These are the Hollywood Stars and Filmmakers With the Most Oscar Wins

With the Academy Awards right around the corner, there is no better time to look back at momentous Oscar wins in history.

This Sunday marks the 93rd Academy Awards ceremony. After a year filled with unprecedented tragedies, the reinstatement of this celebrated event feels like a sigh of relief. This year's awards will honor the best films of 2020 and early 2021 and include an in-person show. Films such as Mank, Promising Young Woman and One Night in Miami... are just a few of the notable titles going up for major wins.

As much as the Academy Awards are a pleasure to watch, they are also the cause of occasional controversy. Whether it be announcing an incorrect winner (La La Land and Moonlight style), or Leonardo DiCaprio's countless Oscar snubs, if this year's ceremony follows a similar pattern it is bound to cause some drama. As we prepare ourselves for a night unlike any other, take a moment to revisit the talented actors and actresses that broke Oscar records with their historic wins.

Walt Disney

Walt Disney holds the absolute record for most Oscars awarded in Academy Award history. The iconic filmmaker has accumulated 26 Oscars, four of which were honorary awards bestowed to honor his everlasting memory. Disney, the man behind the eponymous mass media company, also holds the record for the most Oscar nominations, which is 59.

Katharine Hepburn

Actress Katharine Hepburn currently holds the record for the most Oscars for acting. She has won four Academy Awards in the Best Actress category for her performances in the films Morning Glory (1933), Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967), The Lion in Winter (1968) and On Golden Pond (1981). Additionally, she has earned a total of 12 nominations. Hepburn, who passed away in June of 2003, is remembered for her dazzling 60-year-long career in Hollywood .

Daniel Day-Lewis

British actor, Daniel Day-Lewis, has won three Academy Awards for Best Actor, causing him to hold the record in that category. However, actors Jack Nicholson and and Walter Brennan have also received three Oscars, but some were for Best Supporting ctor. Nicholson is the most-nominated actor with a total of 12 thus far.

Meryl Streep

With 21 nominations, acclaimed actress Meryl Streep has earned the most Oscar nods of any actor or actress in history. She has taken home three golden statues, including Best Actress for Sophie's Choice (1983) and Iron Lady (2012) and Best Supporting Actress for Kramer vs. Kramer (1980). Many expect her to match or even surpass Hepburn's record.

John Ford

The American actor and director, John Ford, holds the Best Director record for the films The Informer (1935), The Grapes of Wrath (1940), How Green Was My Valley (1941) and The Quiet Man (1952). He was nominated for five awards overall, so his win to loss ratio is impressive.

Woody Allen

The infamous actor, director, and screenwriter, Woody Allen, has won four Oscars throughout his career. Three of those awards were given in recognition of his screenwriting abilities—and consequently allowed him to hold the title of screenwriter with the most Academy Awards. While his position within Hollywood has been rendered problematic, the prominent figure has been an asset to the Academy Awards for years, which has been the source of much controversy.