The Academy Awards: what you need to know

10 January 2013 Last updated at 00:38 ET Help

The Academy Awards - or the Oscars as they are more commonly known - are the film world's most prestigious awards.

They have taken place in Hollywood since 1929 and the winners are voted for by 6,000 academy members.

A win can transform the career of an actor or film maker almost overnight.

BBC Entertainment Reporter Natalie Jamieson explains how the awards work.

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