Various Trophies Used In The Entertainment Industry

By Author: Bruce Munro
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From little league baseball to employee of the year, people are familiar with trophy presentations for accomplishments throughout most of their lives. Whether awarded personally or to someone you know, most everyone has seen various kinds of trophies. Some of the best known and most recognizable trophies are those presented in the entertainment industry.

Of all the trophies used in the entertainment industry, the Oscar and the Grammy are perhaps the most recognizable. The Oscar, which is a statuette-style trophy awarded to Academy Award winners, was first cast in 1928 by an Illinois-based company known as C.W. Shumway - Sons. Mostly made of copper and small traces of tin, the Oscar is gold-plated and stands approximately 13.5 inches tall and weighs just over 8 pounds.

The Grammy, originally awarded as the Gramophone Award, is a statuette-style gilded trophy resembling a gramophone. Presented yearly by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States since 1958, the Grammy is manufactured by Billings Artworks, where each trophy is assembled by hand. Reportedly, the academy has prop trophies ...
... that they re-use each year for the awards ceremony and the recipients receive their actual trophy, complete with engraved nameplate some time afterwards.

In addition to these two famous trophies, others like the Emmy, presented annually since 1949 to honor those in the television industry, as well as numerous sports trophies are awarded in highly publicized ceremonies each year. The trophies presented throughout the entertainment industry often reflect the specific industry in some fashion.

Popular sports trophies include the Vince Lombardi Trophy, awarded each year to the winning Super Bowl team, the Heisman Trophy, awarded to the most outstanding collegiate football player, and the John Wooden Trophy, awarded to the NCAA basketball player of the year. Each trophy design displays a representation of the sport in some way. The ESPY Awards, which began in 1993 as an award ceremony to honor the greatest players and participants across all sports, present winners with a modern-style trophy resembling a round ball atop an engraved pedestal.

Other famous trophies awarded in sports that are older and more traditional include the trophies presented at Wimbledon, the world’s oldest competitive tennis match. The winner of the men’s singles is presented with a "cup," or chalice-style trophy, and the women’s singles winner is presented with a dish-style trophy. The chalice, along with wreaths and life-size statues, are perhaps one of the oldest renderings of a trophy, presented for recognition of victory in sporting events. The chalice is traced back to the 1600s.

Sometimes referred to as a "loving cup" trophy, a cup, or chalice-like trophy is easily recognizable as a trophy award. Golf, car racing, and tennis are examples of major sporting events where winners are presented with a cup. The loving cup trophy is often silver or gold plated and typically has two handles. A popular example of a "cup" style trophy used in entertainment is the "Triwizard" cup designed as a movie prop for the film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Whether statuette style, cup style, or a form of modern art deco, trophies of all shapes and sizes are awarded throughout the entertainment industry. They are often the inspiration for trophy designs in everyday use. Businesses, community organizations, schools, and private institutions often choose replicas of famous trophies or have similar style trophies made for award purposes. For instance, local theater companies and high school drama clubs may request trophies similar in design to the Oscar to present at their local award ceremonies.

Many trophy retailers are able to create replicas of various style trophies, depending on the trophy. Obviously, most people are not looking for silver or gold plated trophies but cheaper alloys can be used to recreate the look without duplicating the cost. Statuettes, cups, molded resins, or even engraved plaques are all objects of equal recognition when presented with meaning.

A trophy is often an object that reflects pride and accomplishment and may be kept for generations. Whether using a design created by the head of MGM Studios, a world-famous sculptor, or simply bringing the ideas thought up by the head of the high school band boosters to life, trophy designs can reflect many different sentiments. Whether or not they are as easily recognized as those used in the entertainment industry, any trophy is usually well received and appreciated.
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