The 16th Satellite Awards is an award ceremony honoring the year's outstanding performers, films, television shows, home videos and interactive media, presented by the International Press Academy at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Century City, Los Angeles.

The nominations were announced on December 1, 2011. The winners were announced on December 18, 2011.^[1][2]

The categories for motion picture were pared down from 22 to 19 classifications; the change reflected the merger of comedy and drama under a general Best Picture heading.^[3]

Special achievement awards

• Auteur Award (for his body of film work, as well as his books on the inner workings of filmmaking and filmmakers) – Peter Bogdanovich
• Humanitarian Award (for community involvement and work on social causes) – Tim Hetherington
• Mary Pickford Award (for outstanding contribution to the entertainment industry) – Mitzi Gaynor
• Nikola Tesla Award (for his work as film preservationist and historian) – Douglas Trumbull
• Best First Feature – Paddy Considine (Tyrannosaur)
• Best Educational Motion Picture – The First Grader (Sam Feuer, Richard Harding, David Thompson - Producers)
• Career of Outstanding Service in the Entertainment Industry – Brian Edwards
• Outstanding Performance in a TV Series – Jessica Lange (American Horror Story)

Motion picture winners and nominees

Winners are listed first and highlighted in bold.^[4][5][6]

Television winners and nominees

Winners are listed first and highlighted in bold.^[7]

New Media winners and nominees

Winners are listed first and highlighted in bold.^[8]

Awards breakdown

Film

Winners:

4 / 8 Drive: Best Actor / Best Director / Best Sound (Editing and Mixing) / Best Supporting Actor

2 / 4 The Tree of Life: Best Original Screenplay / Best Supporting Actress

2 / 6 The Descendants: Best Adapted Screenplay / Best Film

2 / 6 The Help: Best Actress / Best Ensemble – Motion Picture

1 / 1 Senna: Best Documentary Film

1 / 1 Soul Surfer: Best Original Score

1 / 2 The Adventures of Tintin: Best Animated or Mixed Media Film

1 / 3 Mysteries of Lisbon: Best Foreign Language Film

1 / 3 Water for Elephants: Best Costume Design

1 / 4 Albert Nobbs: Best Original Song

1 / 4 The Guard: Best Film Editing

1 / 5 Hugo: Best Visual Effects

1 / 6 The Artist: Best Art Direction and Production Design

1 / 8 War Horse: Best Cinematography

1 / 1 The First Grader: Best Educational Motion Picture

Losers:

0 / 6 Shame

0 / 4 Faust, Moneyball, Super 8

0 / 3 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, Midnight in Paris, Mozart's Sister, The Muppets, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, Warrior

0 / 2 Anonymous, Carnage, My Week with Marilyn, Oranges and Sunshine, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Tyrannosaur

Television

Winners:

2 / 4 Justified: Best Actor in a Drama Series / Best Drama Series

2 / 5 Mildred Pierce: Best Actress in a Miniseries or TV Film / Best Miniseries or TV Film

1 / 1 American Horror Story: Best Genre Series

1 / 1 Case Histories: Best Actor in a Miniseries or TV Film

1 / 1 Homeland: Best Actress in a Drama Series

1 / 1 Raising Hope: Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy Series

1 / 2 Desperate Housewives: Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries, or TV Film

1 / 2 Game of Thrones: Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries, or TV Film

1 / 2 It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: Best Musical or Comedy Series

1 / 2 Louie: Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy Series

1 / 3 Sons of Anarchy: Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries, or TV Film

Losers:

0 / 4 Downton Abbey

0 / 3 Boardwalk Empire, Community, Friday Night Lights, Modern Family, Page Eight, Too Big to Fail

0 / 2 The Big C, Breaking Bad, Cinema Verite, Episodes, The Killing, Thurgood, Torchwood, Treme