Officially rebranded “The Oscars” in 2013, The Academy Awards is the annual American awards ceremony honouring cinematic achievements in the film industry. The 87th Oscars were awarded last Monday 23rd February (AEST) in the famous Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, with a televised program handing out awards to those recognised for outstanding performances both in front of and behind the camera.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was established in 1927 by Louis B. Mayer of Metro Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) as an organisation to oversee labour disputes in the film industry. Soon the growing group began an annual banquet which was only open to people involved in five branches of the industry: actors, directors, writers, technicians and producers. The group began to move away from labour issues and in 1928 a committee within the organisation had formed the plan of giving “Awards of Merit”. This became an annual event which grew from a couple of hundred members to the approximately 6,000 current members.
Membership in the Academy is by invitation only which comes from the Board of Governors. To be eligible for consideration, they must have had an Oscar nomination or be recommended by an existing member as a significant contributor toward the motion picture industry.
Now the Academy has 17 branches which are:
Best Picture – Birdman (Starring Michael Keaton)
Best Actor – Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything)
Best Actress – Julianne Moore (Still Alice)
Best Director – Alejandro González Iñárritu (Birdman)
Best Supporting Actor – J.K.Simmons (Whiplash)
Best Supporting Actress – Patricia Arquette (Boyhood)
View the full list of this years nominees and winners here.
