The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are the best-known movie awards in the United States. The awards have been given by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences since 1929. The awards ceremony takes place each year in late February or early March in Los Angeles, California.

History
At the end of the 1920s, the American film industry was in a crisis. When the radio was invented, people didn't go to the cinema as often as they used to. The owners of the studios had problems. They had to pay the workers a good salary, but that was impossible at that time. Many people fought for a good salary and a good working time.

The director of the successful Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer-Studios, Louis B. Mayer met two good friends because he wanted to speak about the problem.

Oscar statue

Naming
In the first years of the award, the trophy was called the Academy Award of Merit. The godfather of the name Oscar is not clear. It is certain, that the name was used in 1931. There may be four people, who could be the godparents. The former board secretary of the academy Margaret Herrick said: "He looks like my uncle Oscar!". Bette Davis said that he looks like my first husband Harmon "Oscar" Nelson. The film columnist Sidney Skolsky said, that he is the name-giver, and the fourth person was Walt Disney.

It is said that Oscar is not the official name of the statue. But the nickname is trademark-protected.

Trophy
The statue is around 13 ½ inches tall and weighs about 8½ pounds.

Categories 
Current Awards

 Best Picture – since 1928
 Best Actor – since 1928
 Best Actress –since 1928
 Best Supporting Actor – since 1936
 Best Supporting Actress – since 1936
 Best Animated Feature – since 2001
 Best Art Direction – since 1928(also called Interior or Set Decoration)
 Best Cinematography – since 1928
 Costume Design – since 1948
 Directing  since 1928
 Documentary Feature since 1943
 Documentary Short Subject since 1941
 Film Editing – since 1935
 Best Foreign Language Film – since 1947
 Makeup – since 1981
 Original Music Score- since 1934
 Best Song- since 1934
 Animated Short Film – since 1931
 Live Action Short Film since 1931
 Academy Award for Sound Mixing since 1930
 Best Sound Effects Editing – since 1963
 Best Visual Effects – since 1939
 Best Adapted Screenplay – since 1928
 Best Original Screenplay – since 1940
 Academy Award, Scientific or Technical – since 1931, presented at three levels

Retired Awards

 Best Assistant Director – 1933 to 1937
 Best Dance Direction – 1935 to 1937
 Comedy Direction – 1928 only
 Engineering Effects – 1928 only
 Academy Award for Best Original Music or Comedy Score - 1995-1999
 Academy Award for Best Original Story – 1928 to 1956
 Academy Award for Best Score- Adaptation or Treatment – 1962 to 1962 and 1973
 Best Short Film - Color – 1936 and 1937
 Best Short Film - Live Action - 2 Reels – 1936 to 1956
 Short Film - Novelty – 1932 to 1935
 Best Title Writing – 1928 only
 Unique and Artistic Production – 1928 only

Records

The most successful films

Gone with the Wind from the year 1939 was the most successful film for a long time with ten Oscars. Then, in 1960, Ben-Hur won eleven Oscars. In 1998 Titanic also won eleven Oscars, so they were in a tie. Six years later, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King won eleven Oscars.

The five categories best picture, best director, best actor, best actress and best Original Screenplay are the most important categories and they are called the Big Five. There are only three films that won all these categories: It Happened One Night, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and The Silence of the Lambs.All About Eve, Titanic'' and la la land had 14 nominations. This is the nomination record.

The most successful filmworkers
Katharine Hepburn (1907–2003) has the most awards as a performer with 4 Oscars in the category of 'Best Actress'. Meryl Streep has the most nominations as performers with 21 Oscar nominations. Jack Nicholson, Daniel Day-Lewis, and Walter Brennan (1894–1974) have three Academy Awards each, the most for men. Nicholson also has the nomination record for men with 12 nominations. The person who has the most Academy Awards is Walt Disney (1901–1966) with 26, including 4 Honorary Oscars and he has 37 nominations. Moreover, he won 4 awards in 1954, so he got the most awards in one year. The woman, who has the most Oscars is the costume designer Edith Head (1897–1981). She has 8 Oscars and 27 nominations. The living people with the most Oscars are the composer Alan Menken (8 Oscars) and special effects artist Dennis Muren (8 Oscars for best visual effects, plus one for technical achievement and 15 nominations). The cartoon characters Tom and Jerry are the cartoon movie stars with have the most awards with 7.

Other websites 

 
 
 Website of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
 Official Academy Awards Database (searchable)
 .