Since 1951, all Academy Award winners must sign an agreement that they “shall not sell or otherwise dispose of the Oscar statuette, nor permit it to be sold or disposed of by operation of law, without first offering to sell it to the Academy for the sum of $1”.
According to the Academy's rulebook, if a winner wants to sell his or her Oscar, he or she must offer it to the Academy, which may pay one dollar for the statuette.
In 1950 the Academy introduced a law prohibiting the sale of the Oscars. The real price of the statuettes is actually one dollar. In the event that a person wants to get rid of one of the awards, they cannot sell it and will have to return it to the Academy for that price.
The Award of Merit statuette, commonly known as the “Oscar,” is the copyrighted property and registered trademark and service mark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (“Academy”).
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences are very serious about their Oscars not ending up on some pawnbroker's shelf. Every actor who wins one has to sign an agreement saying that if they want to sell their Oscar, they first have to offer it to the Academy for $1.
In fact, though there are those who have rejected their Oscars (Marlon Brando, Dudley Nichols), only one award has ever been revoked in Academy history — the 1969 prize for Best Documentary, which was given to Young Americans before it was determined that the film was released in 1967 and therefore ineligible.
Cast in bronze and finished with gold plating, the award is among the most coveted in the film industry — and the Academy values it at just $1. Of course, the Oscar itself is much more costly to produce.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which hosts and coordinates the awards each season, has strict rules regarding the statuettes. The official regulations state that winners cannot sell their Oscar without first offering to sell it back to the Academy for $1, which makes each one worth a mere $1.
That's because the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which gives out the Oscars, has strict rules in place to prevent winners from profiting off of the sale of their trophies.
In 1991, the US 9th Circuit Court of Appeal ruled that the statuette was not part of the public domain and was protected under federal copyright laws, stating: "We conclude that the Academy's sleek, muscular gold statuette known as 'Oscar', which is recognized [sic] worldwide as a distinctive symbol of outstanding ...
As of now, no Oscar winner has ever had their award rescinded by the Academy, although producer and serial sexual abuser Harvey Weinstein was expelled from the governing body in 2017.
It is composed of 24-karat gold-plated bronze. The sleek award stands 13.5 inches tall and weighs a hefty 8.5 pounds. If cast in 24-karat gold, the award would weigh 22.7 pounds, a mass equivalent to a large watermelon or two-year-old child.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which hosts and coordinates the awards each season, has strict rules regarding the statuettes. The official regulations state that winners cannot sell their Oscar without first offering to sell it back to the Academy for $1, which makes each one worth a mere $1.
Only one Oscar has ever been revoked in the history of the Academy Awards, and it was not an acting Oscar. The documentary film Young Americans won Best Documentary Feature in 1969, but it was later discovered that the film had been released in 1967, not 1968 (the year of eligibility).
The actual scrap value of an Oscar, meanwhile, is estimated to be between around $400 to $650 based on calculations from WalletHub and Money.com, but that figure doesn't take into account the years of work, dedication, or sentimental value attached to each statuette.
As of 2022, Katharine Hepburn maintained her lead as the actor with the most Oscar wins of all time. While the "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" star scored four acting accolades during her career, six fellow actors tied for the second spot with three wins each.
While Katherine Hepburn famously declined every invitation to attend the Academy Awards, she reportedly displayed the Oscars trophies she had won proudly in her home. However, Marlon Brando, George C. Scott, Dudley Nichols flat out refused the award.
(NEXSTAR) – The Academy Award is generally regarded as one of the highest honors that an actor can receive — the keyword being “generally.” In the history of the Oscars, however, there have only been three people who refused their awards: actors George C. Scott and Marlon Brando, and screenwriter Dudley Nichols.
In its 94-year history, the Academy has expelled only five members: Carmine Caridi, Harvey Weinstein, Bill Cosby, Roman Polanski, and cinematographer Adam Kimmel.
Since 1950, Oscar winners have had to sign a contract guaranteeing the Academy the right of first refusal to buy the statuettes back should the winners or their heirs decide on selling. But, what Hollywood hero could be so hard-up that he needs to pawn the most important award he's ever received?
Although there have been a few instances when some winners were unable to receive their award at the ceremony due to scheduling conflicts or other such genuine issues, there have been three people who outright refused their Oscar.
