Academy Award for Best Actor

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The Academy Award for Best Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given in honor of an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role while working within the film industry. The award is traditionally presented by the previous year's Best Actress winner.

History

The award was first presented at the 1st Academy Awards ceremony, held in 1929. The inaugural winner was Emil Jannings, who received the award for his performances in The Last Command and The Way of All Flesh. Initially, the award was not based on a specific film but rather on the actor's body of work for the year. This practice was discontinued after the first year.

Criteria

The Best Actor award is given to an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role. The nominees and winners are selected by the members of the Academy. The selection process involves a preliminary round of voting to determine the nominees, followed by a final round of voting to select the winner.

Notable Winners

Over the years, several actors have won the award multiple times. Daniel Day-Lewis holds the record for the most wins, with three awards for his roles in My Left Foot (1989), There Will Be Blood (2007), and Lincoln (2012). Other notable winners include Marlon Brando, Jack Nicholson, and Dustin Hoffman.

Records and Trivia

• Spencer Tracy and Laurence Olivier hold the record for the most nominations, with nine each.
• Peter O'Toole holds the record for the most nominations without a win, with eight.
• The youngest winner is Adrien Brody, who was 29 years old when he won for The Pianist (2002).
• The oldest winner is Anthony Hopkins, who was 83 years old when he won for The Father (2020).

Recent Winners

• 2020: Anthony Hopkins for The Father
• 2019: Joaquin Phoenix for Joker
• 2018: Rami Malek for Bohemian Rhapsody

Related Pages

• Academy Awards
• Academy Award for Best Actress
• Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
• Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
• List of actors with two or more Academy Awards in acting categories

See Also

• Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama
• Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
• Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role