And the winner is…
A guide to movie awards

By ADAM C. KOTLARCZYK

It all began in 1929 in the Blossom Room of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Fewer than 250 people paid $10 each to attend.

The next year, owing to popular demand, it was broadcast on the radio to eager listeners across the country. The first televised ceremony took place in 1953, and today, as the 76th annual show looms near, the Academy Awards are attended by thousands, and viewed on live television in over 100 countries around the world by hundreds of millions more

Since their humble beginnings at the Hollywood Roosevelt, movie award shows have seemingly sprung up everywhere, becoming as common as $6 buckets of popcorn. With awards literally ranging from A (the AFI Awards) to Z (India’s Zee Cine Awards), and with it seeming like every channel on the dial has rolled out a red carpet and set up a podium, what’s a movie lover to do?

Does the informed movie-goer need to know who won the 2001 Teen Choice Award for Best Movie Actor (it was Ben Affleck, for Pearl Harbor…that should tell you right there)? Or who won the 2003 MTV Movie Award for Best Fight (Yoda and Christopher Lee in Attack of the Clones)?

To help you distinguish the best from the rest, here’s a quick guide to the…well, to the good, the bad, and the ugly of movie awards:

Academy Awards (Sunday, Feb. 29)
The longest running and most recognizable show, the Academy Awards tabulates the votes of the 6,000-plus members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, a professional, honorary organization. Nominating among Academy members is restricted to their individual fields – for example, Film Editing awards can be nominated only by film editors. After the nominations are in, all eligible members then vote in a ballot kept secret by an international auditing firm until the famous envelopes are opened.

The Academy Awards are a must-watch for even the casual, armchair movie-goer. Although the results can sometimes disappoint more serious observers of film (some of us are still trying to figure out how 1997’s Titanic beat As Good as it Gets, Good Will Hunting, AND LA Confidential…), they are always sure to lead to great water-cooler debates the next day, whether they’re on Sharon Stone’s dress or Michael Moore’s acceptance tirade.

Golden Globes (Mid-January)
Members of the Hollywood Foreign Press have been determining the Golden Globe winners in film since 1944. Early on, it was decided that in order for this initially small group of foreign journalists to seem uninfluenced by the powers of Hollywood, the Golden Globes would be presented before the Academy Awards.

One unique aspect of the Golden Globes is that the major awards – such as Best Motion Picture, Actor, and Director – are divided into two categories: Drama and Comedy (thus even though Titanic won best drama, we could take some comfort in As Good as it Gets winning best comedy).

Another interesting feature is that prior to the lights, camera, and action of the show itself, all guests in the room are served dinner – and, you guessed it, cocktails. The result is a show in which the winners (and their speeches) can on some occasions seem to be, shall we say, "informal?"

People’s Choice Awards (January)
Although the People’s Choice Awards can lay claim to being the first major awards show every year, it is also one of the poorest indicators of a film’s quality – owing mostly to its format. With winners determined by Gallup Poll and, since 1999, by Internet votes, the results often celebrate celebrity, rather than recognizing craft.

Established in 1975, the PCA have still produced some memorable moments. Jim Carrey, a winner in the Favorite Comedy Motion Picture category for 1997’s Liar Liar, promptly leapt from his seat, shook his chair over his head, flung it onto stage, and mock-passionately embraced the film’s producer.

Screen Actor’s Guild Awards (Feb. 22, TNT)
Started in 1995, the SAG Awards recognize performances of actors by actors. Although there are only five motion picture categories (the other eight are for television), one unique aspect of the SAG awards is the award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast, recognizing the teamwork and collaboration involved in acting (and, thankfully, The Full Monty somehow edged Titanic in 1997).

Although this guide is not comprehensive (especially if you really enjoyed Titanic), it will give you a good start before you dive into the lesser known awards, such as the Director’s Guild or BAFTA Awards. Investigating some of the non-televised awards – such as the Chicago Film Critics or Berlin Film Festival – can prove very rewarding, especially on one of those nights when you aren’t sure what to rent.

Finally, no film awards article would be complete without mention of the Golden Raspberry Awards. The Razzies, as they’re known, have recognized the worst offerings of Hollywood since 1980.