Academy Awards History

Meryl Streep has been nominated for an Oscar more times than any other actor or actress, with 17 nominations and three wins, the most recent in 2012, for 'The Iron Lady,' in which she plays UK prime minister Margaret Thatcher.
Katharine Hepburn comes in second place, winning four out 12 Oscar nods, and Jack Nicholson, who has three for his 12.

Katharine Hepburn has won the most acting Oscars than any other actors or actresses, with four wins under her belt for her performances in 'Morning Glory' (1933), 'Guess Who's Coming to Dinner' (1967), 'The Lion in Winter' (1969) and 'On Golden Pond' (1981). This Hollywood icon has also been nominated for eight other Academy Awards.

'Ben Hur' (1959), James Cameron's 'Titanic' (1997) and 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' (2003) garnered 11 Academy Awards each during their respective ceremonies, marking the largest number of golden statuettes given for a single Oscar show.

'It Happened One Night' (1934), 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' (1975), which helped push Jack Nicholson to stardom, and 'The Silence of the Lambs' (1991), which starred Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster, are the only films to win the 'Best Picture' Oscar as well as awards for best actor/actress, directing and writing.

The youngest actors to win an acting Oscar are Adrien Brody, who was 29 when he won 'Best Leading Actor' for his role in 'The Pianist' (2002), and Timothy Hutton, who was 20 when he won 'Best Supporting Actor' for his performance in 'Ordinary People' (1980).

The youngest actresses to win an acting Oscar are Marlee Matlin, who was 21 when she was voted 'Best Leading Actress' for her role in 'Children of a Lesser God' (1986), and Tatum O'Neal, who was just 10 when she won 'Best Supporting Actress' for her performance in 'Paper Moon' (1973).

The oldest actors to win an acting Oscar are George Burns, who was 80 when he was voted 'Best Supporting Actor' for his role in 'The Sunshine Boys' (1975), and Jessica Tandy, who was also 80 when she won the 'Beast Leading Actress' award for her role in 'Driving Miss Daisy' (1989).

The Walt Disney Company has won the most Oscar honors for its productions and the second-largest number of nominations, garnering a whopping 26 awards out of its 59 nods. It has also been nominated for an Oscar the highest number of years in a row, earning 22 nods between 1941 and 1962. The Eastman Kodak Company has won the second-largest number of Oscars, with 20 golden statuettes.

The Academy Awards, informally known as The Oscars, are a set of awards given annually for excellence of cinematic achievements. The Oscar statuette is officially named the Academy Award of Merit and is one of nine types of Academy Awards. Organized and overseen by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), the awards are given each year at a formal ceremony. The AMPAS was originally conceived by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio executive Louis B. Mayer as a professional honorary organization to help improve the film industry’s image and help mediate labor disputes. The awards itself was later initiated by the Academy as an award "of merit for distinctive achievement" in the industry.
The awards were first given in 1929 at a ceremony created for the awards, at the Hotel Roosevelt in Hollywood. Over the years that the award has been given, the categories presented have changed; currently Oscars are given in more than a dozen categories, and include films of various types. As one of the most prominent award ceremonies in the world, the Academy Awards ceremony is televised live in more than 100 countries annually. It is also the oldest award ceremony in the media; its equivalents, the Grammy Awards (for music), the Emmy Awards (for television), and the Tony Awards (for theater), are modeled after the Academy Awards.

Gary Cooper and Joan Fontaine holding their Oscars at the Academy Awards, 1942

Young was named best actress for her role in 'The Farmer's Daughter.'

Bogart won best actor for his performance in 'African Queen.'

Hepburn won for best actress for her portrayal in 'Roman Holiday.'

Borgnine won best actor for his role in 'Marty.'

Producer Warner won the award for best picture of the year. Harrison won best actor. Cukor won best direction.

Andrews won for her role as Mary Poppins in 'Mary Poppins.' Standing at far right is actor Sidney Poitier.

Channing is nominated for best actress in a supporting role for 'Thoroughly Modern Millie.'