The Inaugural Academy Awards
It's been quite a long time since the first Academy Awards took place back in 1929 and, as can be expected, a lot has changed since. Unlike the thousands of attendees today and millions watching around the world, the inaugural ceremony hosted a modest 270 guests at the Roosevelt Hotel's Blossom Room. For $5, guests could attend the 15-minute ceremony. However, aside from watching winners accept their awards, there wasn't much of a surprise as award recipients had been announced three months earlier. The winning actors and actress also did not win for a specific project, but for all the films they had starred in over the course of that year. The original ceremony consisted of 12 categories—half of the current 24.
The Sealed Envelopes Are Born
From the second ceremony until 1940, the Academy kept the winners a secret, but gave newspapers an advanced list of the winners to publish at 11 p.m. that night. However, when The Los Angeles Times published the list in its evening edition—available to guests arriving to the ceremony—the sealed envelope system we know today was born.
The Award Goes to...Me!
Ever wonder why nominees don't present their own category? Well, for one thing, it can be quite awkward. During the third-ever Academy Awards, the show faced that problem for the first—and last—time when Norma Shearer presented and subsequently won the Best Actress category for her performance in The Divorcee.
Recognizing the Support
It wasn't until the 9th Academy Awards in 1937 that the Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress categories were introduced. Walter Brennan and Gale Sondergaard were the first to take home the statues in those categories for their performances in Come and Get It and Anthony Adverse respectively.
Costumes Worthy of an Award
The men and women behind our favorite characters' costumes were not honored at the Academy Awards until the 1949 Oscars, when the category for Best Costume Design was introduced. At the time, there were separate categories for black-and-white films and color films. The two merged as one at the 1968 ceremony.
The Oscars Come Into Your Home
The first Academy Award ceremony was the only ceremony not to be broadcasted in some fashion. The second ceremony aired live on a Los Angeles radio station. By 1953, the Oscars were televised live throughout the United States and Canada. In 1966, the show was broadcasted for the first time in color and three years later, was broadcasted for the first time internationally.
An Award for All Languages
Between1947 and 1956, foreign language films were honored with Special Achievement Awards. Then, at the 29th Academy Awards in 1957, the Best Foreign Language Film category was born, paving the way for wins for films such as Cinema Paradiso, Life Is Beautiful and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
Movies Take on New Shapes
As the style of film has evolved, so have the Oscars. As years have passed, the ceremony has found ways to honor black and white films, films in color and, by 2002, animated films. At the 74th Academy Awards, Shrek took home the first recurring honor for animated film.
A Milestone Moment for Diversity
After 89 ceremonies, the 2017 Oscars was the first to feature a black actor or actress nominated in every acting category.