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JWR VerifiedJWR-2026-000207

First Jewish Winner of the Academy Award for Original Story

Record holder

Ben HechtPerson

Record value

16 May 1929

Country represented: United StatesAchievement location: Los Angeles, California, United StatesAchievement date: 16 May 1929Current record

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Verified by Jewish World RecordsHow we verify records

Early portrait of Jewish American writer and screenwriter Ben Hecht.

Ben Hecht, early 1920s.Culver Pictures / Wikimedia CommonsSourcePublic Domain

Official record definition

The earliest Jewish writer to win the Academy Award category for Original Story.

Measurement methodology

Academy award chronology for the Original Story category beginning with the inaugural Academy Awards, combined with Jewish identity verification.

Record story

Ben Hecht became the first Jewish writer to win the Academy Award for Original Story on 16 May 1929. The achievement took place at the inaugural Academy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles, California, where he was honoured for the film 'Underworld' in the category of Writing (Original Story). Official records from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences confirm him as the winner. As this was the first time the award was presented, no earlier winner is possible.

The validation of this record combines the official award chronology with identity verification. Hecht's Jewish eligibility is documented by multiple sources. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum identifies him as an American Jewish journalist, novelist, and playwright. Additionally, the Jewish Virtual Library documents that he was born to Russian-Jewish immigrants, providing further context for his background.

How JWR verified this record

Verification date
26 September 2026
Verification standard
JWR Verification Standard 1.0

Achievement evidence

The Academy's inaugural 1929 ceremony page lists Ben Hecht as winner of Writing (Original Story) for Underworld.

Superiority evidence

Because Original Story was awarded at the first Academy Awards and Hecht won that category, no earlier winner exists; USHMM independently documents his Jewish identity.

Jewish Eligibility — Verified by JWR

Jewish eligibility verification

Evidence establishing that the holder qualifies as Jewish for JWR purposes.

  • Ben Hecht — United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Achievement / record verification

Evidence establishing that the holder achieved the result and holds the record as defined.

  • The 1st Academy Awards — 1929 — Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
  • Hecht Earlyportrait image — Wikimedia Commons — Wikimedia Commons

Superiority / counter-candidate verification

Evidence comparing the result with other candidates relevant to the record claim.

  • Ben Hecht biography — Jewish Virtual Library

Jewish eligibility, achievement and superiority evidence retain their separate classifications and are never merged. Context and provenance are not presented as proof of the achievement. Restricted evidence and internal research notes are never published. Learn more about the seven-stage process on the verification page.

Sources & Verification

  • The 1st Academy Awards — 1929

    Official recordAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

    What this proves: Lists Ben Hecht as winner of Writing (Original Story) for Underworld at the inaugural Academy Awards.

  • Ben Hecht

    Independent publicationUnited States Holocaust Memorial Museum

    What this proves: Identifies Ben Hecht as an American Jewish journalist, novelist and playwright.

  • Ben Hecht biography

    Independent publicationJewish Virtual Library

    What this proves: Documents Hecht's birth to Russian-Jewish immigrants and his career, supporting JWR eligibility and identity context.

  • Hecht Earlyportrait image — Wikimedia Commons

    Reference databaseWikimedia Commons

    What this proves: Documents the early portrait and U.S. public-domain basis.

History

  1. Verified

    Verified according to JWR Verification Standard 1.0.

  2. Publishedv1

    Published to the official JWR registry.

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