1931 in film Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Most Nominations: "Cimarron" (RKO Pictures) - 7 Major Awards Most Awards: "Cimarron" - 3 (Best Picture; Best Adaptation and Best Art Direction) "Cimarron" was the first Western to win Best Picture, and would remain the only one to do so for 59 years (until "Dances with Wolves" won in 1991). It received a then-record seven nominations, and was the first film to win more than two awards. The 5th Academy Awards were conducted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on November 18, 1932, at a ceremony held at The Ambassador
Academy Award for Best Picture AMPAS announced that the number of films to be nominated in the Best Picture award category would increase from five to ten, starting with the 82nd Academy Awards (2009). The expansion was a throwback to the Academy's early years in the 1930s and 1940s, when eight to 12 films were nominated each year. "Having 10 Best Picture nominees is going to allow Academy voters to recognize and include some of the fantastic movies that often show up in the other Oscar categories but have been squeezed out of the race for the top prize," AMPAS President Sid Ganis said in