Awards Categories
Autor: Fisk Project | Publicado: 2011-12-06T10:30:00-08:00



Awards Categories

  Oscar Awards have evolved with passage of time. With time, the number of categories has gone up to quite an extent and even new segments have been added. At the same time, many categories that were earlier a part of Oscars have now been removed. In short, there have many inclusions and exclusions in Oscar categories, according to changing times. Presently, the Academy Awards ceremony has 24 categories, in which winners are announced. Apart from that, yet another set of award, known as the Students Academy Awards, is also presented by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, separately.
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Best Actor in a Leading Role 

  One of the main awards given at the ceremony comprises of 'Best Actor in a Leading Role'. Before the 49th Academy Award ceremony, of 1977, this award was known as the 'Academy Award of Merit for Performance by an Actor'. 

The successful running of a movie depends a lot on the performance of the actor in the leading role. 'Academy Award for Best Actor' is given to acknowledge the caliber of an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance. The nominees for this award are decided by Academy members, who are actors themselves, while the winners are selected by all the Academy members as a whole. 
  




Best Actor in a Supporting Role 

In a movie, there is a character that, though not in the lead, equally bears the responsibility of turning it into a blockbuster. Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor those talented artists who play the supporting role. In this category, the nominations are made by Academy members who are actors themselves, while winners are selected by all the Academy membership, including actors and non actors. Under the system presently in place, an actor is nominated for a specific performance in a single film and such nominations are limited to five per year. 

 Best Actress in a Leading Role 

  Amongst the most popular Oscars is that for 'Best Actress in a Leading Role'. Earlier, this category was known as 'Academy Award of Merit for Performance by an Actress'. 
  
However, from the 49th awards ceremony, it was renamed and the present name came into being. The award acknowledges the performance of actresses who turn a movie into a blockbuster.
  
Best Actress in a Supporting Role 

  Apart from the actress in the lead role, the supporting actresses are also important in a film. These actresses, despite their small performance in a movie, impress the audience with their acting skills. 'Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress' recognizes the skill of these actresses and honors them as well.

















Best Adapted Screenplay 
Oscar for Best-Adapted Screenplay is an important segment of the Academy awards ceremony.
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It is not always possible to have an original story and it has been noticed that a single concept is often repeated in movies, though with a different approach. The skill lies in the fact that a similar concept is modified into a different story. This segment of award is for the people who are endowed with this capability. Apart from that, the award also considers writers who have adapted a novel, play, or short story into a film.&nbsp;&nbsp; 

Best Animated Feature 

It was in the year 2001 that the segment of 'Oscar for Best Animated Feature' award was included in the awards ceremony. It was introduced with the objective of encouraging the people associated with animation industry to increase their production.
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Best Animated Short Film 

The trend of giving the 'Oscar for Best-Animated Short Film' was introduced from the year 1931, during the fifth Academy Award ceremony. During the period of 1931 to 1970, this category was known as "Short Subjects, Cartoons". From 1971 to 1973, it was called “Short Subjects, Animated Films". &nbsp; 
The present title of the category i.e. “Best-Animated Short Film” was adopted in 1974. This category is noteworthy for giving Walt Disney 12 of the 22 Academy Awards, including a posthumous 1968 award, and 10 of its first 12 awards in the category.&nbsp;

&nbsp; Best Art Direction 

'Oscar for Best Art Direction', initially, was given for the interior design in a film. 
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This category has undergone many changes since then. In 1940, a separate category of awards were introduced for color and black &amp; white movies. In 1947, the name of the award was changed to Art Direction - Set Decoration. In 1957, the award became a single award and two years later, the category was again divided in two.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
For 1967, the two awards in this category were recombined into a single award. Later on, the award was renamed as 'Academy Award for Best Art Direction'.&nbsp; 
Best Cinematography 
  'Oscar for Best Cinematography' is presented to those associated with camera and lighting in a film. Explore the winners of this Academy Award.
  
During the initial days of Oscars, the 'Oscar for Best Cinematography' was not tied to a specific film. Rather, all of the work by the nominated cinematographers during the qualifying period was listed after their names. However, the problem in the system became oblivious in the first award ceremony itself. Therefore, the nominations for the category underwent changes. 
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Presently, the 'Academy Award for Best Cinematography' is presented to a cinematographer for his work in one particular motion picture. 

 Best Costume Design 
There are a lot of ingredients, right from the major to the minor ones, that make a film complete. In this context, costumes play an important part in a movie. It is the attire of an individual, decided by the dress designer, which adds to the character portrayed by him/her in the movie. 
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It is not an easy task to design an appropriate dress for all the characters of a film, which reflects their personality perfectly. 'Oscar for Best Costume Design' is an apt way of honoring the individuals who are endowed with the creativity to dress each and every character. The awards ceremony started in 1929, but this category of award was included only in the year 1948. 
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Best Director 
The director of a movie, under whose supervision a movie is made, occupies an important position. He is the person responsible for making things work in the right direction.   
  








 










Best Documentary Feature 
'Oscar for Best Documentary Feature' is for films based on real life.
Hollywood encompasses different types of cinema. Apart from the regular films that appeal to mass taste, many documentary features are also made every year. While regular films are a blend of reality and imagination, documentaries are based on the real life. 
Documentaries can be made in various topics and this genre of films has become increasingly successful amongst the audience.&nbsp;
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Best Foreign Language Film 
 'Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film' is given to a feature-length motion picture, produced outside the United States of America, mainly with a non-English dialogue track. In the initial days of the Academy Awards function, there was no separate category of award for foreign language films. 
  
Between 1947 and 1955, the Academy presented only a Special/Honorary Award to the best foreign language film released in the United States. The award was not given on a regular basis (no award was given in 1953). The selection was a simple procedure and the element of competition was not much prevalent. 
  There were no nominees in the category, simply one winning film per year. However, it was from 1956 (29th Academy Awards) that a competitive award, known as the Best Foreign Language Film Award, was created for non-English speaking films. Since then, it has been awarded annually.
Best Makeup 

Makeup is one of the most essential elements of filmmaking. The film industry abounds in numerous makeup artists, who are engaged in the task of beautifying the performers. 
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Makeup people play a great role in giving the perfect get-up to an actor, suiting the character he/she is playing in a movie. 'Academy Award for Best Makeup' is presented to those individuals who have the artistic flair to make an actor look like his/her character to perfection.  














Best Original Score 

  Oscar for Best Original Score is presented to the best substantial body of music, in the form of thespian underscore, written particularly for the film, by the writer. This segment of award was split into two categories from 1995 to 1998 i.e. Best Original Dramatic Score &amp; Best Original Musical or Comedy Score. Later on, it was merged into a single award.
  


















Best Original Screenplay

The first and foremost requisite for making a film is the story or screenplay. Story is considered the soul of a movie. Only people with creative bent of mind can knit stories worthy to be turned into films.   
Many-a-times, a good story is the prime reason for a movie becoming a blockbuster. 'Oscar for Best Original Screenplay' acknowledges a person belonging to this genre only. This award is given to the best original script i.e. it should not be based upon previously published material. Before 1940, there was only an 'Academy Award for Best Story.'   
In 1940, 'Academy Award for Best Story' and 'Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay' were presented as separate awards. It was in the awards function of 1957 that the two categories were combined to form one award - 'Academy Award For Writing Original Story'.


Best Original Song 

One of the main aspects of a movie comprises of its songs, which, at times, are hummed by people years later also. 'Oscar for Best Original Song' is presented to the talented songwriters of Hollywood. They write songs that are original and related to theme of the movie. 
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'Oscar for Best Original Song' takes into consideration the joint effort of the music director and lyricist, the set of people who have left the audience intoxicated with their music.  








Oscar Award for Best Original Song 



Year   Film   Song   Music   Director Lyricist   
2009Slumdog   MillionarieJai   HoA   R RahmanGulzar
2008   Once"Falling   Slowly" Glen   HansardMarkéta   Irglová
2007An   Inconvenient Truth"I   Need to Wake Up"Melissa   EtheridgeMelissa   Etheridge
2006   Hustle   &amp; Flow"It's   Hard Out Here for a Pimp"Jordan   Houston, Cedric ColemanPaul   Beauregard
2005   The   Motorcycle Diaries"Al   otro lado del río (On The Other Side of the River)"Jorge   DrexlerJorge   Drexler
2004   The   Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King"Into   the West"Fran   Walsh, Howard ShoreAnnie   Lennox
2003   8   Mile"Lose   Yourself"Eminem,   Jeff Bass and Luis RestoEminem
2002   Monsters,   Inc"If   I Didn't Have You"Randy   NewmanRandy   Newman
2001   Wonder   Boys"Things   Have Changed"Bob   DylanBob   Dylan
2000Tarzan"You'll   Be in My Heart"Phil   CollinsPhil   Collins
1999   The   Prince of Egypt"When   You Believe"Stephen   SchStephen   Schwartz
1998Titanic"My   Heart Will Go On"James   HornerWill   Jennings
1997   Evita"You   Must Love Me"Andrew   Lloyd WebberTim   Rice
1996   Pocahontas"Colors   of the Wind"Alan   MenkenStephen   Schwartz
1995The   Lion King"Can   You Feel the Love TonightElton   JohnTim   Rice
1994   Philadelphia"Streets   of Philadelphia"Bruce   SpringsteenBruce   Springsteen
1993Aladdin"A   Whole New World"Alan   MenkenTim   Rice
1992   Beauty   and the Beast"Beauty   and the Beast"Alan   MenkenHoward   Ashman
1991   Dick   Tracy"Sooner   or Later (I Always Get My Man)"StephenSondheimStephenSondheim
 

Best Original Story 
  'Oscar for Best OriginalStory' was an Academy Award that was started from the 1940 ceremony. The Academy continued giving it until 1957, when it was eliminated in favor of the 'Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay'.
    














Best Picture 

Amidst all the categories of Oscar awards, presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), 'Best Picture' is amongst the most important ones. A movie is the outcome of the best collaborative efforts of the producer, director, actors, writers and lots of other artists. &nbsp;  'Oscar for Best Picture' is the only category in which every member of the Academy is eligible not only to vote on the final ballot, but also to nominate entrees. During the event, this category is reserved as the final award and is generally collected on-stage by the film's producer and director. &nbsp; However, it is only the producers who are formally credited with receiving this award.  







Best Sound Editing 

  'Oscar for Best Sound Editing' is granted to a film that has the best or most artistic sound editing or sound design. 'Supervising Sound Editors' of a film are generally presented with this award, at times accompanied by the Sound Designers. 
  
The Sound Department of the Academy, until 2006, uses a "bake-off" of the best films from the preceding year to choose the films to be referred to the full academy, for nomination to this award. This rule was altered on June 30, 2006, the bake-off for the sound branch was abolished and the customary method of a "preferential ballot" submission was started.
Best Sound Mixing 

  Many things go into the making of a film, ranging from non-technical to technical aspects. When deciding the excellence of a film, there are certain important aspects, like the sound quality, which cannot be ignored. 
  
It is very essential for a movie to have a good sound quality, to create the right impact on the audience. 'Oscar for Best Sound Mixing' is an award that recognizes the most euphonic sound mixing or recording in a movie.   
Best Sound Mixing Oscar is generally given to the production sound mixers and re-recording mixers of the winning film.
Best Visual Effects 

  'Oscar for Best Visual Effects' was introduced in the year 1939. Initially, this award was known as the 'Award for Best Special Effects'. Later on, in the award ceremony of 1963, it was divided and two separate categories were created i.e. 'Best Special Visual Effects' and 'Best Sound Effects'. From 1972 onwards, the Academy stopped giving awards for Visual Effects and instead gave 'Special Achievement Awards'. In 1996, the category was again renamed, this time as 'Best Visual Effects'. 
  
Best Visual effects Oscar is given to the films in which the effects artists have created something new and extraordinary. This sort of effect arises out of the superior level of intelligence of the artist. Oscar is the perfect podium of honoring such talented people of the industry.
Live Action Short Film 

  The year 1929 witnessed the dawn of Oscars - the grandest award ceremony of Hollywood. Academy Award ceremony was meant to honor the merit of the people associated with motion picture industry. 
  
The category 'Oscar for Live Action Short Film' was introduced in the year 1932 and till 1935, the terms used for it were "Short Subjects, comedy" and "Short subjects, novelty". Later on, from 1936 to 1956, two separate category of awards was introduced i.e. "Short Subjects, one-reel" and "Short Subjects, two-reel".   A third category "Short Subjects, color" was used only in 1936 and 1937. The name 'Academy Award For Live Action Short Film' was introduced in 1974.