The movies with the most Oscar nominations

Almost a century on from the first ceremony in 1929, the Academy Awards have become the most coveted and respected accolade in the film industry. In fact, the Oscars can be considered the most prestigious award in the whole of the arts. The Emmys, the Tonys, and the Grammys, which make up the prestigious EGOT, were all founded after the Oscars.

Each year, filmmakers wait with bated breath, hoping to hear their names uttered amongst the announcement of nominees. Just one gold statuette can legitimise the work of a small indie filmmaker, while big-budget Hollywood directors aim to push their accolades into the double digits as they pick up nominations across acting and production categories.

Last year, A24’s highest-grossing film, Everything, Everywhere All At Once, swept the awards, taking home 11 nominations and seven wins. But it didn’t quite rival the record for most Oscar nominations, which currently stands at 14. The title is actually tied between three films, which span the last 70 years.

The first film to acquire 14 nominations was Joseph L. Mankiewicz’ All About Eve in 1950. The Broadway drama starred Bette Davis and Anne Baxter, as well as a feature from a young Marilyn Monroe. At the Academy Awards, the film received nominations across the acting, music, and filmmaking categories, from ‘Best Director’ to ‘Best Costume Design’. Mankiewicz took home six statuettes, including the coveted ‘Best Motion Picture’ award.

It was 47 years before the Academy Award success of All About Eve would be matched, perhaps expectedly by James Cameron’s epic Titanic in 1997. But the story of the sinking ship, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, went one step further than All About Eve. Out of 14 nominations, Titanic only lost three, taking home a monumental 11 awards.

This sweep makes it not only one of the most nominated films of all time but one of the most awarded. Alongside Ben-Hur from 1959 and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King in 2003, Titanic holds the title for most awards given to a single film. It took home the ‘Best Picture’ and ‘Best Director’ awards, and James Horner’s soundtrack was also awarded. The movie only lost out on the acting and makeup categories.

The final and most recent film to obtain 14 nominations came in 2016 with Damien Chazelle’s beloved ode to old Hollywood, La La Land. The Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling-fronted musical made Chazelle the youngest person to win the ‘Best Director’ title. La La Land took home a further five awards across acting, cinematography, and music but was just beaten to the ‘Best Picture’ title by Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight.

In the years since La La Land, a number of films have come close to the record – Guillermo Del Toro’s fantastical The Shape of Water received 13 nominations in 2017. Jane Campion’s revisionist western The Power of the Dog garnered 12 in 2021. But none have matched the extraordinary award seasons of All About Eve, Titanic and La La Land.