Oscars
Academy Award® Winners
The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are presented annually by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry.
The awards honor films released during the previous 12 month calendar year. The award ceremony is most commonly held in February or March following the relevant calendar year, about six weeks after the nominations. The 5,000-plus members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences select the nominees and then vote for the winners via secret ballot.
The award itself is a gold-plated statuette which depicts a knight holding a crusader’s sword and standing on a reel of film with five spokes. The five spokes each represent the original branches of the Academy: Actors, Writers, Directors, Producers, and Technicians.
The first Academy Awards were presented on May 16, 1929, at a private brunch in Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel with an audience of about 270 people. Today, the ceremony is an elaborate extravaganza, with the main awards televised world-wide during one of the most prominent award ceremonies on Earth.
Best Actor in a Lead Role
Best Actress in a Lead Role
Best Motion Picture of the Year