On the night of the Academy Awards, as the year’s best picture is revealed, attendees inside the Dolby Theatre sit through the thank-you speech, tears and applause. And every year, even as guests shuffle out of the venue, one of the art deco columns that they pass will already be adorned with a plaque noting that year’s winner.
Displaying every honoree of this top award dating back to 1927, when Wings won the first best picture Oscar, the pillars — known as the Awards Walk at Ovation Hollywood, which houses the Dolby — make for an impressive display. But you may be forgiven for wondering: “How the heck did they get 2025’s plate up there so fast — we’re not even at the valet!” And if it’s true that the movie title in the envelope is only known beforehand to PricewaterhouseCoopers accountants, has some unholy deal involving an early peek been struck?
The answer is less salacious, and merely involves meticulous planning. Every year, following the announcement of the best picture nominees — this year, Bowen Yang and Rachel Sennott performed the honors on Jan. 23 — all potential titles are predesigned by Print a Sign in Agoura Hills, California. Then, as soon as the winner is announced on the Oscar stage, temporary plexiglass signage is installed before a permanent stone plaque is placed within a few weeks. The losing cartouches are destroyed.
Currently, the columns, stretching from the front entrance to the grand staircase leading up to the theater, can hold best picture titles until 2071. What happens then is anybody’s guess.
This story appeared in the Feb. 26 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
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