Who Invented the Oscar Award?
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) is well-known for hosting the annual Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars. But who was the visionary behind the introduction of this innovative award? Let’s discover the answer to this question and find out who invented the Oscar award.
The History of the Oscar
AMPAS was founded in 1927 with the purpose of recognizing filmmakers. Its first President, Douglas Fairbanks, wanted the organization to issue an award of merit, which was fulfilled with the introduction of the Academy Awards. The ceremony has since become one of the most prestigious events in the filmmaking industry.
Early Oscar Designs
The iconic Oscar statuette was designed by Cedric Gibbons and detailed by celebrated artist George Stanley. Although Stanley’s design is the one still admired and recognized today, this was not the original design of the statuette. The first Academy Awards trophy, introduced in 1929, was a pleuriplast figure of a knight standing on a reel of film, topped with a golden globe.
The Six Men Who Invented the Oscar
Ultimately, the Oscar award was a team effort. Six men, in particular, deserve credit for the role they played in its conception and development.
- Douglas Fairbanks
The first President of AMPA, accompanied by his co-founders William C.DeMille, Mary Pickford, and Charlie Chaplin, was responsible for the conception of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Fairbanks felt the need to honor and award the most important people in the movie industry and so he proposed the idea of introducing a tribute to the organization.
- Sid Grauman
The Academy Awards were hosted by numerous Hollywood theater owners such as Sid Grauman, owner of the famed Grauman’s Chinese Theater. Grauman’s financial aid and his luxury venue played a very important role in the development of the awards ceremony. His influence, however, was not limited to the event’s locale – because of his links to the movie industry, he was instrumental in highlighting the importance of the Academy Awards.
- Louis B. Mayer
Louis B. Mayer, the famous producer and one of the founders of Metro-Goldwin-Mayer (MGM), was a great supporter of the concept of an Academy Award. He donated money to AMPAS to help make the event viable. He, along with 14 other members of AMPAS, were also instrumental in establishing the criteria for awarding the Oscars.
- Cedric Gibbons
Leading film art director Cedric Gibbons took on the job of building the first Oscar statuette. He created the design for the gilded statuette and supervised its production. As a result, he is widely known as the designer of the famous trophy.
- George Stanley
George Stanley was an acclaimed sculptor, who with the help of Cedric Gibbons, produced the final version of the statuette. Working with Gibbon, he carried out the detailing of the statuette, including the Oscar’s characteristic sword, robe and laurel wreath.
- MGM Workshop
Gibbons and Stanley both collaborated with the MGM workshop in designing, constructing and finishing the statuette. The statuette was then put together by the workshop’s craftsmen, making sure that every detail had been attended to and that the statuette was at its highest quality.
The Academy Award, better known as the Oscar, is one of the most important awards anyone in the cinematic industry can receive. It’s an accolade that honors the incredible achievements of those in the filmmaking business and is something to be rightly very proud of. For that, credit should be given to the six filmmakers who came together to invent and bring to life this outstanding award: Douglas Fairbanks, Sid Grauman, Louis B. Mayer, Cedric Gibbons, George Stanley and the MGM Workshop.
