Winning an Academy Award is the pinnacle of an actor’s career, but there’s one non-negotiable rule every Oscar winner must follow.
At last night’s 97th Academy Awards, stars like Kieran Culkin and Mikey Madison took home prestigious honors, while Anora director Sean Baker made history as the first person to win four Oscars in a single night—securing wins for Best Editing, Best Original Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Picture.
While the ceremony follows a well-practiced routine—nominees are announced, winners take the stage, receive their award, and deliver heartfelt speeches—there’s a lesser-known rule about what happens after the trophy leaves the stage.
Oscar Winners Are Forbidden from Selling Their Trophies
According to the official Academy Awards regulations, winners cannot sell their Oscar unless they meet one specific condition.
If a winner (or their heirs) ever decides to part with the golden statuette, they must first offer it to the Academy for just $1.
Yes, one dollar—even though the trophy is gold-plated and widely considered one of the most coveted awards in the world.
The Academy states:
“Award winners shall not sell or otherwise dispose of the Oscar statuette, nor permit it to be sold or disposed of by operation of law, without first offering to sell it to the Academy for the sum of $1.00.”
This rule, in place since 1951, extends to the heirs and beneficiaries of Oscar winners as well.
Legal Battles Over Oscars—And the Exception That Slipped Through
The Academy has taken legal action against those who have violated this rule.
In 2014, Joseph Tutalo attempted to auction off an Oscar his uncle, Joseph Wright, won in 1943. The statue sold for $79,200, but the Academy sued both Tutalo and the auction house for breaching the contract. A California judge ruled in favor of the Academy, forcing the buyer to return the trophy.
However, the rule hasn’t always been strictly enforced. In 1999, Michael Jackson purchased the 1939 Best Picture Oscar (awarded to producer David O. Selznick for Gone with the Wind) for a staggering $1.5 million—years after Selznick’s death in 1965.
Will This Year’s Winners Follow the Rules?
With Oscar winners still celebrating their victories, it’s unlikely anyone is thinking about selling their trophy just yet. But if they do, they’ll need to check with the Academy first—or risk a lawsuit.
