The Nika Award is the main annual national film award in Russia presented by the Russian Academy of Cinema Arts and Science. It was established in 1987 in Moscow by Yuli Gusman, and ostensibly modelled on the Oscars. The Russian Academy Award takes its name from Nike, the goddess of victory. Accordingly, the prize is modelled after the sculpture of the Winged Victory of Samothrace.
The oldest professional film award in Russia, the Nika Award was established during the final years of USSR by the influential Union of Filmmakers.
At first the awards were judged by all the members of the Union of Filmmakers. In the early 1990s, a special academy, consisting of over 500 academicians, was elected for distributing the awards which recognize outstanding achievements in cinema (not television) produced in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States. In 2002 Nikita Mikhalkov established the competing Golden Eagle Award modelled on the Golden Globe Awards as it honors both film and television production of Russia.
The Nika Awards ceremony is broadcast annually and attracts huge publicity across Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States.
1988Georgia's Tengiz Abuladze won Best Picture and Best Director for
Repentance.
1989Russia's Aleksandr Proshkin won Best Picture for
The Cold Summer of 1953, but other winners included films produced decades earlier and suppressed by Soviet censorship. For example, Alfred Schnittke won Best Music for the 1967 film
Commissar, and Andron Konchalovsky was named Best Director for
Asya Klyachina's Story, also filmed in 1967.
1990Armenia's Sergei Parajanov took 4 awards including Best Picture and Best Director for his "Ashik Kerib".
1991Ukraine's Kira Muratova won Best Picture for
The Asthenic Syndrome, while Stanislav Govorukhin was named Best Director for
We Can't Live Like This. Innokenty Smoktunovsky took the award as Best Actor.
1992Eldar Ryazanov's
The Promised Heaven triumphed at the last all-Soviet ceremony, taking the awards for Best Picture and Best Directing. Oleg Yankovsky and Inna Churikova were named Best Actor and Best Actress.
1993Pyotr Todorovsky, a veteran filmmaker, won Best Picture for
Encore, Once More Encore!. Nikita Mikhalkov was named Best Director for
Urga (Close to Eden) and Mikhail Vartanov won the Best Documentary Film for
Parajanov: The Last Spring. Vadim Yusov was named Best Cinematographer for Georgi Daneliya's
Pasport.
1994Vladimir Khotinenko won Best Picture for
Makarov. Vadim Yusov was named Best Cinematographer for Ivan Dykhovichny's
Prorva.
1995Kira Muratova triumphed again, taking the awards for Best Picture and Best Directing for
Passions. The Lifetime Achievement Award went to Sergei Gerasimov's widow, Tamara Makarova.
1996Aleksandr Rogozhkin won Best Picture and Best Director for comedy
Peculiarities of the National Hunt.
1997Sergei Bodrov won Best Picture and Best Director for
Prisoner of the Mountains. The Lifetime Achievement Award went to Georgy Zhzhonov.
1998Pavel Chukhrai won Best Picture and Best Director for
The Thief.
1999Aleksei Balabanov won Best Picture for
Of Freaks and Men. Otar Ioseliani was named Best Director for
Brigands-Chapter VII2000Aleksei German won Best Picture and Best Director for
Khrustalyov, My Car!.
Mikhail Ulyanov was named Best Actor for
The Rifleman of the Voroshilov Regiment.
Valeriy Priyomykhov won Best Screenplay for the
Who, If Not Us2001Aleksei Uchitel won Best Picture for
His Wife's Diary. Bakhtyar Khudojnazarov was named Best Director for
Luna Papa. The Life Achievement Award was presented to Vyacheslav Tikhonov.
2002Alexander Sokurov won Best Picture and Best Director for
Taurus. The Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Aleksei Batalov.
2003Aleksandr Rogozhkin again won Best Picture and Best Director for
The Cuckoo. Oleg Yankovsky was again named Best Actor.
2004Andrey Zvyagintsev won Best Picture for
Vozvrashcheniye. Vadim Abdrashitov was named Best Director, and Inna Churikova again won the award as Best Actress. The Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Pyotr Todorovsky.
2005Dmitry Meskhiev won Best Picture for
Our Own, while Kira Muratova was named Best Director for
The Tuner. Bogdan Stupka was named Best Actor, and Alla Demidova took the award as Best Actress. Eduard Artemyev was awarded for Best Music. The Lifetime Achievement Awards were presented to Vadim Yusov and Nonna Mordyukova.
2006Fyodor Bondarchuk won Best Picture for
The 9th Company, while Aleksei German Jr was named Best Director for
Garpastum. Yevgeny Mironov and Alisa Freindlikh were honored as Best Actor and Best Actress, respectively. Marlen Khutsiev was presented the Lifetime Achievement Award.
2007Pavel Lungin won Best Picture and Best Director for
The Island. Pyotr Mamonov and Viktor Sukhorukov took the awards for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor for their parts in this film. Fyodor Khitruk received the Lifetime Achievement Award.
2008Sergey Bodrov won Best Film and Best Director for
Mongol. Sergey Garmash was named Best Actor for Nikita Mikhalkov's
12, and Leonid Bronevoy was named Best Supporting Actor. The Lifetime Achievement Award went to Georgi Daneliya.
2009Valery Todorovsky won Best Picture for
Hipsters. Aleksei German Jr was named Best Director for
Paper Soldier. The Lifetime Achievement Award went to Aleksei German Sr.
2010Andrei Khrzhanovsky won Best Picture for
Room and a Half. The Best Actress Award was won by Svetlana Kryuchkova for her role in
Bury Me Behind the Baseboard, and the Best Actor Award was won by Vladimir Ilyin for his role in
Ward No. 6 and posthumously by Oleg Yankovsky for his roles in
Anna Karenina and
Tsar.
2011Alexei Uchitel won Best Picture for
The Edge. Alexei Popogrebski was named Best Director for
How I Ended This Summer.
2012Andrei Smirnov won Best Picture for
Once Upon a Time There Lived a Simple Woman. Andrey Zvyagintsev - Best Director for
Elena.
2013Best Feature Film --
Faust, directed by Alexander Sokurov
2014Best Feature FilmWinner:
The Geographer Drank His Globe Away, directed by Alexander VeledinskyNominees:
Kiss!, directed by Zhora Krizovnicka
A Long and Happy Life, directed by Boris Khlebnikov
Metro, directed by Anton Megerdichev
Stalingrad, directed by Fedor Bondarchuk
2015Best Feature Film -- Miliyy Khans, dorogoy Pyotr, directed and produced by Aleksandr MindadzeBest Documentary --
Valentina Kropivnitskaya v poiskakh poteryannogo raya (
In Search of a Lost Paradise), directed by Evgeniy Tsymbal, produced by Alexander Smoljanski
