How the Oscars Work

Oscar Categories

The Oscars honor the entire spectrum of filmmaking, from acting to technical achievement. There are now 17 Academy branches in all [source: Oscars]:

Actors
Casting Directors
Cinematographers
Costume Designers
Designers
Directors
Documentary
Executives
Film Editors
Makeup Artists and Hairstylists
Music
Producers
Public Relations
Short Films and Feature Animation
Sound
Visual Effects
Writers

There are now 24 competitive Oscar® categories, and a handful of special-recognition Oscars every year. This year, awards will be given for [source: Tapley]:

Actor in a Leading Role
Actor in a Supporting Role
Actress in a Leading Role
Actress in a Supporting Role
Animated Feature Film
Best Picture
Cinematography
Costume Design
Directing
Documentary (Short Subject)
Documentary (Feature)
Film Editing
Foreign Language Film
Makeup and Hairstyling
Music (Original Score)
Music (Original Song)
Production Design
Short Film (Animated)
Short Film (Live Action)
Sound Editing
Sound Mixing
Visual Effects
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
Writing (Original Screenplay)

After all the ballots are in, and the votes are counted, it all comes down to the big night itself. The Oscars is a night of honoring big-budget entertainment, and, appropriately, it is big-budget entertainment event, itself. Every year, hundreds of workers, including carpenters, artists, musicians, cameramen and chefs, work days on end preparing for the big show. The result, in a good year, is a vibrant, glamorous celebration of all things Hollywood.

For much more information about the Oscars and their history, check out the links below.

Oscar FAQ

Will the Oscars happen in 2021?

The 2021 Oscars will take place -- but they've been postponed until April this year.

How much is an Oscar worth?

According to the official Oscars regulations, each statuette is worth just $1. The financial impact on an actor's career, however, can total millions of dollars in potential earnings.

Do you get money when you win an Oscar?

Oscar winners don't get any money for their win, but they do get expensive gift or goody bags that worth hundreds of thousands of dollars in value.

Who has won the most Oscars ever?

Katharine Hepburn has won the most Oscars in history, winning four in total.

Has a horror movie won an Oscar?

A few horror films have won Oscars, including The Silence of the Lambs and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. More recent films, like Get Out, have also won awards -- though not for the top honor of Best Picture.

Originally Published: Jan 10, 2018

Sources

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, "Oscar Statuette." (Jan. 8, 2018) http://www.oscars.org/oscars/statuette
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, "Academy Membership." (Jan. 8, 2018) http://www.oscars.org/about/join-academy
Feinber, Scott. "Academy Retains Accounting Firm Despite Oscars Fiasco." Hollywood Reporter. March 29, 2017 (Jan. 8, 2018) https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/academy-retains-accounting-firm-oscars-fiasco-989344
Jones, Arnold, Wayne. "They Envelope, Please: The Ultimate Academy Awards Trivia Book." Avon. 1999.
Live Science Staff. "What's An Oscar Really Made Of?" Feb. 20, 2009 (Jan. 8, 2018) https://www.livescience.com/5314-oscar.html
Miller, Michael. "Ballot Lessons! A Reminder on How the Oscar Voting System Works After the Best Picture Mixup." People. Feb. 27, 2017 (Jan. 8, 2018) http://people.com/movies/how-oscar-nominations-work-inside-voting-system-academy-award/
Osborne, Robert. "70 Years of the Oscar: The Official History of the Academy Awards." Abbeville Press. 1999.
Ramisetti, Kirthana. "Oscars 2015: 10 fun facts about Hollywood's biggest awards show." NY Daily News. Feb. 21, 2015 (Jan. 8, 2018) http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/movies/oscars-2015-10-fun-facts-hollywood-night-article-1.2123411
Schrodt, Paul. "More than 7,000 people get to vote in the Academy Awards - here's who they are." Business Insider. Jan. 22, 2016 (Jan. 8, 2018) http://www.businessinsider.com/who-votes-for-oscars-2016-1
Tapley, Christopher, "Oscar Predictions in all 24 Academy Categories." Variety. Dec, 26, 2017, (Jan. 8 2018) http://variety.com/2017/film/in-contention/oscar-predictions-in-all-24-academy-categories-1202647787/

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How the Oscars Work