Academy Award
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Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/BIG4PAPA|BIG4PAPA]] ([[User talk:BIG4PAPA|talk]]) to last version by Duggy 1138
{{Infobox award
| name = Academy Awards
| image = Academy Award Oscar.jpg
| current_awards =
| description = Excellence in [[film|cinema]]tic achievements
| presenter = [[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]]
| country = [[United States]]
| year = [[May 16]], [[1929]] (to honor achievements of 1927/1928)
| website = http://www.oscars.org/
}}
The '''Academy Awards''', popularly known as the '''Oscars''', are awards of merit presented annually by the [[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]] (AMPAS)<ref>{{cite web
|url = http://www.oscars.org/aboutacademyawards/index.html
|title = About the Academy Awards
|publisher = Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
|accessdate = 2007-04-13
}}</ref> to recognize excellence of professionals in the [[film industry]], including directors, actors, and writers. The formal ceremony at which the awards are presented is among the oldest, most prominent, most prestigious, and most watched [[film awards|film award]] ceremonies in the world.{{Fact|date=May 2008}}
The [[1st Academy Awards]] ceremony was held on Thursday, [[May 16]], [[1929]], at the [[Roosevelt Hotel (Hollywood)|Hotel Roosevelt]] in [[Hollywood, California|Hollywood]] to honor outstanding film achievements of 1927 and 1928. It was hosted by actor [[Douglas Fairbanks]] and director [[William C. DeMille]]. The actress [[Anita Page]] is apparently the only known still-living person who attended the first ceremony.{{Fact|date=May 2008}} The [[80th Academy Awards]] ceremonies, hosted by [[Comedy Central]]'s ''[[The Daily Show]]'' host, [[Jon Stewart]], were held on Sunday, [[February 24]], [[2008]], at the [[Kodak Theatre]] in [[Hollywood, Los Angeles, California]].<ref>{{cite news | author= | title=Jon Stewart, Hands Long Tied by Strike, Pedals Fast for Oscars | url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/20/arts/television/20stewart.html?scp=2&sq=jon%20stewart&st=nyt | work=The New York Times | date=[[20 February]] [[2008]] | accessdate=2008-03-19}}</ref>
The [[81st Academy Awards]] honoring the best [[2008 in film|in film for 2008]] will be held on Sunday, [[February 22]] [[2009]] at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.<ref>http://www.oscars.org/press/pressreleases/2008/08.04.14a.html Retrieved 2008-04-16.</ref>
==Oscar statuette==
The official name of the Oscar [[statuette]] is the ''Academy Award of Merit''. Made of [[gold]]-plated [[britannia metal|britannium]] on a black metal base, it is 13.5 in (34 cm) tall, weighs 8.5 lb (3.85 kg) and depicts a [[knight]] rendered in [[Art Deco]] style holding a [[crusade|crusader's]] [[sword]] 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.<ref>{{cite web
|url = http://www.oscar.com/legacy/?pn=statuette
|title = Oscar Statuette: Legacy
|publisher = Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
|accessdate = 2007-04-13
}}</ref> [[MGM]]'s art director [[Cedric Gibbons]], one of the original Academy members, supervised the design of the award [[trophy]] by printing the design on scroll.<ref>{{cite press release
|url = http://www.oscars.org/press/pressreleases/2000/00.05.03.html
|title = Academy to Commemorate Oscar Designer Cedric Gibbons
|publisher = Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
|date= [[3 May]] [[2007]]
|accessdate = 2007-04-13
}}</ref> In need of a model for his statue Gibbons was introduced by his then wife [[Dolores del Río]] to Mexican actor [[Emilio Fernandez|Emilio "El Indio" Fernández]]. Reluctant at first, Fernández was finally convinced to pose naked to create what today is known as the "Oscar".
Then sculptor George Stanley sculpted Gibbons's design in clay, and Alex Smith cast the statue in 92.5 percent [[tin]] and 7.5 percent [[copper]] and then gold-plated it. The only addition to the Oscar since it was created is a minor streamlining of the base. The original Oscar mold was cast in 1928 at the C.W. Shumway & Sons Foundry in [[Batavia, Illinois]], which also contributed to casting the molds for the [[Vince Lombardi Trophy]] and [[Emmy Award]]s statuettes. Approximately 40 Oscars are made each year in [[Chicago, Illinois]] by the manufacturer, [[R.S. Owens]]. If they fail to meet strict quality control standards, the statuettes are cut in half and melted down. In support of the World War II effort between 1942 and 1944, Oscars were made of plaster, to be traded in for golden statuettes after the war. <ref>{{cite web
|url = http://www.oscars.com/legacy/?pn=statuette&page=2
|title = Oscar Statuette: Manufacturing, Shipping and Repairs
|publisher = Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
|accessdate = 2007-04-13
}}</ref>
The root of the name ''Oscar'' is contested. One biography of [[Bette Davis]] claims that she named the Oscar after her first husband, bandleader Harmon Oscar Nelson;<ref>{{cite web
|url = http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000012/bio
|title = Bette Davis biography
|publisher = The Internet Movie Database
|accessdate = 2007-04-13
}}</ref>one of the earliest mentions in print of the term ''Oscar'' dates back to a [[TIME Magazine]] article about the 1934 [[6th Academy Awards]]<ref>[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,747239,00.html "Oscars"], ''[[TIME Magazine]]'', [[March 26]], [[1934]]</ref> and to Bette Davis's receipt of the award in 1936.<ref>{{cite web
|url = http://firstmention.com/oscars.aspx
|title = The Oscars, 1936
|accessdate = 2008-02-17
}}</ref> [[Walt Disney]] is also quoted as thanking the Academy for his Oscar as early as 1932. Another claimed origin is that of the Academy's Executive Secretary, [[Margaret Herrick]]<ref>[http://www.oscar.com/oscarhistory/?pn=statuette OSCAR.com - 80th Annual Academy Awards - Oscar Statuette<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>, who first saw the award in 1931 and made reference to the statuette reminding her of her Uncle Oscar. Columnist Sidney Skolsky was present during Herrick's naming and seized the name in his byline, "Employees have affectionately dubbed their famous statuette 'Oscar'" (Levy 2003). Both ''Oscar'' and ''Academy Award'' are registered trademarks of the Academy, fiercely protected through litigation and threats thereof.
As of the [[80th Academy Awards]] ceremony held in 2008, a total of 2,696 Oscars have been awarded.<ref>{{cite web
|url = http://oscar.com/oscarhistory/?pn=statuette&page=3
|title = Oscar Statuette
|publisher = Academy Awards/ABC
|accessdate = 2008-01-17
}}</ref> A total of 293 [different] actors have won an acting Oscar (including Honorary Awards and Juvenile Awards).
==Academy==
AMPAS, a professional honorary organization, maintains a voting membership of 5,829 as of 2007.<ref>{{cite news | author=Sandy Cohen | title=Academy Sets Oscars Contingency Plan | url=http://news.aol.com/entertainment/story/_a/oscars-contingency-plan/20080130161309990001 | work=AOL News | date=2008-01-30 | accessdate=2008-03-19}}
</ref> Actors constitute the largest voting bloc, numbering 1,311 members (22 percent) of the Academy's composition. Votes for Oscars have been tabulated and certified by the auditing firm [[PricewaterhouseCoopers]] (and its predecessor [[Price Waterhouse]]) for the past 73 annual awards ceremonies.<ref>{{cite news
|url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4769730.stm
|title = The men who are counting on Oscar
|publisher = BBC News
|author = Jackie Finlay
|date= 2006-03-03
|accessdate = 2007-04-13
}}</ref>
All AMPAS members must be invited to join. Invitation comes from the Board of Governors, on behalf of Academy Branch Executive Committees. Membership eligibility may be achieved by a competitive nomination or a member may submit a name based on other significant contribution to the field of motion pictures. Although winning an Academy Award usually results in an invitation to join, membership is not automatic.
New membership proposals are considered annually. The Academy does not publicly disclose its membership, although as recently as 2007 press releases have announced the names of those who have been invited to join. The 2007 release also stated that it has just under 6,000 voting members. While the membership had been growing until 2003, stricter policies have kept its size steady since then.<ref>{{cite web
|url = http://www.oscars.org/press/pressreleases/2007/07.06.18.html
|title = Academy Invites 115 to Become Members
|publisher = Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
|accessdate = 2007-09-04
}}</ref>
Academy membership is divided into 15 branches, representing different disciplines in motion pictures. Members whose work does not fall within one of the branches may belong to a group known as "Members at Large."
==Nominations==
Today, according to Rules 2 and 3 of the official Academy Awards Rules, a film must open in the previous calendar year, from midnight at the start of [[January 1]] to midnight at the end of [[December 31]], in [[Los Angeles County, California]], to qualify.<ref>{{cite web
|url = http://www.oscars.org/78academyawards/rules/rule02.html
|title = Rule Two: Eligibility
|publisher = Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
|accessdate = 2007-04-13
}}</ref> Rule 2 states that a film must be "feature-length", defined as a minimum of 40 minutes, except for short subject awards and it must exist either on a [[35 mm film|35 mm]] or [[70 mm film]] print or on 24 [[frame/s]] or 48 frame/s [[progressive scan]] [[digital film]] print with native resolution not less than [[720p|1280x720]].
The members of the various branches nominate those in their respective fields while all members may submit nominees for Best Picture. The winners are then determined by a second round of voting in which all members are then allowed to vote in most categories, including Best Picture.<ref>{{cite web
|url = http://www.oscars.org/78academyawards/rules/rule05.html
|title = Rule Five: Balloting and Nominations
|publisher = Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
|accessdate = 2007-04-13
}}</ref>
As of the [[79th Academy Awards]], 847 members (past and present) of the [[Screen Actors Guild]] have been nominated for an Oscar (in all categories).
==Award ceremony==
===Telecast===
The major awards are presented at a live televised ceremony, most commonly in February or March following the relevant calendar year, and six weeks after the announcement of the nominees. This is an elaborate extravaganza, with the invited guests walking up the red carpet in the creations of the most prominent [[fashion]] designers of the day. [[Black tie]] dress is the most common outfit for men, although fashion may dictate not wearing a [[bowtie]], and musical performers typically do not adhere to this. (The artists who recorded the nominees for Best Original Song quite often perform those songs live at the awards ceremony, and the fact that they are performing is often used to promote the television broadcast.) The Academy has for several years claimed that the award show has a billion viewers internationally, but this has so far not been confirmed by any independent sources. Neither has the Academy explained how it has reached this figure.
The Academy Awards is televised live across the United States (excluding [[Alaska]] and [[Hawaii]]) and gathers millions of viewers worldwide.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://oscar.com/oscarnight/?pn=internationalbroadcasters|title=International Broadcasters from Oscars.com|publisher = Oscars.com}}</ref> The 2007 ceremony was watched by more than 40 million Americans.<ref>[http://www.nielsen.com/media/2008/pr_080221a.html Nielsen - Press Release: The Nielsen Company's 2008 Guide to the Academy Awards]</ref> Other awards ceremonies (such as the [[Emmy Award|Emmys]], [[Golden Globe Awards|Golden Globes]], and [[Grammy Award|Grammys]]) are broadcast live in the East Coast but are on [[tape delay]] in the West Coast.
The Awards show was first televised on [[NBC]] in 1953. [[NBC]] continued to broadcast the event until 1960 when the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] Network took over, televising the festivities through 1970, after which [[NBC]] resumed the broadcasts. [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] once again took over broadcast duties in 1976; it has contracted to do so through the year 2014.<ref>{{cite press release
|url = http://www.oscars.org/press/pressreleases/2005/05.02.07.html
|title = ABC and Academy Extend Oscar Telecast Agreement
|publisher = Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
|date= 7 February 2005
|accessdate = 2007-04-13
}}</ref>
After more than sixty years of being held in late March or early April, the ceremonies were moved up to late February or early March starting in 2004 to help disrupt and shorten the intense [[For Your Consideration|lobbying and ad campaigns]] associated with Oscar season in the film industry. Another reason was because of the growing TV ratings success of the [[NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship]], which would cut into the Academy Awards audience. The earlier date is also to the advantage of ABC, as it currently usually occurs during the highly profitable and important February [[Nielsen Ratings#"Sweeps"|sweeps]] period. The Awards show holds the distinction of having won the most [[Emmys]] in history, with 38 wins and 167 nominations.<ref>{{cite news
|url = http://goldderby.latimes.com/awards_goldderby/2007/02/index.html
|title = Emmy Loves Oscar
|publisher = Los Angeles Times
|author = Paul Sheehan
|date= 2 February 2007
|accessdate = 2007-04-13
}}</ref>
On [[March 30]], [[1981]], the awards ceremony was postponed for one day after [[Reagan assassination attempt|the shooting]] of [[President of the United States|President]] [[Ronald Reagan]] and others in [[Washington, D.C.]] On [[October 16]], [[2006]], the awards event itself was designated a [[National Special Security Event]] by the [[United States Department of Homeland Security]].
[[Film studio|Movie studios]] are strictly prohibited from advertising films during the broadcast.
Since 2002, celebrities have been seen arriving at the Academy Awards in [[hybrid vehicle]]s;<ref>{{cite news
|url = http://www.usatoday.com/life/2003-03-30-hybrids_x.htm
|title = 'Hybrid' cars were Oscars' politically correct ride
|publisher = USATODAY
|author = Kelly Carter
|date= 2003-03-30
|accessdate = 2007-04-13
}}</ref> during the telecast of the 79th Academy Awards in 2007, [[Leonardo DiCaprio]] and former vice president [[Al Gore]] announced that ecologically intelligent practices had been integrated into the planning and execution of the Oscar presentation and several related events.<ref>{{cite web
|url = http://www.oscars.org/press/pressreleases/2007/07.02.25.html
|title = Academy Statement re: Green Initiative Announcement
|publisher = Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
|date= 25 February 2007
|accessdate = 2007-04-13
}}</ref>
===Ratings===
Critics like Lisa De Moraes from the ''[[Washington Post]]'', Tom O'Neill from the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', and [[Richard Corliss]] from ''[[TIME]]'' have pointed out that the ceremony telecast has an interesting history of unusual up-and-down ratings trend since [[Nielsen Ratings]] were measured for the ceremony since [[39th Academy Awards|1967]] and audience size was recorded since [[46th Academy Awards|1974]].
Historically, the "Oscarcast" pulled in a bigger haul when box-office hits were favored to win the Best Picture trophy. More than 57.25 million viewers tuned to the telecast in [[70th Academy Awards|1998]], the year of ''[[Titanic (1997 film)|Titanic]]'', which generated close to US$500 million at the North American box office pre-Oscars.<ref>[http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2004196530_oscarads23.html Business & Technology | Academy's red carpet big stage for advertisers | Seattle Times Newspaper<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The [[76th Academy Awards]] ceremony in which ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King]]'' (pre-telecast box office earnings of US$368 million) received 11 Awards including Best Picture drew 43.56 million viewers.<ref name="usatoday_oscar">{{cite web | url=http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/movieawards/oscars/2005-01-26-oscar-telecast_x.htm|publisher=[[USA Today]]|title=Oscars lack blockbuster to lure TV viewers | date=[[January 26]], [[2005]] | first=Scott | last=Bowles | accessdate=2006-11-08}}</ref> The most watched ceremony based on [[Nielsen ratings]] to date, however, was the [[42nd Academy Awards]] (Best Picture, ''[[Midnight Cowboy]]'') which drew a 43.4% household rating on [[April 7]], [[1970]].<ref>[http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=chart_pass&charttype=chart_topshowsalltime Charts and Data: Top 100 TV Shows of All Time by ''Variety'']</ref>
By contrast, ceremonies honoring films that have not performed well at the box office tend to show weaker ratings. The [[78th Academy Awards]] which awarded low-budgeted, independent film ''[[Crash (2004 film)|Crash]]'' (with a pre-Oscar gross of US$53.4 million) generated an audience of 38.94 million with a household rating of 22.91%.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2006-03-07-nielsen-analysis_x.htm | title=Low Ratings ''Crash'' Party | publisher = [[USA Today]]}}</ref> More recently, the [[80th Academy Awards]] telecast was watched by 31.76 million viewers on average with a 18.66% household rating, the lowest rated and least watched ceremony to date.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080227/LIFE/802270307 | title=Oscar ratings worst ever | publisher = [[The Washington Post]] }}</ref> The Best Picture winner of that particular ceremony was another low-budget, independently financed film (''[[No Country for Old Men (film)|No Country for Old Men]]''), which generated US$64.3 million prior to the ceremony.
'''Academy Awards ceremonies and ratings''' <ref>{{cite news | author=Scott Bowles | title=Low Oscar Ratings Cue Soul-Searching | url=http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/movieawards/oscars/2008-02-26-oscar-ratings_N.htm | work=USAToday | date=[[26 February]] [[2008]] | accessdate=2008-03-19}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | author=Nikki Finke | title=UPDATE: 39.9 Million Watch 79th Oscars | url=http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/overnights-show-2-nielsen-oscar-ratings | work=Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood Daily | publisher=LA Weekly | date=[[26 February]] [[2007]] | accessdate=2008-03-19}}</ref>
{| class="sortable wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|-
!width="080"|'''Number'''
!width="180"|'''Ceremony'''
!width="150"|'''Date'''
!width="280"|'''Best Picture Winner'''
!width="180"|'''Duration (not running time)'''
!width="150"|'''Number of Viewers'''
!width="080"|'''Rating'''
|-
| 1 || align="center"|[[70th Academy Awards]] || align="center"| [[March 23]] [[1998]] || align="center"|''[[Titanic (1997 film)|Titanic]]'' || align="center"|3 hours, 45 minutes || align="center"|57.25 million || align="center"|35.32
|-
| 2 || align="center"|[[71st Academy Awards]] || align="center"| [[March 21]] [[1999]] || align="center"|''[[Shakespeare in Love]]'' || align="center"|4 hours, 2 minutes || align="center"|45.63 million || align="center"|28.51
|-
| 3 || align="center"|[[72nd Academy Awards]] || align="center"| [[March 26]] [[2000]] || align="center"|''[[American Beauty (film)|American Beauty]]'' || align="center"|4 hours, 4 minutes || align="center"|46.53 million || align="center"|29.64
|-
| 4 || align="center"|[[73rd Academy Awards]] || align="center"| [[March 25]] [[2001]] || align="center"|''[[Gladiator (film)|Gladiator]]'' || align="center"|3 hours, 23 minutes || align="center"|42.93 million || align="center"|25.86
|-
| 5 || align="center"|[[74th Academy Awards]] || align="center"| [[March 24]] [[2002]] || align="center"|''[[A Beautiful Mind (film)|A Beautiful Mind]]'' || align="center"|4 hours, 23 minutes || align="center"|40.54 million || align="center"|25.43
|-
| 6 || align="center"|[[75th Academy Awards]] || align="center"| [[March 23]] [[2003]] || align="center"|''[[Chicago (2002 film)|Chicago ]]'' || align="center"|3 hours, 30 minutes || align="center"|33.04 million || align="center"|20.58
|-
| 7 || align="center"|[[76th Academy Awards]] || align="center"| [[February 29]] [[2004]] || align="center"|''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King]]'' || align="center"|3 hours, 38 minutes || align="center"|43.56 million || align="center"|26.68
|-
| 8 || align="center"|[[77th Academy Awards]] || align="center"| [[February 27]] [[2005]] || align="center"|''[[Million Dollar Baby]]'' || align="center"|3 hours, 14 minutes || align="center"|42.16 million || align="center"|25.29
|-
| 9 || align="center"|[[78th Academy Awards]] || align="center"| [[March 5]] [[2006]] || align="center"|''[[Crash (2004 film)|Crash]]'' || align="center"|3 hours, 33 minutes || align="center"|38.94 million || align="center"|22.91
|-
| 10 || align="center"|[[79th Academy Awards]] || align="center"| [[February 25]] [[2007]] || align="center"|''[[The Departed]]'' || align="center"|3 hours, 51 minutes || align="center"|39.92 million || align="center"|23.65
|-
| 11 || align="center"|[[80th Academy Awards]] || align="center"| [[February 24]] [[2008]] || align="center"|''[[No Country for Old Men (film)|No Country for Old Men]]'' || align="center"|3 hours, 21 minutes || align="center"|31.76 million || align="center"|18.66
|}
==Venues==
The [[1st Academy Awards]] were presented at a banquet dinner at the [[Roosevelt Hotel (Hollywood)|Hotel Roosevelt]] in [[Hollywood, California|Hollywood]]. Subsequent banquet ceremonies in the 1930s and early 40s were held in [[Los Angeles]] at either [[The Ambassador Hotel]] or the [[Millennium Biltmore Hotel|Biltmore Hotel]].
[[Grauman's Chinese Theater]] in Hollywood then hosted the awards from 1944 to 1946, followed by the [[Shrine Auditorium]] in Los Angeles from 1947 to 1948. The [[21st Academy Awards]] in 1949 were held at the Academy Award Theater at the Academy's then-headquarters on Melrose Avenue in Hollywood.<ref>{{cite web
|url = http://www.oscars.org/aboutacademyawards/venues.html
|title = Oscars Award Venues
|publisher = Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
|accessdate = 2007-04-13
}}</ref>
From 1950 to 1960, the awards were presented at Hollywood's [[Pantages Theatre (Hollywood)|Pantages Theater]]. The Oscars then moved to the [[Santa Monica Civic Auditorium]] in [[Santa Monica, California]] in 1961. By 1969, the Academy decided to move the ceremonies back to Los Angeles, this time at the [[Dorothy Chandler Pavilion]] in the [[Los Angeles Music Center]]. The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion hosted 19 consecutive Oscar ceremonies until 1988, when the Academy started to alternate between the Music Center and the Shrine Auditorium.
In 2002, Hollywood's [[Kodak Theater]] became the first permanent home of the awards. It is connected to the [[Hollywood and Highland|Hollywood & Highland Center]], which contains <span style="white-space:nowrap">640,000 square feet (59,000 m²)</span> of space including retail, restaurants, nightclubs, other establishments and a six-screen cinema. In fact, the Grand Staircase columns at the [[Kodak Theater]] showcase every movie that has won the Best Picture title since the first Academy Awards in 1929.
==Criticism==
Critics have noted that many Best Picture Academy Award winners in the past have not stood the test of time. Several of these films, such as ''[[Around the World in 80 Days (1956 film)|Around the World in 80 Days]]'', ''[[Grand Hotel (film)|Grand Hotel]]'' and [[Cecil B. DeMille]]'s ''[[The Greatest Show on Earth]]'' are often considered to have aged poorly and to have little of the impact they had on their initial release.<ref>{{cite news
|url = http://www.moviecitynews.com/columnists/pratt/2004/around_world_80_56.html
|title = Reviewed: Around the World in 80 Days
|publisher = Movie City News
|author = Douglas Pratt
|date= [[22 June]] [[2004]]
|accessdate = 2007-04-13
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url = http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/greatest_show_on_earth/
|title = The Greatest Show on Earth
|publisher = rottentomatoes
|accessdate = 2007-04-13
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19721221/REVIEWS/212210301/1023
|title = Reviewed: The Poseidon Adventure
|publisher = rogerebert.com
|author = Roger Ebert
|quote = Ebert disliked the film and claims that it contains 'More clichés than ''Grand Hotel'' '.
|date= 1972-12-21
|accessdate = 2007-04-13
}}</ref> Several films that currently have wide critical approval were not named Best Picture, such as the highly acclaimed ''[[Citizen Kane]]'', directed by [[Orson Welles]]; and ''[[Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb]]'', ''[[A Clockwork Orange (film)|A Clockwork Orange]]'', and ''[[Barry Lyndon]]'' all directed by [[Stanley Kubrick]],<ref>{{cite web
|url = http://www.filmsite.org/noawards.html
|title = Academy Awards Mistakes and Omissions
|publisher = filmsite.org
|author = Tim Dirks
|accessdate = 2007-04-13
}}</ref> as well as [[The Shawshank Redemption]] directed by [[Frank Darabont]], and ''[[Pulp Fiction (film)|Pulp Fiction]]'', directed by [[Quentin Tarantino]].
It has been suggested that actors are at a disadvantage in [[comedy]] roles, as relatively few acting awards have been given for performances in films considered primarily comedic. [[Jack Black]], [[John C. Reilly]], and [[Will Ferrell]] joked about this at the [[79th Academy Awards]] ceremony.
<ref>
{{cite news
|url = http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/specials/1999/oscars/critic
|title = Pulling for 'Shakespeare in Love'
|quote = ...comedic roles rarely win.
|publisher = CNN
|author = Paul Clinton
|date= 1999
|accessdate = 2007-04-13
}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
|url = http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/movieawards/oscars/2004-01-27-oscar-cover-story_x.htm
|title = Can the favorites go on to win?
|publisher = USA TODAY
|author = Scott Bowles; Claudia Puig; Susan Wlosczcyna
|date= 2004-02-02
|accessdate = 2007-04-13
}}
</ref>
Nonetheless, each of the acting categories boasts notable examples of Oscar-winning performances in comedic roles. These include Best Actors [[James Stewart (actor)|James Stewart]] in ''[[The Philadelphia Story]]'' and [[Jack Nicholson]] in ''[[As Good as It Gets]]''; Best Actresses [[Judy Holliday]] in ''[[Born Yesterday]]'', [[Glenda Jackson]] in ''[[A Touch of Class]]'' and [[Helen Hunt]] in ''[[As Good as It Gets]]''; Best Supporting Actors [[Jack Lemmon]] in ''[[Mister Roberts (film)|Mister Roberts]]'', [[Alan Arkin]] in ''[[Little Miss Sunshine]]'' and [[Kevin Kline]] in ''[[A Fish Called Wanda]]''; and Best Supporting Actresses [[Josephine Hull]] in ''[[Harvey]]'', [[Marisa Tomei]] in ''[[My Cousin Vinny]]'', [[Goldie Hawn]] in ''[[Cactus Flower]]'' and [[Jessica Lange]] in ''[[Tootsie]]''.
Studios also lobby heavily for their films to be considered, leading to the complaint that nominations and awards may be largely a result of this lobbying rather than the quality of the material.<ref>{{cite news
|url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/film/2756515.stm
|title = How Bafta moved with the times
|publisher = BBC News
|author = Rebecca Thomason
|quote = Aggressive studio lobbying still appears the most powerful indicator of what movie's likely to luck out at the Oscars, not what the British Academy have deemed award-worthy.
|date= 2003-02-21
|accessdate = 2007-04-13
}}</ref>
Since the Oscars have become more popular in recent years, a great deal of film writing on the internet has been disporportionately focused towards the Oscar race. The web sites center around Oscar "buzz" and invite the readers to speculate throughout the year over which films might get selected. Even official media outlets such as the ''[[LA Times]]'' and ''[[Toronto Star]]'' have joined the trend and launched their own websites<ref>http://sophomorecritic.blogspot.com/2008/03/oscars-becoming-too-predictable.html</ref>.
==Award categories==
[[Image:BobHopegettingOscar.jpg|thumb|Although never even nominated for a competitive Oscar for any of his acting performances, comedian [[Bob Hope]] received five honorary Oscars for contributions to cinema and humanitarian work.]]
===Academy Awards of Merit===
====Current Awards====
;Production
* [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]]: 1927 to present
* [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]]: 1927 to present
* [[Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay|Best Original Screenplay]]: 1940 to present
* [[Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay|Best Adapted Screenplay]]: 1927 to present
;Acting
* [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor in a Leading Role]]: 1927 to present
* [[Academy Award for Best Actress|Best Actress in a Leading Role]]: 1927 to present
* [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Actor in a Supporting Role]]: 1936 to present
* [[Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role|Best Actress in a Supporting Role]]: 1936 to present
;Technical production
* [[Academy Award for Best Art Direction|Best Art Direction]]: 1927 to present
* [[Academy Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography]]: 1927 to present
* [[Academy Award for Film Editing|Best Film Editing]]: 1935 to present
;Sound and visual effects
* [[Academy Award for Visual Effects|Best Visual Effects]]: 1939 to present
* [[Academy Award for Sound|Best Sound Mixing]]: 1930 to present
* [[Academy Award for Sound Effects Editing|Best Sound Editing]]: 1963 to present
;Music
* [[Academy Award for Best Original Song|Best Original Song]]: 1934 to present
* [[Academy Award for Original Music Score|Best Original Score]]: 1934 to present
;Costume and makeup
* [[Academy Award for Costume Design|Best Costume Design]]: 1948 to present
* [[Academy Award for Makeup|Best Makeup]]: 1981 to present
;Animation
* [[Academy Award for Best Animated Feature|Best Animated Feature]]: 2001 to present
* [[Academy Award for Animated Short Film|Best Animated Short Film]]: 1931 to present
;Documentary
* [[Academy Award for Documentary Feature|Best Documentary Feature]]: 1943 to present
* [[Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject|Best Documentary Short Subject]]: 1941 to present
;Other
* [[Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film|Best Foreign Language Film]]: 1947 to present
* [[Academy Award for Live Action Short Film|Best Live Action Short Film]]: 1931 to present
====Retired category====
* [[Academy Award for Best Assistant Director|Best Assistant Director]]: 1933 to 1937
* [[Academy Award for Best Dance Direction|Best Dance Direction]]: 1935 to 1937
* [[Academy Award for Engineering Effects|Best Engineering Effects]]: 1927/1928 only
* Best Score—Adaptation or Treatment
* Best Original Musical or Comedy Score: 1995 to 1999
* [[Academy Award for Best Short Film - Color|Best Short Film—Color]]: 1936 and 1937
* [[Academy Award for Best Short Film - Live Action - 2 Reels|Best Short Film—Live Action—2 Reels]]: 1936 to 1956
* [[Academy Award for Short Film - Novelty|Best Short Film—Novelty]]: 1932 to 1935
* [[Academy Award for Best Story|Best Original Story]]: 1927 to 1956
* [[Academy Award for Unique and Artistic Production|Best Unique and Artistic Quality of Production]]: 1927/1928 only
* [[Academy Award for Best Title Writing|Best Title Writing]]: 1927/1928 only
In the first year of the awards, the Best Director category was split into separate Drama and Comedy categories. At times, the Best Original Score category has been split into separate Drama and Comedy/Musical categories. Today, the Best Original Score category is one category. From the 1930s through the 1960s, the Cinematography, Art Direction, and Costume Design awards were split into separate categories for black and white and color films.
====Proposed categories====
The Board of Governors meets each year and considers other new categories. To date, the following proposed awards have not been approved:
*Best Casting: rejected in 1999<!--reference to suite101.com removed, blacklisted site-->
*Best Stunt Coordination: rejected in 1999<!--reference to suite101.com removed, blacklisted site-->; rejected in 2005<ref>{{cite news | url=http://theenvelope.latimes.com/movies/env-fi-stunts4aug04,0,3864314.story?coll=env-movies | title=One stunt they've been unable to pull off| publisher=Los Angeles Times | author=Michael Hiltzik | date=2005-08-04 | accessdate=2007-04-13}}</ref>
*Best Title Design: rejected in 1999<!--reference to suite101.com removed, blacklisted site-->
===Special categories===
These awards are voted on by special committees, rather than by the Academy membership as a whole, but the individual selected to receive the special award may turn down the offer.
====Current special categories====
* [[Academy Honorary Award]]: 1927 to present
* [[Academy Special Achievement Award]]
* [[Academy Award, Scientific or Technical]]: 1931 to present (at three levels of awards)
* [[The Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award]]: 1938 to present
* [[The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award]]
* [[Gordon E. Sawyer Award]]
====Retired special categories====
* [[Academy Juvenile Award]]: 1934 to 1960
* [[DAM Technology Award]]: 1936 to 1937
== See also ==
* [[List of Academy Award records]]
* [[List of Academy Award-winning films]]
* [[List of Academy Awards ceremonies]]
* [[List of actors who have appeared in multiple Best Picture Academy Award winners]]
* [[List of Asian Academy Award winners and nominees]]
* [[List of "Big Five" Academy Award winners and nominees]]
* [[List of Black Academy Award winners and nominees]]
* [[List of films receiving six or more Academy Awards]]
* [[List of oldest and youngest Academy Award winners and nominees]]
* [[List of people who have won multiple Academy Awards in a single year]]
* [[List of presenters of Best Picture Academy Award]]
* [[List of Puerto Rican Academy Award winners and nominees]]
* [[List of superlative Academy Award winners and nominees]]
* [[Little Golden Guy]]
* [[List of fictitious Academy Award nominees]]
==Bibliography==
* Cotte, Olivier (2007) ''Secrets of Oscar-winning animation: Behind the scenes of 13 classic short animations.'' Focal Press. ISBN 978-0240520704
* Gail, K. & Piazza, J. (2002) ''The Academy Awards the Complete History of Oscar.'' Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, Inc. ISBN 157912240X
* Levy, Emanuel (2003) ''All About Oscar: The History and Politics of the Academy Awards.'' Continuum, New York. ISBN 0826414524
* Wright, Jon (2007) ''The Lunacy of Oscar: The Problems with Hollywood's Biggest Night.'' Thomas Publishing, Inc.
==References==
{{Reflist|2}}
==External links==
{{Wiktionary|Academy Awards}}
{| class=infobox style="background:transparent;"
|-
|[[Image:Oscar icon yellow.svg|center|8px]]||'''''[[Portal:Academy Award|Academy Awards Portal]]'''''
|-
| [[Image:Film reel.svg|20px]] || '''''[[Portal:Film|Film Portal]]'''''
|-
|[[Image:Commons-logo.svg|15px]]||Media and images from '''''[[commons:Category:Academy Awards|Commons]]'''''
|}
<!-- Please do not list any more fan sites here as per [[WP:NOT]] -->
* [http://www.oscars.org/ Oscars.org] (official Academy site)
* [http://www.oscar.com/ Oscar.com] (official ceremony promotional site)
* [http://www.oscars.org/awardsdatabase/index.html The Academy Awards Database] (official site)
* [http://movies.aol.com/oscars-academy-awards Oscars Photos] ([[Moviefone]])
* {{imdb award|Academy_Awards_USA}}
* [http://www.aggdata.com/awards/oscar Complete Downloadable List of Academy Award Nominees]
* [http://www.filmsite.org/oscars.html Filmsite.org] (comprehensive Academy Awards history)
* [http://www.madhusudhan.info/misc/oscars/ Link to DVD list of all Best Picture Winners]
*[http://www.time.com/time/archive/collections/0,21428,c_oscars,00.shtml A TIME Archives Collection of the Academy's influence on American Culture]
*[http://www.youtube.com/oscars The Oscars] at [[YouTube]] (operated by the [[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]])
{{Academy Awards}}
{{CinemaoftheUS}}
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