The Academy Awards, or Oscars, was created to celebrate cinematic excellence since 1929, awarding and crowning unforgettable films and performances that impacts Hollywood history.
From dramatic disappointment to historic wins, these ceremonies remain cultural standard, that mixes glamour with real life emotion.
Movie classic like Casablanca (1943) that captured wartime romance, earned Best Picture for its on point dialogue and Humphrey Bogart’s charm.
Marlon Brando’s On the Waterfront (1954) “coulda been a contender” speech proved timeless.
The 1969 tie for Best Actress between Katharine Hepburn (The Lion in Winter) and Barbra Streisand (Funny Girl) sparked a frenzy, with Streisand’s famous “Hello, gorgeous” line becoming iconic and legendary.
Another Marlon Brando’sThe Godfather (1972), which according to critics, revolutionised organized crime epics, was an absolute masterpiece with Marlon Brando’s refusal to accept his Best Actor win further fueling the movie’s legacy.
Francis Ford Coppola’s masterpiece seemingly set standard, noticeably influencing mob dramas for decades.
In 1972, the legendary Comedy Godfather, Charlie Chaplin received a 12-minute standing ovation for his honorary award, honoring his silent-era legacy, that redefined and inspired some modern-day comedians.
Schindler’s List (1993) won Best Picture and its Director Steven Spielberg earned a worldwide recognition, as he used black-and-white visuals to a devastating effect.
The movie’s deep emotional impact motivated Spielberg to donate the proceeds to survivors.
The then 27-year old, late Heath Ledger’s posthumous Best Supporting Actor win for The Dark Knight (2008) honored his utmost captivating yet chilling Joker character.
Not forgetting Eddie Redmayne’s convincing portrayal of Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything (2014) that displayed absolute film mastery.
The 2017 infamous “Envelopegate” saw La La Land mistakenly being announced over Moonlight for Best Picture, a moment in Oscars history that left viewers worldwide mouth open.
Will Smith slapping Chris Rock during the 2022 Oscars was one of the most memorable incident, while Michelle Yeoh’s 2023 Best Actress victory for Everything Everywhere All at Once, elevated her to the position of being the first ever Asian woman to receive the award.
John Cena’s outlandish naked debut to present the 2024 awards, left a permanent shock!
With just hours left to hold the 2026 98th Academy Awards, anticipation is seemingly over the roof, with Conan O’Brien, expected to host the ceremony come Monday morning, according to NPR.
Though nominees remain unannounced, according to BBC there’s about 10 categories to be won, namely: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Original Screenplay, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Animated Feature and Best International Film.
As such, fans are waiting, with speculations of nominees and would-be winners continuing to fly around worldwide amid Hollywood’s post-strike ‘resurrection’, current Trump’s administration and tech innovations like AI usage.