Academy Awards

The Academy Awards, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in the United States, recognize cinematic excellence. Major categories are presented during a live ceremony in February or March. The statuette depicts an Art Deco knight holding a sword on a film reel whose five spokes represent the Academy's original branches.

The first presentation took place on May 16, 1929 at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel for an audience of about 270 people, running for 15 minutes. Fifteen statuettes were awarded for works from 1927 to 1928. Emil Jannings received the prize early, becoming the first recipient, while Janet Gaynor won the first Best Actress award for three films.

In 1941, the Academy began using sealed envelopes to reveal winners after a newspaper published results early. The ceremony broadcast expanded from radio in 1930 to television in 1953. New categories followed, including Best Foreign language film at the 20th ceremony and Best Animated Feature, won by Shrek at the 74th ceremony in 2002.

The 93rd ceremony was held on April 25, 2021 without a host, broadcast on ABC from the Dolby Theatre and Union Station. Due to the pandemic, streaming films were eligible. Parasite won Best Picture on February 9, 2020. The presentation will move from network television to YouTube in 2029.