Are Oscars made of solid gold? What Academy Awards are made of, worth, history, and why they are called Oscars

The Oscar statuette is one of the most recognisable trophies in the world. | Getty Images

Awards season is now reaching its conclusion, with The Brutalist and Emilia Perez the big winners at the Golden Globes in January, and The Brutalist and Conclave winning four BAFTAs apiece in February.

All eyes are now on the Oscars, the world’s most prestigious film awards, with the Academy Awards being held this weekend.

Emilia Perez leads the way with 13 nominations, followed by Wicked and The Brutalist with 10 nods each. Both Conclave and A Complete Unknown have eight nominations apiece.

Those who do win will be presented with a golden Academy Award statuette to pop on their mantelpiece.

Here’s everything you need to know about the little gold fellas.

Are the Oscars made of solid gold?

The Academy Award trophies are sadly not solid gold. Instead they are made of solid bronze plated in 24-karat gold. The only exception was during World War Two when a shortage of metal meant they were made of less-glamorous painted plaster.

The statuettes stand exactly 13.5 inches tall and weighs 8.5 pounds.

Why are they called Oscars?

While the trophies are officially called the Academy Award of Merit, they are better known as Oscars. Legend has it that when Academy librarian Margaret Herrick saw the tropjhy for the first time she said that they looked like her Uncle Oscar. The nickname was officially adopted by the Academy in 1939.

What does the Oscar statuette represent?

The trophy was designed by MGM art director Cedric Gibbons and is “a knight standing on a reel of film gripping a crusader’s sword”. The film reel features five spokes, signifying the five original branches of the Academy: actors, directors, producers, technicians and writers.

How much is an Oscar worth?

Technically an Oscar is worth exactly $1 - that’s how much the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (who run the Oscars) offer to buy back the statuette for.

If you’re looking at the scrpa value of the metal involved then they are worth around $400.

On the open marker though, they are close to priceless. In 1999, Michael Jackson won an auction for David O. Selznick's 1940 Best Picture Oscar for Gone with the Wind. He paid a cool $1.54 million.