Looking for some great trivia to wow your friends with when you watch or talk about this year's Oscars? Read on.


Officially named the Academy Award of Merit, this statuette is better known by its nickname--Oscar. While the exact origins of this name are unclear, there are many popular stories surrounding it, including our personal favourite: it received its name thanks to an Academy librarian who remarked that the statue resembled her Uncle Oscar!

The Academy adopted the nickname officially in 1939, even though it was well-known prior to that date.

This shiny statuette is 13.5 inches tall and weighs around 3.8 kg! The film reel it stands on has five spokes, with each signifying a different, original branch of the Academy--namely, actors, directors, producers, technicians and writers.

MGM's art director, Cedric Gibbons, is responsible for the trademark design of this trophy. He first made this by printing it on a scroll in 1928. The design process of the statuette was such that it required the use of a male model who could pose nude in the exact same way!

Eager to know who it was? Mexican actor Emilio Fernandez became the chosen one, destined to be immortalized as the figure that inspired the famous Oscar statue!

Given that these ceremonies began as far back as 1929, a lot has changed over the years. Initially, the statuettes that were presented were made of gold-plated bronze. However, a few years later, this was abandoned. Today, Britannia metal--a pewter-like alloy that is plated in copper, nickel silver and finally 24-karat gold--is used.

Since 1982, these statuettes have been created--from casting to eventual polishing and buffing--by R.S. Owens & Company, which is a Chicago-based trophy manufacturer.


You can catch the Academy Awards live on Star Movies at 6 am on Monday, 27th Feb, with a repeat telecast at 8 pm.


-Pictures courtesy oscars.org and awardsandshows.com-

oscar, statue, 30 second guide, awards, films, hollywood

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