Along with "Mutiny on the Bounty", "The Informer" was a big contender at the 8th Academy Awards, competing directly in all six categories they were nominated for (though "Mutiny" got eight nominations in total, given its three Best Actor nominations). "The Informer" won four Oscars: Best Director for Ford, Best Actor for McLaglen, Best Writing Screenplay for Nichols, and Best Score. In 2018, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."