The Academy Awards (The Oscars), organized and presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, are designed to encourage the creation and development of outstanding films. It is not only the most important annual event in the American film industry, but is also considered one of the four most important film awards in the world cinema, along with the three major international film festivals in Europe.

The Awards currently feature more than 20 different categories, encompassing a wide range of film genres. Since its inception in 1929, the awards have been held annually in Los Angeles, California, and since the 75th edition, the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, has been the permanent venue for the awards ceremony.

The first award ceremony was held in Hollywood on May 16, 1929, at the banquet of the founding of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on May 4, 1927, initiated by the participants. There were about 270 attendees at that time. The first Academy Award was presented to Emil Jannings, who won the first Academy Award for Best Actor. From the earliest days of the awards, the Academy Awards received a great deal of attention from the film industry and the general public, and the media actively participated in the broadcasts. At the second ceremony, a live one-hour broadcast was carried live on Los Angeles radio. Since then, each year the awards have been covered by the media accordingly. Since the first Academy Awards on May 16, 1929, the Academy Awards have become the "main business" of the Academy and synonymous with the institution.