In May of 1927, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was born. Louis Mayer held the first meeting for the group. Today, we often use a shorter title: “The Academy.” In their first meeting, they decided they wanted to award outstanding films and the people who worked on them. The original academy represented five main professions: directors, writers, actors, producers, and technicians. These five branches were represented by that first statue the Academy designed.
But why are the statues called “Oscars?” In the 1930s, one of their workers said the statue looked like her uncle. You can probably guess her uncle’s name: Oscar. While the statues are covered in real gold, the inside is usually made of bronze. Old awards can sell for millions ofdollars, but winners are not supposed to sell them.
The Academy Awards ceremony has taken place every year since 1929. Today, it’s probably the biggest gatheringof Hollywood stars all year. There are also more awards than ever before. For example, there are awards for sound editing and mixing. But the biggest awards haven’t changed—best picture, director, actor, and actress are still the headliners.
