68th Academy Awards — Award ceremony presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences for achievement in filmmaking in 1995
Annual ceremony honoring the best films of 1995, with Braveheart taking five Oscars including Best Picture before nearly 45 million U.S. viewers.
Key Facts
- Ceremony number
- 68th Academy Awards
- Date
- March 25, 1996
- Venue
- Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles
- Best Picture winner
- Braveheart (5 awards total)
- U.S. television viewers
- ~45 million
- Categories awarded
- 24
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Each year the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences organizes a ceremony to recognize outstanding achievement in filmmaking from the preceding calendar year. Films released in the United States during 1995 were eligible, with voting members of AMPAS determining nominees and winners across 24 competitive categories.
On March 25, 1996, the 68th Academy Awards took place at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, hosted by Whoopi Goldberg. The ceremony, produced by David Salzman and Quincy Jones and broadcast on ABC, presented Oscars in 24 categories. Braveheart led all films with five wins including Best Picture, while several other films took one or two awards.
Braveheart's dominance cemented its status as the defining film of 1995, boosting its cultural legacy. The telecast drew nearly 45 million viewers in the United States, affirming the Oscars' broad popular reach. Other recognized films such as The Usual Suspects and Leaving Las Vegas gained renewed audience attention following their wins.