Oscars 2015 History: Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem, Pedro Almodovar Among Spain's Big Historical Winners At Academy Awards
Mexico is the top performing Spanish-speaking country at the Academy awards, but right behind the nation is Spain.
The European country has been nominated 59 times at the biggest awards show in the film industry and has come away with 14 victories.
The European giants are going to go home empty in 2015 with no victories, but the country's performance is so strong at the Oscars that it is worth looking at how well the nation has done.
Spain has seen nominations in all four acting categories, but the big shocker is that all six have come from two actors. Javier Bardem and his wife Penelope Cruz have each managed three nominations apiece and both have managed one victory in the supporting categories.
Bardem's first nomination for lead actor came in 2000 for his turn in "Before Night Falls," making him the first Spanish actor nominated in the category. He would become the first and only Spaniard nominated in the category when he managed a second nomination 10 years later for his turn in "Biutiful."
In between, Bardem picked up a Best Supporting Actor victory for his villainous performance in "No Country for Old Men."
Cruz has one nomination in the Best Lead Actress category for her performance in Pedro Almodovar's "Volver," making her the first and only actor to be nominated for a Spanish Language film.
She would get her victory in the Best Supporting Actress category for her turn in Woody Allen's "Vicky Christina Barcelona" in 2008 and would get a second nomination a year later for her seductive performance in the musical "Nine."
Cinematographer Nestor Almendros has also had a solid track record at the awards show with four nominations between 1978 and 1982 for such films as "Days of Heaven," "Kramer vs. Kramer," "The Blue Lagoon" and "Sophie's Choice." He won for his first nomination in 1978 for his work on "Days of Heaven."
Spain has also seen four nominations in the Costume Design category with Yvonne Blake earning two nominations in 1971 and 1975 ("Nicholas and Alexandra" and "The Four Musketeers"). Blake, a British-born Spaniard won in 1971 for "Nicholas and Alexandra." The country also managed nominations in 1952 and for Paco Delgado's work on the 2012 version of "Les Miserables."
Art Director Gil Parrondo has two wins and three nominations in the Best Art Direction category. His victories came in back-to-back years for "Patton (1970)" and "Nicholas and Alexandra (1971)." Antoni Clave (1952, "Hans Christian Anderson") and Pilas Revuelta (2006, "Pan' Labyrinth") are the other two nominees in the categories; Revuelta picked up a victory as well.
There are also four nominations for Spain in the Best Original Score category with three of the nominations going to Alberto Iglesias. The composer has earned nominations for "The Constant Gardener (2005)," "The Kite Runner (2007)" and "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)." The other nominee in the category has been Javier Navarette for "Pan's Labyrinth (2006)." Neither nominee has won.
The country has also notched five nominations in the two screenplay categories with three coming for Best Original Screenplay. Jorge Semprun and Luis Bunuel were both nominated in both categories; Semprun earned nods for "La guerre est finie (1967, Original Screenplay)" and "Z (1969, Adapted Screenplay)" while Bunuel earned nods for "Le Charme Discret de la Bourgeoisie (1972, Original Screenplay) and "Obscure Object of Desire (1977, Best Adapted Screenplay)." The other nominee in the Original Screenplay category was Almodovar for "Talk to Her (2002)."
Speaking of Almodovar, he is the only Spaniard nominated for Best Director for "Talk to Her." He has also seen two of his films ("All About My Mother" and "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown") nominated for the Best Foreign Language film race. "All About My Mother" became one of four Spanish winners in the category in 2002. The other winners include "Begin the Beguine (1982)," "Belle Epoque (1993)" and "The Sea Inside (2004)." Spain has managed to get 18 nominations in the category, but has not been nominated since 2004 when "The Sea Inside" won.
Spain received two nominations in the Best Makeup Category in 2004 and 2006, with a victory going to David Marti and Montse Ribe in 2006's "Pan's Labyrinth."
The nation has managed seven nominations in the two short film categories with five nods coming in the Best Live Action Short Film and two coming in the Best Animated Short film; Alexandre Espigares's animated short "Mr. Hublot" managed a win in 2013.
The 2003 film "Balseros" is Spain's lone nominee in the Best Documentary Film category.
Almodovar and Parrondo are tied for most Oscar victories by a Spaniard with two apiece. Four wins have come from women include Cruz, Blake, Revuelta and Ribe.
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