The Oscars is without a doubt one of the most important events in the world, and each year, millions of people watch to find out who has been honored for their contributions to the film industry over the previous year.
Each winner receives a golden trophy in the form of a figure holding what looks to be an object in its arms. What is it, though?
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What exactly does the Oscar statuette represent?
While the statuette has been established since 1929, the prestige associated with obtaining one—or even just being nominated to—has increased.
In the Crystal Ballroom of the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences hosted a dinner in 1927, the year the organization was founded.
The aim was to set out the goals of the organization, and one of the points of discussion was how best to honor the award winners.
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After coming to an agreement on an annual prize, they started debating what kind of trophy the winners might get.
The trophy was created by MGM creative director Cedric Gibbons, who decided to make it a sculpture of a knight holding a crusader’s sword while standing on a reel of film.
The responsibility of bringing the idea to reality was then given to Los Angeles sculptor George Stanley, and it has stayed that way ever since.
Who makes the Oscar statuettes?
Almost 3,000 of the statues have now been awarded to deserving performers and productions.
In the Hudson Valley of New York, the fine art foundry of Polich Tallix produces new ones each January.
Oscar is the name given to the statue. It weighs an unusually heavy 8 and a half pounds for its size and is 13 and a half inches tall.
Actors, directors, producers, technicians, and writers are the five founding branches of the Academy represented by the reel’s five spokes.
