HistoryData
general1992

64th Academy Awards — Award ceremony presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences for achievement in filmmaking in 1991

March 30, 1992

The 64th Academy Awards recognized The Silence of the Lambs as Best Picture, one of few films to sweep all five major Oscar categories.

Quick Facts

Year
1992
Category
general

Key Facts

Ceremony date
March 30, 1992
Venue
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles
Awards categories
23
US viewership
44 million+ viewers
Host
Billy Crystal (third consecutive year)
Top winner
The Silence of the Lambs (5 awards)

By the Numbers

301,992
Ceremony date
23
Awards categories
44viewers
US viewership
5
Top winner

Location

Map of Los Angeles, United StatesMap of Los Angeles, United StatesLos Angeles, United States

Cause → Event → Consequence

Cause

Each year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences evaluates films released in the prior calendar year and nominates them across dozens of craft and performance categories, culminating in a live awards ceremony. The eligible films for this cycle were those released in the United States during 1991.

Event

On March 30, 1992, the 64th Academy Awards ceremony took place at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles. Hosted by Billy Crystal and televised on ABC, the event presented Oscars in 23 categories. The Silence of the Lambs dominated with five wins including Best Picture, while Terminator 2: Judgment Day claimed four technical awards.

Consequence

The Silence of the Lambs became only the third film in Oscar history to win all five major categories — Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, and Adapted Screenplay. The telecast drew over 44 million US viewers, affirming strong public interest in the awards. The ceremony also highlighted the commercial success of genre films in major award competition.

Timeline Context

Timeline around 19921992198919901991199319941995Basketball at the 1992 Summer Olympics — Basketball olympic competition in Bacelona, 19921992 Summer Olympics medal tableMani pulite — Italian political corruption scandal in the 1990sUnified Team — special team of athletes from countries of the former Soviet Union (excepting the 3 Baltic countries) competing in the 1992 Winter and Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games1992 AFC Asian Cup — football tournament1992 African Cup of Nations — football tournamentEurovision Song Contest 1992 — 37th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest1992 Formula One World Championship — sports season64th-academy-awards-award-ceremony-presented-by-the-academ-1992