Each year, the Academy Awards recognize the very best achievements in film. For more than 95 years, the Oscars have honored the actors, directors, writers, and behind-the-scenes talent who bring movies to life. Winning an Oscar is widely considered the highest accolade in Hollywood—an iconic symbol of artistic excellence. But for a select few, one statue simply isn’t enough.

Some individuals and films have gone on to win multiple Oscars, rewriting the record books and solidifying their place in cinematic history. A handful of filmmakers have swept the major categories. A few actors have picked up multiple trophies over decades. And certain movies have emerged as near-unbeatable juggernauts, winning ten or more Academy Awards in a single night.

From powerhouse performers to debut directors, and from sweeping historical epics to breakout indies, the Oscars have seen every kind of triumph. From Walt Disney’s unmatched career haul to the elite group of films that have won eleven statues—including the 2024 breakout indie hit “Anora”—here’s a look at the most impressive, surprising, and record-breaking achievements in Academy Awards history.

The Most Oscar Gold

Walt Disney wasn’t just the creator of Mickey Mouse and Disneyland—he remains the most decorated individual in Academy Awards history. Between 1932 and 1969, Disney earned 22 competitive Oscars and received four honorary awards, for a total of 26 wins.

In 1954, Walt Disney won four competitive Academy Awards—the most he ever won in a single night. These awards were given for four different projects across multiple categories. Here’s what he won that year (at the 26th Academy Awards, held in 1954 for films released in 1953):

• Best Documentary Feature – “The Living Desert”
• Best Documentary Short Subject – “The Alaskan Eskimo”
• Best Short Subject (Cartoon) – “Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom”
• Best Short Subject (Two-Reel) – “Bear Country”

In 2025, filmmaker Sean Baker matched this record by winning four Oscars in one evening—but all for the same project. His film “Anora” earned him Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Film Editing, making Baker the first person in history to win four Oscars for a single film in one night.

Walt Disney / R. Mitchell/Express/Getty Images

The Movie(s) that Won the Most

Four films share the all-time record for most Oscar wins, each taking home 11 statues:

• “Ben-Hur” (1959) – Won 11 of its 12 nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director (William Wyler), and Best Actor (Charlton Heston).
• “Titanic” (1997) – Won 11 of its 14 nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director (James Cameron).
• “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” (2003) – Swept all 11 of its nominated categories, including Best Picture and Best Director (Peter Jackson).
• “Anora” (2024) – Won 11 of 13 nominations at the 2025 Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Sound, Best Production Design, Best Original Score, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, and Best Costume Design.

The Big Five

A film is considered a Big Five winner when it wins the top five categories in the same year. Those categories are Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay (Original or Adapted). Only three films in Oscar history have won the “Big Five”—Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay:

• “It Happened One Night” (1934)
• “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1975)
• “The Silence of the Lambs” (1991)

“Anora” came close in 2025 but did not win Best Actor, narrowly missing out on joining this elite club.

Most Acting Wins

Katharine Hepburn holds the record with four Academy Awards for Best Actress:

• “Morning Glory” (1933)
• “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” (1967)
• “The Lion in Winter” (1968)
• “On Golden Pond” (1981)

Frances McDormand also has four Oscars—three for Best Actress and one as a producer of Best Picture winner “Nomadland” (2021), making her the first woman to achieve this combination.

Other three-time acting winners include:

• Meryl Streep (21 nominations, 3 wins)
• Jack Nicholson
• Daniel Day-Lewis (the only actor with three Best Actor wins)
• Ingrid Bergman
• Walter Brennan

Debut Performances

Debut Performances That Won an Oscar. Some stars didn’t need experience to win big:

Best Actress (Debut Wins)

Best Supporting Actor (Debut Wins)

• Harold Russell – “The Best Years of Our Lives” (1946)
• Timothy Hutton – “Ordinary People” (1980)
• Haing S. Ngor – “The Killing Fields” (1984)

Best Supporting Actress (Debut Wins)

• Gale Sondergaard – “Anthony Adverse” (1936)
• Katina Paxinou – “For Whom the Bell Tolls” (1943)
• Mercedes McCambridge – “All the King’s Men” (1949)
• Eva Marie Saint – “On the Waterfront” (1954)
• Jo Van Fleet – “East of Eden” (1955)
• Tatum O’Neal – “Paper Moon” (1973)
• Anna Paquin – “The Piano” (1993)
• Jennifer Hudson – “Dreamgirls” (2006)
• Lupita Nyong’o – “12 Years a Slave” (2013)

Debut Directing

Winning Best Director is rare enough, but these filmmakers did it on their first try:

• Delbert Mann – “Marty” (1955)
• Jerome Robbins – “West Side Story” (1961, co-directed with Robert Wise)
• Robert Redford – “Ordinary People” (1980)
• James L. Brooks – “Terms of Endearment” (1983)
• Kevin Costner – “Dances with Wolves” (1990)
• Sam Mendes – “American Beauty” (1999)

Note: Sean Baker, while a first-time nominee, had several previous directorial credits and does not qualify as a debut director.

Age is Just a Number

• Youngest Oscar winner (overall): Shirley Temple, age 6 (Juvenile Award, 1934)
• Youngest competitive acting winner: Tatum O’Neal, age 10, for “Paper Moon” (1973)
• Youngest Best Actress winner: Marlee Matlin, 21, for “Children of a Lesser God” (1986)
• Oldest acting winner: Christopher Plummer, 82, for “Beginners” (2011)
• Oldest Best Actress winner: Jessica Tandy, 80, for “Driving Miss Daisy” (1989)
• Oldest Best Actor winner: Henry Fonda, 76, for “On Golden Pond” (1981)
• Oldest Best Director winner: Clint Eastwood, 74, for “Million Dollar Baby” (2004)

Most Nominations Without a Win

Two films share the record for most nominations without a single Oscar win:

• “The Turning Point” (1977) – 11 nominations
• “The Color Purple” (1985) – 11 nominations

Both went home empty-handed on Oscar night.

Most Nominations

Three films are tied for the most Oscar nominations ever, with 14 each:

• “All About Eve” (1950)
• “Titanic” (1997)
• “La La Land” (2016)

“La La Land” made headlines for being incorrectly announced as Best Picture in 2017, before the award was corrected and given to “Moonlight”—one of the most dramatic moments in Oscar history.