James Bond and the Oscars: A History of 007's Complicated Relationship with the Academy

At the 85th Academy Awards, the refreshed James Bond film series will have a few nominees looking to give the Ian Fleming's character a few more accolades. Adele's theme, Skyfall, is the most notable nomination (Best Original Song), but there are more considerations. Roger Deakins (Shawshank Redemption, Fargo, True Grit) is up for Best Cinematography, looking to finally snap his streak of ten past losses in that category. Thomas Newman is up for Best Original Score and is 0-for-10 lifetime in that category. Skyfall also picked up nominations for Sound Mixing and Sound Editing.

Historically, the Bond series has always fared well with its music and sound background. In addition to using film composing greats like John Barry, Bill Conti and Marvin Hamelisch, the series has also benefited by using top pop acts. It should be noted that while no Bond film has been a Best Picture or won for Best Actor or Best Director, they have had their fair share of success with the Oscar. Let's relive some great nominations and awards.

Goldfinger (1964) 
Won for Best Sound Effects
The breakout film of the series beat out the only other nominee, The Lively Set.

Thunderball (1965)
Won for Best Visual Effects
The intense action scenes of not only the vast deep-sea battles but the numerous Q-Branch gadgets left a lot on John Stears' plate. Interestingly enough, Stears didn’t learn he had won the Oscar until he received a call from Heathrow Airport saying he had to pick up a package. He proudly claims that it is probably the last special effects Oscar to have just one person's name engraved on it.

Diamonds Are Forvever (1971)
Nominated for Best Sound Mixing
In one of the weaker Bond films (despite it marking Sean Connery's return), the film had little to celebrate but a nod in Sound Mixing. It lost to the musical Fiddler on the Roof. The star of that film, Topol, went from playing Tevye to Milos Columbo in For Your Eyes Only.

Live and Let Die (1973)
Nominated for Best Original Song
In Roger Moore's debut as Agent 007, George Martin directed friend Paul McCartney and Wings for the film's title track. The song, which was a big deal for the Bond series (despite what Bond said of The Beatles in Goldfinger), lost to The Way We Were, which had a score composed by Marvin Hamlisch.

The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
Nominated for Best Original Score, Best Original Song and Best Production Design
Hamlisch could not replicate his success from The Way We Were, even though the title track, Nobody Does It Better, was one of Carly Simon's greatest hits. John Williams picked up one of his many Oscars for the Star Wars score and You Light Up My Life won Best Original Song. The production award was a blow to longtime Bond designers Ken Adam and Peter Lamont who had to work tirelessly on a scale model of an oil rig. It was a tough category that year losing to Star Wars and having to be against Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

Moonraker (1979)
Nominated for Best Visual Effects
Derek Meddings was hoping to be the second Bond effects winner (following Stears), but he lost out to Alien. While both films dealt with outer space, you have to give Ridley Scott's film credit with the design of the alien.

For Your Eyes Only (1981)
Nominated for Best Original Song
Sheena Easton delivered a great opening track to a more poignant Bond adventure. Scored by Bill Conti (Rocky series) with lyrics by Mick Leeson, For Your Eyes Only lost to Christopher Cross' hit Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do). Legendary composer Burt Bacharach had a hand in Cross' hit.

From then until Skyfall, Bond films went 32 years without being nominated for an Academy Award. As an ardent Bond fan, this comes as no surprise. The 1980s marked the end of any Bond film having a basis from any Fleming novel. The 1990s saw the series go into serious lampoon mode, being all gimmick and no substance. With the reemergence of the series —stripped down — the films are real and play out like Fleming's work. James Bond is back, and it's nice to see the Academy take it serious again.