Winning an Oscar is a dream for many filmmakers, and so is being nominated for one. The Academy Awards have a history of acknowledging and honoring the best movies. And as the Oscars 2026 just wrapped up in March, it’s that time of the year to look back on some of the previous films that have set the records for most Oscar nominations ever in the history of cinema.
These films not only impressed the heck out of audiences, but they also wooed the Academy, stacking up nominations in a wide range of categories, including best acting, best direction, and other technical areas. From romantic musicals and historical drama to fantasy and horror, here is the list of movies with the most Oscar nominations ever.
9 Best Movies That Dominated the Academy Award Nominations
1. Sinners (2025)
Total nominations – 16
Won – 4
Leaving behind their troubled past, two twin brothers, Smoke and Stack, both played by Michael B. Jordan, return to their hometown in 1930s Mississippi to open a blues club. However, their hometown is now plagued by evil forces lurking in the shadows with a motive.
Ryan Coogler’s visceral Sinners has broken all records with 16 Academy Award nominations—more than any film before it—surpassing the 14-nominations record held by All About Eve, Titanic, and La La Land. The movie ended up bagging four awards—Best Actor, Original Screenplay, Cinematography, and Original Score.
Coogler’s Sinners is an outstanding blood-soaked horror movie with elements of Blaxploitation. Moreover, it blends a range of subgenres with stunning visuals, a brilliant cast, and a soundtrack that’s a love letter to the blues—enough to be nominated in 16 categories.
2. All About Eve (1950)
Total nominations – 14
Won – 6
All About Eve is a Hollywood classic that follows an aspiring actress, Eve Harrington (Anne Baxter), who shows up in the dressing room of an aging Broadway actress, Margo Channing (Bette Davis). Manipulated by her sad story, Margo takes Eve under her wing and into her friend circle.
This movie sits at #16 on the American Film Institute list of the 100 Greatest American Films of All Time. Even after 75 years, All About Eve holds up pretty well with its sharp wit and a narrative that showcases jealousy, ambition, and the cost of it all in the entertainment world. All four female actors, namely, Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, Celeste Holm, and Thelma Ritter, were nominated for their performances. However, George Sanders took home the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Addison DeWitt in the film.
3. Titanic (1997)
Total nominations – 14
Won – 11
Based on the RMS Titanic that sank in 1912, James Cameron’s Titanic follows Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet), who fall in love despite coming from different social classes.
Cameron’s powerful tale of love and tragedy is nothing less than a modern Shakespearean story that’s a timeless piece of art, and was praised by the Academy Awards with a staggering 14 nominations at the 70th Academy Awards. Titanic earned a then-record-setting $2.2 billion at the global box office. In addition, Cameron’s romantic disaster not only became an integral part of popular culture in 1997, but it also jump-started Leonardo DiCaprio’s career, who is one of the finest actors in Hollywood.
4. La La Land (2016)
Total nominations – 14
Won – 6
Damien Chazelle’s dazzling musical La La Land tells the story of an aspiring actress, Mia (Emma Stone), and a jazz pianist, Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), who try to keep their romance alive while struggling to advance their careers in the city of stars, Los Angeles.
For his beautifully stylized and beautifully shot musical, Damien Chazelle became the youngest director to win an Academy Award for Best Director. What’s astonishing is that on a budget of $30 million, La La Land earned $447 million at the global box office and quickly became one of the most loved musicals ever. However, no one can forget the awkward, funny moment at the 2017 Oscars when Faye Dunaway mistakenly announced La La Land as the winner for Best Picture. The entire team was on stage celebrating until the show’s producer revealed that the actual winner was Moonlight.
5. Gone with the Wind (1939)
Total nominations – 13
Won – 8
Set during the Civil War, Gone with the Wind tells the story of the beautiful yet ignorant Scarlett O’Hara (Vivian Leigh), daughter of a plantation owner, who romantically pursues Ashley Wilkes (Leslie Howard) while being married to Rhett Butler (Clark Gable). During the course of her pursuit, she discovers the meaning of love and loss.
The movie highlights the tragic history of the Civil War. With great performances, set designs, costumes, and Max Steiner’s exhilarating score, Gone with the Wind broke many records at the Oscars by winning eight awards. In addition, Hattie McDaniel, who played the house servant, became the first Black individual to win an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Though Gone with the Wind may feel problematic today because of its depiction of Black slaves, it is still considered an American classic.
6. From Here to Eternity (1953)
Total nominations – 13
Won – 8
Set against the backdrop of a U.S. Army base in Hawaii just before the 1941 Pearl Harbor attack, a former champion boxer and now soldier, Robert E. Lee Prewitt (Montgomery Clift), is punished by his captain for refusing to box and instead play the bugle. Meanwhile, Sergeant Warden (Burt Lancaster) starts an affair with the captain’s wife.
From Here to Eternity had a stellar cast with stellar performances, earning numerous award nominations in the acting categories. Among these, the most notable was Frank Sinatra winning the Best Supporting Actor for his powerful portrayal of Pvt. Angelo Maggio. Along with becoming one of the highest-grossing films of 1953, this romantic war drama ranks at #52 in the Top 100 American Movies of All Time.
7. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Total nominations – 13
Won – 4
The plot of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring revolves around the powerful and mysterious One Ring, which lands in the hands of the young hobbit Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood). Under the guidance of Gandalf (Ian McKellen), Frodo, along with his loyal companions, set out on a treacherous journey to Mount Doom to destroy the ring so that it stays out of evil hands.
The first installment of the J.R.R. Tolkien adaptation trilogy is often regarded as the best fantasy film ever made. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring received 13 nominations at the 74th Academy Awards, the most for a film in the trilogy. Out of the 13 nominations, the film won awards for Best Cinematography, Best Makeup, Best Original Score, and Best Visual Effects. While the epic had the most Oscar nominations in 2022, A Beautiful Mind edged it to win the Best Picture.
8. Oppenheimer (2023)
Total nominations – 13
Won – 7
Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer is a deeply resonating biopic of Robert J. Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb. The story follows Oppenheimer, played by Cillian Murphy, who gathers a team of the world’s greatest scientists to create an atomic bomb in a race against time with the Germans.
Nolan’s Oppenheimer is one of the biggest modern successful films, earning almost a billion dollars worldwide. With Nolan’s trademark fast-paced editing style, spectacular cinematography, Ludwig Göransson’s riveting score, and a stellar cast, Oppenheimer went on to win 7 awards out of 13 nominations at the 96th Academy Awards. It is one of those rare modern films that proved to be a humongous hit among audiences, critics, and the academy.
9. Forrest Gump (1994)
Total nominations – 13
Won – 6
With 13 Academy Award nominations in its name, Forrest Gump tells the story of Forrest (Tom Hanks), with an IQ of 75, who sets out on an adventure-rich journey, travels around the world, and accidentally stumbles upon fame and wealth, all while carrying his love for Jenny (Robin Wright), his childhood crush.
1994 was the year of groundbreaking movies, and Forrest Gump competed for the Best Picture against the most innovative films ever made, Quentin Tarantino’s non-linear crime drama Pulp Fiction. Anyhow, the movie came out on top at the Oscars with its rewatchable dramedy that hit all the right notes. Forrest Gump will make you both laugh and cry, courtesy of Tom Hanks’ amazingly nuanced performance, for which he won his second consecutive Best Actor Award.
Summing It Up
Yes, the Academy Awards are the biggest honor for artists in the global movie industry who have influenced people through their work. And at the end of the day, winning and losing is a different thing; what matters more is the recognition of great movies by nominations. It says to talented filmmakers—that we see you.
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