All You Need to Know About the Oscars

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The Academy Awards, also called the Oscars, are undoubtedly, the most prestigious awards for excellence in artistic and technical merit in the film industry. They are given away by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the world’s most renowned organization related to cinema and movies.

With the 91st Oscars due to be held in less than a month, we thought we’d give you all the information that you’d like about this very prestigious award.

History of the Academy Awards

In 1927, during a dinner at the home of the chief of the M-G-M studio, Louis B. Mayer, the idea of initiating a group for the benefit of the film industry was floated. Subsequently, a proposal for the founding of the International Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was put forth. Soon after, the members of the Academy were selected.

One of the first proposals put forth by the Academy was to present awards in recognition of excellence in cinema. Consequently, the first Academy Awards were held in May 1929 and were awarded in 12 categories with just 270 people in attendance. It was held at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles, California.

However, various categories have been added consistently. For instance, the categories of Film Editing, Music Scoring, and Song were added in 1934 followed by the Supporting Actor and Actress in 1937. Only in 1939, was the first award for Special Effects given. The Documentary category was added in 1941. In 1982, a new category for Makeup was announced. At the 91st Academy Awards to be held in 2019, awards will be announced in 25 categories.

In 1953, the first televised ceremony of the Academy Awards took place. However, this was available only to audiences in the United States and Canada. In 1966, the Oscars were televised in colour for the first time ever. In 1969, the awards were broadcast internationally for the first time ever. From 2002 onwards, the event has been held at the Dolby Theatre, originally called the Kodak Theatre.

The Statuette

The statuette given away to the Academy Award winners is perhaps the most recognized trophy in the world. It is a knight holding a crusader’s sword, standing on a reel of film with five spokes. The five spokes represent the five original arms of the Academy – actors, directors, producers, writers, and technicians.

Image Source: Polich Tallix

It is made of solid bronze and is plated in 24-karat gold. Its official name is Academy Award of Merit. It weighs around 8.5 pounds and is 13.5 inches tall. George Stanley from Los Angeles was the sculptor and it was designed by Cedric Gibbons, the chief art director at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The fine art foundry, Polich Tallix in New York is the official manufacturer.

It is not known why the awards have been called ‘Oscars’ but one famous story says that when Margaret Herrick, the Academy librarian, saw it for the first time, she remarked that it looked like her Uncle Oscar.

See also 76th Golden Globe Awards Awarded

Interesting Facts about the Oscars

Maximum Number of Awards

Image Source: AFP PHOTO / Scott FLYNN / Robyn BECK / Joe KLAMAR

Interesting Facts about award Winners

We are extremely excited about the 2019 Academy Awards and will keep you posted on the results. Whom are you rooting for?

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