The people and movies with the most Oscar wins of all time

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<ul>
<li>Some of Hollywood's biggest stars took home awards at the 98th Academy Awards.</li>
<li>But many of the recipients of the most Oscars in history never set foot in front of the camera.</li>
<li>The winningest films of all time took home a range of awards, from best picture to best sound.</li>
</ul>
<p>Both "Sinners" and "One Battle After Another" dazzled at the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/oscar-nominations-academy-award-nominees-winners-list-2026">98th Academy Awards</a> on Sunday, with "Sinners" taking home four Oscars and "One Battle After Another" earning six. "Frankenstein" won the most technical awards, winning best production design, best costume design, and best hair and makeup.</p>
<p>Still, they didn't come close to some of the competition's biggest winners of all time.</p>
<p>Over the last century, only a handful of individuals and films have been able to claim more than seven or eight Oscars. Films took home the headlining awards of best director and best picture, as well as Oscars for design and production.</p>
<p>In fact, some of the winningest individuals in Oscars history actually made their impacts behind the scenes. Award-winners brought dinosaurs to life in "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jurassic-movies-dinosaurs-evolution-special-effects-technology-cgi-world-dominion-2022-7">Jurassic Park</a>," composed songs for "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-little-mermaid-original-remake-differences-live-action-animated-movie-2023-5">The Little Mermaid</a>," and did makeup for "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/david-schwimmer-turn-down-men-in-black-will-smith-2024-9">Men in Black</a>."</p>
<p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/women-who-made-movie-history">Edith Head</a>, an eight-time Oscar winner — and the most awarded woman in Oscars history — famously said, "What a costume designer does is a cross between magic and camouflage. We create the illusion of changing the actors into what they are not. We ask the public to believe that every time they see a performer on the screen he's become a different person."</p>
<p>When it comes to the winningest movies of all time, sometimes individual accolades outshine the films themselves. 1972's "Cabaret" won categories like best music, best film editing, and best director, but not best picture, showing that the whole sometimes isn't greater than the sum of its parts.</p>
<p>As excitement builds for this year's ceremony, here are the individuals and films with the most <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/oscar-nominations-academy-award-nominees-winners-list-2025">competitive Academy Awards</a> in history.</p>
<h2>Gordon Hollingshead — 7 Oscars</h2>
<p>Gordon Hollingshead — whose movie career spanned from 1916 to his death in 1952 — won his first competitive Oscar for best assistant director in 1933, a category that would only exist through 1937.</p>
<p>He also won three best short subject (two-reel) awards, two best short subject (one-reel) awards, and one best documentary (short subject) award.</p>
<p>These categories have also been redefined since his victories in the 1940s and 1950s; they are now known as the awards for best live action short film and best documentary short film.</p>
<h2>Fred Quimby — 7 Oscars</h2>
<p>"Tom and Jerry" producer Fred Quimby received his first Oscar nomination and trophy in 1944 for best short subject (cartoon) for "Yankee Doodle Mouse."</p>
<p>His other six wins would all come from the same category, which is now called best animated short film.</p>
<h2>Gary Rydstrom — 7 Oscars</h2>
<p>Director and sound designer Gary Rydstrom was awarded best sound and best sound effects editing for "Terminator 2: Judgment Day," "Jurassic Park," and "Saving Private Ryan."</p>
<p>He also has a best sound award for "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/titanic-fun-facts-movie-2018-11">Titanic</a>," bringing his total award count to seven.</p>
<h2>Richard Day — 7 Oscars</h2>
<p>Richard Day won seven awards for best art direction (now known as best production design), beginning in 1936 with "The Dark Angel" and concluding in 1954 with "On the Waterfront."</p>
<h2>Rick Baker — 7 Oscars</h2>
<p>Described by the <a href="https://www.oscars.org/collection-highlights/rick-baker">Oscars</a> as a "lifelong 'monster kid,'" makeup artist Rick Baker has made significant contributions to the world of movie makeup across genres, winning seven Academy Awards throughout his career.</p>
<p>In 1981, Baker received his first nomination and win for best makeup for "An American Werewolf in London."</p>
<p>In the '90s, he had multiple wins with "Ed Wood" (1995), "The Nutty Professor" (1997), and "Men in Black" (1998).</p>
<p>Another memorable contribution includes transforming Jim Carrey into the Grinch for the 2000 movie "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-the-grinch-stole-christmas-interesting-details-you-missed-2021-12">Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas</a>."</p>
<h2>Edwin B. Willis — 8 Oscars</h2>
<p>Working alongside esteemed art director Cedric Gibbons, set designer Edwin B. Willis won eight Oscars in 15 years for his contributions to set design within the art direction category.</p>
<p>His first win came in 1941 for his work in interior direction on "Blossoms in the Dust," and his final win came in 1956 for his work in Set Decoration on "Somebody Up There Likes Me."</p>
<h2>Dennis Muren — 8 Oscars</h2>
<p>Dennis Muren won eight Academy Awards for his contributions to visual effects on iconic films like "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/indiana-jones-movies-14-things-not-know-trivia-facts-2023-6">Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom</a>" and "Jurassic Park."</p>
<p>Muren's work had a significant impact on popular films throughout the '80s and '90s, like "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/et-movie-where-are-they-now-2021-2">E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial</a>," "Innerspace," and "Terminator 2: Judgment Day."</p>
<p>In addition to his competitive Oscars, Muren also won a technical achievement award in 1981.</p>
<h2>Alan Menken — 8 Oscars</h2>
<p>Disney fans can say a big thank you to composer Alan Menken, the mind behind the music in "The Little Mermaid," "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/beauty-and-the-beast-facts-secrets-2017-3">Beauty and the Beast</a>," "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/aladdin-cool-and-unique-things-you-never-got">Aladdin</a>," and "Pocahontas."</p>
<p>Menken won two Academy Awards for each of these films, winning in the scoring and original song categories.</p>
<h2>Edith Head — 8 Oscars</h2>
<p>The beautiful costumes worn by <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/who-has-won-an-egot-2017-2">Audrey Hepburn</a> in the classics "Roman Holiday" and "Sabrina" came from eight-time Oscar-winner Edith Head.</p>
<p>Known for her "distinctive personal style" and "forthright personality," according to the <a href="https://www.oscars.org/collection-highlights/edith-head">Oscars website</a>, Head built a career dressing some of the most famous movie stars of her time, like Elizabeth Taylor, Marlene Dietrich, Grace Kelly, and Steve McQueen. In all, she received 35 nominations and is the winningest woman in Oscars history.</p>
<p>Other winning films she designed costumes for include "The Heiress," "All About Eve," "Samson and Delilah," "A Place in the Sun," "The Facts of Life," and "The Sting."</p>
<h2>'Gone With The Wind' (1939) — 8 Oscars</h2>
<p>Commonly regarded as one of the greatest films in history, "Gone With The Wind" still holds the record for the highest-grossing film in history adjusted for inflation, at $3.44 billion, per <a href="https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/highest-box-office-film-gross-inflation-adjusted">Guinness World Records</a>.</p>
<p>The 1939 epic follows the romantic pursuits of plantation owner Scarlett O'Hara during the Civil War. More recently, the film has come under <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hbo-max-temporarily-pulls-gone-with-the-wind-racist-depictions-2020-6">scrutiny</a> for its inaccurate depictions of African Americans and the Confederate South.</p>
<p>It took home Academy Awards for best picture, best director, and best cinematography, among others. Notably, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hattie-mcdaniel-oscars-hollywood-black-history-legacy-2023-3">Hattie McDaniel</a> became the first African American to win an Oscar when she was awarded best supporting actress for her role in the film.</p>
<h2>'From Here to Eternity' (1953) — 8 Oscars</h2>
<p>"From Here to Eternity" was a groundbreaking film during the 1950s because of its themes of adultery and alcoholism, considered explicit subject matter for the time period. The 1953 film, which follows the lives of soldiers in the US Army, is perhaps best known for its beach kissing scene between actors Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr, a graphic depiction by 1950s standards.</p>
<p>At the Academy Awards, the film took home best picture and best director, and actors Donna Reed and Frank Sinatra won best supporting actress and actor, respectively.</p>
<h2>'On The Waterfront' (1954) — 8 Oscars</h2>
<p>Based on crime articles that appeared in the New York Sun in the 1940s, "On The Waterfront" features <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/marlon-brando-rejected-godfather-oscar-2017-2">Marlon Brando</a> in a drama about crime among dock workers.</p>
<p>Brando received the award for best actor, and the film also picked up best picture and best director. While the film featured Leonard Bernstein's only original, non-adaptation film score, it failed to win best original score.</p>
<h2>'My Fair Lady' (1964) — 8 Oscars</h2>
<p>"My Fair Lady" follows Eliza Doolittle as she learns to become a sophisticated member of society thanks to the teachings of Professor Henry Higgins. It became the second-highest-grossing film of 1964.</p>
<p>The film won Academy Awards for best picture, best actor, and best director, among others. Notably, Audrey Hepburn wasn't nominated for her role as Eliza.</p>
<h2>'Cabaret' (1972) — 8 Oscars</h2>
<p>First taking shape as a novel, then a play, then a musical, the "Cabaret" film adaptation won eight Oscars out of its 10 nominations.</p>
<p>Liza Minnelli won best actress for her role as the untethered cabaret singer Sally Bowles, and the film took home best director and best score, among other categories.</p>
<p>The film holds the record for having the most Oscars without winning best picture.</p>
<h2>'Gandhi' (1982) — 8 Oscars</h2>
<p>The 1982 biopic dramatizing the life of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/top-list-of-best-mahatma-gandhi-quotes">Gandhi</a> featured Ben Kingsley in the titular role.</p>
<p>While Kingsley secured best actor, the film additionally won best picture, best director, best original screenplay, best cinematography, best art direction, best costume design, and best editing.</p>
<h2>'Amadeus' (1984) — 8 Oscars</h2>
<p>Just two years later, another biographical drama would take the Academy by storm. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, played by Tom Hulce, has his rivalry with fellow composer Antonio Salieri, played by F. Murray Abraham, on full display in the epic film.</p>
<p>Coincidentally, the perceived rivalry was brought to life when Hulce and Abraham were both nominated for best actor, with Abraham winning.</p>
<p>The movie also won best picture, best director, best adapted screenplay, best costume design, best makeup, best production design (then known as best art direction), and best sound.</p>
<h2>'Slumdog Millionaire' (2008) — 8 Oscars</h2>
<p>Dev Patel made his film debut in the "Slumdog Millionaire," playing 18-year-old Jamal Malik as he tries to escape the slums of Mumbai, India.</p>
<p>The 2008 film was immediately met with widespread acclaim, which continued at the Academy Awards. "Slumdog Millionaire" won best picture, best director, best score, and best original song, among other categories.</p>
<h2>Alfred Newman — 9 Oscars</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/most-famous-celebrity-dynasties-hollywood-2017-11">Alfred Newman</a>, who was known for films like "The King and I," won nine awards for his work as a composer.</p>
<p>He won his first Oscar in 1938 for scoring "Alexander's Ragtime Band" and his final Oscar in 1967 for "Camelot."</p>
<h2>'Gigi' (1958) — 9 Oscars</h2>
<p>The 1958 film "Gigi," set in turn-of-the-century Paris, follows the wealthy playboy Gaston and the innocent Gigi. The comedy went a perfect nine-for-nine at the Academy Awards, a record for the time.</p>
<p>The film won best picture, best director, best adapted screenplay, and best editing, among other categories.</p>
<h2>'The Last Emperor' (1987) — 9 Oscars</h2>
<p>As the title suggests, "The Last Emperor" is a biographical drama about China's last emperor, Puyi.</p>
<p>Like "Gigi," the film swept all of its nine nominations, taking home best picture, best director, best original score, and awards in other categories.</p>
<p>The film's immaculate recreation of the end of the Qing Dynasty in the eyes of the Academy also meant it took home best costume design and best production design.</p>
<h2>'The English Patient' (1996) — 9 Oscars</h2>
<p>This wartime romance won nine of its 12 nominations at the 69th Academy Awards.</p>
<p>The 1996 film, in addition to winning best picture and best director, won big in production awards, taking home best cinematography, best editing, and best sound.</p>
<h2>'West Side Story' (1961) — 10 Oscars</h2>
<p>The iconic "West Side Story" was unsurprisingly the first film in history to reach double-digit Oscar wins.</p>
<p>The 1961 film, with its captivating romance narrative surrounding the Sharks and Jets street gangs in New York City, was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and took home 10.</p>
<p>Winning best picture, best writing, and others, the film still holds the title of winningest musical in Oscars history. The continued cultural relevance of the film and its original theater production prompted the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/west-side-story-review-2021-12">2021 Stephen Spielberg version</a>.</p>
<h2>Cedric Gibbons — 11 Oscars</h2>
<p>Cedric Gibbons won best art direction 11 times out of 38 nominations.</p>
<p>His first award came in 1930 at the second annual Academy Awards ceremony for "The Bridge of San Luis Rey." He won his final Oscar in 1957 for "Somebody Up There Likes Me"</p>
<h2>'Ben-Hur' (1959) — 11 Oscars</h2>
<p>The 1959 epic film was a remake of 1925's "Ben-Hur," a silen