It’s awards season! It’s the time of year when millions of people tune in to watch the Oscars and see their favorite artists get awarded for their work in some of the best movies of the year. As an homage to the upcoming Oscars that will be happening on March 10th this year, it’s only fitting to look back at some of the previous top-performing films that have set records for having the most nominations in Oscar history.Titanic,The Shape of Water, andThe Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ringare just some included in the list of movies that have received the most Oscar nominations.
While not all of these films were able to win as many prestigious prizes as the nominations would have you believe,they are still easily considered some of the most iconic and greatest films of all time. It is also worth noting that other notable films, such asGladiator,The Revenant, andA Streetcar Named Desireare among those that have received 12 nominations but have not been included in the list.
22’Mrs. Miniver' (1942)
12 Nominations (and 6 Wins)
Nomination
Best Picture
Sidney Franklin
Best Director
William Wyler
Best Actor
Walter Pidgeon
Best Actress
Greer Garson
Best Supporting Actor
Henry Travers
Best Supporting Actress
Teresa Wright
Dame May Whitty
Best Adapted Screenplay
George Froeschel, James Hilton, Claudine West, and Arthur Wimperis
Best Sound Recording
Douglas Shearer
Best Cinematography, Black-and-White
Joseph Ruttenberg
Best Film Editing
Harold F. Kress
Best Special Effects
A. Arnold Gillespie, Warren Newcombe, and Douglas Shearer
Mrs. Miniverwas one of the most striking and effective romance movies of all time and one that especially struck a chord with the world that was in the midst of a deadly World War. The film was able to shed light on the pain and difficulties of war impacting home life in a way rarely ever explored in film until then, a notion that made a massive impact on both worldwide audiences and the academy. On top of its massive showing at the Academy Awards, the film would also be highly lucrative at the box office, being the highest-grossing film of 1942 as a massive critical and financial success.
Mrs. Minivermade massive waves at the Academy Awards with its 12 nominations, largely driven by beingthe first of only a few films in history to earn 5 acting nominations, of which it would win 2 of the 4 categories. The film would also make a notable impact in Oscars history whenGreer Garsongavethe longest acceptance speech in Oscars historyfor winning Best Actress, speaking for 6 minutes and setting into motion the rule of cutting off acceptance speeches that went on for too long.
Mrs. Miniver
21’Dances With Wolves' (1990)
12 Nominations (and 7 Wins)
Jim Wilson and Kevin Costner
Kevin Costner
Graham Greene
Mary McDonnell
Michael Blake
Best Original Score
John Barry
Best Sound
Jeffrey Perkins, Bill W. Benton, Gregory H. Watkins, and Russell Williams II
Best Art Direction
Jeffrey Beecroft and Lisa Dean
Best Costume Design
Elsa Zamparelli
Best Cinematography
Dean Semler
Neil Travis
A massive-scale blockbuster Epic that would redefine the genre and breathe new life into it,Dances With Wolvescombined the past and the present of Westerns to enchant audiences and the Academy alike for a resounding performance at the 63rd Academy Awards. The film’s massive scale and greatness as a technical marvel helped make it a massive success that made the most of the abilities of modern filmmaking to breathe new life into the past.
The majority ofDances With Wolves’s success would relate to its below-the-line wins, nearly sweeping these awards with wins in Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Sound, and Best Score, all coming together with an emphatic win for Best Director. What makes its dominance at the awards so interesting is that, as time has passed, it is often in contention with the other major player of the awards season,Goodfellas, which has become equally acclaimed if not more so thanDances With Wolves.
Dances With Wolves
20’Schindler’s List' (1993)
Steven Spielberg, Gerald R. Molen, and Branko Lustig
Steven Spielberg
Liam Neeson
Ralph Fiennes
Steven Zaillian
John Williams
Andy Nelson, Steve Pederson, Scott Millan, and Ron Judkins
Allan Starski and Ewa Braun
Best Makeup
Christina Smith, Matthew W. Mungle, and Judith A. Cory
Anna B. Sheppard
Janusz Kamiński
Michael Kahn
The undeniable magnum opus fromlegendary director Steven Spielberg,Schindler’s Listperfectly balanced the director’s emotional strengths and humanist elements to create the ultimate tearjerker and World War II story. The harrowing and heartbreaking look at the atrocities and pain faced during the holocaust soon became the quintessential retelling of these events in the medium of film, further amplified by the top-notch filmmaking and exceptional craft on display.
Considering the fact thatSchindler’s Listhas attaineda powerful legacy in the over 30 years since its release as one of the greatest dramatic films of all time, it’s understandable that it would find itself dominating the 66th Academy Awards. It was certainly satisfying that it would also mark the long-awaited first Academy Award win for Spielberg, after an array of previous nominations for Best Director and Best Picture over the years. Although the film wouldn’t win every award it was nominated for, most notably losing out Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor toTom HanksinPhiladelphiaandTommy Lee JonesinThe Fugitiverespectively.
Schindler’s List
19’My Fair Lady' (1964)
12 Nominations (and 8 Wins)
Jack L. Warner
George Cukor
Rex Harrison
Stanley Holloway
Gladys Cooper
Alan Jay Lerner
André Previn
George Groves
Best Art Direction, Color
Gene Allen, Cecil Beaton, and George James Hopkins
Best Cinematography, Color
Harry Stradling
Best Costume Design, Color
Cecil Beaton
William Ziegler
There’s nothing that the Academy loves quite like a high-energy musical, with one of the most successful musicals in Academy history being musical comedyMy Fair Lady. The nearly 3-hour long film reprised a lot of elements from the original stage musical, even including actors like Rex Harrison reprising their roles, and made the most of the medium of film to elevate and evolve the musical energy and style. The film would go on to beone of the most acclaimed and successful movie musicals of all time, further cemented in its legacy by its massive returns at the Academy Awards.
Ironically,My Fair Ladywould end up not being the most nominated musical of the 37th Academy Awards, withMary Poppins(which will be talked about later in the list) earning 13 nominations. However, the film would beat outMary Poppinswhen it came to wins, winning 8 Academy Awards overMary Poppins' 5 wins and winning many more high-profile awards, such as Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor.
My Fair Lady
18’On the Waterfront' (1954)
Sam Spiegel
Marlon Brando
Lee J. Cobb
Karl Malden
Rod Steiger
Eva Marie Saint
Elia Kazan
Best Original Screenplay
Budd Schulberg
Boris Kaufman
Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-and-White
Richard Day
Gene Milford
Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture
Leonard Bernstein
Largely beloved and considered to be one of the defining films of the 50s,On the Waterfrontis a masterful crime dramathat still holds up brilliantly in the modern era, making waves when it was first released and being a hit at the Academy Awards. The film follows Terry Malloy (Marlon Brando), a kindhearted dockworker who wants to escape the harsh life of crime that he’s been wrapped up in, made worse when he witnesses the death of a friend. After falling in love with the friend’s sister, Terry attempts to do what he can to leave his life on the waterfront and expose his corrupt employers in the process.
On the Waterfrontis one of the most influential and iconic crime dramas of all time, withits legacy and strengths still being felt in film today. It’s no wonder that the film had such an impact at the Academy Awards, not only taking home the big prize of Best Picture, but also taking home awards for Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, and Best Supporting Actress. The most notable win, however, is Brando’s win for Best Actor for his portrayal of Terry Malloy, a performance that is still in conversation as one of the greatest performances of all time.
On The Waterfront
17’The English Patient' (1996)
12 Nominations (and 9 Wins)
Saul Zaentz
Kristin Scott Thomas
Juliette Binoche
Anthony Minghella
John Seale
Best Art Direction-Set Decoration
Stuart Craig, Stephenie McMillan
Walter Murch, Mark Berger, David Parker, Christopher Newman
Walter Murch
Best Music, Original Dramatic Score
Gabriel Yared
While the film has largely been forgotten by general audiences in the nearly 30 years since its release,The English Patientmade a massive splash at the 69th Academy Awards, beating out the likes ofFargoandJerry Maguireto win Best Picture. The film follows Hungarian map maker Count Almásy (Ralph Fiennes) on his assigned quest to chart the vast expanses of the Sahara Desert in the 1930s. However, the dangers and rise of World War II prove to throw Almásy into a world of danger, betrayal, and unexpected love.
The English Patientis emblematic and all-encompassing of a lot of the same conventions and trends that largely defined the most successful and Oscar-bait-y films of the late 20th century, making it far from shocking that the film found such massive success. While aspects of the film may not have aged the best in the decades since its release,it’s undeniable how much of an impact thatThe English Patienthad on the academy when it released, helping it win Best Picture on top of Best Director, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Cinematography.
The English Patient
16’Ben-Hur' (1959)
12 Nominations (and 11 Wins)
Sam Zimbalist
Charlton Heston
Hugh Griffith
Karl Tunberg
Robert Surtees
Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color
William A. Horning, Edward C. Carfagno, Hugh Hunt
Elizabeth Haffenden
Franklin Milton
Ralph E. Winters, John D. Dunning
Best Effects, Special Effects
A. Arnold Gillespie, R.A. MacDonald, Milo B. Lory
Miklós Rózsa
A massive spectacle that brought the gargantuan scale and weight of a real Colosseum arena to the big screen in a way that has never truly been accomplished before or since,Ben-Huris a feat of filmmaking that was always going to win big at the Academy Awards. A remake of a classic film from the 1920s, the film sees Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston) being falsely accused by his childhood friend-turned-overlord, being banished and put into slavery while his family is made into prisoners. This acts as only the beginning of Ben-Hur’s quest for revenge, fighting through the ranks and making his name known in the process.
Ben-Hurwas nominated for 12 out of 15 possible categories that it was eligible for, yet even more shocking was thatit nearly swept every award it was nominated for, winning 11 out of its 12 nominations. Even after 65 years, this is still the tied record for the highest amount of awards that were won by a single film, cementing its status as one of the biggest Academy Award success stories of all time. No film in the future may surpass theheights thatBen-Hurfirst achievedin terms of wins, although several other films have earned more nominations.
15’Emilia Perez' (2024)
13 Nominations
Pascal Chaucheteux and Jacques Audiard
Jacques Audiard
Karla Sofía Gascón
Zoe Saldaña
Jacques Audiard, Thomas Bidegain, Léa Mysius, Nicolas Livecchi
Best International Feature Film
Clément Ducol and Camille
Best Original Song
Clément Ducol, Camille. And Jacques Audiard (“El Mal”)
Clément Ducol and Camille (“Mi Camino”)
Erwan Kerzanet, Aymeric Devoldére, Maxence Dussere, Cyril Holtz, and Niels Barletta
Paul Guilhaume
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Julia Floch Carbonel, Emmanuel Janvier, and Jean-Christophe Spadaccini
Juliette Welfling
One of the most controversial and divisive Best Picture nominees of recent memory,Emilia Perezhas been somewhat of an unexpected phenomenon whereit found massive acclaim among the industry and awards bodies and wildly mixed among critics and audiences. The musical crime film about a cartel leader faking their death so that they can undergo a gender transition was already largely contentious when it premiered at film festivals, only growing more divisive following its release, nominations, and recent controversies.
When it initially received 13 nominations,Emilia Perezwas in the conversation to win Best Picture and take home an array of other awards, but followingthe waves of controversy, it now seems just as likely that the film may not win a single award. It’s one of the biggest wild cards going into the upcoming 97th Academy Awards, even having the potential to be one of the most controversial Best Picture winners of all time if it manages to win the big award.
Emilia Perez
14’The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' (2008)
13 Nominations (and 3 Wins)
Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, and Ceán Chaffin
David Fincher
Taraji P. Henson
Eric Roth and Robin Swicord
Donald Graham Burt and Victor J. Zolfo
Claudio Miranda
Jacqueline West
Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
Greg Cannom
Alexandre Desplat
Best Sound Mixing
David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce, and Mark Weingarten
Best Visual Effects
Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton, and Craig Barron
The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttonis one of many masterful dramas to come from legendary director David Fincher. The film follows Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt), who lives an unusual life: he was born looking like an elderly man and appears to get younger and younger as the years go by. In the old folks home where he lives, he meets a young girl of the same age. As they fall in love, however, they know it is only a matter of time before Benjamin’s condition becomes a persistent complication that will jeopardize their future together.
It comes as no surprise that Fincher’s film has captured the hearts of many viewers and film critics.The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttonreceived 13 nominations out of the 26 possible categories and won three awards for Best Art Direction, Best Visual Effects, and Best Makeup. Interestingly and annoyingly, Academy frontrunner Cate Blanchett did not receive an Oscar nomination for her role as Daisy Fuller (adult version) in the film.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
13’The Shape of Water' (2017)
13 Nominations (and 4 Wins)
Guillermo del Toro and J. Miles Dale
Guillermo del Toro
Sally Hawkins
Richard Jenkins
Octavia Spencer
Guillermo del Toro and Vanessa Taylor
Dan Laustsen
Luis Sequeira
Sidney Wolinsky
Best Production Design
Paul Denham Austerberry, Shane Vieau, and Jeff Melvin
Best Sound Editing
Nathan Robitaille and Nelson Ferreira
Christian Cooke, Brad Zoern, and Glen Gauthier
The Shape of Watertells a bizarrebut heartbreakingly beautiful love story in a high-security government laboratory. The life of a mute cleaning lady, Elisa Esposito (Sally Hawkins), is forever changed when she discovers the lab’s classified secret: a strange scaled amphibian creature (Doug Jones) that lives in a water tank. However, as they develop a deep bond with each other, they soon realize that the future that lies ahead is uncertain.
OnlyGuillermo del Torocould’ve pulled off such an absorbingly emotional story between a woman and a creature so seamlessly and so beautifully. Following its critical acclaim and success, the film was nominated for 13 categories at the Oscars. However,The Shape of Wateronly snatched up four wins for Best Original Score, Best Production Design, Best Director, and Best Picture. The film continues to attain a powerful legacy and impact on audiences even to this day, well after its success at the Academy Awards.
