7 Most Academy Award-Winning Movies of All-Time

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) – New Line Cinema

After its release in 2003, this film changed the face of the film industry. Apart from winning many hearts and grossing over $1.1 billion worldwide, the films also received numerous awards, including the 2004 Academy Awards. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King was nominated for 11 awards and won all of them, setting a record for the most Oscar wins in a single night. Peter Jackson and his masterpiece won Best Director, Best Costume Design, Adapted Screenplay, Art Direction, Film Editing, Original Song, Visual Effects, Sound Mixing, Original Score, Makeup, and Best Picture.

Titanic (1997) – 20th Century Fox

This is, to some degree, the most unrivaled film of all time, as it did extremely well at the box office, grossing over $2.2 billion worldwide, and also won big at the 70th Academy Awards. The film was nominated for 14 awards and won 11, making it the most celebrated film in the award show’s history. The film won Oscars for Visual Effects, Original Dramatic Score, Art Direction, Costume Design, Make-Up, Sound, Film Editing, and Sound Effects Editing. James Cameron received two trophies for Best Picture and Best Director, while Celine Dion’s song My Heart Will Go On was named Best Original Song.

Ben-Hur (1959) – Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

This Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film, which won 11 Oscars in a single night in 1959, is tied with the first two. Ben-Hur not only won Best Picture, but also Best Director, Special Effects, Art Direction, Film Editing, Sound Recording, Cinematography, Music, and Costume Design. Hugh Griffith received the credit for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, while Charlton Heston received the award for Best Actor in a Leading Role.

West Side Story (1961) – United Artists

The return on investment for this movie was very high. It did well at the box office and won a lot of awards. As part of the 34th Academy Awards, West Side Story was nominated for 11 awards, and it won 10 of them. These awards include Best Sound and Best Sound Editing, Best Costume Design, Music, Art Direction, and Cinematography. It also won four of the most sought-after awards, including Best Director for Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins, Best Actor for George Chakiris, and Best Picture for Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins.

The English Patient (1996) – Miramax

During the 69th Academy Awards, this unique movie about a cartographer and his love story beat out a lot of other movies that were there. As many as nine awards were added to the 1996 film by Miramax out of the 12 nominations it got. For example, Juliette Binoche was named Best Supporting Actress for her work in the movie. Anthony Minghella was named Best Director. Juliette Binoche was also named Best Actress for her work in the movie.

The Last Emperor (1987) – Columbia Pictures

This film, which was simply an adaptation of Emperor Puyi’s autobiography directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, was a sleeper hit. The Last Emperor, like The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, received all nine Oscar nominations and won them all. Columbia Pictures’ 1987 film won Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Sound, Costume Design, Original Score, Adapted Screenplay, and Film Editing. Those Academy Awards included Best Picture and Best Director.

Gigi (1958) – Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

At one point, this film was the most awarded film in Academy Awards history, but it was dethroned the following year when Ben-Hur was released. Gigi is a 1958 musical comedy film about a young woman who travels to the city of Paris to learn proper etiquette. The film was nominated for nine awards, including Art Direction, Cinematography, Costume Design, Original Song, Film Editing, Adapted Screenplay, and Original Score. Meanwhile, Vincente Minelli won both the Best Picture and Best Director awards.