75th Academy Awards — award ceremony presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for achievement in filmmaking in 2002
The 75th Academy Awards recognized 2002 films, with Chicago winning Best Picture, and drew the lowest U.S. viewership for any Oscar telecast to that point.
Key Facts
- Ceremony date
- March 23, 2003
- Venue
- Kodak Theatre, Hollywood, Los Angeles
- Best Picture winner
- Chicago (6 awards total)
- U.S. television viewers
- approximately 33 million
- Categories awarded
- 24
- Host
- Steve Martin (second time hosting)
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Each year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences holds its awards ceremony to honor outstanding achievements in filmmaking from the prior calendar year. Films released in 2002, including Chicago, The Pianist, and Spirited Away, were eligible for consideration across 24 competitive categories.
On March 23, 2003, AMPAS held the 75th Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. Hosted by Steve Martin and produced by Gilbert Cates, the ceremony was broadcast on ABC. Chicago led all films with six wins including Best Picture, while The Pianist took three awards and several other films claimed individual honors.
The telecast attracted roughly 33 million U.S. viewers, making it the least-watched and lowest-rated Oscar broadcast to that date, reflecting a broader trend of declining awards-show audiences. Chicago's sweep boosted its cultural profile, and the ceremony marked the continued global recognition of animated and foreign-language films through wins for Spirited Away and Nowhere in Africa.