Which musicals have won Best Picture at the Oscars?

This year’s Academy Awards celebrated something rare – three of the most lauded nominated films were musicals of sorts.

One is the record-breaking Wicked big-screen adaptation with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, another is Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Pérez, and the third, the Timothée Chalamet-led Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown.

Ultimately, the night’s big prize went to Anora.

It had us thinking about how many movie musicals, or musical movies, have reigned at the annual film event.

According to the Academy, ten musicals have won the Best Picture category. The most favoured is arguably West Side Story (released in 1961) which won ten of its eleven categories and broke a record it still holds. Its wins include Best Supporting Actress for Rita Morena, the first for a Latina actress.

Other recipients include The Sound of Music (1965), An American in Paris (1951), and the most recent musical winner, Chicago (2002).

The last time there were even two musicals in the Best Picture contest before 2025’s event was in the 1960s. It saw My Fair Lady beat Mary Poppins in 1965, and Oliver! pick the pocket of Funny Girl in 1969.

The omission of musical Best Picture winners between Oliver! and Chicago wasn’t for lack of trying, despite several box office flops – contenders included: Hello, Dolly! (1969), Fiddler on the Roof (1971), Cabaret (1972), Beauty and the Beast (1991) and Moulin Rouge! (2001).

La La Land, which famously did not win Best Picture, did however get nods for its leading performers Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, with the latter winning.

Similarly, the 2012 movie adaptation of Les Misérables missed out on Best Picture but was awarded in three categories, including recognition for Anne Hathaway’s Fantine.

Interestingly, Dreamgirls received the most nominations at the 2007 Academy Awards but was omitted from the Best Picture category. One of the most highly regarded musical movies, Singin’ in the Rain, is another that didn’t receive a Best Picture nomination.

Erivo and Grande opened the 97th Oscars with a medley honouring the world of Oz, which you can watch here. Grande performed the Oscar-winning number “Over the Rainbow” from The Wizard of Oz, followed by “Home” from The Wiz, and Erivo concluded the performance with her “Defying Gravity” from Wicked. None of the respective films received the Best Picture prize.

Ultimately, do these awards and accolades even matter? We discussed the obsession recently on the WhatsOnStage Podcast, which you can catch up on below: