Nathan Levinson Special Effects: Nathan Levinson Nathan Levinson (July 15, 1888 – October 18, 1952) was an American sound engineer. He won an Oscar in the category Sound Recording for the film "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and was nominated for 16 more in the same category. He was also nominated seven times in the category Best Special Effects. The Oscar statue that Levinson won for "Yankee Doodle Dandy" was sold for nearly $90,000 at an auction in Dallas in July 2011. Levinson won an Academy Award and was nominated for 16 more in the category Best Sound. He was also nominated seven times
Oscar season deem "Oscar worthy" in the fall, before the eligibility cut-off, so that the films remain fresh in the memories of critics and Academy members right before the Awards, increasing their chances of being nominated. During Oscar season, studios heavily campaign for their films to win, spending large amounts of money in an attempt to influence Academy voters. The now disgraced Harvey Weinstein, of Miramax, was especially notorious for his campaigning. Weinstein was alleged to have spread rumors that John Nash was antisemitic, to hurt the chances of "A Beautiful Mind", which was competing for the awards with the Miramax film