Top Oscar Record Holders

For the past 87 years, the Academy Awards have been giving their consensus on the best cinematic productions, but do you know who the top Oscar record holders are? From the most important categories, like best film, best actor, best actress, and best director, to less glamorous awards for aspects like edition, costume design, and sound mixing, the Oscar’s are not short of record breakers. In fact, last night, cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki’s award for his work in Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) tied him with John Toll as the record holders for most consecutive awards in the best cinematography category.

In the recently published article, the longest Hollywood films ever made, we talked about some classic flicks that have also enjoyed Academy Awards. Furthermore, some of the films on that list have also broken Oscar records in the past, making them even more noteworthy. So, let’s reel in on the heavy hitters in the movie business with our compilation of the top Oscar record holders.

5. Most Awards Won by a Film

Winner: Ben Hur (1960), Titanic (1999), and Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2004) all tie for the record.

Collected Statues: 11

While all three of these movies are celebrated Hollywood blockbusters, Ben Hur has the longest running time of them all. However, apart from this minor fact, all three films received more than 11 Oscar nominations in their respective years, and went on to make history by winning in most categories, like Best Picture, Best Actress in a Leading Role (Kate Winslet), and Best Director (William Wyler).

4. Most Awards Won by an Individual

Winner: Walt Disney

Collected Statues: 29

When almost all of the industry’s cartoons stem from your creative genius, you’re likely to be awarded handsomely. At least that’s what happened with Walt Disney, as his work earned him 59 Oscar nominations (record for most amount of nominations) and 29 home runs, making him the most successful Academy Award Winner in history.

3. Most Awards for Best Directions

Winner: John Ford

Collected Statues: 4

Winning an Oscar for directing is tough and winning two consecutively is even harder. So if you can count 4 of the golden statues on your mantelpiece, you can be more than satisfied with your Hollywood career. John Ford’s luck started in 1936, when he won the Best Director category for his film The Informer. His talent for directing The Grapes of Wrath (1941), How Green Was My Valley (1942), and The Quiet Man (1953) was also recognized with awards, making him one of the top Oscar record holders.

2. Most Awards for Acting

Winner: Katharine Hepburn

Collected Statues: 4

After 60 years in the business, Katharine Hepburn certainly has the awards to prove that her talent has yet to be outshined by another actress, including even Meryl Streep (against whom she won an Oscar for her 1982 role in On Golden Pond). However, while the actress won her first award for Best Actress in 1934 by playing the lead role in Morning Glory, her next conquest came 34 years later at the hand of the 1968 film, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner. By winning yet another statue the following year she consolidated her status as a most-wanted actress.

1. Big Five Winners (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Writing)

Winner: It Happened One Night (1935), One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1976), and The Silence of the Lambs (1992)

Collected Statues: 5

Whenever a movie wins the Big Five at the Academy Awards, you know you’re in for a treat. And while the movies who won this record all vary in genre – from romantic comedy, to crime thriller, to dramatic novel adaptation – they’re all cinematic masterpieces. All executed to perfection, it’s fair to say that no one will easily forget Anthony Hopkins’ portrayal of serial killer Hannibal Lector, or Milos Forman’s depiction of the power struggles in an insane asylum. Therefore, the big five winners are a special breed of movie amongst the top Oscar record holders.