Oscars: How Those Best Picture Plaques Pop Up So Fast Outside the Dolby

Every year at the Academy Awards ceremony, when the best picture of the year is announced, people inside the Dolby Theatre listen to the thank-you speeches, shed tears, and applaud. And as guests leave the venue each year, one of the art deco columns that they pass will already have a plaque commemorating the winner from that very same year.

Showcasing every honoree of this prestigious award since 1927, when “Wings” claimed its first best picture Oscar, the pillars – famously known as the Awards Walk at Ovation Hollywood, which includes the Dolby – make for an awe-inspiring spectacle. However, it’s understandable if you find yourself questioning: “How on earth did they manage to put up the 2025 plate so quickly – we haven’t even reached the valet yet!” And if it’s indeed true that only PricewaterhouseCoopers accountants know the title of the movie in the envelope beforehand, has some secret arrangement allowing early viewing been struck?

The solution is less sensational and primarily revolves around careful preparation. Once the best picture nominees are revealed, typically by Bowen Yang and Rachel Sennott on January 23 this year, all possible titles have already been pre-prepared by Print a Sign in Agoura Hills, California. As soon as the winner is declared on the Oscars stage, temporary plexiglas signage is swiftly installed before a permanent stone plaque takes its place within a few weeks. Meanwhile, the losing title holders are discarded.

At present, the column spanning from the main entrance to the grand stairway that ascends to the theater displays the winners of Best Picture awards, extending all the way up to 2071. After that point, it’s anyone’s prediction what will happen.

You can find this article in the February 26th edition of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To ensure you don’t miss out on future issues, consider subscribing.

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2025-03-01 20:54