The awards ceremony is organized by the Académie des Lumières which consists of over 200 representatives of the international press based in Paris.

[1] The Lumière Awards were initiated in 1995 by French producer Daniel Toscan du Plantier and American journalist and ex-Newsweek's Paris correspondent Edward Behr.

Their idea was to replicate the Golden Globes, which were presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

[3][citation needed] Le Figaro described the Lumières as "one of the barometers of the French awards season and are a good indication of the films that will be acclaimed by the César Awards, when they are nominated in January".

[4] The president of the Academy is Lisa Nesselson, the vice-presidents are Pamela Bienzobas and José Maria Riba, the treasurer is Min Liu, the general secretary is Jacques Kermabon and the general delegate is Anne Guimet.