| 1st Academy Awards | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Date | May 16, 1929 | |||
| Site | Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel | |||
| Host | Douglas Fairbanks | |||
| Highlights | ||||
| Best Picture | Wings | |||
| Most wins | 7th Heaven Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (3) | |||
| Most nominations | 7th Heaven (5) | |||
| ||||
The 1st Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films released between August 1, 1927 and August 1, 1928 and took place on Thursday, May 16, 1929 at a private dinner held at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles, California. AMPAS president Douglas Fairbanks hosted the show. The presentation ceremony lasted 15 minutes. Awards were created by Louis B. Mayer Pictures Corporation. It is the only Academy Awards ceremony not to be broadcast either on radio on television. The radio broadcast was introduced in 1930.
During the ceremony, the AMPAS presented Academy Awards, now known as the Oscars in 12 categories. Winners were announced three months before the live event. Some nominations were announced without reference to a specific film, such as for Ralph Hammeras and Nugent Slaughter, who received nominations in the now defunct category of Engineering Effects. Unlike later ceremonies, an actor could be awarded for multiple works within a calendar year for the same category. Emil Jannings, for example, was given the Best Actor award for his work in both The Way of All Flesh and The Last Command. Also, Charlie Chaplin and Warner Brothers each received an Honorary Award.
Nominees & Winners[]
Outstanding Picture[]
See also: Best Outstanding Picture
- Winner
- Wings — Paramount
- Nominees
- 7th Heaven — The Caddo Company
- The Racket — Fox
Unique and Artistic Picture[]
Sunrise
See also: Best Unique and Artistic Picture
- Winner
- Sunrise — Fox
- Nominees
- Chang — Paramount
- The Crowd — Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Best Director (Comedy Picture)[]
Two Arabian Knights
See also: Best Director (Comedy Picture)
- Winner
- Two Arabian Knights — Lewis Milestone
- Nominees
- Speedy — Ted Wilde
Best Director (Dramatic Picture)[]
7th Heaven
See also: Best Director (Dramatic Picture)
- Winner
- 7th Heavean — Frank Borzage
- Nominees
- Sorrell and Son — Herbert Brenon
- The Crowd — King Vidor
Best Actor[]
The Last Command
,
The Way of All Flesh
See also: Best Actor
- Winner
- Emil Jennings — The Last Command & The Way of All Flesh
- Nominees
- Richard Barthelmess — The Noose & The Patent Leather Kid
Best Actress[]
7th Heaven
,
Street Angel
,
Sunrise
See also: Best Actress
- Winner
- Janet Gaynor — 7th Heaven, Street Angel & Sunrise
- Nominees
- Louise Dresser — A Ship Comes In
- Gloria Swanson — Sadie Thompson
Best Writing (Adaptation)[]
7th Heaven
See also: Best Writing (Adaptation)
- Winner
- 7th Heaven — Benjamin Glazer
- Nominees
- Glorious Betsy — Anthony Coldeway
- The Jazz Singer — Alfred Cohn
Best Writing (Original Story)[]
Underworld
See also: Best Writing (Original Story)
- Winner
- Underworld — Ben Hecht
- Nominees
- The Last Command — Lajos Biro
Best Writing (Title Writing)[]
See also: Best Writing (Title Writing)
- Winner
- Joseph Farnham — [Note: This award was not associated with any specific film title.]
- Nominees
- The Private Life of Helen of Troy — Gerald Duffy
- George Marion, Jr. — *[Note: This award was not associated with any specific film title.]
Best Art Direction[]
The Dove
,
Tempest (1928)
See also: Best Art Direction
- Winner
- The Dove & Tempest — William Cameron Menzies
- Nominees
- 7th Heaven — Harry Oliver
- Sunrise — Rochus Gliese
Best Cinematography[]
Sunrise
See also: Best Cinematography
- Winner
- Sunrise — Charles Rosher and Karl Struss
- Nominees
- The Devil Dancer, The Magic Flame & Sadie Thompson — George Barnes
Best Engineering Effects[]
See also: Best Engineering Effects
- Winner
- Wings — Roy Pomeroy
- Nominees
- Ralph Hammeras - [NOTE: This nomination was not associated with any specific film title.]
- Nugent Slaughter - [NOTE: Though no specific titles were indicated during the presentation of this award, or in the official results, Academy records indicate that Mr. Slaughter was most often mentioned in connection with The Jazz Singer.]
Special Award[]
- Warner Bros. — for producing The Jazz Singer, the pioneer outstanding talking picture, which has revolutionized the industry.
- Charlie Chaplin — for acting, writing, directing and producing The Circus. [NOTE: "The Academy Board of Judges on merit awards for individual achievements in motion picture arts during the year ending August 1, 1928, unanimously decided that your name should be removed from the competitive classes, and that a special first award be conferred upon you for writing, acting, directing and producing The Circus. The collective accomplishments thus displayed place you in a class by yourself." (Letter from the Academy to Mr. Chaplin, dated February 19, 1929.)]