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As the 97th Academy Awards are just about to begin, it’s a perfect time to reflect on the history of the Oscars. One of the most prestigious categories is Best Picture, but do you know which film took home the very first-ever Best Picture award? Let’s look back at the moment when the Oscars first began and the film that won the inaugural Best Picture award, marking the start of this celebrated tradition.
Below, find all the details and more about the voting process for the Oscars today.
When Was the First Oscars Ceremony Held?
The very first Academy Awards ceremony took place on May 16, 1929
Where Was the First Oscars Ceremony Held?
In 1929, the first Oscars ceremony was held at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles, California. It took place in the hotel’s Blossom Room ballroom and was an exclusive event with only about 270 guests in attendance.
What Was the First Movie to Win the Oscar for Best Picture?
“Wings” (1927), a silent war film directed by William A. Wellman, won the Best Picture award—along with the Oscar for Best Engineering Effects—at the inaugural Academy Awards ceremony in 1929. It remains the only silent film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Wings, poster, from left, Charles ‘Buddy’ Rogers, Clara Bow, 1927. (Photo by LMPC via Getty Images)
Who Decides the Oscar Winners?
The Oscars are voted on by members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), which consists of over 10,500 members, described as “global film industry artists and leaders.” These members include actors, writers, directors, costume designers, makeup artists, producers, and other professionals from the film industry.
The voting process for the Oscars begins long before the nominations are revealed. For the 97th Academy Awards, the submission deadline for general entry categories was in mid-November, and preliminary voting started on December 9, 2024, as noted on the Academy’s website. Each member casts a vote within their respective category, while all members vote on major awards, including Best Picture. All members can also vote for Best Animated Feature.
In order to determine the winners, all Academy members are eligible to vote in every category. Final votes are cast online, and the results are tabulated by the accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers. In most categories, the nominee with the most votes wins.
