The 2026 Academy Award Season is here, and Ryan Coolger’s Sinners has reignited conversations about the most Oscar-nominated movies. With 16 nominations, the film starring Michael B. Jordan made history as the most-nominated film of all time. The folk horror is three awards ahead of Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, and far ahead of Frankenstein, Marty Supreme, and Sentimental Value, each of which received nine nominations.
Chloe Zhao’s period drama Hamnet comes next with eight nominations, followed by Bugonia, F1, The Secret Agent, and Train Dreams with four nominations each. Avatar: Fire and Ash, alongside Blue Moon, It Was Just an Accident, KPop Demon Hunters, and Sirāt are also up for the prestigious recognition. Sinners’ dominance leaves moviegoers curious about the most Oscar-nominated movies of all time. Below is a ranking based on the number of wins bagged.
1. Titanic (1997) – 14 Nominations, 11 Wins
When James Cameron reimagined the sinking of RMS Titanic, he didn’t anticipate it would become an iconic cinematic achievement. The movie made Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet Hollywood A-listers, raking in over $2.264 billion to rank among the highest-grossing films of all time. To cap it all, the disaster epic is one of the films with the most Oscar wins. Titanic received a record 14 nominations and won 11, including Best Picture and Best Director.
2. Ben-Hur (1959) – 12 Nominations, 11 Wins
William Wyler’s adaptation of Lew Wallace’s 1880 best-selling novel, Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, was a commercial and critical success that received 12 Academy Award nominations. The adventure epic about a Jewish prince betrayed by his Roman friend won all the categories it was nominated for, except Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium. For its significance, Ben-Hur was selected for preservation in the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry. That was in 2004.
3. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) 11 Nominations, 11 Wins
During its theatrical run, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King grossed over $1.1 billion at the box office. With that, it became the highest-grossing film of 2003 and the second-highest-grossing film of all time, a position it has since lost. The action epic’s box office performance reflects the positive critical response the movie enjoyed. Starring Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, and Ian McKellen, the Peter Jackson fantasy won all 11 categories it was nominated for at the 76th Academy Awards. These include Best Picture, Best Director, Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing, and Best Visual Effects.
4. West Side Story (1961), 11 Nominations, 10 Wins
A classic musical inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story explores what happens when two youngsters from rival gangs fall in love. The tragic romance directed by Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise received rave reviews that complemented its box office run. West Side Story wasn’t only the highest-grossing film of 1961; it also received 11 Academy Award nominations to become one of the most Oscar-nominated movies of all time. Now ranked among the greatest musical films ever made, West Side Story won 10 categories to secure its status as the most successful musical in Oscar history.
5. Gone with the Wind (1939) 13 Nominations, 10 Wins
The 12th Academy Awards in 1940 was all about Victor Fleming’s period drama starring Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable, Leslie Howard, and Thomas Mitchell. Apart from its nearly 4-hour running time, the romantic epic was a commercial and critical success with 13 Academy Award nominations. It won eight categories, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Writing (Screenplay), Best Actress in a Leading Role, and Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Outside the 13 categories it was nominated for, Gone with the Wind bagged two additional gongs. These were special awards that recognized the film’s technical achievements.
6. The English Patient (1996) 12 Nominations, 9 Wins
Anthony Minghella’s interpretation of Michael Ondaatje’s 1992 eponymous novel is often ranked among the greatest British films ever made. Starring Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche, and Willem Dafoe, the romantic epic dominated the 69th Academy Awards with nine wins out of the 12 nominations it received. The English Patient won Best Picture, Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Best Director, and Best Cinematography, alongside Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Sound, and Best Music, Original Dramatic Score.
7. From Here to Eternity (1953) 13 Nominations, 8 Wins
Preserved in the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry for its significance, From Here to Eternity’s spot among the most Oscar-nominated movies of all time is secured with eight wins. The war drama starring Brut Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, and Deborah Kerr tells the story of a former professional boxer whose resolve to abstain from boxing is cruelly tested in the U.S. Army. Directed by Fred Zinnemann, the period drama was the top winner at the 26th Academy Awards. It won Best Director, Best Picture, Best Actor in a Supporting Role, and Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Check out this ranking of characters brought to life by two or more actors.
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