A Baker’s Dozen of Academy Awards Trivia for Movie Buffs

A:  The “Oscar” statue is officially called the Academy Award of Merit
The gold statuette awarded to winners is widely known as an Oscar, but its official name is the Academy Award of Merit. The nickname “Oscar” gained popularity in the 1930s and was later adopted by the Academy itself. The figure shows a knight holding a sword while standing on a film reel with five spokes, which represent the original branches of the Academy: Actors, Directors, Producers, Technicians and Writers. The “Academy’s” formal name is the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.

A:  Bob Hope
Actor and comedian Bob Hope hosted 18 Academy Awards ceremonies, beginning in 1940.

A:  Composer John Williams
Composer John Williams holds the record for the most nominations of any living individual in Academy Awards history. The “Star Wars,” “Jaws” and “Indiana Jones” composer has earned more than 54 nominations across his career, winning five Oscars, and placing him second only to Walt Disney in total nominations by an individual nominee category. Walt Disney has been nominated 59 times and won 26 Academy Awards (four of which were Honorary Oscars).

A:  Actress Meryl Streep
Actress Meryl Streep has been nominated 21 times and won three Academy Awards in her illustrious career. Ironically, she is also credited as the actress with the most losses.

A:  Actress Katherine Hepburn
Actress Katherine Hepburn won four Academy Awards for acting: “Morning Glory” (1933), “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” (1967), “The Lion in Winter” (1968) and “On Golden Pond” (1981). In 1968, Katherine Hepburn tied with Barbra Streisand, who won for “Funny Girl.” This is the only time a tie has been recorded for acting in Academy Awards history.

A:  “Gone with the Wind”
“Gone with the Wind” (1939) was the first color film to win Best Picture.
A:  “The Artist” (2011) was the last entirely black-and-white film to win Best Picture. [Prior to 2011, “The Apartment” (1960) held this distinction; “Schindler’s List” (1993) had some color elements.]
A: “Midnight Cowboy” (1969) was the only X-rated film to win Best Picture. [The film was subsequently edited and given an R rating in 1971.]

A:  Edith Head
Costume Designer Edith Head is credited with receiving 35 nominations and winning 8 Academy Awards for her work

A:  “It Happened One Night,” “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” and “Silence of the Lambs.”
These three films are the only ones to win Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director and Screenplay.

A:  Actress Cate Blanchett
Actress Cate Blanchett was nominated for playing Queen Elizabeth I in “Elizabeth” (1998) and in “Elizabeth: The Golden Age” (2007).

A:  Tatum O’Neal
Actress Tatum O’Neal is credited for being the youngest Academy Award winner for winning Best Supporting Actress for “Paper Moon.” Anthony Hopkins is the oldest acting Oscar winner, taking home Best Actor for “The Father” at age 83 in 2021. For competitive awards in any category, screenwriter James Ivory is the oldest winner at 89, while Ann Roth is the oldest female winner at 89 for Costume Design.
A:  Actress Eva Marie Saint. Actress Eva Marie Saint, aged 101, is the oldest living Academy Award winner.

A: “Ben-Hur,” “Titanic” and “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”
“Ben-Hur” (1959), “Titanic” (1997) and “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” (2003) all won a total of 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

A: “A Streetcar Named Desire” and “Network”
“A Streetcar Named Desire” (1951): Best Actress for Vivian Leigh, Best Supporting Actress for Kim Hunter and Best Supporting Actor for Karl Malden. [Actor Marlon Brando was nominated for Best Actor but lost to Humphrey Bogart for “The African Queen.”]
“Network” (1976): Best Actor for Peter Finch, Best Actress for Faye Dunaway and Best Supporting Actress for Beatrice Straight.
[To date, no film has won all four of the Academy Awards for acting.]

A: “Sinners”
“Sinners” set a new nomination record with 16 nominations for the 98th Academy Awards. The previous benchmark was 14 nominations, shared by “All About Eve,” “Titanic” and “La La Land.”