The Academy Awards are a ceremony.
The Academy Awards , now known officially as the Oscars , is a set of twenty-four awards for artistic and technical merit in the American film industry , given annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ( AMPAS ) , to recognize excellence in cinematic achievements as assessed by the Academy 's voting membership . The awards ceremony was first broadcast on radio in 1930 and televised for the first time in 1953 . The Academy Awards ceremony is the oldest worldwide entertainment awards ceremony . The 89th Academy Awards ceremony , honoring the best films of 2016 , were held on February 26 , 2017 , at the Dolby Theatre , in Los Angeles , California . The ceremony was hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and was broadcast on ABC .