Wondering Who's Won the Most Oscars? Here's a List (2024)

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Stacey Nguyen

Wondering Who's Won the Most Oscars? Here's a List (1)

In spite of all the flubs and controversies over the years, the Oscars still haven't lost their prestige. Film buffs keep going back to the award show over the years for one thing: the wins. (OK, and maybe suave suits and gorgeous gowns, too.) When it comes to Oscar favorites, we bet you're already thinking of the inimitable, megatalented queen that is Meryl Streep. While the seasoned actress is indeed one of the biggest names in the Academy, she doesn't actually have the most wins. The real champion is still one of the biggest names in the world of filmmaking. Here's a list of the actors with the most Oscar wins and nominations for your knowledge — as well as trivia ammo that you can drop at your next Oscar viewing party.

Wondering Who's Won the Most Oscars? Here's a List (2)

How Many Oscars Did Katharine Hepburn Win?

In the history of the Oscars, only one person has ever had four Academy Award wins: Katharine Hepburn, the greatest female screen legend according to the American Film Institute. She won her first Academy Award in the best actress category for her role as a small-town performer in "Morning Glory" in 1934. She then picked up three more accolades in the same category for her roles in "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" (1968), "The Lion in Winter" (1969), and "On Golden Pond" (1982).

  • Katharine Hepburn's Oscar Wins: Four
  • Katharine Hepburn's Oscar Nominations: 12
Wondering Who's Won the Most Oscars? Here's a List (3)

How Many Oscars Has Meryl Streep Won?

Meryl Streep has, by far, the most nominations of all time with 21 bids in total, which is nine more than Hepburn. The Academy darling earned her first nomination in 1979 for best supporting actress in "The Deer Hunter," then she clinched her first win a year later in the same category for the film "Kramer vs. Kramer." Her two other wins were for the best actress category in the movies "Sophie's Choice" (1983) and "The Iron Lady" (2012).

  • Meryl Streep's Oscar Wins: Three
  • Meryl Streep's Oscar Nominations: 21
Wondering Who's Won the Most Oscars? Here's a List (4)

How Many Oscars Has Jack Nicholson Won?

If we know anything about Jack Nicholson, it's that he's got range, captivating us in performances that run the gamut from "The Shining" to "Something's Gotta Give." Nicholson has the same number of Oscars as Meryl Streep, winning for his roles in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1976) (the inspiration for "Ratched"), "Terms of Endearment" (1984), and "As Good as It Gets" (1998). Though he's only had 12 nominations to Streep's 21, his record is nothing to scoff at.

  • Jack Nicholson's Oscar Wins: Three
  • Jack Nicholson's Oscar Nominations: 12
Wondering Who's Won the Most Oscars? Here's a List (5)

How Many Oscars Did Ingrid Bergman Win?

Although perhaps best known for her role as Ilsa in 1942's "Casablanca" opposite Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman didn't start picking up Oscars until after that landmark portrayal. Her Oscar-winning roles include "Gaslight" (yes, the origin of the term "gaslight") (1945), "Anastasia" (1957), and "Murder on the Orient Express" (1975).

  • Ingrid Bergman's Oscar Wins: Three
  • Ingrid Bergman's Oscar Nominations: Seven
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How Many Oscars Has Daniel Day-Lewis Won?

With six best actor nominations under his belt, Daniel Day-Lewis has secured three Oscar wins throughout his career. Day-Lewis officially retired from acting in 2017, but he's certainly left a lasting impact on cinema. His winning Oscar roles include that of Abraham Lincoln in "Lincoln" (2013), oilman Daniel Plainview in "There Will Be Blood" (2008), and, of course, Christy Brown in "My Left Foot" (1990).

  • Daniel Day-Lewis's Oscar Wins: Three
  • Daniel Day-Lewis's Oscar Nominations: Six
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How Many Oscars Has Frances McDormand Won?

Known for her off-kilter parts, Frances McDormand, who's tied with Day-Lewis in terms of wins and nominations, has some of the most recent wins from this list. One of the only actresses to hold three Academy Awards, McDormand secured wins for "Fargo" (1997), "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" (2018), and "Nomadland" (2021).

  • Frances McDormand's Oscar Wins: Three
  • Frances McDormand's Oscar Nominations: Six
Wondering Who's Won the Most Oscars? Here's a List (8)

How Many Oscars Did Walter Brennan Win?

American singer and character actor Walter Brennan is the only actor here to win three Oscars for best supporting actor. He won Oscars for his performances in "Come and Get It" (1937), "Kentucky" (1939), and "The Westerner" (1941).

  • Walter Brennan's Oscar Wins: Three
  • Walter Brennan's Oscar Nominations: Four
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How Many Oscars Did Bette Davis Win?

Long before she was one of the subjects of Ryan Murphy's "Feud," Bette Davis made her mark as one of Hollywood's top-tier actresses. She's known for her roles in "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" and "All About Eve," but she picked up Academy Award wins for the dramas "Dangerous" (1936) and "Jezebel" (1939) out of her 10 nominations.

  • Bette Davis's Oscar Wins: Two
  • Bette Davis's Oscar Nominations: 10
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How Many Oscars Did Spencer Tracy Win?

Spencer Tracy was one of the leading actors during Hollywood's Golden Age, often teaming up with Clark Gable and Hepburn. His last film, "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner," was actually with Hepburn. Tracy won two Academy Awards for best actor early in his career for his roles in "Captain Courageous" (1938) and "Boys Town" (1939).

  • Spencer Tracy's Oscar Wins: Two
  • Spencer Tracy's Oscar Nominations: Nine
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How Many Oscars Has Denzel Washington Won?

Tied with Tracy for total wins and nominations is Denzel Washington. From "American Gangster" to "The Tragedy of Macbeth," Washington has had a long and prolific career on screen (as well as on the stage). He won the Academy Award for best supporting actor for "Glory" (1990) and best actor for "Training Day" (2002).

  • Denzel Washington's Oscar Wins: Two
  • Denzel Washington's Oscar Nominations: Nine
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How Many Oscars Did Marlon Brando Win?

From "A Streetcar Named Desire" to "Apocalypse Now," Marlon Brando is one of the silver screen's biggest names. He won two Academy Awards in his career, one for "On the Waterfront" (1955) and another for "The Godfather" (1973) — he refused the second, however, citing Hollywood's misportrayal of Native Americans.

  • Marlon Brando's Oscar Wins: Two
  • Marlon Brando's Oscar Nominations: Eight
Wondering Who's Won the Most Oscars? Here's a List (13)

How Many Oscars Did Jack Lemmon Win?

Jack Lemmon was best known for both his dramatic and comedic portrayals of everyday people. Nominated for an Academy Award eight times, he won twice with "Mister Roberts" (1956) and "Save the Tiger" (1974). Some of his other notable nominations include those for his parts in "The Apartment" with Shirley MacLaine and "Some Like It Hot" with Marilyn Monroe.

  • Jack Lemmon's Oscar Wins: Two
  • Jack Lemmon's Oscar Nominations: Eight
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How Many Oscars Has Cate Blanchett Won?

Well, of course Cate Blanchett is on this list. Of her seven Oscar nominations, including bids for "Carol" (2016) and "Notes on a Scandal" (2007), Blanchett won for "Blue Jasmine" (2014) and "The Aviator" (2005). Her filmography is ever expanding, and she isn't going anywhere anytime soon; Blanchett recently starred in critically acclaimed projects such as "Don't Look Up," "Mrs. America," and "Nightmare Alley."

  • Cate Blanchett's Oscar Wins: Two
  • Cate Blanchett's Oscar Nominations: Seven
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How Many Oscars Has Robert De Niro Won?

Robert De Niro unquestionably belongs in this roundup with his seven nominations and two wins. He's a frequent Martin Scorsese collaborator, winning his first Oscar for his role as Vito Corleone in "The Godfather Part II" (1975). A few years later, he picked up another Academy Award for playing Jake LaMotta in Scorsese's "Raging Bull" (1981).

  • Robert De Niro's Oscar Wins: Two
  • Robert De Niro's Oscar Nominations: Seven
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How Many Oscars Has Jane Fonda Won?

Not only is Jane Fonda a passionate activist and our favorite cosmetics mogul in "Grace and Frankie," but she's also a two-time Academy Award winner. Fonda won best actress for her parts in the crime thriller "Klute" (1972) and romantic drama "Coming Home" (1979).

  • Jane Fonda's Oscar Wins: Two
  • Jane Fonda's Oscar Nominations: Seven
Wondering Who's Won the Most Oscars? Here's a List (2024)
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