Priyanka Tiwari
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The Academy Awards, also referred to as the Oscars, are world-renowned for celebrating excellence in film for nearly a century. In the course of these years, multiple records have been set and broken, while milestones have been achieved, each adding a new chapter in the history of cinema. From the most Oscar wins to the only tie in the Best Actress category, here are seven iconic Oscar records that stand out.
1. Most Oscar Wins in a Lifetime – Walt Disney 26 Wins
Walt Disney has played a critical role in winning Oscar awards. The icon who is known for being an animator, filmmaker, and Entertainment businessman is the record-holder for winning the highest number of Academy Awards of all time. Disney has won a grand total of 26 Oscars and is considered a winner in the world of entertainment.
His Filmography includes Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and Pinocchio, and Fantasia where he won multiple awards for animation and storytelling. Being a pioneer in the film industry for many decades allows him the title of Oscar Legend for Life.
2. Most Consecutive Oscar Wins – Walt Disney Again!
After winning the most Oscars, Walt Disney holds the record for winning the most consecutive awards too, achieving that milestone back in 1932. He also won his last award in 1940 making it 8 out of 8 in a row.
This streak further established his status as one of the most innovative animators to have ever lived whose works set a suspension that has not been surpassed to this day.
3. The Most Oscars Won By A Single Film.
Three movies managed to break records for the most Academy Awards won by a single film, each hauling 11 awards each:
• Ben-Hur (1959)
• Titanic (1997)
• The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
While Ben-Hur and Titanic were nominated for 12 and 14 awards respectively, The Return of the King is the only film to ever sweep all of its nominations rooted. This epic fantasy created by Peter Jackson is one of the most famous films in Oscar history.
4. The Most Oscar Winning Generations for the Hustons Family.
Winning an award is a very important achievement for everyone but for some families it is simply a custom. The most thoughtful and remarkable achievement is to break records by winning the most oscars among family members.
• Walter Huston won Best Supporting Actor in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
• His son, John Huston, won Best Director for the same film.
• In 1985, John’s daughter Anjelica Huston won Best Supporting Actress for Prizzi’s Honour.
This makes them the first three-generation Oscar-winning family, a legacy that remains a rare feat in Hollywood.
5. First Person To Win An Oscar For A Self Directed Performance
There have been numerous actors and directors awarded at The Academy Awards, but very few have successfully managed to direct themselves to victory. The first person to do this was Laurence Olivier, who won an Oscar for Best Actor in 1948 for his role in the film Hamlet, a movie which he also directed.
That victory was significant in history because it proved that the barriers set on self directed films could be broken. It also opened the doors for future gwinners such as Clint Eastwood (Unforgiven, Million Dollar Baby), and Roberto Benigni (Life is Beautiful).
6. Fewest Oscar Nominations for a Genre- Horror’s Struggle
The horror genre despite being a crowd favorite has received very little coverage by the Academy. In their entire history, only 57 horror films have received an Oscar nomination, which is a measly 1.1% of total nominations over the years.
Perhaps the most pertinent example is The Silence of the Lambs (1991), which not only received the Best Picture award but also earned statuettes for Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster's performances. If a contemporary horror movie such as The Substance manages to win Best Picture, it will join The Silence of the Lambs as the second horror film winner.
7. The Only Tie For Best Actress
Oscar ties are almost unheard of, but one of the most extraordinary events in the history of the award show, in my opinion, happened in 1969 when dividing the award for the best actress was done for the first and last time.
• Katharine Hepburn for The Lion in Winter (1968).
• Barbra Streisand for Funny Girl (1968).
Hepburn won against a famous, but much more junior, Oscar winning Hollywood star, which is what made everything so shocking. However, this is the only time in the best actress category where tying is permitted. However, most other Oscar sections have experienced tying situations over the decades.
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