Academy Awards: History and Key Facts

The Academy Awards, more commonly known as the Oscars, are awards based on artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence in cinematic achievements around the world, as assessed by the Academy's voting membership. The Oscars are widely considered to be the most prestigious awards in the film industry, predominantly centered around films produced in Hollywood.

The major award categories, known as the Academy Awards of Merit, are presented during a live televised Hollywood ceremony in February or March. It is the longest running worldwide entertainment awards ceremony. The 1st Academy Awards were held in 1929. The second ceremony, in 1930, was the first to be broadcast by radio, and the 1953 ceremony was the first to be televised. It is the oldest of the four major annual American entertainment awards. Its counterparts — the Emmy Awards for television, the Tony Awards for Broadway theatre, and the Grammy Awards for music — are modeled after the Academy Awards. The Oscar statuette depicts a knight, rendered in the Art Deco style.

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