OSCAR AWARDS 2009 - AR RAHMAN - GULZAR- RESUL POOKUTTY-DANNY BOYLE-SIMON BEAUFOY SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

n Oscar is the name given to the annual award given by the US-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for achievement in film industry. The awards are given in 24 annual categories and 6 special categories. When was the first Oscar given? The first awards were given in 1929 in a low publicised event held in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel attended by only 270 people. The first award received very little media attention because the recipients had been announced three months earlier. From the next award, the academy decided to keep results secret but gave the list to newspapers for next days editions. In 1940, the Los Angeles Times broke the embargo and published names of winners in its evening edition. Since then, the academy has adopted the sealed envelop system still in use. Although the first awards had no media audience, from second year the ceremony witnessed a surge in popularity when it was broadcasted live on radio.