The Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling is the Academy Award given to the best achievement in makeup and hairstyling for film. Traditionally, three films have been nominated each year with exceptions in the early 1980s and 2002 when there were only two nominees; in 1999, when there were four nominees. Beginning with the 92nd Academy Awards, five films were nominated.

The competitive category was created in 1981 as the Academy Award for Best Makeup, after the academy received complaints that the makeup work in The Elephant Man (1980) was not being honored. Although no award was given to The Elephant Man, an entire category dedicated to honoring makeup effects in film was created for subsequent ceremonies. Previously, makeup artists were only eligible for special achievement awards for their work.

Ahead of nominations, a shortlist of titles is chosen by the makeup branch's executive committee and clips are screened by the members of the branch at an annual "bake-off." After only two films were shortlisted in 2002, rules were installed requiring that seven finalists be chosen each year with the top three becoming nominees. Beginning in 2020, the shortlist expanded from seven finalists to ten.

In 2012, the category was given its current name for use in the 85th Academy Awards and onward. Makeup artist Rick Baker holds the record for both most wins (7) and most nominations (11) for this award.