what is an oscar award

The Oscar Awards, also known as the Academy Awards, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the film industry. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to recognize excellence in cinematic achievements as assessed by the Academys voting membership. The awards were first presented in 1929, and winners receive a gold-plated statuette commonly called Oscar. The statuette is officially named the Academy Award of Merit and is designed to depict a knight holding a crusader’s sword while standing on a film reel. The Oscars are regarded by many as the most prestigious and significant awards in the entertainment industry in the United States and worldwide. The awards are presented in various categories, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and many others. The winners are chosen by the Academys voting membership, which consists of more than 9,000 members from various branches of the film industry. The Oscars also present scientific and technical awards, special achievement awards, honorary awards, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, and the Gordon E. Sawyer Award. The Oscars have a significant impact on the film industry, as they can increase the box office earnings of the winning film and result in higher salaries, increased media attention, and better film offers for actors and directors.