We already know who has won the most Academy Awards, but which famous actresses have the most Oscar nominations? In honor of the 95th annual ceremony on March 12, we’ve compiled a list of the seven most-nominated female stars of all time. Let’s take a look, shall we?
These 7 Actresses Have the Most Oscar Nominations
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Published Mar 10, 2023
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7. Glenn Close
Nominations: 8
Wins: 0
Unfortunately, Glenn Close is tied with Peter O'Toole for having the most acting nominations at the Academy Awards without ever securing a win. Over the course of her career, Close has been nominated for Best Actress four times (Fatal Attraction, Dangerous Liaisons, Albert Nobbs, The Wife) and Best Supporting Actress four times (The World According to Garp, The Big Chill, The Natural, Hillbilly Elegy).
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6. Judi Dench
Nominations: 8
Wins: 1
Dench has been nominated numerous times throughout her decade-spanning career, for iconic roles in films like Philomena, Chocolat and Belfast. However, her first and only win so far was thanks to her portrayal as Queen Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in Love.
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5. Geraldine Page
Nominations: 8
Wins: 1
She was nominated for Best Actress multiple times for films like Summer and Smoke, Sweet Bird of Youth and Interiors. But she didn’t win her first (and only) Oscar until 1985 when she starred in The Trip to Bountiful.
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4. Cate Blanchett
Nominations: 8
Wins: 2
Blanchett is well-loved by the Academy, as evidenced by the fact that she's been nominated 8 different times, most recently for her stirring portrayal as the fictional composer Lydia Tár. Of her 8 noms, Blanchett has won twice—she won Best Supporting Actress for The Aviator in 2004 and Best Actress for Blue Jasmine in 2013.
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3. Bette Davis
Nominations: 11
Wins: 2
Although she starred in All About Eve—which won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1951—she didn’t win Best Actress that same year. She did, however, win Oscars for her work in Dangerous and Jezebel. When it comes to her nominations count, some say that Davis has only been nominated 10 times, because it's contested whether her write-in nomination for Of Human Bondage in 1934 should be considered (but we'll give it to her).
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2. Katharine Hepburn
Nominations: 12
Wins: 4
Although she received 12 nods, only four of those nominations resulted in a “W.” Still, Hepburn currently holds the record for the most Oscars won by any single actress for Morning Glory, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, The Lion in Winter and On Golden Pond.
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1. Meryl Streep
Nominations: 21
Wins: 3
It’s important to point out that 17 of the nominations have been for Best Actress, while the remaining four were for Best Supporting Actress. Streep has won Oscars on three different occasions: twice for Best Actress (The Iron Lady, Sophie’s Choice) and once for Best Supporting Actress (Kramer vs. Kramer).
