The Academy Awards

"I'd like to thank the Academy ..."

When someone says this, the Academy in question is usually the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and the award being accepted, whether seriously or in fun, is one of the most famous awards in the world.

The Academy Awards have been given out since 1929, and movie fans have loved them from the beginning. The very first ceremony was a private affair, but interest was such that the Academy allowed the following year's ceremony to be broadcast on radio, and the ceremony has been broadcast on TV since 1953.

The Academy Awards are commonly called the Oscars. No one knows for sure how the awards got this nickname, though one popular theory says that Margaret Herrick, who eventually became the executive director, said that the golden statuette looked like her uncle Oscar. The name stuck, becoming popular with the press as well as Hollywood, and the Academy started officially using the name in 1939.

As of this writing, the awards are presented in 24 categories (not including the Scientific and Technical Awards, which are given out in a separate ceremony). Up to five nominees may be made in each category, with nominations limited to those actually working in that branch. For instance, a cinematographer can nominate a film for Best Cinematography, but not for Best Visual Effects. The two exceptions to this rule are Best Picture, which anyone can nominate, and Best Foreign Language Picture, which is done by committee.

The Oscar nominations typically are announced in late January, with the ceremony following a month later. This often leads studios to give certain films a limited release in October, November or December, so that they qualify for that year's nominations. Studios also tend to buy lots of advertising in the trade publications and bombard Academy members with material, all with the goal of swaying voters. It may seem like a lot of money to pay for a golden statuette — no money comes with any of the awards — but wins can translate into prestige, higher box office, and choice projects for the directors, actors and other talent involved.

Academy Award Recaps