8th Saturn Awards

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

8th Saturn Awards
Date	July 1981
Site	California, U.S.
Highlights
Most awards	The Empire Strikes Back (4)
Most nominations	The Empire Strikes Back (8)
← 7th Saturn Awards 9th →

Winners and nominees

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

Mark Hamill, Best Actor winner

Angie Dickinson, Best Actress winner

Scatman Crothers, Best Supporting Actor winner

William Peter Blatty, Best Writing winner

John Barry, Best Music winner

Richard Edlund, Best Special Effects co-winner

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

External links

• Official Saturn Awards website
• https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000004/1981/1/