Let’s get the heavy hitters out of the way first. If you’re looking for the absolute peak of Oscar dominance, there are only three films that have managed to snag 11 statuettes in a single night. They are Ben-Hur, Titanic, and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
It’s a bizarre club. One is a biblical epic from the late fifties. One is a disaster romance that defined the late nineties. The third is high-fantasy wizardry from the early two thousands. But they share the same summit.
Here is how they stack up against each other, and how the rest of Hollywood history looks in their shadow.
The Big Three: Breaking Down the 11-Win Record
Winning 11 Oscars is an almost mythical feat. Only these three films have ever crossed that threshold. But the path to the top was different for each.
Titanic (1997) holds the record for nominations. James Cameron’s iceberg blockbuster was nominated for 14 awards. It was a juggernaut. It swept the technical categories and took home the big ones: Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress (Kate Winslet). It won 11.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) came in with 13 nominations. Peter Jackson’s finale to the trilogy was arguably the most complete sweep in history. It won in every category it was nominated for, except for Best Original Song (it was nominated, but lost). It took home 11 Oscars.
Ben-Hur (1959) is the oldest. It had 12 nominations. The chariot race scenes alone were enough to secure its legacy. It won 11 awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Charlton Heston.
How Do Other Films Compare to the 11-Win Club?
If you want to know which movies have won the most Academy Awards beyond the top three, the list drops off sharply.
- 10 Wins: The Last Emperor (1987) and West Side Story (1961, and its 2021 remake also won 10).
- 9 Wins: The English Patient (1996), Chicago (2002), and Everything Everywhere All at Once (2023).
- 8 Wins: Gigi (1958), Titanic (wait, no, Titanic is 11), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers? No. Let’s look closer. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring won 4. The Two Towers won 2. Only Return of the King hit 11.
- Other 8-Win Contenders: From Here to Eternity (1953), An American in Paris (1951), The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), Elvis (no, that was 1 win), *The King’s Speech
