What Movies Have Won the Most Oscars?
A biblical epic, a doomed ocean liner, and an adaptation of a classic fantasy novel—what do these have in common? All three hold the record for most Academy Award wins. In 1960 Ben-Hur (1959) won a record-setting 11 Oscars. It was later joined by Titanic (1997) and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003). How do other films compare? Read on for a list of movies that have won the most Academy Awards.
(What films have the most Oscar nominations? Click here to find out.)
| film | wins | awards |
|---|---|---|
| Ben-Hur (1959) | 11 | Best picture, actor, supporting actor, director, art direction (color), cinematography (color), costume design (color), film editing, music, sound, special effects |
| Titanic (1997) | 11 | Best picture, director, art direction, cinematography, costume design, film editing, music (original dramatic score), music (original song), sound, sound effects editing, visual effects |
| The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) | 11 | Best picture, director, art direction, costume design, film editing, makeup, music (original score), music (original song), sound mixing, visual effects, writing (adapted screenplay) |
| West Side Story (1961) | 10 | Best picture, supporting actor, supporting actress, director, art direction (color), cinematography (color), costume design (color), film editing, music (score), sound |
| Gigi (1958) | 9 | Best picture, director, art direction, cinematography (color), costume design, film editing, music (score of a musical picture), music (song), writing (adapted screenplay) |
| The Last Emperor (1987) | 9 | Best picture, director, art direction, cinematography, costume design, film editing, music (original score), sound, writing (adapted screenplay) |
| The English Patient (1996) | 9 | Best picture, supporting actress, director, art direction, cinematography, costume design, film editing, music (original dramatic score), sound |
| Gone with the Wind (1939) | 8 | Best actress, supporting actress, director, art direction, cinematography (color), film editing, outstanding production, writing (screenplay) |
| From Here to Eternity (1953) | 8 | Best picture, supporting actor, supporting actress, editor, cinematography (black-and-white), film editing, sound recording, writing (screenplay) |
| On the Waterfront (1954) | 8 | Best picture, actor, supporting actress, director, art direction (black-and-white), cinematography (black-and-white), film editing, writing (story and screenplay) |
| My Fair Lady (1964) | 8 | Best picture, actor, director, art direction (color), cinematography (color), costume design (color), music (scoring of music—adapted or treatment), sound |
| Cabaret (1972) | 8 | Best actress, supporting actor, director, art direction, cinematography, film editing, music (adaptation and original song score), sound |
| Gandhi (1982) | 8 | Best picture, actor, director, art direction, cinematography, costume design, film editing, writing (original screenplay) |
| Amadeus (1984) | 8 | Best picture, actor, director, art direction, costume design, makeup, sound, writing (adapted screenplay) |
| Slumdog Millionaire (2008) | 8 | Best picture, director, cinematography, film editing, music (original score), music (original song), sound mixing, writing (adapted screenplay) |
| Going My Way (1944) | 7 | Best picture, director, actor, supporting actor, music (song), writing (original motion picture), writing (screenplay) |
| The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) | 7 | Best picture, director, actor, supporting actor, film editing, music (score), writing (screenplay)* |
| The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) | 7 | Best picture, director, actor, cinematography, film editing, music (score), writing (adapted screenplay) |
| Lawrence of Arabia (1962) | 7 | Best picture, director, art direction (color), cinematography (color), film editing, music, sound |
| Patton (1970) | 7 | Best picture, actor, director, art direction, writing (story and screenplay), film editing, sound |
| The Sting (1973) | 7 | Best picture, directing, art direction, costume design, film editing, music (score), writing (story and screenplay) |
| Out of Africa (1985) | 7 | Best picture, director, art direction, cinematography, music (original score), sound, writing (adapted screenplay) |
| Dances with Wolves (1990) | 7 | Best picture, director, cinematography, film editing, music (original score), sound, writing (adapted screenplay) |
| Schindler’s List (1993) | 7 | Best picture, director, art direction, cinematography, film editing, music (original score), writing (adapted screenplay) |
| Shakespeare in Love (1998) | 7 | Best picture, actress, supporting actress, art direction, costume design, music (original score), writing (original screenplay) |
| Gravity (2013) | 7 | Best director, cinematography, film editing, music (original score), sound editing, sound mixing, visual effects |
| Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) | 7 | Best picture, director, actress, supporting actress, supporting actor, film editing, writing (original screenplay) |
| Oppenheimer (2023) | 7 | Best picture, director, actor, supporting actor, cinematography, film editing, music (original score) |
*The Best Years of Our Lives also received a special, noncompetitive Oscar: “To Harold Russell for bringing hope and courage to his fellow veterans through his appearance in The Best Years of Our Lives.”
Citation Information
Article Title:
What Movies Have Won the Most Oscars?
Website Name:
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher:
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published:
30 January 2026
Access Date:
November 15, 2026