SOUTH AFRICA'S TV WEBSITE
SIGN IN SEARCH MENU
SOUTH AFRICA'S TV WEBSITE


The Academy Awards

Genres: Award Shows, Specials
Broadcast on: M-Net

Rate:

7.2

Add to Show Favourites

Seasons

Season 33

Channel Premiere Finale TX Time Episodes
ABC 17 Apr 1961 17 Apr 1961 Monday, 21h00 - 23h00 1


Season 33

The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognise excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors and writers, for the preceding year.

The first Academy Awards ceremony was held on Thursday 16 May 1929, at the Hotel Roosevelt in Hollywood to honour outstanding film achievements of 1927 and 1928. It was hosted by actor Douglas Fairbanks and director William C. DeMille.

The Academy Awards traditionally air live in South Africa on one of DStv's movie channels, with a delayed broadcast airing on the same night on M-Net.

About the Awards

Far from the eagerly anticipated and globally televised event it is today, the first Academy Awards ceremony took place out of the public eye during an Academy banquet at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.

Two hundred and seventy people attended the 16 May, 1929 dinner in the hotel's Blossom Room; guest tickets cost $5. It was a long affair filled with speeches, but Academy President Douglas Fairbanks made quick work of handing out the statuettes.

There was little suspense when the awards were presented that night: the recipients had already been announced three months earlier. That all changed the following year, however, when the Academy decided to keep the results secret until the ceremony but gave a list in advance to newspapers for publication at 11 p.m. on the night of the Awards.

This policy continued until 1940 when, much to the Academy's consternation, the Los Angeles Times broke the embargo and published the names of the winners in its evening edition – which was readily available to guests arriving for the ceremony. That prompted the Academy in 1941 to adopt the sealed-envelope system still in use today.

Fifteen statuettes were awarded at the first ceremony for cinematic achievements in 1927 and 1928. The first Best Actor winner was acclaimed German tragedian Emil Jannings, who had to return to Europe before the ceremony.

The Academy granted his request to receive the trophy early, making his statuette the very first Academy Award ever presented.

The first presentation was the only one to escape a media audience; by the second year, enthusiasm for the Awards was such that a Los Angeles radio station produced a live one-hour broadcast of the event. The ceremony has been broadcast ever since.

The Academy continued to hand out the awards at banquets – held at the Ambassador and Biltmore hotels – until 1942, when increased attendance made these dinner ceremonies impractical. Starting with the 16th Oscar ceremony, which was held at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, the event has always been held at a theatre.

In 1953, the first televised Oscar ceremony enabled millions throughout the United States and Canada to watch the proceedings. Broadcasting in colour began in 1966, affording home viewers a chance to fully experience the dazzling allure of the event.

Since 1969, the Oscar show has been broadcast internationally, now reaching movie fans in over 200 countries.


LATEST ARTICLES

Elif 5 Teasers - December 2024

An anonymous package arrives. Good, bad or deadly? Fikret receives a parcel that might help Melek.


New on TV today: Wednesday 13 November 2024

True story Fight Night unfolds on M-Net as Netflix documents the Return of the King.


Top Shows on TV: October 2024

Muvhango loses over 4.5-million viewers in five years. Also: the SAFTAs reveal the importance of streaming viewership.


Lord of the Skies 9 Teasers - December 2024

The latest in the wake of last night's premiere. All the gunpowder, ammo and muscle are ready to eliminate El Cabo.


New on TV today: Tuesday 12 November 2024

Single mothers take centre stage on Wethu and wedding show Afhaak returns to VIA.


Ana's New Life Teasers - December 2024

Series finale! Hand in hand with Horacio, Adelaida enters the notary’s office to get married.


Op Dun Ys Teasers - December 2024

Asya - betrayed! First her secrets are exposed and then there's that leaked video of her and Volkan.


New on TV today: Monday 11 November 2024

Yellowstone 5 is back with Part 2 on M-Net and Lord of the Skies returns to Telemundo for Season 9.


New on TV today: Sunday 10 November 2024

Reality low The Matshai Sisters premieres on Mzansi Magic and Food Network fights more Holiday Wars.


New on TV today: Saturday 9 November 2024

The Real Black Pearl opens up on BET and Kom ons Braai: Celebs returns to VIA.

LATEST SITE ACTIVITY


More activity at TVSA Central



LATEST SOAPIE TEASERS



LATEST SOAPIE TEASERS





×
×

You browser doesn't have Flash, Silverlight, Gears, BrowserPlus or HTML5 support.