An awards ceremony is a form of gathering when awards are given out. The event could be hosted by a government agency, a group, a school, a trade association, or even a corporation that specializes in award ceremonies. Typically, a master of ceremonies introduces award recipients, addresses the audience, entertains participants, and keeps the ceremony moving. In Ancient Greece, annual competitions for tragedy and comedy were organized, with the wealthier citizens supporting them. The awards included the best play, best production, and best acting. In the early Olympic Games, there were two award ceremonies. The judges awarded palm branches to the winners of each event. On the last day of the games, the event champions were unveiled and crowned with olive garlands. The runners-up received no medals because they were deemed insignificant, and only the winner was announced. Athletes would routinely risk significant fines and pay judges in order to be acknowledged as champions. The primary American media awards have developed from humble origins to large prime-time television spectacles. In 1929, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences hosted its first awards ceremony at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, three months after the winners were revealed. The Oscar statuettes for best film, best actress, and best actor were presented during a 15-minute ceremony. The Golden Globe Awards were formed in 1944 by the Hollywood Foreign Correspondents Association, a group of eight journalists. At a luncheon at 20th Century Fox, they planned to present awards for best picture, best actress, and best actor. The first Tony Awards ceremony for theatrical plays and musicals was held in 1947 at the Waldorf Astoria in New York. The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences presented the first Emmy Awards in 1949 at the Hollywood Athletic Club. The inaugural Grammy Awards were given out in 1958 by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, with Volare winning Best Single. The first Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards aired in 1988. Every year since its inception in 2014, the Game Awards, a video game industry awards show, has been livestreamed on YouTube and Twitch.
