The Oscars didn’t start as the monolithic cultural juggernaut we know today. When the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences launched in 1927, it was busy forming its bones. Awards were merely one of many committees on the table. The concept of handing out trophies existed, but nobody was rushing to make it happen.
It took eight months of deliberation for the academy to commit. In May 1928, they finally approved the committee’s suggestions. They decided to present Academy Awards of Merit. There were twelve categories. Just twelve. Not the dozens we see now.
The idea of presenting awards was considered but not immediately pursued.
The first ceremony was a private dinner. It wasn’t the red-carpet spectacle of modern times. It was small. Intimate. The industry was still figuring out what it wanted the awards to represent.
