At the Oscars, winners’ speeches have evolved significantly, with an analysis of nearly 2,100 speeches since 1953 revealing that 80% are delivered by men. Speeches, averaging 15 sentences in 2024, often thank the Academy, family, and crew, with “thank” appearing in 95% of them. Women tend to give longer speeches, particularly Best Actress winners, who average 18 sentences. Notable speeches include Daniel Kaluuya’s 70-sentence speech in 2021 and Halle Berry’s heartfelt tribute in 2002. References to “God” and Steven Spielberg are common, highlighting trends and changes in the presentation of gratitude over the decades.
New Delhi:
Over the years at the Oscars, we’ve witnessed a wide range of winners’ speeches, ranging from monotonous and lengthy to cringeworthy, heartwarming, or, on rare occasions, genuinely funny.
Some memorable moments include the astonished gasps from an 11-year-old Anna Paquin and Patricia Arquette’s compelling feminist speech, which earned Meryl Streep a standing ovation.
According to an analysis by AFP, nearly 2,100 speeches dating back to March 1953 reveal that 80% were delivered by men. Most winners tend to thank the Academy, their families, the film crew, or reference the impact of cinema.
In the 1950s, speeches averaged nearly three sentences, but by 2024, they expanded to an average of 15 sentences.
This year, on Tuesday, nominees were advised to keep their speeches to 45 seconds.
Daniel Kaluuya, awarded Best Supporting Actor for Judas and the Black Messiah in 2021, delivered an exceptional speech consisting of 70 sentences.
In just 3 minutes and 30 seconds, the British actor mentioned around 30 people, including God, his team, family, and “everyone (he) loves, from London Town to Kampala.”
Conversely, around 200 winners opted for brevity, delivering one-sentence speeches as they quickly returned to their seats.
In 1954, when Charles Brackett, Walter Reisch, and Richard Breen won Best Original Screenplay for Titanic, Brackett managed to utter just a “Thank you” before being hurried off stage.
Women tend to be the lengthier speakers, averaging over nine sentences, while men average slightly over seven.
Notably, Best Actress winners tend to give the longest speeches, averaging 18 sentences, which is two and a half sentences longer than those given by their male counterparts.
Most acceptance speeches primarily focus on expressing gratitude; the word “thank” appears in nearly 95% of the speeches analyzed by AFP.
The remaining 5% exhibit more creativity in their language. For instance, Vincente Minnelli used the term “gratitude” when he accepted the Best Director Oscar for Gigi in 1959.
In 2024, Arthur Harari shared the Best Original Screenplay Oscar for Anatomy of a Fall with Justine Triet, with his partner having covered all the thank-yous.
Among categories, Best Actresses with their longer speeches also express gratitude the most, using the word “thank” an average of 6.2 times.
With over 60 sentences, Halle Berry dedicated a significant portion of her speech to her gratitude when she became the first Black actress to win an Oscar for Monster’s Ball in 2002. She began with two “Oh my Gods” and remarked that “this moment is so much bigger than (her),” dedicating her win to “every nameless, faceless woman of color that now has a chance because this door tonight has been opened.”
In contrast, Frances McDormand opted for brevity, almost skipping the “thanks” altogether when she claimed her first of three Best Actress awards for Fargo in 1997 from the Coen brothers. She did manage to say “Thank you for acknowledging our work” at the end, commending the producers for “allowing directors to make autonomous casting decisions based on qualifications and not just market value.”
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the organization behind the golden statuette, is mentioned most frequently in these speeches. In the 1950s, it was referenced in one of every twelve speeches, while in the last decade, it has appeared in only one speech.
Another commonly referenced entity is “God,” who is mentioned nearly 190 times across over 140 speeches.
Over 60% of the mentions refer to the figure of God, with just under half comprising phrases like “God bless” aimed at the audience, America, or the Academy…
Among all the instances of “God,” one in five includes the phrase “Oh (my) God,” which doesn’t directly allude to the religious figure.
When it comes to individuals, Hollywood mogul Steven Spielberg stands out as the most cited name, mentioned around 40 times despite being a 23-time nominee and 3-time winner.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)