Which Minnesotans have snagged an Oscar? Here’s a list.

Here’s a look at Minnesotans who have won Oscar awards in the past.

The Minnesota Star Tribune
January 23, 2025 at 6:54PM
Jimmy Chin, left, and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, winners of the award for best documentary feature for "Free Solo", attend the Governors Ball after the Oscars on Sunday, Feb. 24, 2019, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Eric Jamison/Invision/AP)
Jimmy Chin, left, and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, winners of the award for best documentary feature for "Free Solo," attend the Governors Ball after the Oscars on Feb. 24, 2019, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Eric Jamison/The Associated Press)

Newly crowned Oscar nominee Timothée Chalamet isn’t a Minnesotan — let’s make that clear. But considering his fanfare-filled visits to Minnesota last year, as he prepared for and then promoted his role as Bob Dylan in “A Complete Unknown,” it feels only right that he be claimed as one, no?

In any case, the Dylan portrayer’s best actor nod got us wondering: How many actual Minnesotans have won Oscars?

Here’s a list we here at the Minnesota Star Tribune have started compiling, and a look at some notable Minnesotan nominees. Reach out to let us know who we’ve missed!

Jimmy Chin - 2019

A native of Mankato, director and mountaineer Jimmy Chin won the Academy Award for outstanding documentary in 2019 for his movie “Free Solo.”

The film was co-directed with wife Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and focused on the death-defying feats of professional climber Alex Honnold as he became the first person to climb with no ropes the rock formation El Capitain in Yosemite National Park.

Prince performs Feb. 18, 1985, at the Forum in Inglewood, Calif. (Liu Heung Shing/The Associated Press)

Prince - 1984

Legendary guitarist Prince, who grew up in Minneapolis, won the award for best original score in 1984 for his romantic rock musical “Purple Rain.” The movie’s soundtrack was the sixth full-length studio album for Prince.

Bob Dylan - 2001

Speaking of Dylan, the legendary singer-songwriter won an Academy Award in 2001 for best original song, for his tune “Things Have Changed,” which was written for the movie “Wonder Boys.”

Judy Garland - 1939

Actor Judy Garland may have only spent her early childhood years in Minnesota, but it still counts for the state to claim her as a Minnesotan who won an Oscar. In the 1939 Academy Awards ceremony, she received the academy juvenile award for her performances that year, which included “The Wizard of Oz” and “Babes in Arms.”

The Juvenile Award was axed following 1961. It was meant to recognize actors under 18.

Pete Docter poses backstage with the Oscar for best animated feature film of the year for "Up" at the 82nd Academy Awards, March 7, 2010, in Los Angeles. (Matt Sayles/The Associated Press)

Pete Docter - 2009, 2015, 2020

Pixar’s Pete Docter has served as the animation company’s chief creative officer since 2018, but he was directing movies well before that.

Three of his movies have won Oscars for best animated feature: “Up” in 2009, “Inside Out” in 2015, and “Soul” in 2020.

Coen brothers - 1997 and 2008

Filmmaker brothers Joel and Ethan Coen grew up in St. Louis Park and have received a lengthy list of nominations for Academy Awards since they entered the film industry.

Their first film to win was the mostly Minnesota-set “Fargo,” which won for best original screenplay in 1997. Frances McDormand won the best actress award that year for her portrayal of the film’s Sheriff Marge Gunderson, crafting one of the most indelible fictional Minnesotans ever put on a screen.

The Coens did even better with their widely praised “No Country For Old Men,” a film based on a 2005 Cormac McCarthy novel of the same name. The film won best picture, best director and best adapted screenplay.

Tom Hanks congratulates Jessica Lange after he presented her with the best actress Oscar for her performance in "Blue Sky" at the 67th annual Academy Awards in Los Angeles, March 27, 1995. Hanks later won best actor for "Forrest Gump." (Michael Caulfield/The Associated Press)

Jessica Lange - 1982 and 1994

Minnesotan Jessica Lange won best actress in a supporting role for her performance as a soap opera star in the comedy “Tootsie” in 1982.

Lange, who grew up in Cloquet and for years kept a home in Stillwater, took best actress in 1994 for her performance as a troubled wife in “Blue Sky.”

Gale Sondergaard - 1936

Born in Litchfield, Gale Sondergaard was the first person to win the award of best supporting actress, an award category that was created in 1936. She won the award for her performance in “Anthony Adverse.”

Jim Burke - 2019

A native of Edina, Jim Burke won the award for best picture as a co-producer for the movie “Green Book.”

Jim Erickson - 2013

Jim Erickson is a set designer who was born in Minnesota and later moved to Canada. In 2013, he won the Academy Award for best production design for his work in the biographical drama “Lincoln.”

George Roy Hill - 1974

In 1974, George Roy Hill secured his first Academy Award for best director for the heist movie “The Sting.” Hill was born and raised in Minneapolis.

Michael Todd -1957

Producer and Minneapolis native Michael Todd won an Academy Award for best picture for “Around the World in 80 Days” in 1957.

Gig Young - 1970

Born in St. Cloud but raised in Washington, D.C., Gig Young was nominated twice for best supporting actor, before finally winning the award in 1970 for “They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?” The film was nominated for nine awards, but Young was the only person from the film to win one.

Notable nominees with Minnesota ties

While these Minnesotans didn’t take home the Oscar, here are some notable actors, musicians and filmmakers from the state who have the similarly impressive accomplishment of being nominated for an Academy Award:

Barkhad Abdi - 2014

Promo posters for the 2013 thriller “Captain Phillips” only listed the name of its star actor Tom Hanks, but a Minneapolis native — Barkhad Abdi — was the only actor to secure an Oscar nomination for the film.

Abdi played the role of the real-life Somali pirate Abduwali Muse, the only surviving pirate from the group that attacked and hijacked a cargo ship in 2009 off the coast of Somalia. He was nominated for best supporting actor, but the award ultimately went to Jared Leto for his performance in “Dallas Buyers Club.”

Lucie Lyon - 2025

“The Wild Robot” is a leading contender for best animated feature that has now been nominated for best animated feature, best original score, and best sound in this year’s Academy Awards. The 3D-animated film tells the story of a shipwrecked robot that struggles to find its place on an island filled with tribalistic animals, and the orphan goose that the robot helps raise.

One of the more than 800 people who worked on it is Lakeville native Lucie Lyon, an assistant film editor at DreamWorks Animation. In a recent interview with the Star Tribune, Lyon discussed how her childhood taking courses at the Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis and internships in the area at companies such as Tremendous! Entertainment developed her love of films.

Dan Wilson - 2024

St. Louis Park native Dan Wilson was nominated for best original song for “It Never Went Away” in the 2024 Academy Awards. Wilson co-wrote the song with pianist Jon Batiste for the documentary “American Symphony.” He was also nominated in 2023 for two songs,

Wilson is a musician, songwriter and record producer who plays in the rock band Semisonic. He plays several instruments, and his credits include helping Taylor Swift write the 2012 song “Treacherous.”

about the writer

about the writer

Louis Krauss

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Louis Krauss is a general assignment reporter for the Star Tribune.

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