The Oscars, also known as the Academy Awards, are an annual awards ceremony. Awards are given out for cinematic excellence. The awards ceremony is held by the Academy of Motio
…n Picture Arts and Sciences They are annual awards given out for excellence in cinema. The first ceremony was in 1929, and it only lasted 15 mins. Nowadays, the ceremony, which usually takes place in February or March, honouring films released in the preceding year, lasts around 3 hours! To win an Academy Award is considered one of the greatest honours for actors, directors, writers and filmakers in general. Previous winners include Bette Davis, Katharine Hepburn, Jack Nicholson, Steven Spielberg, Robert de Niro, Meryl Streep, Sam Mendes, and, more recently, Kate Winslet, Kathryn Bigelow and George Clooney. This is by no means a definitive list; there are thousands more. The Academy Award is an award given to a motion picture in one of many categories. The "academy" in this case is the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences based in Hollywood, CA. This Academy was founded January 11, 1927 and included the biggest names in the film industry at the time. The Award is a golden statue which has been nicknamed the Oscar. These awards are voted upon every January by the members of the Academy and are announced and awarded in a televised program in the United States. For further information on the history of the Academy, see the link. The academy award or Oscars is the most prestigious awards presented to the entertianment industry. Currently as of 2010, it has held 81 award ceromonies in the past and is watched by billions of people at home. The academy award recognizes oustanding performance in the entertainment industry awarded to categories such as best picture, best leading actress, best supporting actor, best original score, best sound editing, best director and many many more. The Oscars or the Academy Awards are an annual award ceremony to accolade incredibly good works in the film industry. There are prestigious awards for director, actors, and writers and much more. It is one of the most prominent award ceremonies in the world and is broadcasted in more than 200 countries annually. It is also the oldest award ceremony in the media. The Academy Awards (Oscars) are about a couple of things: first, on the surface, they are about HONORING excellence in the film industry; however, since it the film industry honoring itself and excellence is being determined by popular vote, it is not uncommon to suspect the motives of the Academy. The second purpose of the Oscars is to PROMOTE the film industry, and at this, it excells with great excellence. The popularity of the Oscars reached it height when they were first televised. Audiences adored seeing their favorite star in evening clothes. Today, we see our favorite stars at the gym, out on the town and in countless intervies, so this particular appeal has waned. Audiences still love to tune in and see what everyone is wearing and they love to discover what everyone has voted for. The Oscars are a great way to promote the kinds of films that Hollywood loves (as opposed to the kinds of films that Main Street loves). (MORE) 
