Who has won the most Oscars? Here are the top awarded actors, films of all time (2024)

Since 1929, the Academy of Motion PictureArts and Sciences has awarded those in the entertainment industry for their significant achievements. The Academy Awards, or Oscars, is the oldest worldwide entertainment awards ceremony.

Each year, actors, actresses, directors, writers and more viefor the chance to win an Oscar. This year's ceremony, the 96th Academy Awards, will take place on Sunday, March 10,with nominees including "Oppenheimer","Killers of the Flower Moon" and "Barbie".

In preparation for the biggest night in film, here are the top record holders for the most AcademyAwards, including whichactor, actress andfilms have won the most Oscars.

What is an Oscar?

An Oscar, or Academy Award, is presented annually bythe film academy. The awards are given for "outstanding individual or collective film achievements in a wide variety of categories."

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For the 96th Academy Awards, there are 23 categories, including best picture, best director, best actor and best actress.

The nominees are selected by academy members. Most categories are decided by members of the corresponding branches: actors nominate actors, directors nominate directorsand so on.

From there, members vote online, and the results are announced on awards night. The votes are certified byPricewaterhouseCoopers, which has counted for the Oscars since 1935.

To be eligible for an Oscar, there are certain rules that must be fulfilled. The rules for the 96th Academy Awards can be found here.

This award isone-fourth of the coveted EGOT – signifying a person who has won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony, the top awards in television, music, film and theater, respectively.

Who has the most Oscars?

Walt Disney holds the record for the most Oscars won by an individual with a total of 22 competitive awards and four honorary awards. Disney was nominated 59times throughout his career, receiving one awardposthumously.

He won the best short subject (cartoon) category 12 times, the best documentary (feature) category twice, the best documentary (short subject) category twice, the best short subject (live action) category onceand the best short subject (two-reel) category five times.

Disney also received four special Oscars:

  • 1933: For the creation of Mickey Mouse
  • 1939: For "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and pioneering the motion picture cartoon
  • 1942: For an "outstanding contribution to the advancement of the use of sound in motion pictures through the production of 'Fantasia ' "
  • 1942: The Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award

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What actor has the most Oscars?

There is a three-way tie for the male actor with the most Oscars. Walter Brennan, Daniel Day-Lewisand Jack Nicholson all have three awards.

Brennan won best supporting actor three times,the only performer to do so. He won during the:

Day-Lewis won best actorthree times. He is the only performer to win three Oscars in this category. He wonduring the:

Nicholson has wonbest actor twice and best supporting actoronce. He won during the:

The actress with the most Oscars is Katharine Hepburn, who won best actress four times. Hepburn is theonly performer to win four competitive acting Oscars. She won during the:

Filmwith the most Oscars

Three films are tied for having the most Oscars."Ben-Hur," "Titanic" and "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" all received 11 awards, respectively.

"Ben-Hur" received 11 awards out of 12 nominations during the 32nd Academy Awards. It won in the following categories:

  • Actor
  • Supporting actor
  • Art direction (color)
  • Cinematography (color)
  • Costume design (color)
  • Directing
  • Film editing
  • Music (music score of a drama or comedy)
  • Best picture
  • Sound
  • Special effects

"Titanic" received 11 awards out of 14 nominations during the 70th Academy Awards. It won in the following categories:

  • Art direction
  • Cinematography
  • Costume design
  • Directing
  • Film editing
  • Original dramatic score
  • Original song
  • Best picture
  • Sound
  • Sound effects editing
  • Visual effects

"The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" received 11 awards out of 11 nominations during the 76th Academy Awards.It won in the following categories:

  • Art direction
  • Costume design
  • Directing
  • Film editing
  • Makeup
  • Original score
  • Original song
  • Best picture
  • Sound mixing
  • Visual effects
  • Adapted screenplay

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Who has won the most Oscars? Here are the top awarded actors, films of all time (2024)

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