Whakaotihia te rerenga kōrero e whai ake nei: I te wā i tū ai te hākari Academy Awards tuatahi i te tau 1929, kāore he kiriata reo kē i whakahonoretia. I te timatanga o te wa i muri i te pakanga (1947<unk>1955), e waru nga kiriata reo ke i whakawhiwhia ki nga Tohu Motuhake, Whakahonore ranei. I tohe a Jean Hersholt, rangatira me te mema o te poari o te whare wānanga, "ko te utu o te ao, ki te tika me te ata whakahaerehia, ka whakatairanga i te hononga tata i waenga i nga kaihanga kiriata o Amerika me era o etahi atu whenua". Ko te kiriata reo ke tuatahi i whakahonoretia ki taua tohu ko te whakaari neorealist o Itari "Shoeshine", ko tana korero i kii: "ko te kounga nui o tenei pikitia nekehanga, i kawea mai ki te oranga whaikorero i roto i te whenua i pangia e te pakanga, he tohu ki te ao ka taea e te wairua auaha te wikitoria i runga i te raru". I nga tau e whai ake nei, i whakawhiwhia nga tohu penei ki etahi atu kiriata e whitu: kotahi mai i Itari ("Te tahae pahikara"), e rua mai i Parani ("Monsieur Vincent" me "Nga Taakaro Whakakahoretia"), e toru mai i Hapani ("Rashomon", "Te kuwaha o te reinga" me te ""), me te mahi tahi a Franco-Itariana ("Ko nga Pakitara o Malapaga"). Heoi, i whakawhiwhia enei tohu i runga i te whakaaro nui, kaua i runga i te tikanga auau (kaore he tohu i whakawhiwhia i te huihuinga o te tau).
Ko te 26th Academy Awards i whakahaerehia i te tau 1954), a kaore i te whakataetae na te mea kaore he kaitono engari he kiriata toa kotahi i ia tau.