Oscar Facts & Statistics

Most wins by an individual: Walt Disney holds the record for most Oscar wins by an individual with 22 competitive Academy Awards, spanning animated shorts, documentaries, and live-action subjects.

Most wins by a film: Ben-Hur (1959), Titanic (1997), and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) share the record for most wins at 11 each.

Most nominations by a film: Ryan Coogler's Sinners set the all-time record with 16 nominations at the 98th Academy Awards (2026), surpassing the previous record of 14 shared by All About Eve (1950), Titanic (1997), and La La Land (2017).

Most Best Actress wins: Katharine Hepburn won the most Best Actress awards with 4 wins -- Morning Glory (1933), Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967), The Lion in Winter (1968), and On Golden Pond (1981).

The first ceremony: The first Academy Awards ceremony in 1929 lasted only 15 minutes. It was a private dinner at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel with about 270 guests, and winners had been announced three months in advance.

First African American winner: Hattie McDaniel became the first African American to win an Oscar in 1940 for her role as Mammy in Gone with the Wind, winning Best Supporting Actress.

First non-English language Best Picture: Parasite (2019), directed by Bong Joon-ho, was the first non-English language film to win Best Picture. It also won Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature Film.

Youngest competitive winner: Tatum O'Neal was the youngest competitive winner at age 10 for Paper Moon (1973), winning Best Supporting Actress.

Oldest Best Actor winner: Anthony Hopkins became the oldest Best Actor winner at 83 for The Father (2021), in a surprise upset over the late Chadwick Boseman.

Oldest acting winner: At 82, Christopher Plummer was the oldest supporting acting winner, winning Best Supporting Actor for Beginners (2011 film, 84th ceremony). Anthony Hopkins later became the oldest Best Actor winner at 83.

The Big Five sweep: Only 3 films have won all "Big Five" categories (Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, Screenplay): It Happened One Night (1934), One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), and The Silence of the Lambs (1991).

First sequel to win Best Picture: The Godfather Part II (1974) was the first sequel to win Best Picture. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) later became the first third installment to win.

Snow White's miniature Oscars: Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs received one full-sized Oscar statuette and seven miniature ones, presented by Shirley Temple at the 1939 ceremony.

Most nominated without a win: The Turning Point (1977) and The Color Purple (1985) share the record for most nominations without a single win, each receiving 11 nominations and winning zero.

Most acting nominations: Meryl Streep holds the record for most acting nominations with 21 nominations across Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress.

Most nominated person ever: Walt Disney is the most nominated person in Oscar history with 59 nominations across various categories.

Best Picture without Best Director: Multiple films have been nominated for Best Picture without receiving a corresponding Best Director nomination, a split that became more common after the Best Picture field expanded to up to 10 nominees in 2010.

Most Best Director wins: John Ford holds the record for most Best Director wins with 4 awards: The Informer (1935), The Grapes of Wrath (1940), How Green Was My Valley (1941), and The Quiet Man (1952).

Longest ceremony: The longest Oscar ceremony ran 4 hours and 23 minutes at the 74th Academy Awards in 2002, hosted by Whoopi Goldberg.

The statuette: The iconic golden Oscar statuette stands 13.5 inches tall and weighs 8.5 pounds. It is gold-plated bronze on a black metal base.

Refused Oscars: Three people have refused their Oscars: Dudley Nichols (1936), George C. Scott (1971, for Patton), and Marlon Brando (1973, for The Godfather, who sent Sacheen Littlefeather to decline on his behalf).

Posthumous winners: Heath Ledger won Best Supporting Actor posthumously for The Dark Knight (2009). Peter Finch won Best Actor posthumously for Network (1977).