The Oscars, also known as the Academy Awards, are annual awards presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to recognize excellence in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers. The process for selecting the winners of the Oscars is a long and complex one, involving several rounds of voting by members of the Academy.
Here is an overview of the process:
Eligibility: In order to be considered for an Oscar, a film must meet certain eligibility requirements, such as being released in the previous calendar year and having a qualifying run in a theater in Los Angeles County.
Nomination ballots: Members of the Academy (which consists of industry professionals such as actors, directors, and producers) are eligible to vote for the nominees in each award category. The ballots are sent out in early December, and the nominees are announced in January.
Nomination review committees: In some categories, such as the Foreign Language Film and Documentary Feature categories, a nomination review committee is formed to watch all of the eligible films and select a shortlist of films to be voted on by the full Academy membership.
Final voting: After the nominees have been announced, the members of the Academy are mailed a final ballot with the names of the nominees. They are asked to select one winner in each category.
Counting the votes: An accounting firm is responsible for tabulating the votes and ensuring that the results are kept secret until the awards ceremony.
The awards ceremony: The Oscars ceremony is typically held in late February or early March, and the winners are announced during the live broadcast of the event.