When and Why Oscar Awards was Started?
Oscar Awards officially known as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) is film awards done yearly to acknowledge good work done in the films. It is widely recognized as the most prestigious awards event in the film business, attracting millions of spectators worldwide. Below you will find information on When and Why Oscar Awards was Started?
In 1927, Louis B. Mayer, the CEO of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), suggested the concept for the Academy Awards. Mayer thought that the film business, like other industry, needed to develop a system of recognition to celebrate the greatest in cinema. He pitched the concept to the leaders of the big studios, who agreed to form a committee to manage the awards event.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) was established in 1927. The group had 36 members, all of whom were well-known professionals in the film business. The AMPAS was in charge of monitoring the Academy Awards ceremony and ensuring that it was fair and unbiased.
On May 16, 1929, the inaugural Academy Awards ceremony was held at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles, California. The event was tiny, with only 270 people in attendance. The winners were revealed three months before the event, in February 1929, and the ceremony was solely to commemorate the victors.
Douglas Fairbanks, who was also the president of the AMPAS at the time, hosted the ceremony. Academy President William C. DeMille, the brother of director Cecil B. DeMille, announced the awards. Just twelve categories were recognised during the first awards presentation, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Actress.
Wings was the first film to win the Best Picture Oscar. The picture, directed by William A. Wellman, starring Clara Bow and Buddy Rogers in a World War One drama. The film was largely recognised as a pioneering achievement in cinema due to its realistic representation of aerial warfare.
The first ever Oscars was given by judges chosen by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The judges were told to base their votes on the films’ artistic value rather than their monetary success. This was a break from the customary approach to film awards, which traditionally rewarded films with strong box office performance.
The Academy Awards have grown and altered over time in response to the shifting environment of the film business. The awards event used to be a tiny, personal occasion attended exclusively by industry insiders. Currently, the ceremony is a big media event viewed by millions of people worldwide.
The Academy Awards have likewise grown to include more categories. Initially, the awards event acknowledged just a few categories, such as Best Film and Best Director. Other categories were introduced throughout time to acknowledge accomplishments in fields like as acting, screenplay, and technical filmmaking.
The Academy Awards have not been without controversy, despite its lengthy history and distinction. The lack of diversity among nominations and winners has been a common source of criticism, with many claiming that the awards favour films created and starring white men. In recent years, the AMPAS has made attempts to address this issue, including boosting the diversity of its membership and broadening the pool of eligible voters.
Finally, the Academy Awards were established in 1929 to recognize the greatest in the film business. Louis B. Mayer, the CEO of MGM, created the Oscars because he thought that the film business needed a system of recognition that would celebrate the greatest in cinema. The AMPAS was established to administer the awards event, with the inaugural presentation taking place in May 1929.