Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS)

Overview

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) is the professional honorary organization representing all branches of the film industry, founded in 1927. The Academy is best known for presenting the Academy Awards -- universally known as the Oscars -- the most globally recognized film honors in the world. Beyond the awards, the Academy operates the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles, maintains the Margaret Herrick Library (the world's most comprehensive film research archive), operates the Academy Film Archive (one of the world's largest film preservation vaults), and provides grants, fellowships, and educational programs supporting film culture and preservation worldwide.

AMPAS membership is divided into 17 branches representing different areas of filmmaking: Actors, Casting Directors, Cinematographers, Costume Designers, Directors, Documentary, Executives, Film Editors, Marketing and Public Relations, Music, Producers, Production Design, Public Relations, Short Films and Feature Animation, Sound, Visual Effects, and Writers. Each branch nominates candidates in the categories it covers, and all members vote for Best Picture and several other top categories. Membership is by invitation and represents recognition from peers within each branch.

Academy Awards and Voting Structure

The Academy Awards are voted in two phases. In the nomination phase, each branch nominates candidates in its covered categories -- cinematographers nominate in the Best Cinematography category, editors nominate in Best Film Editing, and so on. This branch-nomination structure means nominees are selected by working professionals with direct expertise in the relevant craft. In the voting phase, all Academy members vote across most categories, with some craft categories retaining specialist voting panels.

Best Picture is voted by all members using a preferential ballot system. The Academy switched to this ranked-choice voting system in 2009, which allows films to win Best Picture with broad-based support across the membership even if they are not any single member's first choice.

Representation and Membership

The Academy has undertaken significant efforts since 2015 to diversify its membership in response to the #OscarsSoWhite criticism, expanding invitations substantially and recruiting internationally. Current membership exceeds 10,000 members with representation from more than 50 countries. This diversification has changed the voting patterns for some categories -- notably Best International Feature Film and Best Picture -- as a more globally diverse membership brings different film knowledge and preferences to the voting process.

The Academy's membership invitation process requires demonstrated achievement at the professional level within the relevant branch's field. Many members hold membership in their branch's relevant craft guild alongside Academy membership, as the two recognitions serve different purposes: guild membership provides labor and professional representation, while Academy membership provides recognition of exceptional professional achievement.

Academy Museum and Preservation

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, opened in 2021, is the largest museum in the world dedicated to the art, science, and artistry of filmmaking. Its permanent collection and rotating exhibitions cover the full history of cinema. The Academy Film Archive holds more than 250,000 titles and is one of the most important film preservation institutions globally. The Margaret Herrick Library provides research access to the world's most comprehensive collection of film industry materials including scripts, production records, stills, and publications.

What Filmmakers Should Know

For filmmakers pursuing awards campaigns, understanding the Academy's branch structure -- and which branch members vote for which categories -- is essential for targeted campaign strategy. The Actors branch (the largest branch) votes for Best Picture alongside all other members, making a film's performance with actors particularly important for Best Picture success.

Academy membership represents the highest level of peer recognition available within the US film industry. For most film professionals, an invitation to join the Academy is a career milestone that reflects sustained excellence and significant contribution to the craft.

See Also

For the Academy Awards in the film awards directory, see Academy Awards. For the management counterpart that the Academy's labor members negotiate with, see AMPTP in this directory.