1928-29 (2nd) Voting Rules Book cover


1928-29 (2nd Annual Awards)
Academy Award Voting Rules

Each year the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences publishes a booklet for its members detailing the current revised rules for nominating and voting for Academy Awards. Listed below is the exact text of the rules for the 1928-29 (2nd) Awards.

Click on a year in the column on the right to display the Voting Rules for another year.

Note: Although the typography has been modified slightly for greater consistency and easier reading on this website, the text displayed for each Rule Book is exactly as it was originally printed (including the original—sometimes quirky—outline format and occasional spelling errors).

OFFICIAL NOMINATION PAPER


RULES GOVERNING ACADEMY AWARDS 1928-29

  1. Awards are for most distinctive achievements in motion picture productions, first publicly exhibited (not previews) in the Los Angeles district from August 1, 1928 to July 31, 1929, inclusive.
  2. Achievements for which awards are bestowed in 1928-29 competition are: (1) Actor’s performance or performances, (2) Actress’ performance or performances, (3) Director’s achievement or achievements, (4) Writer’s achievement or achievements, (5) Cinematographer’s achievement or achievements, (6) Art Director’s achievement or achievements, (7) Best Production.
  3. Each member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences may make one nomination for each of the seven Awards, by filing the same with the Academy Secretary on or before August 10, 1929, which date may be extended on due notice by the Secretary for good and sufficient reasons.
  4. All nominations shall be classified by the Secretary for submission with the original papers to Boards of Judges selected from each of the five branches of the Academy, nominations for the acting awards to the Actors’ Branch judges, and the other nominations in a like manner to the Boards of Judges for the corresponding branches.
  5. The Board of Judges for each of the five Academy Branches shall consist of five qualified members of the Branch to be selected by the Executive Committee of the Branch as soon after August 10, 1929, as is practicable, and no candidate eligible for award in the competition to be judged shall be named on the Board.
  6. Each Board of Judges shall consider the ten candidates for each class of award submitted to it, and from this ten shall select five who in their opinion are best entitled to the said award naming the five in their order of excellence as judged by the Board. The findings of each Board shall be duly certified for final submission to the Central Board of Judges.
  7. The Central Board of Judges shall consist of one member from each of the five Academy Branches, to be selected by the respective Executive Committees of the Branches from the respective branch memberships excluding candidates for awards as reported by the Branch Boards of Judges. The Central Board of Judges shall be appointed as soon after the Branch Boards have submitted their findings as is practicable.
  8. The Central Board of Judges shall select for each of the seven awards one candidate from the five recommendations submitted by the respective Branch Boards and shall award to the seven thus selected Academy First Awards for 1928-29. The Central Board of Judges may take into account but shall not be bound by the order of excellence observed by the Branch Boards in naming their recommendations.
  9. The Secretary, the Branch Boards of Judges and the Central Board of Judges shall observe due and proper secrecy in considering nominations and selections and no announcement of individual results shall be made until duly authorized by the Board of Directors of the Academy.
  10. Awards for 1928-29 shall be attested by certificates and statuette trophies in the same manner inaugurated in bestowal of awards for 1927-28.