Actors and visionaries like Katharine Hepburn, Walt Disney, and Daniel DayLewis have etched their names in Oscars history. Who has won the most Oscars? See the recordholders in major categories Actors and visionaries like Katharine Hepburn, Walt Disney, and Daniel DayLewis have etched their names in Oscars history. By Maureen Lee Lenker :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/51881200003c01d90a1d64d2a96d609d48a016c51.jpg) Maureen Lee Lenker Maureen Lee Lenker is a senior writer at with over nine years of experience. An awardwinning journalist, she's written for Turner Classic Movies, Ms.

Actors and visionaries like Katharine Hepburn, Walt Disney, and Daniel Day-Lewis have etched their names in Oscars history.

Who has won the most Oscars? See the record-holders in major categories

Actors and visionaries like Katharine Hepburn, Walt Disney, and Daniel Day-Lewis have etched their names in Oscars history.

By Maureen Lee Lenker

Maureen Lee Lenker

Maureen Lee Lenker is a senior writer at ** with over nine years of experience. An award-winning journalist, she's written for Turner Classic Movies, Ms. Magazine, The Hollywood Reporter, and more.

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March 15, 2026 7:00 a.m. ET

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Walt Disney holding his four Oscars backstage at the Academy Awards on March 26, 1954; Katharine Hepburn in 'Holiday'; Daniel Day-Lewis holding his Oscar for 'Lincoln' on Feb. 24, 2013. Credit:

Hulton Archive/Getty; Sunset Boulevard/Getty; Jason Merritt/Getty

As Sally Field gushed in her second Oscar acceptance speech, "I can't deny the fact that you like me. Right now, you *like* me!" Any artist is fortunate to win an Academy Award in their lifetime, but a select few have been blessed with winning multiple times, an indication of continued excellence in their chosen vocation.

Artists like Daniel Day-Lewis, Katharine Hepburn, Edith Head, and Alan Menken showed such greatness that the Academy couldn't help but keep awarding them Oscars. Such individuals are the standard-bearers in their respective categories, setting winning records that remain unbeatable as the Oscars approach their centennial in 2028.

Ahead, we're highlighting the record-holders in nearly every Oscar category, from untouchable leading stars to masterful artisans.

Most ever: Walt Disney

Walt Disney holding his four Oscars, for four different films, at the 26th Academy Awards on March 25, 1954.

Archive Photos/Getty

As the creator of Mickey Mouse and the Walt Disney Company, few people have had as much influence on pop culture as Walt Disney. That's reflected in his record 22 Oscar wins. Most of them are for Best Animated Short Film, previously known as Best Short Subject (cartoon), for early work like *Flowers and Trees* (1932), *Ferdinand the Bull* (1938), and *The Ugly Duckling* (1939). Disney was also awarded four honorary Oscars — special awards for the creation of Mickey Mouse, the feature film milestone of *Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs *(1937), the groundbreaking use of sound in *Fantasia* (1940), and the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award for his contributions as a creative producer.**

Most awarded film: Three-way tie

Charlton Heston as Judah Ben-Hur in 'Ben-Hur'; Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson and Kate Winslet as Rose DeWitt Bukater in 'Titanic'; Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King'.

Getty (2); Everett

Three films stand above the rest when it comes to the record for most wins: 1959's *Ben-Hur, *1997's *Titanic, *and 2003's *The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King* share the title with 11 each. All three also won Best Picture in their respective years.

*Ben-Hur *held the title of most wins for more than 35 years before *Titanic *joined it. *The Return of the King *enjoyed the most successful sweep, winning every category it was nominated in.

Best Director: John Ford

John Ford, circa 1930.

Archive Photos/Getty

Few directors loom as large in Hollywood history as John Ford, who defined (and redefined) the Western genre, making more than 130 films in his lifetime. He was one of the first Hollywood directors to be regarded as an auteur and holds the record for most Best Director Oscars. Despite his association with Westerns, none of his Oscars came for his work in the genre. Instead, he won for three films highlighting social issues — *The Informer* (1935)*, The Grapes of Wrath* (1940),* *and *How Green Was My Valley* (1941) *— *and the romantic love letter to his Irish roots, *The Quiet Man* (1952)*.*

Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis

Daniel Day-Lewis holding his Oscar at the 85th Academy Awards on Feb. 24, 2013.

Jason Merritt/Getty

With three Best Actor wins, Daniel Day-Lewis holds the record in his category. Jack Nicholson and Walter Brennan also have three Oscars each, but one of Nicholson's wins was for Best Supporting Actor, and Brennan won exclusively in the supporting category. Day-Lewis won his Oscars for *My Left Foot* (1989), *There Will Be Blood* (2007),* *and *Lincoln* (2012)*.*

Best Actress: Katharine Hepburn

Portrait of Katharine Hepburn, wearing a sequined dress.

While Meryl Streep holds the title of most nominated actress, legendary leading lady Katharine Hepburn boasts the win record, having won four Oscars during her six-decade career. Hepburn took home gold for *Morning Glory* (1933), *Guess Who's Coming to Dinner* (1967), *The Lion in Winter* (1968) — which she won in a tie alongside Barbra Streisand for *Funny Girl* — and *On Golden Pond* (1981)*. *Despite her hallowed place in Academy history, Hepburn never attended the Oscars to accept her awards.

Best Supporting Actor: Walter Brennan

Walter Brennan as Judge Roy Bean in 'The Westerner'.

Prolific character actor Walter Brennan quickly set a record for most Best Supporting Actor victories, winning the category's inaugural award for *Come and Get It* (1936), another two years later for *Kentucky* (1938), and *another* two years later for *The Westerner* (1940). At three wins, Brennan has still not been matched, though seven other actors have won the category twice, including Mahershala Ali and Christoph Waltz.**

Best Supporting Actress: Dianne Wiest and Shelley Winters

Dianne Wiest holding her Oscar at the 59th Academy Awards on March 30, 1987; Shelley Winters holding her Oscar at the 38th Academy Awards on April 18, 1966.

Ron Galella Collection via Getty; Bettmann/Getty

Only two actresses have won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar twice, far fewer than any other acting category. Shelley Winters was the first to accomplish this feat, winning for *The Diary of Anne Frank* (1959) and again six years later for *A Patch of Blue* (1965). Dianne Wiest matched Winters' record through her collaborations with writer-director Woody Allen, winning for *Hannah and Her Sisters* (1986) and *Bullets Over Broadway* (1994).**

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Best Adapted/Original Screenplay: Five-way tie

Woody Allen in September 1980; Billy Wilder at the 33rd Academy Awards on April 17, 1961; Francis Ford Coppola attends the Telluride Film Festival in Telluride, Colo., on Sept. 4, 2021.

Nancy R. Schiff/Getty; Getty; Vivien Killilea/Getty

Best Screenplay, both Original and Adapted, is the only top category with an extensive tie. Woody Allen is the outright record holder for Best Original Screenplay, having won three times for *Annie Hall* (1977)*, Hannah and Her Sisters* (1986),* *and *Midnight in Paris* (2011)*.*

The other four record-holders, also with three wins apiece, share their trophies across the Original and Adapted categories. They are: Charles Brackett (1945's *The Lost Weekend, *1950's *Sunset Boulevard*, and 1953's *Titanic*); Paddy Chayefsky (1955's *Marty*, 1971's *The Hospital*, and 1976's *Network*); Francis Ford Coppola (1970's *Patton*, 1972's *The Godfather*, 1974's *The Godfather Part II*); and Billy Wilder (*The Lost Weekend*, *Sunset Boulevard*, and 1960's *The Apartment*).

Best Animated Feature Film: Pete Docter

Pete Docter holding his Oscar at the 82nd Academy Awards on March 7, 2010.

Dan MacMedan/WireImage

Introduced in 2002, the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film was the Academy's newest category until the introduction of Best Casting in 2026. Pixar's chief creative officer since 2018, Pete Docter, holds the record in this category with three wins for *Up* (2009), *Inside Out* (2015), and *Soul* (2020).

Best Art Direction: Cedric Gibbons

Cedric Gibbons, art director for Metro Goldwyn Mayer's studios, reads a document at his desk.

John Springer Collection/CORBIS/Getty

Renowned studio art director Cedric Gibbons was a highly influential force in set design and the Art Deco movement on screen. He also holds the second-most Oscar wins after Disney, 11 total for Best Art Direction, beginning with 1929's *The Bridge of San Luis Rey *and ending with 1956's* Somebody Up There Likes Me*. Gibbons is also credited as the designer of the distinctive gold Oscar statuette, doubly enshrining his place in Academy Awards history.

Best Costume Design: Edith Head

Edith Head poses in her Universal Studios bungalow with her eight Academy Awards in 1975.

Mark Sullivan/Getty

Edith Head holds the distinct honor of being the most decorated woman in Oscar history with eight wins (and the record for most nominated woman with 35 total nods). Head is one of Hollywood's most influential costume designers, defining the job in the studio era and shaping American fashion for decades. Her victories include Oscars for *The Heiress *(1949), *All About Eve* (1950),* A Place in the Sun* (1951),* Roman Holiday* (1953),* Sabrina *(1954), and *The Sting* (1973)*. *Head's distinctive severe black haircut and glasses became iconic in themselves, inspiring the look of *The Incredibles** *designer Edna Mode.

Best Makeup: Rick Baker

Rick Baker holding his Oscar at the 83rd Academy Awards on Feb. 27, 2011.

Dan MacMedan/WireImage

Much of modern Hollywood makeup derives from techniques created by Rick Baker, who innovated the field of special effects makeup. For his prosthetics and effects in 1981's *An American Werewolf in London, *Baker won the inaugural Oscar for Best Makeup. He eventually won seven awards in the category with his work on titles such as *Ed Wood *(1994),* The Nutty Professor* (1997),* How the Grinch Stole Christmas *(2000),* *and *The Wolfman* (2010)*. *Baker retired from the business in 2015, citing the proliferation of CG effects replacing much of his work.

Best Score: Alfred Newman

Alfred Newman posing with his Oscar at the 40th Academy Awards on April 10, 1968.

UPI/Bettmann Archive/Getty

Composer John Williams may hold the record for the living person with the most nominations (and most nominations for a composer ever) at 54. However, legendary composer Alfred Newman holds the record for the most wins, with nine. Newman scored more than 200 films and won Oscars for projects like *Alexander's Ragtime Band *(1938), *Love is a Many-Splendored Thing *(1955), *The King and I* (1956),* *winning at a time when the award was still given to those who adapted a musical score from another source. He was also the patriarch of a musical Hollywood dynasty that includes composers David and Thomas Newman and Best Original Song Oscar winner Randy Newman.

Best Original Song (and Score): Alan Menken

Alan Menken holding his Oscar at the 62nd Academy Awards on March 26, 1990.

John Barr/Liaison

Disney legend Alan Menken holds the record for most Oscars for Best Original Song, having won the category four times, all for Disney animated classics — "Under the Sea," "Beauty and the Beast," "A Whole New World," and "Colors of the Wind." However, he has a total of eight Oscars, also having won Best Original Score for *The Little Mermaid* (1989), *Beauty and the Beast* (1991), *Aladdin* (1992), and *Pocahontas* (1995)*. *He is the only Oscar wins record-holder to lay claim to the EGOT title, having also won Emmy, Grammy, and Tony awards.

Best Visual Effects: Dennis Muren

Dennis Muren holding his Oscar at the 60th Academy Awards on April 11, 1988.

Bob Riha, Jr./Getty

Dennis Muren essentially invented the modern era of visual effects, beginning with his work on 1977's *Star Wars*. He developed groundbreaking new technologies and modes of filming that led to memorable visual effects in films like the original *Star Wars *trilogy, *Close Encounters of the Third Kind (*1977*), E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial* (1982)*, Jurassic Park* (1993)*, *and more. Muren has eight Oscars for Best Visual Effects, as well as an honorary Technical Achievement Academy Award.

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