The 95th annual Academy Awards® brought the most significant names in the entertainment industry to the red carpet for the most prestigious recognition of extraordinary cinematic achievements.
As one of the world’s oldest and most respected entertainment awards ceremonies, the Oscars® have supplied countless memorable moments since their establishment in 1929. Our JBL brand has long been a key part of the event: JBL has supplied VerTec line arrays and a multitude of other components for the event’s massive sound system for more than 15 years, as well as at the annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards® Party in 2017.
To reflect on our legacy of audio innovation to power iconic cinematic events, we’re looking back at some of HARMAN’s groundbreaking firsts in the world of motion pictures:
- 1934: Seven years after the release of the first talking movie, JBL’s founder James B. Lansing joins a collective of audio engineers from MGM studio’s sound department to develop a two-way cinema loudspeaker called the Shearer Horn which would go on to win an Academy Award and become the standard for all cinema sound.
- 1936: The MGM-Lansing Sound System wins first of two Academy Awards®
- Early 1940s: Lansing created the “Voice of the Theater” cinema speakers, which set a new standard for the motion picture industry
- 1946: JBL is officially founded and Lansing continues to develop cinema speakers
- Early 1980s: JBL engineers developed the JBL Bi-Radial® constant-directivity horn technology, which grew to become the JBL 4675 system and set a whole new industry standard, which was installed in the industry’s reference theater—the Motion Picture Academy’s Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills—and was also selected as the first THX® Approved speaker system
- 1996: The JBL 5674, the first modern 3-way screen channel system, was installed during renovations of the Goldwyn Theater along with custom JBL surrounds and subwoofers, delivering incredible impact, detail and clarity to every seat in the house
- 2002: Three JBL engineers received Academy Awards® for technical achievements in loudspeaker technology
- 2021: JBL Professional loudspeakers were used to provide sound reinforcements at the 93rd annual Academy Awards® ceremony
- Today: JBL products found in 40% of movie theaters around the world, including the majority of Dolby® equipped theaters
While the Oscars® have long recognized the best in cinema, JBL has established itself among the most trusted names in stadium and cinema sound. Our teams around the world are committed to pushing the bar on audio innovation to enhance the listening experiences of the next generations of audiences at the Oscars® and other entertainment events, and provide even more immersive and stellar sound experiences.