The eighty-first Oscars ceremony was hosted by Hugh Jackman.
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 . Hugh Jackman . Jackman also hosted the 81st Academy Awards on 22 February 2009 .