The 95th Academy Awards are taking place upcoming Sunday, March 12th. The Oscar statuettes are in high demand not only with actors and filmmakers: Nominees, guests and tourists from all over the world have arrived in Los Angeles to be on or near the event. Who isn’t honored with taking a real Oscar statue home, loves to get at least an Oscar souvenir. From plastic over lego to chocolate – Oscar merchandise is available in all forms. But what is the real statuette made off? Learn more in this blog post….

The official name of the Oscar is the Academy Award of Merit. The golden statue is 13,5 inches tall and weighs 8.5 pounds. It was designed by Cedric Gibbons, chief art director at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The first actor who held “Oscar” in his hands was Emil Jannings, named Best Actor for his performances in “The Last Command” and “The Way of All Flesh” in 1929. Originally produced in Los Angeles, the statuettes are manufactured in Chicago by R.S. Owens and Co. Watch following video “Making an Oscar® statuette” .