In 1981 the Academy Award category for Best Achievement in Makeup was created. Until the creation of this category, the outstanding makeup artists and their work in films could only be awarded within the Special Achievement category. Because of this, only two makeup artists had earned award wins: once in 1964 for the film 7 Faces of Dr. Laohttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057812/awards and again in 1968 for the film Planet of the Apes.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063442/awards

Interestingly, it was not until 1993 that nominees for the Academy Award category of Best Achievement in Makeup started including hairstylists. According to "rule 15" of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Makeup is any change in the appearance of a performer’s face, hair, or body created by the application of cosmetics, three-dimensional materials, prosthetic appliances, or wigs and hairpieces, applied directly to the performer’s face or body.http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/rules/rule15.html

Star Trek won for Best Achievement in Makeup at the 82nd annual Academy Awards on March 7, 2010. Those accepting the award included: Barney Burman, Mindy Hall, and Joel Harlow.

Continuing live coverage of the Academy Awards can be found at Mahalo's Oscar Live Coverage Page

• Il Divo (MPI Media Group through Music Box)
  • Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano
• Star Trek (Paramount and Spyglass Entertainment) — WINNER
  • Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow
• The Young Victoria (Apparition)
  • Jon Henry Gordon and Jenny Shircore

• 2009
  • The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
    • Greg Cannom
  • The Dark Knight
    • John Caglione, Jr. and Conor O'Sullivan
  • Hellboy II: The Golden Army
    • Mike Elizalde and Thom Floutz
• 2008
  • La Vie en Rose
    • Didier Lavergne and Jan Archibald
  • Norbit
    • Rick Baker and Kazuhiro Tsuji
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
    • Ve Neill and Martin Samuel
• 2007
  • Apocalypto
    • Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano
  • Click
    • Kazuhiro Tsuji and Bill Corso
  • Pan's Labyrinth
    • David Martí and Montse Ribé
• 2006
  • The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
    • Howard Berger and Tami Lane
  • Cinderella Man
    • David Leroy Anderson and Lance Anderson
  • Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
    • Dave Elsey and Nikki Gooley
• 2005
  • Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
    • Valli O'Reilly and Bill Corso
  • The Passion of the Christ
    • Keith VanderLaan and Christien Tinsley
  • The Sea Inside
    • Jo Allen and Manuel García