43rd Academy Awards — Award ceremony presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences for achievement in filmmaking in 1970
George C. Scott became the first actor to decline an Oscar at the 43rd Academy Awards, held April 15, 1971, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.
Key Facts
- Ceremony date
- April 15, 1971
- Venue
- Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles
- Broadcast network
- NBC (first time in 11 years)
- Best Picture winner
- Patton
- First Oscar decline
- George C. Scott refused Best Actor award
- Helen Hayes record
- First performer to win in both lead and supporting categories
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences annually recognizes outstanding achievement in filmmaking. Films released in 1970, including Patton, Airport, Love Story, and M*A*S*H, competed for honors, with NBC securing broadcast rights for the first time in eleven years.
The 43rd Academy Awards were held on April 15, 1971, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion with no host for the third consecutive year. Patton dominated, with George C. Scott winning Best Actor while publicly refusing the award. Helen Hayes won Best Supporting Actress for Airport, and Woodstock set a record as the most-nominated documentary.
Scott's refusal sparked widespread debate about the nature of competitive awards for artistic work. Hayes became the first performer to hold Oscars in both lead and supporting acting categories. The ceremony also set a record, since unbroken as of 2024, for having the four highest-grossing films of the year all nominated for Best Picture.