OSCARS

Why are they called

Adrián Levy

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The most popular explanation, and one generally given by AMPAS officials, goes back to 1931.

The story goes that when an Academy Awards librarian named Margaret Herrick first saw the golden figures...

...she exclaimed that the blank face and stern eyebrow reminded her of her Uncle Oscar.

The first documented use of the term in relation to the Academy Awards actually comes from columnist Sidney Skolsky.

The Oscars statuette has changed since it was first officially announced as the Academy Award of Merit in 1929.

The initial version saw the figure standing on a reel of film with five spokes to represent the five branches of the Academy...

...but shortly before the first ceremony Los Angeles sculptor George Stanley redesigned to model and removed the reel.

The first awards were gold-plated solid bronze but that was later replaced with gold-plated metal.

During the Second World War a metal shortage meant that three years of Oscar winners were given statuettes made of plaster.

Since 1982 the Oscar mould has been cast by the R.S. Owens & Company with a 24-karat gold finish on the figures.

Oscars

venue history

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