As some of you might know, on April 26 there was the 93rd edition of the Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, held at Union Station in Los Angeles at Dolby Theatre. But let’s find out more about the history of these awards and how they became the most significant distinction in the film industry.
The Academy Awards ceremony was first broadcasted by radio in 1930 and was televised for the first time in 1953. It is the oldest worldwide entertainment awards ceremony and is now televised live worldwide. They are also the oldest of the four major annual American entertainment awards; its equivalents – the Emmy Awards for television, the Tony Awards for theater, and the Grammy Awards for music – are modeled after the Academy Awards.
Popularly known as the Oscars, they are given annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), the awards being an international recognition of excellence in cinematic achievements and artistic and technical merit in the film industry. For a film to be eligible for a nomination to the Academy Awards, it has to last for over 40 minutes, have had a theatrical run in LA, and had the premiere in the past year. From here, the films go to the Academy.
You may wonder what or who exactly is the Academy. The “academy” is just members of the industry, made up of over 9,000 members and organized into 17 different branches, such as actors, casting directors, writers, visual effects, music, executives, etc. There is one more rule, the members of one branch must nominate candidates from that specific category, so actors nominate actors, directors nominate directors, screenwriters nominate screenwriters, and so on. But all the branches are allowed to vote for Best Picture. After everyone nominates, they send those numbers over to Pricewaterhouse Cooper (the accountants for the Academy Awards), also known as PWC. After they put all those numbers into their algorithm, they announce the nominations live on TV. The winners of each category are also decided by the Academy and they are announced on the night of the Oscars, brought in tiny briefcases.
In the end, here are some honorable mentions in the history of the Academy Awards. The most awards won by a single film were 11, for the films Ben-Hur (1959), Titanic (1997), and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003). Walt Disney is the man who has won the most Oscars, in the number of 22 and the most awards obtained by a woman, 8 exactly, were won by Edith Head, all for Costume Design.
As for 2021, after years of criticism for a lack of diversity, this year’s suite of nominees contained some notable firsts. It was the first time an all-Black producing team was nominated for best picture, the first time two actors of Asian descent received a nod for best actor, and the first year that two women were nominated for best director. Chloe Zhao took home the best directing trophy, becoming the second woman to claim the title and the first woman of color. Her film, “Nomadland,” also got the top prize of the night, best picture.
Editor
Verdeata Stefania
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