The early 20th century was referred to as the 'Silent Era of the Motion Picture Industry'. 'Oscar for Best Title Writing' was awarded by the Academy at the end of this era. The award was given only once, in the year 1928. Before the advent of "talkies", dialogue was dependent on the titles that appeared between scenes. Their importance was acknowledged at the first Academy Awards, which incorporated a separate category for 'Best Title Writing'. With the next award ceremony, sound started dominating the industry and the award for 'Best Title Writing' was eliminated.
In the history of Oscars, the first and the only recipient of this award was Joseph Farnham. He was an American playwright and an Academy Award-winning film writer, apart from being a film editor of the Silent Movie Era. He was also one of the founding members of the Academy of the Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Joseph Farnham was also the first Academy Award recipient to die early, of a heart attack. The same year when the 'Academy Award For Best Title Writing' was given for the first time, a special award was given to Warner Brothers for producing the first major sound film, 'The Jazz Singer'.