The 98th Academy Awards ceremony is on March 15, 2026. That's the day when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the movie business's professional organization gives out the Oscars for the best in filmmaking of the last year.

At this year's ceremony, there will probably be some South Dakota natives in the audience at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. Lots of people born in our state work in the movie business, both in front of and behind the camera.

But when it comes to Oscar winners, the stage will once again not see any sons or daughters of South Dakota. A look through the records shows that SD’s Oscar drought is as dry as our Winter Olympics drought.

READ MORE: South Dakota’s Winter Olympics Drought Continues

South Dakota is one of 16 states that have not had a winner in the performance categories at the Academy Awards. We join Alaska, Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, Maine, Mississippi, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming on that list.

The Only Oscar Winners Born in South Dakota

It's not all bad. There are two Oscar winners who were born in South Dakota, according to IMDb.

First up is Conrad A. Nervig. Born in Grant County, South Dakota, on June 24, 1889, Nervig was awarded the very first Oscar for Editing for the 1933 film Eskimo. He started in show business in the 1920s and worked for MGM Pictures until he retired in the 1950s.

The other South Dakota-born Oscar winner is Winfield Hubbard. He was born in Canton, SD, in 1893. In 1960, he was part of a team that won a Technical Achievement Award for the design of a multiple-cable, remote-controlled winch.

Four South Dakota natives have been nominated for Oscars

Bob Nelson - Born in Yankton, SD, in 1956 - Nominated in 2014 for Best Writing, Original Screenplay, for the film Nebraska.
John S. Detlie - Born in Sioux Falls, SD, in 1908 - Nominated in 1941 for Best Art Direction, Color, for the film Bitter Sweet.
John B. Mansbridge - Born in Jackson, SD, in 1917 - Nominated twice for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, for the films Bedknobs and Broomsticks in 1972 and The Island at the Top of the World in 1975.
Homer G. Tasker - Born in Grant County, SD, in 1899 - Nominated twice for Best Sound, Recording, for the films Three Smart Girls in 1937 and One Hundred Men and a Girl in 1938.

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How Neighboring States Compare at the Oscars

South Dakota's neighbours have had more luck in the major Oscar Categories.

Oscar Winning Performers Born in Nebraska:

Marlon Brando
James Coburn
Sandy Dennis
Henry Fonda
Hilary Swank

Oscar Winning Performers Born in Iowa:

Cloris Leachman
Donna Reed
John Wayne

Oscar Winning Performers Born in Minnesota:

Jessica Lange
Gale Sondergaard
Gig Young

From Blockbusters to Hidden Gems: 35 Movies That Take Place in South Dakota

When it comes to South Dakota and Hollywood, we've seen our fair share of films that have used our state as the backdrop for a number of productions over the years. They may not have always filmed here, but movie folk love to set stories here.

We're all familiar with the blockbusters like 1990's Dances With Wolves, 1959's North By Northwest, and more recently, 2007's National Treasure: Book of Secrets. But our state's life on the big screen goes back nearly 100 years.

According to IMDb, it all started with Courtin' Wildcats, a 1929 film which, like so many of the films on this list, is a Western set in the time before South Dakota became a state in 1889.

Gallery Credit: Jeff Harkness/B1027.com

The Biggest Oscars Scandals Ever

The Academy Awards hold the kind of dramatic potential we can only hope our favorite movies measure up to, the rare public event where things are more interesting if something goes wrong.

Gallery Credit: Emma Stefansky

Source: South Dakota’s Oscar Drought Continues Into 2026

Filed Under: South Dakota, Oscars

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