City of God received four Academy Award nominations: Best Cinematography, Best Director, Best Film Editing, and Best Adapted Screenplay.

At the 76th Academy Awards in 2004, the film was recognized in four major categories, marking a rare achievement for a Brazilian production. The nominations highlighted the technical excellence of César Charlone’s cinematography, Fernando Meirelles’ direction, Daniel Rezende’s editing, and the adapted screenplay by Bráulio Mantovani and Paulo Lins. Although it did not win any of those awards, the recognition helped cement its reputation internationally. The film was also Brazil’s submission for Best Foreign Language Film at the 75th Academy Awards, though it did not advance to the final slate. These accolades contributed to a surge in global interest, leading to wider distribution and numerous invitations to film festivals around the world.