The states with the most Oscar Awards: where in the United States have they won the most statuettes?

The Academy Awards, more popularly known as the Oscars, awarded by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, are considered the highest honor in the world of cinema.

The Academy rewards various aspects of the film industry, beyond just films and performances, including other technical and musical areas, such as direction, photography, editing, soundtrack and original song.

Since 1929, over 3,000 people have received a statuette. Starting with a few categories, the nominations have expanded to more than 20 categories (this year, there are 23), with winners from all over the world, but mainly from the United States and some countries in Europe.

The states with the most Oscar Awards: where in the United States have they won the most statuettes?

Although film is a universal art form, the Academy Awards, being primarily a celebration of Hollywood, have historically favored Americans. Although the film industry in Los Angeles has no shortage of local talent, the hometowns of the artists who end up winning the coveted Oscar statuettes are a little more spread out.

The first Oscar ceremony took place in 1929. Back then it was a much smaller event than it is now. In the early years, most of the winners in the three main categories (best actress, best actor and best director) came from the eastern side of the United States.

This discrepancy reflected historical demographics in the country. When the Academy Awards began in the late 1920s, Los Angeles had a fraction of the population of New York and London. As the film industry helped turn Southern California into a megalopolis, the region began to produce more local talent.

As the film industry matured over the following decades, and the Los Angeles area along with it, there were more and more winners born in the region. In general terms, the states which have produced the most Oscar winners, based on the birthplace, are California and New York.

We share with you a map that illustrates the birthplaces of the winners of some of the main categories: Best Actor and Best Actress and Best Director.

This year’s 96th Academy Awards will take place at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles on Sunday 10 March 2024. The nominations for all 23 categories were officially announced by the the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) on 23 January. The ceremony, which is to be hosted by comedian and talk-show host Jimmy Kimmel, will begin at 4 p.m. PT/ 7p.m. ET. Viewers in the United States will be able to watch the 96th Oscars aired live on ABC.

Lily Gladstone (Killers of the Flower Moon) is the favourite to win this year’s Best Actress award. She is up for the award alongside Annette Bening (NYAD), Carey Mulligan (Maestro), Sandra Hüller (Anatomy of a Fall) and Emma Stone (Poor Things).

In the Best Actor category, the award is expected to go to Oppenheimer star Cillian Murphy, whose fellow nominees are Colman Domingo (Rustin), Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers), Bradley Cooper (Maestro) and Jeffery Wright (American Fiction).

Oppenheimer is also the big favorite to pick up the award in the Best Picture category, ahead of some tough competition from the other nominations: American Fiction, Anatomy of a Fall, Barbie, The Holdovers, Killers of the Flower Moon, Maestro, Past Lives, Poor Things and Zone of Interest.