Here’s What You *Actually* Get When You Win an Oscar

Because we know you've been wondering.

It’s no secret that winning an Oscar is among the highest honors out there for those in the film industry, as they’re seen as the pinnacle of prestige when it comes to awards for filmmaking. And while we know that winners take home that iconic statuette, do they take home anything else aside from the little gold man and the title “Oscar winner”?

The short answer is: Yes, but it’s a little complicated.

Much has been made of the over-the-top gift bags given to Oscar nominees. The goodie bags from 2020 were reportedly worth a whopping $225,000. But, do winners receive anything special along with their highly coveted statuette and swag bag?

Reports are murky, though plenty of people believe that there’s a so-called “Oscar bump,” in which winners receive a bump in pay for future projects after winning an Academy Award. In fact, actual studies have shown an 81% bump in pay for male actors that have taken home an Oscar statuette, which can be in the millions of dollars. It seems the gender wage gap affects women disproportionately here, as they’ve also been found to see a pay raise, but not at the level of their male counterparts.

And of course, aside from the swag bag, the prestige of winning, and the potential for a serious pay raise, there’s that coveted statuette.

According to the Academy Awards’ official site, “Oscar stands 13½ inches tall and weighs in at a robust 8½ pounds,” and he’s plated in 24-karat gold, and made of solid bronze. It takes three months to make the 50 or so statuettes, which would seem like it’s worth a pretty penny. But turns out, the award itself costs about $400 to make (which is nothing compared to those extravagant swag bags!).

For those who might want to say so long to Oscar (there are some!), reports suggest that winners can’t simply sell their award to the highest bidder.

Within all the legalese on the Academy Awards’ website, there’s a note that winners may not sell their statuette without it first being offered back to the Academy for the price of $1.

So there you have it, folks!

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