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 beginning at 5:30 p.m.
PST / 8:30 p.m.
EST. 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. 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.