When David Ayer’s Suicide Squad hit theaters in 2016, the internet basically exploded. Not necessarily in a good way, either. Critics absolutely ripped it to shreds, fans were divided over Jared Leto’s "damaged" Joker, and the behind-the-scenes stories of frantic re-edits made it sound like a total disaster. But then something weird happened. Amidst the chaos and the 26% Rotten Tomatoes score, a question started popping up: did Suicide Squad win any awards?
The answer is a resounding yes. In fact, it won the one award that every filmmaker dreams of, forever cementing its place in history alongside cinematic giants like The Godfather and Schindler's List.
It’s an Academy Award winner.
Seriously. To this day, people find it hard to believe that the movie where a guy climbs a rope and immediately dies is technically an Oscar winner. While the MCU was busy building a multi-billion dollar empire, it was this gritty, neon-soaked DC flick that brought home the gold first. It’s a bizarre reality of the film industry where technical mastery can exist inside a narrative mess. Let’s get into the weeds of how this happened, what they actually won, and why it still bugs some people years later.
The Big One: How Suicide Squad Became an Oscar Winner
It happened at the 89th Academy Awards in 2017. Alessandro Bertolazzi, Giorgio Gregorini, and Christopher Nelson walked onto that stage to accept the Oscar for Best Makeup and Hairstyling.
They earned it.
Think about the sheer volume of work that went into that movie. You’ve got Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Killer Croc. That wasn’t some lazy CGI overlay or a rubber mask from a Halloween store. It was hours upon hours of prosthetic application every single day. They had to make him look like a reptilian human hybrid that could actually survive in water. It was painstaking. Then you have Harley Quinn’s iconic look—which, love it or hate it, became the most popular costume on the planet for about three years straight.
The Academy doesn't care if the plot makes sense. They don't care if the Enchantress does a weird jig while opening a portal in the sky. They care about the craft.
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The competition that year was stiff, too. They beat out A Man Called Ove and Star Trek Beyond. When Bertolazzi took the mic, he famously dedicated the award to all the immigrants, which was a huge moment at the time. It was a victory for the "below-the-line" crew who worked 18-hour shifts in the makeup trailer while the actors were out doing method-acting stunts like sending dead pigs to their co-stars.
Beyond the Oscars: A List of Wins and Nominations
If you're asking did Suicide Squad win any awards besides the big gold statue, the list is actually longer than you might think. It wasn't just a one-hit-wonder at the Oscars. The film cleaned up in categories that reward popularity and technical flash rather than "high art" storytelling.
- Critics Choice Awards: Margot Robbie took home Best Actress in an Action Movie. Say what you want about the script, but her portrayal of Harley Quinn was lightning in a bottle. She basically carried the entire marketing campaign on her shoulders.
- People’s Choice Awards: It won Favorite Action Movie. This is the disconnect we see so often; critics hated it, but the general public was buying tickets and voting for it in droves.
- Teen Choice Awards: It scooped up Choice AnAction Movie and Choice AnAction Movie Actress (Robbie) and Actor (Will Smith).
- Empire Awards: It won Best Makeup and Hairstyling here as well. The industry consensus was clear: the movie looked incredible, even if the story was a jigsaw puzzle put together in the dark.
It wasn't all sunshine, though. The movie was also nominated for a few Golden Raspberry Awards (the Razzies), including Worst Supporting Actor for Jared Leto and Worst Screenplay for David Ayer. It’s a rare feat to be nominated for an Oscar and a Razzie in the same year, but Suicide Squad lived in that chaotic middle ground.
Why the Makeup Win Was Actually Deserved
People love to meme on this win. They'll show a picture of the Joker's "Damaged" tattoo and compare it to a masterpiece like Pan's Labyrinth. But that's a bit unfair.
Christopher Nelson, one of the winners, is a legend in the industry. He’s worked on everything from Kill Bill to the Halloween reboots. For Suicide Squad, the team had to create distinct, iconic looks for a massive ensemble cast. Jay Hernandez’s El Diablo had intricate facial tattoos that had to remain consistent through sweat, rain, and action sequences. Cara Delevingne’s Enchantress went through multiple "stages" of filth and ancient grime.
The "Look" of Suicide Squad changed the visual language of DC movies for a while. It moved away from the desaturated, metallic look of Man of Steel and injected this grimy, street-art aesthetic. You can't deny the influence. Walk into any comic convention today, and you’ll still see the makeup work from this 2016 film being replicated. That is the definition of award-worthy impact.
The Soundtrack: Another Hidden Success
We can’t talk about awards without mentioning the music. While the movie itself was being panned, the soundtrack was topping the Billboard 200.
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"Heathens" by Twenty One Pilots was everywhere. It was nominated for three Grammys, including Best Rock Performance and Best Song Written for Visual Media. Skrillex and Rick Ross’s "Purple Lamborghini" also got a Grammy nod. Even if the film didn't take home the Grammy, the "Suicide Squad: The Album" went multi-platinum.
It was a marketing juggernaut. The songs were arguably more coherent than the film's third act. This musical success contributed to the film’s "award-winning" aura, making it feel like a massive cultural event despite the critical lashing.
Comparing 2016 to James Gunn’s "The Suicide Squad"
Naturally, when James Gunn released The Suicide Squad in 2021, the comparisons started. People wondered if the "better" movie would win even more awards.
Ironically, James Gunn’s version—which was almost universally loved by critics—didn't win an Oscar. It didn't even get nominated for one. It was shortlisted for Visual Effects, but it didn't make the final cut.
This creates a hilarious trivia fact: The "bad" Suicide Squad is an Academy Award winner, and the "good" Suicide Squad is not. Life is weird like that. It just goes to show that awards often depend on the specific competition in a given year and the specific technical milestones a movie hits. In 2016, the practical effects and prosthetic work in Ayer's film stood out in a way that the (excellent) CGI of Gunn's film didn't quite replicate in the eyes of the Academy branches.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Win
There’s a common misconception that Suicide Squad won for "Best Costume Design." It didn't. It was nominated for a few costume awards by the Costume Designers Guild, but it lost to Doctor Strange.
Another thing people forget is that Will Smith was actually praised for his performance as Deadshot. He didn't win major awards for it, but it reminded everyone that he could still lead a massive franchise. The awards the movie won were almost exclusively focused on the "surface" of the film—the actors' faces, the music, and the marketing appeal.
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Honestly, the legacy of these awards is a bit complicated. On one hand, it’s a testament to the hard-working crew. On the other, it’s a punchline for people who think the Oscars have lost their way. But at the end of the day, a win is a win.
The Verdict on Suicide Squad’s Trophy Cabinet
So, did Suicide Squad win any awards? Yes, and it won the biggest one possible.
The film remains a fascinating case study in Hollywood. It proves that a movie can be a critical failure, a behind-the-scenes nightmare, and a massive financial success that wins an Oscar all at the same time. It’s the "bad boy" of the DCEU that actually has a trophy on its mantelpiece.
Whether you think the "Damaged" tattoo is art or an eyesore, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences looked at the work put into that film and decided it was the best in the world that year. You can’t take that away from them.
Your Suicide Squad Fact Sheet
If you’re ever in a trivia battle, here are the raw facts you need to know about this movie’s award history:
- Academy Awards (2017): Won Best Makeup and Hairstyling.
- Critics Choice: Won Best Actress in an Action Movie (Margot Robbie).
- Grammy Nominations: Three for "Heathens," one for "Purple Lamborghini."
- Box Office: It made over $746 million, which is its own kind of "award" from the audience.
- The "Ayer Cut": Despite the awards, director David Ayer has spent years campaigning to release his original version of the movie, claiming the theatrical cut (the one that won the Oscar) wasn't his true vision.
What to Do Next
If you want to actually see what an Oscar-winning makeup job looks like without the distraction of the plot, go back and watch the "making of" featurettes for Killer Croc. It’s genuinely impressive to see how they blended the prosthetics with the actor’s real expressions.
You should also check out the 2021 sequel/reboot The Suicide Squad. It might not have the Oscar, but it’s a masterclass in how to handle a large ensemble cast with a much more consistent tone.
Finally, if you're a collector, the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray of the 2016 film is actually the best way to see why it won that award. The high resolution makes the texture of the makeup work pop in a way that streaming versions usually compress. Keep an eye out for the subtle skin textures on the Enchantress—it’s where the "award-winning" part really shows through.