The show is over; we watched and enjoyed the Academy Awards and its highlights. Whenever a winner is announced, the recipient gives a speech before a worldwide audience, and then goes to the press room for a short press conference. Next stop is the so-called engraving bar for the Oscar’s finishing touch where the winner’s engraved nameplates are attached onto their statuettes at the Governors Ball.

The company that manufactures the Oscar statuettes also creates the nameplates—for all nominees—in advance. These small metal plates are designed to fit perfectly on the base of the Oscar statuette. Each engraving mentions ‘Academy Award to,’ followed by the film title, category, name of the recipient, and year.

Once the Oscar winners get to the engraving bar, they say their name and in less than no time they can read what their nameplate says, only to confirm that the information on the plaque is correct, and their engraved plate is securely attached to the base of the statuette. This step transforms the generic trophy into a unique and official record of achievement in film history.

The Oscar gets a quick polish, and is handed back to the Oscar winner. Surrounded by professional photographers—along with selfies taken with their iPhones—they all capture that precious moment of glory.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences introduced this procedure in 2010, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. Previously, Oscar winners had to bring their trophies to the Academy so the personalized nameplates could be attached.

This is how Jamie Lee Curtis reacted after her nameplate was attached to her Oscar that she won for Best Actress in a Supporting Role (“Everything Everywhere All At Once,” 2023).