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Will the Academy keep up its love affair for biopics and true stories?

Look at the nominations for the 91st Oscar Awards
The Academy of Motion Pictures’ love for true stories is undeniable and a look at the winners over the years will give you an idea that biopics and tales of underdog achievements are, more often than not, frontrunners for the awards. In the last couple of decades, for instance, pretty much every year has had a biopic or true story win either Best Picture or acting nods. And even though the nominations for the 91st Oscar Awards are still a week away, chances are that the trend will continue, with the wins at the recent Golden Globe Awards likely to be an indication.

Bohemian Rhapsody

, which was adjudged Best Motion Picture-Drama, is based on Queen frontman, the late Freddie Mercury, and got Rami Malek, who played the singer, a Best Actor nod. Christian Bale, who won the Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy, did so for his role as former US Vice President Dick Cheney in Vice. Olivia Colman’s win was for playing Queen Anne in the historical period film, The Favourite, while Green Book, which was adjudged Best Picture-Musical or Comedy and got Mahershala Ali a Supporting Actor award is based on the relationship between jazz musician Don Shirley and his driver, Tony Lip. Will the Academy also follow suit? Only time will tell, but we have a strong feeling that the biopic/true story trend is here to stay. Here's a look at a few of the biopics/true story.

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Film: Darkest Hour (2017) Won: Best Actor
Based on: The behind-the-scenes account by Anthony McCarten that takes us inside the mind of Winston Churchill

Film: Moonlight (2016) Won: Best Picture, Best Supporting ActorBased on: Tarell Alvin McCraney’s unpublished semi-autobiographical play, In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue

Film: Spotlight (2015) Won: Best Picture
Based on: The story of one of the most significant works of investigative — Boston Globe’s investigation into child sex abuse

Film: The Theory of Everything (2014)Won: Best Actor
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Based on: The book by Stephen Hawking that details the life of the theoretical physicist

Film: 12 Years A Slave (2013) Won: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress
Based on: The 1853 slave narrative memoir by Solomon Northup, a born-free African-American man who was sold into slavery

Film: Argo (2012) Won: Best Picture
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Based on: The Master of Disguise by Antonio J Mendez and The Great Escape by Joshuah Bearman

Film: Lincoln (2012) Won: Best Actor
Based on: Doris Kearns Goodwin’s biography Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln

Film: The Iron Lady (2011) Won: Best Actress
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Based on: The Iron Lady by John Campbell, regarded by many as the definitive Margaret Thatcher biography

Film: The King’s Speech (2010) Won: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor
Based on: A book on the diaries of an Australian, Lionel Logue, who helped George VI overcome his stammer

Film: The Blind Side (2009)
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Won: Best Actress
Based on: The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game by Michael Lewis, which is about American football

Film: Crazy Heart (2009)
Won: Best Actor
Based on: The novel of the same name by Thomas Cobb about Otis Bad Blake
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Film: Milk (2008)
Won: Best Actor
Based on: Mayor of Castro Street, a biography of Harvey Milk by Randy Shilts

Film: The Last King of Scotland (2006)
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Won: Best Actor
Based on: The biography of the same name of Idi Amin by Giles Foden

Film: Capote (2005)
Won: Best Actor
Based on: A biography of the same name on Truman Capote by Gerald Glarke
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Film: Walk The Line (2005)
Won: Best Actress
Based on: I Walked the Line: My Life with Johnny, by Vivian Cash

Film: The Pianist (2002)
Won: Best Actor
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Based on: The memoir of the same name of Polish-Jewish pianist and composer Wladyslaw Szpilman

Film: A Beautiful Mind (2001)
Won: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actress
Based on: A Beautiful Mind: A Biography of John Forbes Nash Jr., by Sylvia Nasar


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