Academy Awards

The Academy Awards are annual prizes for artistic and technical merit in film.

They are presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States. The awards recognize excellence in cinematic achievements as determined by the Academy's voting membership. Most recipients are associated with films produced in Hollywood. The Oscars are considered the most prestigious awards in the global film industry. They are the oldest of the four major annual American entertainment awards. Other major ceremonies, such as the Emmys for television, the Tonys for Broadway, and the Grammys for music, were actually modeled after the Academy Awards.

The physical award is officially called the Academy Award of Merit. It is a tall statuette depicting a knight rendered in the Art Deco style.

The knight holds a sword and stands upon a reel of film with five spokes. These five spokes represent the original branches of the Academy: actors, writers, directors, producers, and technicians. The modern statuette is made of gold-plated bronze on a black metal base. The design was created by Cedric Gibbons and sculpted by George Stanley. Manufacturing methods have changed over time due to various needs. Originally, the statues were solid gold-plated bronze. Later, they were made of a pewter-like alloy called Britannia metal. During World War II, a metal shortage forced the Academy to use painted plaster for three years.

Today, the manufacturing process is a precise technical task. The Academy uses a digital scan of an original 1929 Oscar to guide production. The statuettes are cast in liquid bronze using 3D-printed ceramic molds. Once cast and polished, they undergo electroplating in 24-karat gold. This process is handled by specialized facilities like Epner Technology in Brooklyn. Producing just 50 statuettes can take roughly three months. To prevent winners from being leaked before the ceremony, the statuettes are presented with blank baseplates. Until 2010, winners had to return their statues to be engraved. Now, winners can have their names inscribed at a special station during the Governor's Ball.

The history of the Academy Awards began with a very small event. The first ceremony took place on May 16, 1929. It was held as a private dinner at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. The audience consisted of only about 270 people. The entire presentation lasted only 15 minutes. Fifteen statuettes were awarded for work done during the 1927–28 period. Emil Jannings became the first Best Actor recipient. He received the award early because he had to return to Europe. Janet Gaynor was the first Best Actress winner. In the early years, winners were often recognized for multiple films during a single qualifying period.

As the ceremony grew, the Academy changed how it handled information and technology. The second ceremony in 1930 was the first to be broadcast by radio. In 1953, the ceremony became the first to be televised. The Academy also changed how it announced winners to ensure surprise. In 1940, a newspaper announced winners before the show began. Consequently, in 1941, the Academy started using sealed envelopes to reveal names. The eligibility periods for films have also shifted over the decades. For the first five ceremonies, the period ran from August 1 to July 31. Eventually, the Academy moved to a calendar year system. The 93rd Academy Awards saw a special change due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The eligibility period was extended to February 28, 2021, and streaming films were allowed to compete.

Several milestones have defined the evolution of the award categories. The Best Foreign Language Film category was introduced at the 20th Academy Awards. It later became a competitive category at the 29th Academy Awards. In 2002, the 74th Academy Awards presented the first award for Best Animated Feature. That prize was won by the film Shrek. A major historical moment occurred at the 92nd Academy Awards in 2020. The film Parasite became the first foreign-language film to win Best Picture. The ceremony has also used different presentation formats. For many years, previous winners presented awards to their counterparts. In 2009, the "Fab 5" format was introduced, where five winners introduce nominees. This specific format returned to the ceremony in 2024.

The nickname "Oscar" is a registered trademark of the AMPAS. However, the origin of the name is a subject of much debate. Many people have claimed credit for the name. Margaret Herrick, a former Academy president, suggested she named it after an uncle. Actress Bette Davis claimed she named it after her first husband. A columnist named Sidney Skolsky is credited with the first confirmed newspaper reference in 1934. Still, a researcher found a mention in a 1933 column by Relman Morin. Another theory suggests the name came from an Academy secretary named Eleanore Lilleberg. The ownership of the statues is also strictly regulated. Since 1950, winners must offer the statuette back to the Academy for purchase before selling it elsewhere. This rule exists to manage the legal rights of the awards.