The anatomy of an Academy Awards speech: Study shows more Oscar winners thank Harvey Weinstein than God and less than half thank the Academy



'I'd like to thank the Academy' has become one of the most widely recognisable phrases of the Oscars.



But new research reveals less than half of actors and directors say it when accepting their golden statuettes.

A study of Oscars speeches over the last 60 years has revealed Harvey Weinstein has been thanked a total of 12 times - more than God.



Classic: Sally Field exclaiming, 'You like me!' for her win for Places in the Heart (1985) remains one of the most memorable Oscar moments to date

Georgia Tech master's student and lead researcher Rebecca Rolfe watched more than 200 speeches from 1953 - the first year the ceremony was televised - in a study focused on gratitude.

Analysis was conducted on 207 of the 300 speeches Rolfe was able to view for the study, focusing on five categories: actor/actress in a leading role, actor/actress in a supporting role and best director.

Results published in ScienceDaily.com reveal almost half of the winners thank family; there are 11 total mentions of God and 12 of Weinstein.

The Miramax co-founder has produced films including The Artist, Django Unchained, Inglourious Basterds, The Reader and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, and won best picture for Shakespeare in Love, starring Gwyneth Paltrow, in 1998.

Emotional: Halle Berry and Gwyneth Paltrow, pictured accepting their respective best actress Oscars for Monster's Ball (2002) and Shakespeare in Love (1999)

Something to shout about: Cuba Gooding Jr was among 26 per cent of actors who hoisted the trophy in the air after he won for best actor in a supporting role for Jerry Maguire (1997)

When they're not thanking Weinstein, forty per cent of winners say 'I'd like to thank the Academy', referring to their fellow members in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.



Seventy nine per cent close by saying a version of 'thank you'.



Twenty-six per cent of winning actors hoist their statue in the air, while nearly 60 per cent of winning actresses cradle the award with both hands.



Rolfe said of the trends: 'Winners tend to start their speeches broadly by thanking the Academy or fellow nominees, then gradually make it more personal. After reflecting on the win's significance, they typically thank their peers, colleagues and sometimes even their lawyer before mentioning family.'



Tears have become more common over the years. Seventy-one per cent of tearful speeches have been made since 1995.



Memorable: Kate Winslet accepted the Oscar for best actress for her work in The Reader (2009)

Taking the stage: Kim Basinger gave her acceptance speech after winning the best supporting actress Oscar for L.A. Confidential (1998)

Twelve of the 15 last best actresses have shed tears, and only one director: Steven Spielberg for his Schindler's List win in 1993.



Rolfe reasons: 'Much like the movies, acceptance speeches are a type of performance. I believe the tears are real, but perhaps, maybe even subconsciously, actresses know what is expected of them when they accept the honor. Maybe the public has come to expect an emotional speech, so actresses are more emotional than they would be otherwise.'



As Science Daily reports, speeches have also become more drawn out over the decades, lengthening from an average of 40 seconds to nearly two minutes in current day, with only nine of them being cut off by the orchestra.



AP-Google Journalism and Technology Scholarship Program, overseen by the Online News Association, funded the study.



More thanks than God? Producer Harvey Weinstein, left with Georgina Chapman and producer Thomas Langmann at last year's Academy Awards, has been thanked 12 times over the last 60 years, compared to 11 mentions for God in the five main categories

The 85th Academy Awards ceremony is scheduled to broadcast live from Los Angeles on February 24, hosted by comedian Seth MacFarlane.



Best picture nominees include: Amour, Argo, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Django Unchained, Les Misérables, Life of Pi, Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook and Zero Dark Thirty.



Bradley Cooper, Daniel Day-Lewis, Hugh Jackman, Joaquin Phoenix and Denzel Washington are up for best actor in a leading role; Jessica Chastain, Jennifer Lawrence, Emmanuelle Riva, Quvenzhané Wallis and Naomi Watts will compete for best actress in the same category.

