I have been a film buff since childhood and in recent months have reconnected with dozens of old favorites thanks to channels that include AMC, Netflix, ROKU, and TCM.

For background information, I think these are the best sources:

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Oscars)

American Film Institute (AFI)

Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

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For example, here are the recipients of an Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role, 1994-2019:

1994
Tom Hanks
Forrest Gump

1995
Nicolas Cage
Leaving Las Vegas

1996
Geoffrey Rush
Shine

1997
Jack Nicholson
As Good as It Gets

1998
Roberto Benigni
Life Is Beautiful

1999
Kevin Spacey
American Beauty

2000
Russell Crowe
Gladiator

2001
Denzel Washington
Training Day

2002
Adrien Brody
The Pianist

2003
Sean Penn
Mystic River

2004
Jamie Foxx
Ray

2005
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Capote

2006
Forest Whitaker
The Last King of Scotland

2007
Daniel Day-Lewis
There Will Be Blood

2008
Sean Penn
Milk

2009
Jeff Bridges
Crazy Heart

2010
Colin Firth
The King’s Speech

2011
Jean Dujardin
The Artist

2012
Daniel Day-Lewis
Lincoln

2013
Matthew McConaughey
Dallas Buyers Club

2014
Eddie Redmayne
The Theory of Everything

2015
Leonardo DiCaprio
The Revenant

2016
Casey Affleck
Manchester by the Sea

2017
Gary Oldman
Darkest Hour

2018
Rami Malek
Bohemian Rhapsody

2019
Joaquin Phoenix
Joker

The notion of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) began with Louis B. Mayer, head of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). He said he wanted to create an organization that would mediate labor disputes without unions and improve the industry’s image. He met with actor Conrad Nagel, director Fred Niblo, and the head of the Association of Motion Picture Producers, Fred Beetson, to discuss these matters. The idea of this elite club having an annual banquet was discussed, but no mention of awards at that time. They also established that membership into the organization would only be open to people involved in one of the five branches of the industry: actors, directors, writers, technicians, and producers.

After their brief meeting, Mayer gathered up a group of thirty-six people involved in the film industry and invited them to a formal banquet at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on January 11, 1927. That evening Mayer presented to those guests what he called the International Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Everyone in the room that evening became a founder of the Academy. Between that evening and when the official Articles of Incorporation for the organization were filed on May 4, 1927, the “International” was dropped from the name, becoming the “Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.”