[5][6] Jannings, a Swiss-born performer who gained fame in Berlin, had been notified in advance of his victory; he subsequently posed for pictures with his statuette before leaving for Germany.

The academy decided retroactively that Wings' award was its highest honor the following year and dropped Unique and Artistic Picture.

Mayer's purpose in creating the award was to unite the five branches of the film industry: actors, directors, producers, technicians, and writers.

[8] However, according to the American director King Vidor, the voting for the Academy Award for Best Picture was in the hands of the AMPAS founders: Mayer, Douglas Fairbanks, Sid Grauman, Mary Pickford, and Joseph Schenck.

[5][6][12] The recipients included: Emil Jannings, the inaugural first award recipient[5] for Best Actor (The Way of All Flesh and The Last Command);[6][12] Janet Gaynor for Best Actress (7th Heaven, Street Angel, and Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans); Frank Borzage for Best Director, Drama (7th Heaven); Lewis Milestone for Best Director, Comedy (Two Arabian Knights); and Wings for Best Picture (the most expensive film of its time).

[4][7] Two presentations were made of a Special Award: to Charles Chaplin and Warner Bros. Charlie Chaplin, a multiple nominee for one movie (Best Actor, Best Writer, and Best Director, Comedy; all for The Circus) (1928), has been removed from the list so as to recognize his total contribution to the industry;[6] and Warner Bros., an award for pioneering talking pictures (The Jazz Singer).