The
51st Academy Awards ceremony, organized by the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored
films released in 1978 and took place on April 9, 1979, at the
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles beginning at 7:00 p.m.
PST / 10:00 p.m.
EST. During the ceremony, AMPAS presented
Academy Awards (commonly referred to as Oscars) in 22 categories. The ceremony, televised in the United States by
ABC, was produced by
Jack Haley, Jr. and directed by
Marty Pasetta. Comedian and talk show host
Johnny Carson hosted the show for the first time. Three days earlier in a ceremony held at
The Beverly Hilton in
Beverly Hills, California on April 6, the
Academy Awards for Technical Achievement were presented by hosts
Gregory Peck and
Christopher Reeve.