Unveiled: The Surprising Secrets Behind the First-Ever Oscars Night

The Oscars—glitz, glam, and all the red carpet drama—seem like they’ve always been this grand spectacle, right? But guess what? The very first Academy Awards in 1929 barelly resembled the star-studded extravaganza we binge-watch today. No sweeping musical numbers, no on-the-edge-of-your-seat controversies going viral, and definitely no shouting “Who wore it best?” from your couch. Instead, it was a modest dinner at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, where winners were already in the know—thanks to telegrams. Imagine that: your Oscar news arriving by the same means as your grandma’s birthday greeting back then! Intrigued by this stark contrast between then and now? Let’s dive into the curious origins of this iconic ceremony and uncover how the Oscars grew from a quiet dinner to the glimmering bash it is today. LEARN MORE.

The Oscars are a time-honored annual tradition that celebrates some of the year’s most notable films. In modern times, they follow a pretty predictable yet extremely elaborate structure that includes a red carpet, a comedic introductory song by the host, some inevitable controversy, and of course, announcements of winners scattered throughout the night. However, none of this was the case when the first Academy Awards occurred in 1929. 

What Happened at the First Oscars?

The winners of the very first Oscars were actually announced months prior to the ceremony, and award recipients were notified via telegram. The awards were then presented at a dinner at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel on May 16, 1929.

Guests dressed formally, and the ceremony did involve giving out a total of 15 little gold Oscar statuettes, which were designed by MGM art director Cedric Gibbons and sculpted by Los Angeles artist George Stanley. The statuettes were originally called Academy Award of Merits, and the name “Oscar” actually came later, around 1934. Its origins remain unknown, though a rumor holds that Academy librarian Margaret Herrick saw the statue and said it looked like her Uncle Oscar.

The ceremony was attended by 270 people and tickets cost $5—the equivalent of around $94 in 2026. The awards portion was hosted by Douglas Fairbanks, the silent film star and then-president of the Academy, and took only 15 minutes. This ceremony was also the only Oscars that was not broadcast live in any form; it would air on the radio the following year. 

Who Won at the First Oscars?

The silent film Wings took home the first Oscar for Outstanding Picture. Wings starred Clara Bow, Richard Arlen, and Charles “Buddy” Rodgers, and the latter two played airplane pilots who find themselves competing over the same woman. 

Lauded for its high-tech aviation sequences, the movie’s tragic ending ultimately communicated a strong anti-war message. It was also the most expensive film ever made at the time, costing $2 million—roughly the equivalent of $28 million today. 

Other winners at the first Oscars included Janet Gaynor, who won Best Actress for 7th Heaven, Street Angel, and Sunrise. Emil Jannings won for The Last Command and The Way of All Flesh, and Best Director was split between two categories—Comedic Picture and Dramatic Picture. The first went to Lewis Milestone for Two Arabian Knights, and the second went to Frank Borzage for 7th Heaven. 

The first Oscars also allowed individuals to win for multiple films, or to be honored without any specific film attached to their name. It also did not allow “talkies,” or non-silent films, to be considered. Interestingly, a common Hollywood urban legend holds that the German Shepherd Rin Tin Tin—who was certainly a Hollywood icon at the time—actually received the most votes for Best Actor that year, but was passed over to maintain the ceremony’s prestige.

How Did the Oscars Start?

The Oscars began with the creation of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which was started in order to deal with labor disputes in the film industry—or to discourage industry workers from unionizing, depending on who you talk to. The organization was also intended to bolster the film industry’s public image, to set rules and regulations related to new technological developments, and to connect different branches of the film industry.

The idea for the Academy was first hatched by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer head Louis B. Mayer, along with Conrad Nagel, director Fred Niblo, and producer Fred Beetson. Founding Academy members consisted of 36 film industry leaders, and one of the committees within the Academy focused on awards presentations. This committee was responsible for creating the Oscars.

Mayer was also instrumental in conceptualizing the ceremony, and once said that he also intended for it to put some pressure on filmmakers. “I found that the best way to handle [filmmakers] was to hang medals all over them,” he said, according to Scott Eyman’s book The Lion of Hollywood. “…If I got them cups and awards, they’d kill themselves to produce what I wanted. That’s why the Academy Award was created.”