The Academy awards are also known as the Oscars. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry.
They include directors, actors, writers and film technicians like editors, sound engineers and music composers. The Awards are presented at a formal ceremony which is one of the most high – profile film award ceremonies in the world. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences itself was conceived by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio boss, Louis B. Mayer. The 1st Academy Awards ceremony was held on Thursday, May 16, 1929, at the Hotel Roosevelt in Hollywood. It was hosted by actor, Douglas Fairbanks, and director, William C. de Mille.
The 81st Academy Awards for the year 2008 was held on Sunday, February 22, 2009, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood with actor Hugh Jackman hosting the ceremony for the first time. British director, Danny Boyle’s film ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ swept the 2008 Oscar awards in eight categories. The film was shot in India and featured Indian actors. It won the Oscars for best film, best original score, best screenplay, best song, and best sound mixing among others. Music composer A.R. Rahman won two Oscars. Lyricist Gulzar won it for best song and Resul Pookkutty won it for sound mixing.
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Since the first year, the awards have been publicly broadcast, at first by radio. It began to be telecast after 1953. During the first decade the results were released to newspapers for publication at 11 p.m. on the night of the awards. This method was given up when the Los Angeles Times played spoilsport by announcing the winners before the ceremony began.
Because of this, the Academy began using a sealed envelope which held the names of the winners. Since 2002, the awards have been broadcast from the Kodak Theatre. The official name of the Oscar statuette is the Academy Award of Merit. Made of gold- plated britannium on a black metal base, it depicts a knight holding a crusader’s sword standing on a reel of film with five spokes.
The five spokes symbolize the original branches of the Academy: Actors, Writers, Directors, Producers, and Technicians. For those in the film industry, getting an Oscar has come to represent the pinnacle of achievement in their careers.