# 8th Saturn Awards

The 8th Saturn Awards, honoring the best in science fiction, fantasy and horror film in 1980, were held in July 1981.

## Winners and nominees

Below is a complete list of nominees and winners. Winners are highlighted in bold.

### Film awards

| Best Science Fiction Film | Best Fantasy Film |
| The Empire Strikes Back Altered States Battle Beyond the Stars The Final Countdown Flash Gordon | Somewhere in Time The Blue Lagoon The Ninth Configuration Oh, God! Book II Popeye |
| Best Horror Film | Best International Film |
| The Howling Dressed to Kill Fade to Black The Fog The Shining | Scanners The Changeling Harlequin Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro Terror Train |
| Best Low-Budget Film | |
| Scared to Death Forbidden Zone Human Experiments Maniac Ms .45 | |
| Best Actor | Best Actress |
| Mark Hamill – The Empire Strikes Back as Luke Skywalker Alan Arkin – Simon as Simon Mendelssohn Dennis Christopher – Fade to Black as Eric Binford Kirk Douglas – The Final Countdown as Capt. Matthew Yelland Christopher Reeve – Somewhere in Time as Richard Collier | Angie Dickinson – Dressed to Kill as Kate Miller Ellen Burstyn – Resurrection as Edna Mae McCauley Jamie Lee Curtis – Terror Train as Alana Maxwell Louanne – Oh, God! Book II as Tracy Richards Jane Seymour – Somewhere in Time as Elise McKenna |
| Best Supporting Actor | Best Supporting Actress |
| Scatman Crothers – The Shining as Dick Hallorann Melvyn Douglas – The Changeling as Joseph Carmichael Martin Gabel – The First Deadly Sin as Christopher Langley Max von Sydow – Flash Gordon as Emperor Ming the Merciless Billy Dee Williams – The Empire Strikes Back as Lando Calrissian | Eve Brent – Fade to Black as Stella Binford Linda Kerridge – Fade to Black as Marilyn O'Connor Eva Le Gallienne – Resurrection as Grandma Pearl Nancy Parsons – Motel Hell as Ida Smith Stephanie Zimbalist – The Awakening as Margaret Corbeck |
| Best Director | Best Writing |
| Irvin Kershner – The Empire Strikes Back Brian De Palma – Dressed to Kill Stanley Kubrick – The Shining Ken Russell – Altered States Vernon Zimmerman – Fade to Black | William Peter Blatty – The Ninth Configuration Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan – The Empire Strikes Back Lewis John Carlino – Resurrection Paddy Chayefsky (as Sidney Aaron) – Altered States John Sayles – Alligator |
| Best Music | Best Costumes |
| John Barry – Somewhere in Time Pino Donaggio – Dressed to Kill John Williams – The Empire Strikes Back Maurice Jarre – Resurrection Béla Bartók – The Shining | Jean-Pierre Dorleac – Somewhere in Time Durinda Wood – Battle Beyond the Stars John Mollo – The Empire Strikes Back Doris Lynn – Fade to Black Danilo Donati – Flash Gordon |
| Best Make-up | Best Special Effects |
| Dick Smith – Altered States / Dick Smith – Scanners (TIE) Sue Dolph, Steve Neill, and Rick Stratton – Battle Beyond the Stars Colin Booker – Fade to Black Rob Bottin and Rick Baker – The Howling Giannetto De Rossi – Zombi 2 | Brian Johnson and Richard Edlund – The Empire Strikes Back Chuck Comisky – Battle Beyond the Stars Richard Albain Jr., Tommy Lee Wallace, and James F. Liles – The Fog Dave Allen and Peter Kuran – The Howling Gary Zeller – Scanners |

### Special awards
#### Golden Scroll of Merit (Outstanding Achievement)

* Sybil Danning – Battle Beyond the Stars

#### Outstanding Film Award

* Harlequin

#### Best New Star Award

* Sam J. Jones

#### Life Career Award

* John Agar

#### Service Award

* Natalie Harris