The Oscars
Roll ‘em! Glamour, glitter and the red carpet. The 82nd Academy Awards ceremony will be held on Sunday, March 7th and there is no better chance to see the stars you love most!
And, the Oscar goes to…
The first Academy Awards were held in Los Angles, California in 1929 at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. It was a relatively quiet affair for 270 guests, a far cry from the media frenzy the Oscars have become today. There was little suspense for the recipients as the winners had been announced months earlier. The following year, however, the Academy revealed the winners at the ceremony, supplying the newspapers with the names of the winners ahead of the ceremony so that the results could be published at 11:00 pm on the night of the awards. This system lasted until 1940 when the Los Angeles Times published the names of the winners in its evening edition, which was available to the nominees upon arrival. And, with that, the sealed envelope system was born.
Oscar
Officially dubbed the Academy Award of Merit, this renown gold statuette is far better known by its nickname: Oscar. Just how was the nickname given? A popular story has it that Margaret Herrick, Academy librarian and future executive director, remarked, upon seeing the statue for the first time, that it resembled her Uncle Oscar.
Standing 13 ½” tall and weighing 8 ½ lbs, Oscar is the figure of a knight who carries a crusader's sword and stands on a film reel that features five spokes signifying the five branches of the academy: actors, directors, producers, technicians and writers.
Plated in 24-karat gold, Oscar is a luminous, international symbol of excellence and the motion picture industry's highest honor.
The Telecast
It all begins as stars walk the infamous red carpet on their way into the theater for the award ceremony. Secrecy is always a key element leading up to the telecast of the ceremony. As usual, little is known about what the producers have in store this year. Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin will host the ceremony. The set will evoke classic and modern Hollywood glamour, featuring a Swarovski crystal curtain with white, platinum, topaz and smoky bronze hues. Tune in to the Academy Awards on March 7th to see who will sing, dance, present and win!
