| 76th Academy Awards | |
|---|---|
 Official poster | |
| Date | February 29, 2004 |
| Site | Kodak Theatre Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Hosted by | Billy Crystal[1] |
| Preshow hosts | Billy Bush Chris Connelly Maria Menounos[2] |
| Produced by | Joe Roth[3] |
| Directed by | Louis J. Horvitz[4] |
| Highlights | |
| Best Picture | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King |
| Most awards | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (11) |
| Most nominations | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (11) |
| TV in the United States | |
| Network | ABC |
| Duration | 3 hours, 45 minutes[4] |
| Ratings | 43.56 million 26.68% (Nielsen ratings)[5] |
The 76th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 2003 and took place on February 29, 2004, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. During the ceremony, AMPAS presented Academy Awards (commonly referred to as Oscars) in 24 categories. The ceremony, televised in the United States by ABC, was produced by Joe Roth and was directed by Louis J. Horvitz. Actor Billy Crystal hosted for the eighth time. He first presided over the 62nd ceremony held in 1990 and had last hosted the 72nd ceremony held in 2000.[6] Two weeks earlier in a ceremony at The Ritz-Carlton Huntington Hotel & Spa in Pasadena, California held on February 14, the Academy Awards for Technical Achievement were presented by host Jennifer Garner.[7]
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King won a record-tying eleven awards including Best Director for Peter Jackson and Best Picture.[8] Other winners included Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World and Mystic River with two awards and The Barbarian Invasions, Chernobyl Heart, Cold Mountain, Finding Nemo, The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara, Harvie Krumpet, Lost in Translation, Monster, and Two Soldiers with one. The telecast garnered nearly 44 million viewers in the United States, making it the most-watched telecast in four years.
- ^ "Billy Crystal will MC Oscars". The Guardian. September 25, 2003. Archived from the original on October 10, 2013. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
- ^ Leviste, Lanz (March 12, 2004). "The King sweeps the Oscars". The Philippine Star. PhilStar Daily, Inc. Archived from the original on February 3, 2014. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
- ^ Lubrano, Alfred (September 25, 2003). "Lord of the Oscars: Billy Crystal's back". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia Media Network. Archived from the original on February 19, 2014. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
- ^ a b Lowry, Brian (February 29, 2004). "Review: "The 76th Annual Academy Awards"". Variety. PMC. Archived from the original on October 10, 2013. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
- ^ Levin, Gary (March 1, 2004). "Oscar back to form with 43.5M viewers". USA Today. Gannett Company. Archived from the original on October 17, 2013. Retrieved July 15, 2013.
- ^ Munoz, Lorenza (September 25, 2003). "Crystal returns to familiar role". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 10, 2013. Retrieved July 26, 2013.
- ^ Susman, Gary (January 29, 2004). "Garnering Prizes". Entertainment Weekly. Time Warner. Archived from the original on December 2, 2013. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
- ^ Morales, Tatiana (February 13, 2009). "Peter Jackson, Lord Of The Oscars". CBS News. CBS Corporation. Retrieved July 24, 2013.