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If you are a member of the film industry, you know there is one major goal. Sure, a film you worked on could earn $100 million and stay at the top of the box office for weeks, and that is fantastic. But, did your film win an Oscar? Was your name in that fancy little envelope? Did you go home with a golden statue? Everyone in the film industry dreams of the day when there name is said after the words “Academy Award Winner”.
And on February 26th, the 84th Annual Academy Awards will air and many actors, directors, producers, and music writers will achieve the goal of being an Oscar winner. As for everyone else, we get to watch at home on TV and stare wide-eyed at the fashion, critique acceptance speeches, and get royally pissed off when our favorite film doesn’t win when we want it to.
But did you know that the first ever Academy Awards wasn’t even on TV? It was held May 16, 1929, at a private brunch at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel with an audience of about 270 people. The cost of guest tickets for that night’s ceremony was a mere $5. Fifteen statuettes were awarded, honoring artists, directors and other personalities of the filmmaking industry of the time for their works during the 1927–1928 period.
At the time, the winners were announced three months prior to the actual ceremony, but that changed the following year. Since then and during the first decade, the results were given to newspapers for publication at 11 pm on the night of the awards. However, in 1941 The Los Angeles Times released the winners before the actual ceremony. From then one, the Academy has used seal envelopes.
The first person to win the award for Best Actor was Emil Jannings, who won for his work in The Last Command and The Way of All Flesh. Jannings was in Europe at the time of the awards, so the Academy gave him his Oscar early, making him the first person ever to win an Oscar. At this time, the honored professionals were awarded for all the work done in a certain category for the qualifying period, which is why he was awarded for two films.
As far as hosts go, Douglas Fairbanks and William C. deMille were the first people to ever host the Oscars. Bob Hope is the most recognized host, after performing the job 17 times. Other notable hosts include Fred Astaire (1951), Jerry Lewis (1956, 1957,1959), Frank Sinatra (1963, 1975), Sammy Davis Jr. (1972, 1975), Jane Fonda (1986), and Chevy Chase (1987, 1988). Billy Crystal is right on Hope’s heels since he has hosted a total of nine times, including this years telecast.
We know everyone is dying to hear who wins for Best Actor and Best Actress, and what film wins for Best Picture, but did you know that there are a bunch of preposed categories that have been rejected? Some include Best Casting (rejected in 1999), Best Stunt Coordination (rejected in 1999 and 2005) as well as Best Title Design (rejected in 1999). There have also been categories that once were used and are now retired. Some include Best Original Story (1928-1956), Best Title Writing (1928 only), Best Dance Direction (1935-1937) and Best Assistant Director (1933-1937).
As for this year, the 84th Annual Academy Awards will air February 26th, on ABC. They will take place at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, California, will honor the films of 2011, and be hosted by Billy Crystal. Check out the nominations below!
Best Picture
The Artist
The Descendants
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
The Help
Moneyball
War Horse
The Tree of Life
Best Actor
Demian Bichir, A Better Life
George Clooney, The Descendants
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Brad Pitt, Moneyball
Best Actress
Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis, The Help
Rooney Mara, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn
Best Supporting Actor
Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Nick Nolte, Warrior
Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Max Von Sydow, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
Best Supporting Actress
Berenice Bejo, The Artist
Jessica Chastain, The Help
Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer, The Help
Best Director
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life
Alexander Payne, The Descendants
Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Best Original Screenplay
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
JC Chandor, Margin Call
Asghar Farhadi, A Separation
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, Bridesmaids
Best Animated Feature
A Cat In Paris
Chico & Rita
Kung Fu Panda 2
Puss in Boots
Rango
Best Foreign Feature
Bullhead
Footnote
In Darkness
Monsier Lazhar
A Separation
Best Art Direction
The Artist
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
War Horse
Best Cinematography
The Artist
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
The Tree of Life
War Horse
Best Makeup
Albert Nobbs
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″
The Iron Lady
Best Music – Original Score
The Adventures of Tintin
The Artist
Hugo
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
War Horse
Best Music – Original Song
“Man or Muppet” from The Muppets Music and Lyric by Bret McKenzie
“Real in Rio” from Rio Music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown Lyric by Siedah Garrett
Best Visual Effects
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo
Real Steel
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
What are your predictions?
