# List of accolades received by The Big Short (film)

The Big Short is a 2015 American historical comedy-drama film directed by Adam McKay and produced by Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, and Arnon Milchan. It was written by McKay and Charles Randolph. The film stars Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, and Pitt, with Melissa Leo, Hamish Linklater, John Magaro, Rafe Spall, Jeremy Strong, Finn Wittrock, and Marisa Tomei in supporting roles. Based on Michael Lewis's book of the same name, the film chronicles how events during the United States housing bubble led inadvertently to the financial crisis of 2007–2008.
The film made its debut on the final night of the AFI Fest on November 12, 2015. Paramount Pictures initially provided the film a limited release at eleven theaters in Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Chicago on December 11 before expanding to over 1,500 theaters in the United States and Canada on December 23. The film grossed $133 million on a $28 million budget. Rotten Tomatoes, a review aggregator, surveyed 325 reviews and judged 88% to be positive.
The Big Short garnered awards and nominations in a variety of categories with particular praise for McKay's direction, Bale's performance as Michael Burry, and McKay and Randolph's adapted screenplay. It garnered five nominations at the 88th Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director for McKay. McKay and Randolph went on to win the award for Best Adapted Screenplay. At the 69th British Academy Film Awards, the film earned five nominations and won Best Adapted Screenplay for McKay and Randolph.
The film received four nominations at the 73rd Golden Globe Awards and two nominations at the 22nd Screen Actors Guild Awards. At the 27th Producers Guild of America Awards, The Big Short won for Best Theatrical Motion Picture. McKay was nominated for Outstanding Directing – Feature Film at the 68th Directors Guild of America Awards, and McKay and Randolph won Best Adapted Screenplay at the 68th Writers Guild of America Awards. It was nominated in seven categories at the 21st Critics' Choice Awards winning three for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Comedy, and Best Actor in a Comedy. The film was named one of the Top 10 Films of 2015 by the American Film Institute.

## Awards and nominations

| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipients | Result | Ref. |
| AACTA Awards | January 31, 2016 | Best International Film | The Big Short | Nominated | |
| AACTA Awards | January 31, 2016 | Best International Direction | Adam McKay | Nominated | |
| AACTA Awards | January 31, 2016 | Best Actor | Steve Carell | Nominated | |
| AACTA Awards | January 31, 2016 | Best Supporting Actor | Christian Bale | Nominated | |
| Academy Awards | February 28, 2016 | Best Picture | Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, and Brad Pitt | Nominated | |
| Academy Awards | February 28, 2016 | Best Director | Adam McKay | Nominated | |
| Academy Awards | February 28, 2016 | Best Supporting Actor | Christian Bale | Nominated | |
| Academy Awards | February 28, 2016 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Adam McKay and Charles Randolph | Won | |
| Academy Awards | February 28, 2016 | Best Film Editing | Hank Corwin | Nominated | |
| Alliance of Women Film Journalists | January 13, 2016 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Adam McKay and Charles Randolph | Nominated | |
| Alliance of Women Film Journalists | January 13, 2016 | Best Ensemble Cast | The Big Short | Nominated | |
| Alliance of Women Film Journalists | January 13, 2016 | Best Film Editing | Hank Corwin | Nominated | |
| American Cinema Editors Awards | January 29, 2016 | Best Edited Feature Film – Comedy or Musical | Hank Corwin | Won | |
| Austin Film Critics Association | December 29, 2015 | Best Film | The Big Short | 9th Place | [22] [23] |
| Austin Film Critics Association | December 29, 2015 | Best Director | Adam McKay | Nominated | [22] [23] |
| Austin Film Critics Association | December 29, 2015 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Adam McKay and Charles Randolph | Nominated | [22] [23] |
| Boston Society of Film Critics | December 6, 2015 | Best Cast | The Big Short | Runner-up | |
| British Academy Film Awards | February 14, 2016 | Best Film | Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, and Brad Pitt | Nominated | |
| British Academy Film Awards | February 14, 2016 | Best Director | Adam McKay | Nominated | |
| British Academy Film Awards | February 14, 2016 | Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Christian Bale | Nominated | |
| British Academy Film Awards | February 14, 2016 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Adam McKay and Charles Randolph | Won | |
| British Academy Film Awards | February 14, 2016 | Best Editing | Hank Corwin | Nominated | |
| Casting Society of America | January 21, 2016 | Feature Film Big Budget Comedy | Francine Maisler and Meagan Lewis | Won | |
| Chicago Film Critics Association | December 16, 2015 | Best Director | Adam McKay | Nominated | |
| Chicago Film Critics Association | December 16, 2015 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Adam McKay and Charles Randolph | Won | |
| Chicago Film Critics Association | December 16, 2015 | Best Editing | Hank Corwin | Nominated | |
| Cinema for Peace | February 15, 2016 | Most Valuable Film of the Year | The Big Short | Nominated | |
| Critics' Choice Movie Awards | January 17, 2016 | Best Picture | The Big Short | Nominated | [29] [30] |
| Critics' Choice Movie Awards | January 17, 2016 | Best Comedy | The Big Short | Won | [29] [30] |
| Critics' Choice Movie Awards | January 17, 2016 | Best Editing | Hank Corwin | Nominated | [29] [30] |
| Critics' Choice Movie Awards | January 17, 2016 | Best Actor in a Comedy | Christian Bale | Won | [29] [30] |
| Critics' Choice Movie Awards | January 17, 2016 | Best Actor in a Comedy | Steve Carell | Nominated | [29] [30] |
| Critics' Choice Movie Awards | January 17, 2016 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Adam McKay and Charles Randolph | Won | [29] [30] |
| Critics' Choice Movie Awards | January 17, 2016 | Best Acting Ensemble | The Big Short | Nominated | [29] [30] |
| Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association | December 14, 2015 | Top Ten Films | The Big Short | 6th Place | |
| Detroit Film Critics Society | December 14, 2015 | Best Screenplay | Adam McKay and Charles Randolph | Nominated | |
| Detroit Film Critics Society | December 14, 2015 | Best Ensemble | The Big Short | Nominated | |
| Directors Guild of America Awards | February 6, 2016 | Best Director | Adam McKay | Nominated | |
| Empire Awards | March 20, 2016 | Best Screenplay | Adam McKay and Charles Randolph | Won | |
| Florida Film Critics Circle | December 23, 2015 | Best Film | The Big Short | Nominated | |
| Florida Film Critics Circle | December 23, 2015 | Best Screenplay | Adam McKay and Charles Randolph | Won | |
| Florida Film Critics Circle | December 23, 2015 | Best Cast | The Big Short | Nominated | |
| Georgia Film Critics Association | January 8, 2016 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Adam McKay and Charles Randolph | Won | |
| Georgia Film Critics Association | January 8, 2016 | Best Ensemble | The Big Short | Nominated | |
| Golden Globe Awards | January 10, 2016 | Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | The Big Short | Nominated | |
| Golden Globe Awards | January 10, 2016 | Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy | Christian Bale | Nominated | |
| Golden Globe Awards | January 10, 2016 | Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy | Steve Carell | Nominated | |
| Golden Globe Awards | January 10, 2016 | Best Screenplay | Adam McKay and Charles Randolph | Nominated | |
| Golden Trailer Awards | May 6, 2016 | Best Drama TV Spot | The Big Short | Nominated | |
| Hollywood Film Awards | November 1, 2015 | Breakthrough Director | Adam McKay | Won | |
| Houston Film Critics Society | January 9, 2016 | Best Picture | The Big Short | Nominated | [40] [41] |
| Los Angeles Film Critics Association | December 6, 2015 | Best Editing | Hank Corwin | Won | |
| Make–Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild | February 20, 2016 | Best Contemporary Makeup–Feature-Length Motion Picture | Julie Hewett and Pamela Westmore | Nominated | |
| MTV Movie Awards | April 9, 2016 | True Story | The Big Short | Nominated | |
| National Board of Review Awards | December 1, 2015 | Best Ensemble | The Big Short | Won | |
| National Society of Film Critics | January 3, 2016 | Best Screenplay | Adam McKay and Charles Randolph | 3rd Place | |
| New York Film Critics Online | December 6, 2015 | Top Ten Films | The Big Short | Won | |
| Palm Springs International Film Festival | January 2, 2016 | Ensemble Cast Award | The Big Short | Won | |
| Producers Guild of America Awards | January 23, 2016 | Best Theatrical Motion Picture | Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, and Brad Pitt | Won | [49] [50] |
| San Diego Film Critics Society | December 14, 2015 | Best Ensemble | The Big Short | Nominated | |
| San Francisco Film Critics Circle | December 12, 2015 | Best Film Editing | Hank Corwin | Nominated | |
| Santa Barbara International Film Festival | February 3–13, 2016 | Artisan Award | Hank Corwin | Nominated | [53] [54] |
| Santa Barbara International Film Festival | February 3–13, 2016 | Outstanding Director of the Year | Adam McKay | Won | [53] [54] |
| Satellite Awards | February 21, 2016 | Best Film | The Big Short | Nominated | [55] [56] |
| Satellite Awards | February 21, 2016 | Best Supporting Actor | Christian Bale | Won | [55] [56] |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | January 30, 2016 | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role | Christian Bale | Nominated | |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | January 30, 2016 | Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Melissa Leo, Hamish Linklater, John Magaro, Brad Pitt, Rafe Spall, Jeremy Strong, Marisa Tomei, and Finn Wittrock | Nominated | |
| St. Louis Film Critics Association | December 13, 2015 | Best Editing | Hank Corwin | Nominated | |
| Toronto Film Critics Association | December 14, 2015 | Best Screenplay | Adam McKay and Charles Randolph | Won | |
| USC Scripter Awards | February 20, 2016 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Adam McKay and Charles Randolph | Won | |
| Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards | December 7, 2015 | Best Ensemble | The Big Short | Nominated | |
| World Soundtrack Awards | October 19, 2016 | Discovery of the Year | Nicholas Britell | Nominated | |
| Writers Guild of America Awards | February 13, 2016 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Adam McKay and Charles Randolph | Won | |