The 2nd Academy Awards were given away at the Ambassador Hotel’s famed Cocoanut Grove in Los Angeles on April 3, 1930 for films released in 1928 and 1929. The presentation was broadcast on radio and despite existing lists now, at the time there were no official nominees (the “official” list of nominees was compiled by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences from the film that the judges had to go by at the time of judging). The Oscars had two stand out events in that it is the only time that no movie one more than one Oscar and the Best Director (Frank Lloyd) won without having his picture nominated for Best Picture (or Outstanding Picture which it was still called at this point).
Outstanding Picture:
Best Director:
Harry Beaumont—The Broadway Melody
WINNER: Frank Lloyd—The Divine Lady
Best Actor:
WINNER: Warner Baxter—In Old Arizona
Best Actress:
Corinne Griffith—The Divine Lady
Bessie Love—The Broadway Melody
WINNER: Mary Pickford—Coquette
Best Writing:
Tom Barry—In Old Arizona/The Valiant
Elliot Clawson—The Leatherneck
Elliot Clawson—Sal of Singapore
Hanns Kräly—The Last of Mrs. Cheyney
WINNER: Hanns Kräly—The Patriot
Josephine Lovett—Our Dancing Daughters
Bess Meredyth—A Woman of Affairs
Best Cinematography:
George Barns—Our Dancing Daughters
WINNER: Clyde De Vinna—White Shadows in the South Seas
Ernest Palmer—Four Devils/Street Angel
Best Art Direction:
WINNER: Cedric Gibbson—The Bridge of San Luis Rey
William Cameron Menzies—Alibi/The Awakening
Preceded By:
The 1st Academy Award Nominations
Followed By:
Mary Pickford didn’t deserve the Oscar. She was awarded for the most artificial performance of her career.