The Oscars are prestigious awards for superior motion picture work, awarded annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). They seek to reward the best work in all technical, production, and performance aspects, regardless of genre or monetary success. The nomination and selection process is carried out with great care by AMPAS members. The awards show is a spectacular televised event celebrating cinema and Hollywood glamour, with a host or master of ceremonies leading the show. The Oscars are controversial, but they remain popular and are considered a true sign of having made it to Hollywood.
The Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, are honors for superior motion picture work determined annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). They are considered by many to be the most meritorious award in the film business and are highly sought after by nearly everyone in the film community. The Oscars were first awarded in 1929 and have since become the grande dame of film award ceremonies.
The Oscars seek to reward the best work in all technical, production and performance aspects. Nominated films or works are generally considered groundbreaking or outstanding, and an Oscar nomination can be a huge boost to a career, regardless of who actually wins the statue. Yet box office success is no guarantee of nominations; Oftentimes, action, fantasy, and sci-fi films are overlooked for performance awards despite high revenues. Ideally, awards are given for quality, regardless of genre or monetary success.
As a prestigious and important award, the nomination and selection process for the Oscars is carried out with great care. AMPAS is made up of invited members, usually those with successful and significant film careers. Any film that meets the basic qualifying requirements can be nominated for an Academy Award category by the AMPAS members of the respective field, but all members can nominate and vote for the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Since 1953, the Oscars telecast has been a spectacular televised event celebrating cinema and Hollywood glamour. Millions of fans tune in every year to watch movie stars walk the red carpet, often sporting custom designer gowns and astonishingly expensive jewelry. The pre-show has become nearly as popular as the awards show themselves, with every major fashion and entertainment magazine covering the star arrivals.
The awards show itself uses a host or master of ceremonies to lead the show. In 1929, the first guests were legendary director Cecil B. DeMille and actor Douglas Fairbanks. In recent years, the host is usually a comedian or well-known comic actor. Johnny Carson, Billy Crystal, Robin Williams, Whoopi Goldberg, and Ellen Degeneres have all done the honors over the years, providing comic relief amid the sometimes stiff awards presentations.
The Oscars are controversial among many movie buffs. Some believe the awards could turn into a popularity contest or a way to gain or use Hollywood influence. Many point out that great comedy performances are often ignored in the acting categories, and Best Picture winners often become dim memories. Others argue that the awards divert technical achievement categories into a separate ceremony, aiming for glamor rather than merit. While that last point certainly has merit, it’s hard to argue that this is a broadcast that often runs longer than four hours.
The Academy Awards are a true and concrete sign of having made it to Hollywood. Despite a decline in viewership in recent years, the show remains popular. The appeal of awards is undeniable: the entire experience is filled with fantastic elements, as anyone who has ever practiced acceptance speech in the shower can tell you.
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