Academy Awards: Oscars Overview

	The Academy Awards: Oscars Overview
Filmsite features one of the largest, most comprehensive and detailed collections of historical information about the Academy Awards (commonly known as the Oscars) on the Web, from the beginning of the awards in 1929 to the present day. The site chronicles each year of the competitive races for many of the major awards categories, as well as major sections of Oscar facts, trivia, statistics, milestones, omissions and snubs, and with selected movie title screens and posters.
Note: Oscar® and Academy Awards® and Oscar® design mark are the trademarks and service marks and the Oscar© statuette the copyrighted property, of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. This site is neither endorsed by nor affiliated with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Academy Awards History - By Decade and Year

A full and complete history and commentary on the Academy Awards from its early beginnings to the present is available, by decade and by individual year. Each year displays the poster for the Best Picture winner. It must be noted that each year represents the production year of the films considered, not the year of the awards ceremony. For instance, the 1955 year refers to the Oscars awards ceremony in 1956, honoring films of 1955, and is referred to as the 1955 Academy Awards.

Academy Awards History (By Decade):
1927/8-39, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s
Individual Years: (Branch Off Each Decade)

Academy Awards: Summaries
(Top Award Winners)

This multi-part section provides a number of charts showing the top award winners in various categories, including:

The "Most Oscar® Wins By Film"
The "Most Oscar® Nominations By Film"
The "Most Acting Nominations By Film"
The "Actors-Actresses with the Most Nominations and Wins" (charts)
The Most Actor-Actress Nominations and Wins" (4 parts, detailed)

Winners Charts

This multi-part section provides Winners Charts for each of the following award categories:

Academy Awards: Best Picture

This multi-part section provides a thorough overview of the 'Best Picture' category (originally known as Best Production):

Best Picture: Facts & Trivia (1)
Best Picture: Facts & Trivia (2)
Best Picture: Genre Biases
Best Picture: Winners Chart (part 1: 1927/28 - 1959)
(with "Not Nominated for Best Picture" and "Should Have Won" categories)
Best Picture: Winners Chart (part 2: 1960 - present))
(with "Not Nominated for Best Picture" and "Should Have Won" categories)
20th Century Best Pictures (ranked by artistic merit) (part 1)
20th Century Best Pictures (ranked by artistic merit) (part 2)
'Great Pictures' Not Nominated for Best Picture

Best Picture Milestones (By Decade)

This multi-part section provides a complete detailed over-view by decade and year of the milestones achieved in the 'Best Picture' category. Each year provides both the title-screen and a prominent poster for the 'Best Picture' winner, plus lots of facts and trivia:

Best Picture Milestones (By Decade)
Intro | Late 1920s-30s | 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s

Best Picture: Genre Biases

There are obvious biases in the selection of Best Picture winners by the Academy. Serious dramas or social-problem films with weighty inspirational themes, biopics (inspired by real-life individuals or events), or films with literary pretensions are much more likely to be nominated (and win). Glossy, large-scale epic historical productions with big budgets (of various genres) have often taken the Best Picture prize. Likewise for studio pictures with big stars - they are much preferred over quirky independent films, although that trend has begun to change in recent years.

Academy Awards: Best Director

This multi-part section provides a thorough overview of the 'Best Director' category (or Best Achievement in Directing). It also includes a link to the Youngest & Oldest Nominees/Winners in the category.

Academy Awards: Best Actor

This multi-part section provides a thorough overview of the 'Best Actor' category (or Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role). It also includes a link to the Youngest & Oldest Nominees/Winners in the category.

Academy Awards: Best Actress

This multi-part section provides a thorough overview of the 'Best Actor' category (or Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role). It also includes a link to the Youngest & Oldest Nominees/Winners in the category.

Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actor

This multi-part section provides a thorough overview of the "Best Supporting Actor' category (or Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role - first awarded in 1936). It also includes a link to the Youngest & Oldest Nominees/Winners in the category.

Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actress

This multi-part section provides a thorough overview of the "Best Supporting Actress' category (or Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role - first awarded in 1936). It also includes a link to the Youngest & Oldest Nominees/Winners in the category.

Academy Awards: Best Screenplay/Writer

This multi-part section provides a thorough overview of the "Best Screenplay/Writer' category (known by many names throughout the years: Motion Picture Story, Adaptation, Original Story, Screenplay, Writing Achievement, etc.).

Academy Awards: Mistakes & Omissions

This multi-part section provides examples of "Mistakes & Omissions" that occurred in the awarding of Academy Awards (Oscars):

Academy Awards: Snubbed by Oscar

This multi-part section provides examples of Actors, Actresses, and Directors Who Were "Snubbed by Oscar" that occurred in the awarding of Academy Awards (Oscars):

Great Acting Performances That Weren't Nominated for an Academy Award
Great Actors, Great Actresses, and Great Directors - Never Nominated or Snubbed - Those Who Have Not Won Actor, Actress and Best Director Academy Awards®

Academy Awards: The Worst Oscars

The multiple charts in this section contain possible alternatives (albeit sometimes opinionated and subjective) for many of the awards given throughout Academy history.