The Academy Award of Merit for Best Sound Editing is an Academy Award granted yearly to a film exhibiting the finest or most aesthetic sound editing or sound design. The award is usually received by the Supervising Sound Editors of the film, perhaps accompanied by the Sound Designers.

The Sound Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, until 2006 would use a "bake-off" of the best films from the previous year to decide which films should be referred to the full academy as nominations for award. In a rule change on June 30, 2006, the bake-off for the sound branch was eliminted.

This is a list of films that have won or been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Sound Effects (1963-1967, 1975), Sound Effects Editing (1977, 1981-1999), or Sound Editing (1979, 2000-present). See Academy Award for Sound for a corresponding list of winners for Best Sound.

1960s

• 1963 It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World -- Walter G. Elliott
  • A Gathering of Eagles -- Robert L. Bratton
• 1964 Goldfinger -- Norman Wanstall
  • The Lively Set -- Robert L. Bratton
• 1965 The Great Race -- Tregoweth Brown
  • Von Ryan's Express -- Walter A. Rossi
• 1966 Grand Prix -- Gordon Daniel
  • Fantastic Voyage -- Walter Rossi
• 1967 The Dirty Dozen -- John Poyner
  • In the Heat of the Night -- James A. Richard
• 1968 none given
• 1969 none given

1970s

• 1970 none given
• 1971 none given
• 1972 none given
• 1973 none given
• 1974 none given
• 1975 The Hindenburg -- Peter Berkos (Special Achievement Award)
• 1976 none given
• 1977 Close Encounters of the Third Kind -- Frank E. Warner (Special Achievement Award)
• 1978 none given
• 1979 The Black Stallion -- Alan Splet (Special Achievement Award)

1980s

• 1980 none given
• 1981 Raiders of the Lost Ark -- Ben Burtt, Richard L. Anderson (Special Achievement Award)
• 1982 E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial -- Charles L. Campbell, Ben Burtt
  • Das Boot -- Mike Le-Mare
  • Poltergeist -- Stephen Hunter Flick, Richard L. Anderson
• 1983 The Right Stuff -- Jay Boekelheide
  • Return of the Jedi -- Ben Burtt
• 1984 The River -- Kay Rose (Special Achievement Award)
• 1985 Back to the Future -- Charles L. Campbell, Robert Rutledge
  • Ladyhawke -- Bob Henderson, Alan Murray
  • First Blood Part II -- Frederick J. Brown
• 1986 Aliens -- Don Sharpe
  • The Voyage Home -- Mark Mangini
  • Top Gun -- Cecelia Hall, George Watters II
• 1987 RoboCop -- Stephen Flick, John Pospisil (Special Achievement Award)
• 1988 Who Framed Roger Rabbit -- Charles L. Campbell, Louis L. Edemann
  • Die Hard -- Stephen H. Flick, Richard Shorr
  • Willow -- Ben Burtt, Richard Hymns
• 1989 Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade -- Ben Burtt, Richard Hymns
  • Black Rain -- Milton C. Burrow, William L. Manger
  • Lethal Weapon 2 -- Robert Henderson, Alan Robert Murray

1990s

• 1990 The Hunt for Red October -- Cecelia Hall, George Watters II
  • Flatliners -- Charles L. Campbell, Richard C. Franklin
  • Total Recall -- Stephen H. Flick
• 1991 Judgment Day -- Gary Rydstrom, Gloria S. Borders
  • Backdraft -- Gary Rydstrom, Richard Hymns
  • The Undiscovered Country -- George Watters II, F. Hudson Miller
• 1992 Bram Stoker's Dracula -- Tom C. McCarthy, David E. Stone
  • Aladdin -- Mark Mangini
  • Under Siege -- John Leveque, Bruce Stambler
• 1993 Jurassic Park -- Gary Rydstrom, Richard Hymns
  • Cliffhanger -- Wylie Stateman, Gregg Baxter
  • The Fugitive -- John Leveque, Bruce Stambler
• 1994 Speed -- Stephen Hunter Flick
  • Clear and Present Danger -- Bruce Stambler, John Leveque
  • Forrest Gump -- Gloria S. Borders, Randy Thom
• 1995 Braveheart -- Lon Bender, Per Hallberg (sound supervisor)
  • Batman Forever -- John Leveque, Bruce Stambler
  • Crimson Tide -- George Watters II
• 1996 The Ghost and the Darkness -- Bruce Stambler
  • Daylight -- Richard L. Anderson, David A. Whittaker
  • Eraser-- Alan Robert Murray, Bub Asman
• 1997 Titanic -- Tom Bellfort, Christopher Boyes
  • Face/Off -- Mark P. Stoeckinger, Per Hallberg
  • The Fifth Element -- Mark Mangini
• 1998 Saving Private Ryan -- Gary Rydstrom, Richard Hymns
  • Armageddon -- George Watters II
  • The Mask of Zorro -- David McMoyler
• 1999 The Matrix -- Dane A. Davis
  • Fight Club -- Ren Klyce, Richard Hymns
  • The Phantom Menace -- Ben Burtt, Tom Bellfort

2000s

• 2000 U-571 -- Jon Johnson
  • Space Cowboys -- Alan Robert Murray, Bub Asman
• 2001 Pearl Harbor -- George Watters II, Christopher Boyes
  • Monsters, Inc. -- Gary Rydstrom, Michael Silvers
• 2002 The Two Towers (film) -- Ethan Van der Ryn, Michael Hopkins
  • Minority Report -- Richard Hymns, Gary Rydstrom
  • Road to Perdition -- Scott A. Hecker
• 2003 The Far Side of the World -- Richard King
  • Finding Nemo -- Gary Rydstrom, Michael Silvers
  • The Curse of the Black Pearl -- Christopher Boyes, George Watters II
• 2004 The Incredibles -- Michael Silvers and Randy Thom
  • The Polar Express -- Randy Thom and Dennis Leonard
  • Spider-Man 2 -- Paul N. J. Ottosson
• 2005 King Kong --Mike Hopkins and Ethan Van der Ryn
  • War of the Worlds -- Richard King
  • Memoirs of a Geisha -- Wylie Stateman

cite bakeoff url=http://www.oscars.org/press/pressreleases/2006/06.06.30.html publisher=AMPAS date= 2006-06-30

Academy Awards | Film sound production

Oscar/Bester Tonschnitt | Oscar a la mejor edición de sonido | Oscar du meilleur son | Oscar al miglior montaggio sonoro | アカデミー音響効果賞