%2C8599%2C103642%2C00.html)
6. [73rd Academy Awards (2000): The Ceremony, Cinema Sight](https://www.cinemasight.com/awards-history/73rd-academy-awards-2000/73rd-academy-awards-2000-the-ceremony/)
7. [Observer, University of Notre Dame (February 14, 2001)](https://archives.nd.edu/observer/2001-02-14_v34_087.pdf)
8. [Oscar war: kung fu vs. the Colosseum, Christian Science Monitor (2001)](https://www.csmonitor.com/2001/0214/p4s2.html)
9. [Spectacle wins out yet again, The Irish Times (March 27, 2001)](https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/spectacle-wins-out-yet-again-1.294995)
10. [Gladiator Wins 5 Oscars With Tiger and Traffic Close Behind, ABC News](https://abcnews.com/Entertainment/gladiator-wins-oscars-tiger-traffic-close/story?id=107726)
11. [73rd Oscars Highlights, Oscars.org](https://www.oscars.org/videos-photos/73rd-oscars-highlights)
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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: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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