Difference Between Academy Awards and Oscars

Academy Awards vs Oscars

There are many awards given in the field of cinema for excellence like Golden Globes, Academy Awards, Bafta awards, and so on, but none as prestigious and recognized the world over as the Academy awards, also popularly known as the Oscars. Ask a budding or aspiring actor about his dream, and he would certainly tell that his ultimate ambition is to win an Oscar one day in his life. The academy awards are given in Hollywood in different categories, and if you have ever watched the award ceremony telecast live on television, you must have heard the anchor as saying, “and the Oscar goes to……” For many of those living out of the US, it is very confusing, and they begin to think of Academy award and Oscars as two separate things. This article attempts to convince these readers that Oscars is just what academy awards are called endearingly, and there is no difference between the two.

Academy Awards

Though films in Hollywood are being made much earlier, the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science started recognizing the efforts and achievements of those associated with motion films in 1929 where the names of those to be honored were announced before the awards night. The system was rectified from next year when the names of winners were announced at the function itself, thus creating a kind of suspense that has been the hallmark of Academy awards till date. In each category, several people are nominated, and they sit at the awards function with baited breath until the winner in that category is announced. Kodak Theater would be the venue of the upcoming 84th annual academy awards in February.

Oscars

Oscar is the name of the statuette that is given in the name of academy awards to the recipients, and in 2011, in all, 2098 such statuettes was awarded. The tradition of giving away trophies in the shape of a nude person’s statue started with the first academy award function itself. The person whose statue was sculpted by the famous sculptor George Stanley for the purpose of trophy for academy awards was Mexican film director Gibbon, who had to pose in nude for the trophy. There are many stories behind the name Oscar given to these trophies such as that of Bette Davis who dais that she named the statuette Oscar, in honor of her husband Harmon Oscar Nelson. Even Walt Disney thanked the academy after he received his Oscar in 1934. It was only in 1939 that the trophies were officially named Oscars by the academy.

What is the difference between Academy Awards and Oscars? • Academy awards is the original and more formal name of the ceremony and the trophies awarded to deserving candidates, while Oscar is the name of the statuette that went official in 1939. • Oscar is a name that was coined for the statuette given to the winners, and no one is quite sure about the origin of the name Oscar.