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Updated: Feb. 25, 2019 | Posted: Feb. 21, 2015

Minnesota may be a long way from Hollywood, but that doesn't mean Minnesotans have gotten the cold shoulder at the Oscars. 


Over the years, several have taken home entertainment's top prize.

Born Edith Hol Sondergaard in Litchfield, Gale Sondergaard won the inaugural best supporting actress Oscar for 1936's "Anthony Adverse." She scored another best supporting actress nod for 1946's "Anna and the King of Siam." 

In 1940, the "Wizard of Oz" star and Grand Rapids native was honored with a special Academy Juvenile Award for her "outstanding performance as a screen juvenile during the past year."

The last recipient of the miniature Oscar statuette (it was approximately 7 inches tall, in contrast to the  the normal 13 1/4-inch Academy Award) was Hayley Mills, for 1960's "Pollyanna."

The St. Cloud native, born Byron Elsworth Barr, was nominated three times for best supporting actor, winning once. His first nomination was for 1951's "Come Fill the Cup," and he was honored again for 1958's "Teacher's Pet." Third time was the charm — he took home the trophy for 1969's "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?"

Gig Young winning Best Supporting Actor for "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?"

Todd won the best picture Oscar for producing 1956's "Around the World in 80 Days."

Around the World in 80 Days Wins Best Picture: 1957 Oscars

The pioneering film producer was born Avrom Hirsch Goldbogen in Minneapolis.  

Hill was born into the newspaper business — his family owned The Minneapolis Tribune — but he made his mark in film. He earned a best director nomination for 1969's "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid." He didn't win, but he wasn't done yet: he took home the Oscar for his work directing 1973's "The Sting."


The Cloquet-born star was named best supporting actress for her role in 1982's "Tootsie." She took home a second Oscar more than a decade later, this time as best actress for 1994's "Blue Sky." 

Jessica Lange Wins Best Actress: 1995 Oscars


Lange is one of a handful of actresses to win in both female acting categories. 


Minneapolis native Prince snagged the Academy Award for best original song score for 1984's "Purple Rain." 

Prince Wins Original Song Score: 1985 Oscars

 took home the Oscar for best original song for "Things Have Changed" from the 2000 film "Wonder Boys." 


Dylan accepted the award via satellite from Sydney, where he was on tour. 

"Things Have Changed" Wins Original Song: 2001 Oscars

"Good god, this is amazing," he said. Dylan thanked the Academy for being "bold enough to give me this award for this song, which obviously (is) a song that doesn't pussyfoot around or turn a blind eye to human nature."

more than a dozen Academy Award nominations

 for writing, producing, editing and directing, two under the pseudonym Roderick Jaynes. Their most recent is for best adapted screenplay for 2018's "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs." 


They've won four: One for best original screenplay for 1996's "Fargo" and three for 2007's "

" — best director, best adapted screenplay and best picture. 

"No Country for Old Men" winning Best Picture


The Bloomington native won the best animated feature Oscar for 2009's "Up." 


Docter told MPR News that year he made "Up" in part because 


"I have a tendency of wanting to just crawl under my desk and stay there," he said. "And so the idea of floating away in this floating house we had drawn just seemed very alluring and poetic and all." 


He took home another animated feature film Oscar for 2015's "Inside Out." He was also nominated for  original screenplay (going up against the Coen brothers) for "Inside Out." 

Minnesota native Erickson's job is all in the details. The set designer 

 for production design for 2012's "Lincoln."

Erickson was also nominated in the art direction category for 2007's "There Will Be Blood." 

Chin, who grew up in Mankato, Minn., and graduated from Carleton College, won the documentary feature for 2018's "Free Solo." He 

co-directed the film with his wife Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi.

 It followed rock-climber Alex Honnold as he attempted to ascend the famed El Capitan rock formation at Yosemite National Park without ropes.

FREE SOLO Accepts the Oscar for Documentary (Feature)

The Edina native took home the best picture prize for 2018's "Green Book." 

 for producing 2011's "The Descendants." 

GREEN BOOK Accepts the Oscar for Best Picture

 (for 2016's "Moonlight" and again for 2018's "Green Book") was a member of the Guthrie Experience for Actors in Training class of 1999. 

 won the best original screenplay Oscar for 2007's "Juno." She famously wrote the script in the coffee shop of a Target in Crystal. 

 won the best animated feature Oscar for 2013's "Frozen." He reportedly 

, who starred in the Guthrie's "Three Sisters" in the summer of 1984 (and who's also married to St. Louis Park native Joel Coen — all of that 

 makes her a Minnesotan, right?), won the best actress trophy twice, once for 1996's "Fargo" and also in 2018 for "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri." 

 took home best supporting actor for his work in 2015's "Bridge of Spies." 


Several Minnesotans have also been nominated, but went home empty-handed. Some of these nominees weren't born in Minnesota — but we'll lay claim to them, anyway, because they live(d) here. 

 landed a best supporting actor nomination for 1946's "The Jolson Story."

 scored a best supporting actor nod for 1947's "Kiss of Death." 

 was nominated twice for best supporting actor, the first for 1953's "Roman Holiday" and again for 1972's "The Heartbreak Kid." Born in Illinois, Albert moved to Minneapolis when he was 1.


The only American-born actor in "Monty Python's Flying Circus," 

 hails from Minneapolis. He earned a best screenplay nomination for 1985's "Brazil."

 was nominated twice. The Winona native snagged a best supporting actress nod for 1993's "The Age of Innocence" and best actress nomination for 1994's "Little Women." 

 who hails from Alexandria, was honored with a best supporting actor nomination for 2010's "Winter's Bone." 

Arts and Culture

Nancy Yang

Author

Minnesota may be a long way from Hollywood, but that doesn't mean Minnesotans have gotten the cold shoulder at the Oscars.

And the Oscar goes to ... these Minnesotans

Go Deeper.

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