Which Movie Has Won the Most Oscars
The film with the most Academy Award wins is Ben-Hur, which secured 11 Oscars from 15 nominations at the 1960 ceremony. This epic historical drama matched the record later set by The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King in 2004. Both films hold the record for the most wins in a single ceremony. The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
The record for most nominations in a single ceremony is 14, held by All About Eve and Titanic. However, neither film converted all nominations into wins. Ben-Hur won 11 of its 15 nominations, while The Return of the King won all 11 of its nominations, making it one of the cleanest sweeps in Oscar history.
Top Films by Number of Wins
Beyond the record holders, several other films have achieved high win counts. The Last Emperor won 9 Oscars, as did The Deaf Girl Who Communicated with Her Eyes and West Side Story. Films with 8 wins include Gigi, From Here to Eternity, and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. The competitive landscape has evolved as the Academy expanded the number of Best Picture nominees.
The number of Best Picture nominees has changed over the decades, affecting how many awards a single film can capture. From 1944 to 2008, the ceremony typically featured 5 Best Picture nominees. Since 2009, the field has expanded to up to 10 nominees, and since 2022, the number can vary based on a voting threshold. This expansion means more films compete for top honors, making a high win count even more notable.
How the Academy Awards Work
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences,