MERIT AWARDS

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Merit Awards are bestowed each year by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the purpose of recognizing distinguished achievements in the arts and sciences of motion pictures as judged by the workers themselves, and to encourage advancement in such arts and sciences.

The Awards to be bestowed in 1930, at the third annual awards ceremony, are for the year ending July 31. Eight Awards are for achievements in pictures first publicly exhibited in the Los Angeles district during the period, previews excepted. One Award is for the exceptional scientific or technical contribution of most value to the arts and sciences of the industry.

All achievements or candidates are nominated by the votes of the members of the five Academy branches who will select five nominees for each award pertaining to their respective branches. The five highest nominations for each award will then be submitted on a printed ballot to the entire membership of the Academy.

The awards to be bestowed this year are as follows:

Four of these awards will be nominated and voted for solely as achievements without reference to the names of the person or persons entitled to the credit. These four are: art direction, cinematography, sound recording and writing. Expert committees will ascertain and recommend the individual credits for the Winning achievements and the manner in which such credits shall be recognized, subject to approval of the Board of Directors of the Academy.

RULES FOR 1929-1930

1. Awards are bestowed for achievements in motion pictures first publicly exhibited in the Los Angeles District (previews not included) from August 1, 1929, to July 31, 1930, inclusive.
2. The members of each Branch of the Academy shall nominate three candidates and/or achievements for each award pertaining to such branch, filing the same on or before August 30, 1930, unless the date shall be extended by Board or executive action. (See special provisions for selecting nominees for Writers’ and Technicians’ Branches.)
3. Nominations so filed by members of each Branch shall be canvassed by three tellers for each Branch, duly appointed by the chairmen of the Executive Committees of the respective branches. The said tellers for such branches shall certify the five candidates and/or achievements for each award pertaining to their respective branches who or which shall have received the highest number of nominations. In the event that there shall be a tie or ties in the lower or lowest recorded nominations of the five highest for any award, the tellers for such award shall select from the tied nominations the one or more who in their judgment are most entitled by achievement to be included in the five certified nominations.
4. On a date to be fixed as near September 1, 1930, as possible, the duly certified five highest nominations for each and all awards shall be submitted on a printed ballot to all members of the Academy.
5. As soon as possible after the canvassing of nominations, preferably the first week in September, there may be called a meeting or meetings of the full membership of the Academy at which there may be exhibited, for their information in voting, selected samples of such five achievements nominated for each award as may be considered advisable in the opinion of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors, the length of said selected examples to be determined in a manner to be fixed by said Executive Committee.
6. All members of the Academy shall then proceed to vote for one candidate for each award which vote shall be deposited on or before October 4, 1930, and shall be canvassed by a Board of five tellers to be composed of one Foundation member from each Branch to be appointed by the President of the Academy. The said tellers shall certify to the President the candidates or achievements receiving the highest number of votes for each award.
7. The awards for the Writers’ Branch and the Technicians’ Branch being chosen for achievements only, the bestowal of such awards shall be governed as set forth in the special regulations provided for those branches. (See special regulations.)

Special Regulations for Technical Awards Only

1. All achievements in the Technical Branch shall be nominated and voted for solely as achievements, without naming the persons supposed to be responsible for such achievements.
2. The Award for Sound Recording shall be with reference to the most convincing use of sound. The procedure for nominating such achievements shall be as follows: Each producing company may submit selected examples of sound recording from eligible pictures, not to exceed 1000 feet from each company, for exhibition to the membership of the Branch at meeting or meetings to be called for the purpose as early as possible after August 1 and ten days prior to the closing of nominations, provided also that any three members of the Branch may submit a single exhibit of sound recording for exhibition as aforesaid not to exceed 500 feet.
3. The Award for Scientific or Technical Achievement shall be for a device, method, formula, discovery or invention of the most special and outstanding value to the art, science or industry of motion picture production perfected during the year. If in the expert opinion of a special committee of five Foundation members of the Branch to be appointed by the chairman after the close of nominations, any nominated scientific or technical achievement has not been of sufficient special value to the art, science or industry of motion pictures to warrant an Academy award as aforesaid, then in that event such nomination shall not be submitted to the Academy membership as a whole for final vote. The said committee may also officiate as provided in paragraph (d) of these regulations.
4. At the conclusion of the final balloting by members of the Academy a special committee of five Foundation members of the Technicians Branch, to be appointed by the chairman of the Branch, shall ascertain the identity of the person, persons, or department properly entitled to credit for each of the winning achievements and shall certify the same to the President of the Academy. If more than one person shall be found entitled to credit the Special Committee shall recommend the manner in which such division of credit shall be recognized, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors of the Academy.

Special Regulations for Writer’s Award Only

1. Nominations and voting for the Writer’s Award shall be solely for the achievement, without naming the person or persons supposed to be entitled to credit.
2. The procedure for nomination and voting shall be as follows: During the first week after nomination blanks have been sent to the Branch membership a meeting of the Branch shall be called for discussion, conference and information as to the proper credit for writing achievements in relation to pictures cited to the meeting.
3. At the conclusion of the final balloting by members of the Academy a special committee of five Foundation members of the Writers Branch, to be appointed by the chairman of the Branch, shall ascertain the identity of the person or persons properly entitled to credit for the winning achievement and shall certify the same to the President of the Academy. If more than one person shall be found entitled to credit the Special Committee shall recommend the manner in which such division of credit shall be recognized, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors of the Academy.