Have the Oscars always been held at the Dolby Theatre?

Anticipation is building as the Oscars nears, as we are just days away from one of biggest nights in the film industry. With nominations already accessible to viewers, an impressive lineup of films are hoping to win at this year’s ceremony, making history for years to come.

The Oscars have been held almost exclusively at the Dolby Theatre since being inaugurated in 2001, initially as the Kodak Theatre. It had held Oscars ceremonies since 2002, except for the pandemic times in 2021 when some additional venues were used.

The Oscars has had several other homes in the past

Though a 20-year extension was signed in 2012 by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, meaning it will remain there until at least 2033, the Oscars haven’t always made Dolby Theatre their home.

Dolby Theatre was built and designed mainly for this event, a 3,300-seat venue that cost over $94 million to create. It is located inside the 640,000-square-foot shopping, dining and entertainment complex in the heart of Hollywood called Hollywood & Highland.

A history lesson on past Oscar venues before Dolby Theatre

When the Oscars began in 1929, it was a much different affair, far from all the glitz and glamor we see today. With the growth of media coverage and radio and television broadcasting development, the Oscars quickly outgrew previous homes.

The first Academy Awards were held as a simple banquet in The Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles. This venue remains an emblem of Hollywood’s most glamorous events throughout history. The term “Oscars” had not been coined yet, and the event was a small affair held three months after winners had already been announced.

Long demolished and replaced since then, the second Oscars were held in the Ambassador Hotel, once a famed hotspot for nightlife and events. From 1930 to 1943, the event alternated between here and the Biltmore Hotel, another significant venue in Oscar’s history. The Biltmore Hotel was where art director Cedric Gibbons designed the first sketch of the award’s statuette on a napkin

Between 1944-1950 the Oscars moved around to several places as attendance grew, notably the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre until 1946, Shrine Auditorium until 1948, and finally, the Marquis Theatre.

It was only in 1950 when the RKO Pantages Theatre became the main venue for 11 years to follow, an art deco marvel of the times. Between 1953 and 1957, the Oscars became a bi-coastal event held in New York City simultaneously.

From 1961 to 1968, the newly built Santa Monica Civic Auditorium became the award’s host, only to be replaced by the Dorthy Chandler Pavillion in 1969, which lasted until 1987.

The ceremony returned to the Shrine Auditorium in 1988 and 1989, alternating between the Shrine and the Music Center between 1990 and 2001, before establishing itself at the newly-opened Dolby Theatre.