The Oscars or Academy Awards were first held on May 16, 1929 in Los Angeles. It is an annual award given by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to honor the expertise and social activism of professionals working in the industry.
Throughout its history to the present day, it is considered the highest award in the film industry. It is also the oldest and has been taken as a model by other awards such as: Grammy -from the music world, which began in 1959-, Emmy -for television, which began in 1949-, and Tony -for theater, which began in 1947.
The first ceremony, held in 1929, was attended by almost 270 people and was presented at a private dinner where about 15 statuettes were awarded for the work done by the professionals during the previous two years - it is currently limited only to the previous year and to films that have been released in a certain period of time. At that time, the winners were announced three months before the celebration, but this was changed after the second ceremony in 1930 where the names of the winners were given to the local U.S. newspaper on the night of the awards ceremony. But since the Los Angeles Time newspaper notified the winners before the gala began, this method was replaced in 1941 with the one we know nowadays: sealed envelopes that are opened during the ceremony.
Who votes to choose the winners? All voters are members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and must be professionals in one of the 17 branches of the industry -actors, directors, screenwriters, costume designers, producers, editors, among others. To become a member of the institution, the person must be proposed by at least two members, with the exception of those who have been nominated and won the statuette. The final decision on whether the member is accepted or not rests with the Board of Governors, and even though they were lifetime members until 2016, this was modified as of that year and became limited to a period of ten years.
As to the participating categories, although new ones were included or have been modified over the years, we can name a few: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, among others.
As a last novelty and to keep up with the changes taking place in the world, the Academy established a new set of rules for films that want to be nominated in the Best Picture category as of the 2024 awards. These rules relate to new models of representation, diversity and inclusion. Standards have been set regarding the existence of a minimum quota required in relation to personnel - technicians, producers, marketing and advertising areas - and issues related to sexual, racial and ethnic differences. "We believe these inclusion standards will be a catalyst for long-lasting, essential change in our industry," said David Rubi, Academy President, in an interview.
Stay tuned for more information!
