The film did manage to score four technical nominations, and it went on to win for its assemblage of alien creatures and the sharpness of Spock’s ears. Instead, the Academy apparently felt that having the science fiction genre represented by two films ( Avatar and District 9) in the Best Picture line-up was sufficient, leaving Star Trek as the odd movie out. And after Star Trek snagged one of the 10 coveted spots for the prestigious Producers Guild Awards, it appeared the film had at least an outside shot of landing the hefty nom. That was the first year that the Academy opened up the Best Picture slate to 10 nominees (unfortunately changed a couple of years later to up to 10 nominees), and the way the voting was structured provided the opportunity for many box office hits to be cited alongside the expected Oscar-bait titles. Initially, it appeared that 2009’s Star Trek might be a major player in that year’s Oscar race. Abrams’ reboot of the venerable Gene Roddenberry franchise already snagged that award seven years ago. If Star Trek Beyond ends up winning the Oscar for Best Makeup this Sunday, viewers might experience a slight sense of déjà vu. Here, then, are 15 Sci-Fi Movies You Didn't Know Won Oscars. Then there are the following titles, which may not have dominated the ceremonies but still managed to slip away with a victory or two. Over the years, a number of films have earned multiple wins, including Star Wars, The Matrix, and last year’s Mad Max: Fury Road.
It’s a different story in the technical categories, particularly for science fiction flicks. While a handful of films like The Exorcist and Avatar have managed to compete in the major categories, the nominations have been too few and too far between. That’s at least one up on both horror and science fiction, two genres that have yet to make any significant inroads when it comes to fair Academy representation. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is the only fantasy film to date to have won the Oscar for Best Picture. It’s no secret that the members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (aka the Oscars) have little imagination when it comes to those genres that are most imaginative.