Between Sunday night and early Monday morning, the 95th Academy Awards premiere in Hollywood will draw the best in cinema to the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles. As the clock ticks toward 2:00 a.m., the red carpet will unfold with stars posing for television cameras, each hoping the night ends with a standing ovation on the stage.
That iconic statuette is arguably the film industry’s most coveted honor. The Oscar stands 15 inches tall and weighs about eight pounds, a design that has evolved in weight, form, and material since its inception through Cedric Gibbons and George Stanley.
Awards this year are crafted from solid bronze and finished with a layer of 24‑carat gold. There was a time, however, when scarcity forced a different material choice. During World War II, precious metals were diverted to national defense, and the statuette was made from painted plaster for three years.
The figure depicts a knight holding a sword, standing atop a roll of film. The scroll beneath carries five fingers, symbolizing the five original branches: actors, directors, producers, technicians, and screenwriters. This element remains the only part of the statuette that has changed in size since 1945. Today, Polich Tallix, an art foundry in the Hudson Valley, New York, is responsible for its production.
The initial concept was created in 1929 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayerson’s artistic director Cedric Gibbons. The realization of the idea was brought to life by sculptor George Stanley, who transformed the two‑dimensional sketch into a three‑dimensional figure. The award was originally named the Academy Award of Merit. Stories from Hollywood chroniclers note that the nickname Oscar emerged after Margaret Herrick, then the Academy’s librarian and executive director, commented that the statuette reminded her of her uncle Oscar. The Academy did not officially rename the award until a decade later, finalizing its modern title.