Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel

The winners were already known when guests arrived at the Hollywood Roosevelt for the first Academy Awards. On May 16, 1929, 270 people attended a banquet in the Blossom Room, with guest tickets priced at five dollars. The results had been made public three months earlier. Speeches filled the dinner, but Academy president Douglas Fairbanks distributed the statuettes quickly. The room's famous night began as an industry gathering with very little of the suspense that would later define the ceremony.

The films being honored belonged to an industry in transition. Wings received the outstanding-picture award, while Sunrise was recognized as a unique and artistic picture. Janet Gaynor's acting award covered three films: 7th Heaven, Street Angel and Sunrise. Emil Jannings was honored for The Last Command and The Way of All Flesh. The first awards could recognize several performances together, giving that dinner a different shape from the single-film contests familiar today.