奥斯卡奖为什么被称为“Academy Awards”?揭秘奥斯卡的官方名称
在全球电影界,“奥斯卡奖”(Oscar Awards) 无疑是最具影响力、最受瞩目的奖项之一。但你可能也听说过它的正式名称:“学院奖”(Academy Awards)。那么,为什么奥斯卡奖被称为“Academy Awards”?这个名称的由来是什么?奥斯卡与“学院”之间又有什么关系?
今天,我们就来探索奥斯卡奖的正式名称背后的故事,了解它如何成为世界电影界的最高荣誉。
一、奥斯卡奖的起源:学院与电影业的结合
1.1 美国电影艺术与科学学院(AMPAS)
奥斯卡奖的正式名称——“学院奖”(Academy Awards),来源于它的主办机构:美国电影艺术与科学学院(Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences,简称 AMPAS)。
AMPAS 成立于 1927 年,是由当时好莱坞电影界的行业领袖们共同创立的一个非营利组织,旨在:
✅ 促进电影艺术的发展,推动电影技术和创作的进步。
✅ 表彰电影行业的杰出成就,鼓励电影人的创造力。
✅ 维护行业标准,规范电影行业的专业性。
由于 AMPAS 以“学院”(Academy)命名,因此它颁发的奖项自然也被称为**“学院奖”(Academy Awards),强调它是一个由电影行业专业人士投票评选的权威奖项**。
二、为什么叫“Academy” 而不是“Association”或“Guild”?
在 20 世纪初期,好莱坞电影行业刚刚进入黄金时代,但它仍然缺乏一个统一的组织来管理电影艺术和技术的发展。
当时,许多行业组织的命名通常使用 “Association”(协会)或“Guild”(公会),但 AMPAS 的创始人希望采用更具学术氛围和艺术高度的名称,因此选择了 “Academy”,这个词本身就意味着专业、研究和教育。
在 AMPAS 成立之初,它的会员主要是电影行业的导演、制片人、编剧、演员、技术人员等,类似于一个行业精英组成的学术机构,因此采用“学院”这个词来体现它的专业性和艺术追求。
三、奥斯卡奖的诞生:从“学院奖”到“Oscar”
3.1 1929 年第一届“学院奖”颁奖典礼
虽然我们今天熟知的是“奥斯卡奖”,但在奖项创立的最初几年,它只被称为 “学院奖”(Academy Awards)。
- 1929 年 5 月 16 日,第一届 Academy Awards 在 洛杉矶的好莱坞罗斯福酒店(Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel) 举行。
- 这是一个小规模的私人晚宴,只有 270 名宾客 受邀参加,获奖名单提前公布,没有电视直播,也没有铺张的红毯。
- 典礼上,15 个奖项 颁发给 1927-1928 年间的优秀电影作品,包括最佳影片(Best Picture)、最佳导演(Best Director)、最佳男演员(Best Actor)、最佳女演员(Best Actress)等。
从这一刻起,“学院奖”(Academy Awards)正式成为电影行业的最高荣誉。
3.2 “奥斯卡”这个名字的来历
尽管正式名称是“Academy Awards”,但“奥斯卡”这个昵称(Oscar)却逐渐流行起来,并最终成为全球公认的称谓。关于这个名字的来源,有几种不同的说法:
🔹 版本 1:AMPAS 图书馆馆长的“玩笑”
据传,AMPAS 的第一任图书馆馆长 玛格丽特·赫里克(Margaret Herrick) 在看到奖杯时,觉得它长得很像自己的叔叔 奥斯卡(Oscar),于是随口说了一句:“它看起来像我的叔叔奥斯卡!” 结果,这个名字被工作人员记住了,逐渐在 AMPAS 内部流传开来。
🔹 版本 2:好莱坞明星贝蒂·戴维斯(Bette Davis)
另一种说法是,好莱坞著名影星 贝蒂·戴维斯 认为奖杯的背影酷似她的第一任丈夫奥斯卡·尼尔森(Oscar Nelson),因此给奖杯取了这个名字。
🔹 版本 3:影评人西德尼·斯科尔斯基(Sidney Skolsky)
电影专栏作家 西德尼·斯科尔斯基 在 1934 年为《纽约每日新闻》撰写奥斯卡报道时,首次在公开文章中使用了“Oscar”这个称呼,帮助这个名字迅速传播。
无论起源如何,1939 年 AMPAS 正式接受了 “Oscar” 作为学院奖的官方昵称,并在 1940 年的颁奖典礼上首次使用。
四、为什么今天“奥斯卡奖”更流行?
尽管“Academy Awards”是奥斯卡奖的正式名称,但今天全球大多数人更熟悉“Oscar”这个名字,这是因为:
✅ 更具个性:相比“学院奖”这种正式称谓,“奥斯卡”更具亲和力和娱乐性,更容易被大众接受。
✅ 奖杯象征性:奥斯卡金像奖的设计独特,已经成为全球电影界的最高荣誉象征。
✅ 好莱坞文化传播:奥斯卡颁奖典礼是全球电影界最盛大的红毯仪式,其品牌价值远超其他电影奖项,使“奥斯卡”成为一个文化现象。
不过,在官方文件、历史记录和正式场合,我们仍然可以看到 AMPAS 使用 “Academy Awards” 这一正式名称,以强调它的权威性和专业性。
五、结语:奥斯卡奖与学院奖,两个名字同一个传奇
今天,当人们提到“奥斯卡奖”(Oscar Awards),他们其实在谈论的是美国电影艺术与科学学院(AMPAS)颁发的“学院奖”(Academy Awards)。
尽管两者在名称上不同,但它们指向的是同一个奖项——全球电影行业最具影响力的荣誉。
- “Academy Awards” 体现了奖项的官方权威性和学术性。
- “Oscar” 代表了流行文化、电影工业的辉煌,以及电影人的终极梦想。
无论用哪个名字,奥斯卡奖(Academy Awards)仍然是电影界最耀眼的巅峰,承载着无数电影人对艺术的追求和梦想! 🎬✨
Why Are the Oscars Called the Academy Awards? The History Behind the Name
The Academy Awards, more popularly known as the Oscars, is the most prestigious film award in the world. Every year, Hollywood’s biggest stars gather to celebrate outstanding achievements in filmmaking. But while “Oscars” is the name everyone recognizes, the official title of the awards is the Academy Awards.
So why are they called the Academy Awards? What is the connection between the Academy and the film industry? And how did the nickname “Oscar” come about?
In this article, we’ll explore the history behind the Academy Awards, the role of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), and why “Oscar” became the name everyone remembers.
1. The Birth of the Academy Awards: The Role of the Academy
1.1 What Is the “Academy” in Academy Awards?
The Academy Awards are named after their founding organization:
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).
Founded in 1927, the Academy was established as a nonprofit professional organization to:
✅ Promote the advancement of the film industry by improving artistic and technical standards.
✅ Honor outstanding achievements in cinema through a formal award system.
✅ Maintain professionalism in the industry and serve as a governing body for ethical filmmaking.
Because the awards were created by the Academy, they naturally became known as the Academy Awards. This formal title emphasizes that the awards are peer-reviewed honors given by industry professionals rather than a commercially driven popularity contest.
1.2 Why Is It Called an “Academy” Instead of an “Association” or “Guild”?
During Hollywood’s Golden Age in the 1920s, the film industry lacked a unified organization to oversee artistic and technical excellence.
Many professional groups at the time used names like:
- “Association” (e.g., the Motion Picture Producers Association)
- “Guild” (e.g., the Screen Actors Guild)
However, the founders of AMPAS wanted a name that reflected education, professionalism, and artistic development. The word “Academy” carries a sense of scholarship, mastery, and institutional credibility—qualities they wanted to associate with the film industry.
By calling itself an Academy, AMPAS positioned itself as an elite institution dedicated to the art and science of filmmaking, rather than just a trade group.
Thus, its awards naturally became the Academy Awards—a name that signified prestige and artistic excellence.
2. The First Academy Awards: A Simple Beginning
The first Academy Awards ceremony took place on May 16, 1929, at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.
- It was a small, private dinner attended by only 270 guests.
- Winners were announced in advance (there were no suspenseful envelopes).
- Only 15 awards were given, including Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Actress.
- There was no television broadcast, no red carpet, and no grand speeches—just a formal celebration of Hollywood’s top achievements.
From that night onward, the Academy Awards became the highest honor in filmmaking, and the tradition of an annual awards ceremony was born.
However, the name “Oscar” had not yet been introduced…
3. Why Are They Called the Oscars? The Origin of the Name
Despite being officially called the Academy Awards, the term “Oscar” eventually became the awards’ most recognizable nickname.
There are several competing theories about how the Oscar name originated:
🔹 Version 1: The Academy Librarian’s Uncle
One of the most popular stories is that Margaret Herrick, the first librarian of AMPAS, thought the golden statuette resembled her Uncle Oscar. Upon seeing the trophy for the first time, she supposedly said:
“It looks just like my Uncle Oscar!”
The name caught on among Academy employees and began circulating informally.
🔹 Version 2: Actress Bette Davis’ First Husband
Another theory suggests that Bette Davis, the famous actress and two-time Oscar winner, named the statue after her first husband, Harmon Oscar Nelson.
🔹 Version 3: A Hollywood Columnist’s Joke
In 1934, film journalist Sidney Skolsky wrote a column referring to the Academy Award as “Oscar”, possibly as a joke to make the award sound more approachable.
Regardless of its true origin, by 1939, the Academy officially adopted “Oscar” as the official nickname for the Academy Awards.
4. Why Is “Oscar” More Popular Than “Academy Awards”?
Although “Academy Awards” remains the official title, “Oscar” has become the preferred name for several reasons:
✅ Easier to Say – “Oscar” is short, catchy, and more engaging than “Academy Awards.”
✅ A Strong Brand – Over the decades, “Oscar” has become a symbol of prestige and excellence in the film industry.
✅ The Statuette’s Identity – The golden Oscar statuette is one of the most recognized trophies in the world.
✅ Cultural Influence – The term “Oscar” is widely used in Hollywood films, media, and pop culture.
While the Academy Awards is still used in formal settings and official documents, “Oscar” is now the global shorthand for Hollywood’s most prestigious award.
5. Conclusion: The Academy Awards and the Legacy of the Oscars
Today, when people say “the Oscars,” they are actually referring to the Academy Awards, the official name of Hollywood’s most prestigious film honor.
- “Academy Awards” emphasizes the award’s institutional credibility and artistic excellence.
- “Oscar” represents the award’s cultural impact, prestige, and entertainment value.
Both names point to the same award, but “Oscar” has become the more popular and widely recognized name worldwide.
No matter what you call it, winning an Academy Award (or an Oscar!) remains the highest honor for anyone in the film industry. 🎬🏆✨
后记
2025年2月7日于山东日照。在GPT4o大模型辅助下完成。