| Official website oscars.org Country United States of America Category of Academy Awards | Currently held by Mahershala Ali Instituted 1937 | |
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| Awarded for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role First awarded 1937 (for performance in films released during the 1936 film season) Presented by Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences People also search for Academy Award for Best Actor Winners & Nominees Mahershala AliMoonlight, Mahershala Ali, Winner, Michael ShannonNocturnal Animals, Michael Shannon, Nominee, Jeff BridgesHell or High Water, Jeff Bridges, Nominee, Dev PatelLion, Dev Patel, Nominee, Lucas HedgesManchester by the Sea, Lucas Hedges, Nominee, Mark RylanceBridge of Spies, Mark Rylance, Winner, Mark RuffaloSpotlight, Mark Ruffalo, Nominee, Sylvester StalloneCreed, Sylvester Stallone, Nominee, Tom HardyThe Revenant, Tom Hardy, Nominee, Christian BaleThe Big Short, Christian Bale, Nominee, J K SimmonsWhiplash, J K Simmons, Winner, Mark RuffaloFoxcatcher, Mark Ruffalo, Nominee, Edward NortonBirdman, Edward Norton, Nominee, Robert DuvallThe Judge, Robert Duvall, Nominee, Ethan HawkeBoyhood, Ethan Hawke, Nominee, Jared LetoDallas Buyers Club, Jared Leto, Winner, Barkhad AbdiCaptain Phillips, Barkhad Abdi, Nominee, Michael Fassbender12 Years a Slave, Michael Fassbender, Nominee, Bradley CooperAmerican Hustle, Bradley Cooper, Nominee, Jonah HillThe Wolf of Wall Street, Jonah Hill, Nominee, Christoph WaltzDjango Unchained, Christoph Waltz, Winner, Tommy Lee JonesLincoln, Tommy Lee Jones, Nominee, Alan ArkinArgo, Alan Arkin, Nominee, Robert De NiroSilver Linings Playbook, Robert De Niro, Nominee, Philip Seymour HoffmanThe Master, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Nominee | ||
The Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given in honor of an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a supporting role while working within the film industry.
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At the 9th Academy Awards ceremony held in 1937, Walter Brennan was the first winner of this award for his role in Come and Get It. Initially, winners in both supporting acting categories were awarded plaques instead of statuettes. Beginning with the 16th ceremony held in 1944, however, winners received full-sized statuettes. Currently, nominees are determined by single transferable vote within the actors branch of AMPAS; winners are selected by a plurality vote from the entire eligible voting members of the Academy.
Since its inception, the award has been given to 72 actors. Brennan has received the most awards in this category with three awards. Brennan, Jeff Bridges, Robert Duvall, Arthur Kennedy, Jack Nicholson, and Claude Rains were nominated on four occasions, more than any other actor. As of the 2017 ceremony, Mahershala Ali is the most recent winner in this category for his role as Juan in Moonlight.
Winners and nominees
In the following table, the years are listed as per Academy convention, and generally correspond to the year of film release in Los Angeles County; the ceremonies are always held the following year.