MUMBAI: Breaking away from tradition, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences plans to attach the winners‘ engraved nameplates to their statuettes at the Governors Ball immediately after the ceremony that will be broadcast live by ABC on 7 March from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.

The Academy hands out unmarked Oscars to the winners onstage. Previously, winners had to bring their trophies to the Academy so the personalised nameplates could be attached.
This year, R.S. Owens, the company that manufactures the Oscar statuettes, will create 197 nameplates in advance, factoring in all the potential winners. Each engraving will include name, category, film title and year.

At the ball, that takes place at the Hollywood and Highland Centre next door to the Kodak Theatre, winners will be invited into a specially designed area, where technicians will affix the nameplates to each Oscar.

The unused nameplates will be recycled. "An Oscar statuette just isn‘t complete until a nameplate is attached," Academy president Tom Sherak said, adding, "The Governors Ball is the perfect place for Oscar winners to add that final touch as they celebrate their accomplishment and the year‘s movies."