With 97 years of history, the Academy Awards have recognized, since 1929, excellence in cinematographic achievements, delivering more than 3,000 statuettes to the great exponents of cinema. Although this award represents the highest recognition in the industry, its net value is surprisingly low compared to its prestige.
For many actors, directors and composers, receiving an Oscar award means reaching one of the highest points of your career. However, those who obtain it – so their heirs – are subject to a clause of the academy that prevents them from selling the statuette.
With the arrival of a new edition of the Oscar, doubts have emerged about the true value of these statues bathed in gold and about why some actors can sell them, while others do not. Here we tell you the details.
Statueled contract and manufacturing value
Figures such as Michael Jackson and Steven Spielberg are part of the small group of celebrities who managed to buy a statuette of the Oscar award. This has generated curiosity on what time the award -winning can sell their prize. The answer is clear: never, unless it is sold to the Academy of Arts and Cinematographic Sciences.
From the foundation of the awards in 1929 to 1950, the winners had total freedom to dispose of their statuettes. However, due to the growing resale of these awards in auction houses, the Academy implemented a legal restriction that prohibited its commercialization.
According to the Academy Regulations, established in article 10, every winner must sign a legal clause that prevents the sale of the statuette, both for him and his heirs.
Within this clause it is established that, if a winner or his heir wants to sell the statuette, he must first offer it to the Academy for a symbolic price of US $ 1.
In addition, the agreement stipulates that, in case of an illegal sale, the Oscar Academy has the right to take legal actions both against the seller and against the buyer to recover the statuette.
What are the statuettes that can be sold?
The more than 150 statuettes that have been auctioned belong to winners prior to 1950, who were not subject to the agreement.
For this reason, singer Michael Jackson was able to acquire the statuette granted to the film What the wind took for US $ 1.5 million in 1999.
Components and real value of the statuette
24 karat gold bathed, the Oscar award statuette is manufactured with Britanniuman alloy composed of tin, antimony and copper, prepared by the UAP Polich Tallix foundry.
With a height of 34 centimeters and a weight close to four kilograms, the manufacturing cost of each statuette is approximately US $ 400, mainly due to its gold bath.
2025 Oscar Awards
The 97 edition of the Oscar awards is about to be held, attracting the attention of the entertainment world not only for cinematographic expectations, but also for the recent controversies that have surrounded the gala.
The movie Emilia Pérez It is positioned as the most nominated for this edition, although it has been in the center of various controversies, from the participation of its protagonist, Karla Sofía Gascón, to her plot. On the other hand, movies like Conclave, Anora, The brutalist and Duna: Part 2 They appear among the favorites to take the award.
The ceremony will take place on March 2 at 7:00 p.m. (Guatemala) and will be transmitted by the platform HBO MAX, as well as in some cable television channels. During the event, key categories will be highlighted as best film, best actor, best actress and best director.