Which Actress Tops The List For Oscar Nominations?
- 01. The shocking name at the top of Oscar nominations
- 02. Why Meryl Streep dominates the record
- 03. Other top-nominated actresses in Oscar history
- 04. Ranking the top-nominated actresses by nominations and wins
- 05. How academy voters treat longevity versus raw nominations
- 06. How nominations stack up against wins in the acting categories
- 07. A snapshot of Meryl Streep's nomination timeline
- 08. What this record means for the future of the Academy Awards
- 09. Frequently asked questions about the most nominated actress
The shocking name at the top of Oscar nominations
Meryl Streep holds the record for the most Academy Awards nominations of any actress in history, with 21 total nominations as of the 2025 ceremony cycle. This total also makes her the most nominated performer overall in Oscar history, surpassing every male actor and every other female star who has appeared on the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress shortlists.
Why Meryl Streep dominates the record
Meryl Streep's 21 nominations span more than five decades, beginning in 1978 with Best Supporting Actress bids for *The Deer Hunter* and continuing through the 2020s on films such as *Little Women* and *Don't Look Up*. Her nominations break down as 17 for Best Actress and four for Best Supporting Actress, underscoring her versatility across lead roles and supporting turns.
Despite the sheer volume of nominations, Streep has won only three Oscars: Best Supporting Actress for *Kramer vs. Kramer* (1980), and Best Actress for *Sophie's Choice* (1983) and *The Iron Lady* (2012). This success-to-nomination ratio of about 14 percent still ranks among the strongest in the acting category, and her longevity-earning nominations in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s-gives her a statistical edge over any other Hollywood actress.
Other top-nominated actresses in Oscar history
Behind Meryl Streep, several legendary performers occupy the upper tier of Academy Award recognition. The next-highest totals among actresses are held by Katharine Hepburn at 12 nominations, Bette Davis at 11, and a cluster of performers such as Cate Blanchett, Geraldine Page, Judi Dench, and Glenn Close with 8 nominations each.
Ranking the top-nominated actresses by nominations and wins
The table below shows the seven most nominated actresses in Academy Awards history, including their total nominations, wins, and notable milestones. These figures are drawn from recent tallies through the 2025 ceremony cycle.
| Actress | Total nominations | Total wins | Best Actress noms | Best Supporting noms | Notable distinction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meryl Streep | 21 | 3 | 17 | 4 | Most nominated performer overall at the Academy Awards |
| Katharine Hepburn | 12 | 4 | 12 | 0 | Most Best Actress wins in history |
| Bette Davis | 11 | 2 | 11 | 0 | First star to earn 10 Academy Award nominations |
| Cate Blanchett | 8 | 2 | 6 | 2 | Only actress with nominations in both 2000s and 2020s |
| Geraldine Page | 8 | 1 | 7 | 1 | Longest gap between first and last nomination (1952-1986) |
| Judi Dench | 8 | 1 | 5 | 3 | Oldest nominee in Best Actress for *Philomena* (80 years old) |
| Glenn Close | 8 | 0 | 4 | 4 | Tied with Peter O'Toole for most acting noms without a win |
How academy voters treat longevity versus raw nominations
While Meryl Streep leads in raw numbers, the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has historically placed special weight on both sustained excellence and career-spanning impact. Streep's nominations cluster across four distinct decades, which signals particularly strong support from changing generations of Academy members, as opposed to a short-burst run of hits.
In contrast, Katharine Hepburn's 12 nominations were concentrated mostly between the 1930s and the 1980s, yet she still managed four wins-a higher conversion rate than Streep's. This dynamic illustrates a subtle tension in the Oscar nomination process: voters may reward consistency and cultural impact differently than sheer volume of nominations.
How nominations stack up against wins in the acting categories
Nominations are not the same as wins, and the American Academy has produced several examples of performers who accumulated many nods without matching Streep's win total. For instance, Glenn Close has 8 nominations and 0 wins, while Peter O'Toole holds the record for male actors with 8 nominations but only one honorary Oscar.
Additionally, the Academy's voting rules changed over time, shifting from absolute majorities to a preferential-voting system, which tends to favor more "safe" or consensus-friendly choices over performers voters know as "always nominated." This structural nuance may contribute to Streep's status as a perennial nominee but only occasional winner.
A snapshot of Meryl Streep's nomination timeline
To gauge the scale of Meryl Streep's achievement, it helps to trace her nominations chronologically. Her first nod came at the 51st Academy Awards in 1979 for *The Deer Hunter* in Best Supporting Actress, followed by her breakthrough win in that category for *Kramer vs. Kramer* the next year.
Her last confirmed nomination, as of the 2025 cycle, came for *Don't Look Up* in the early 2020s, marking a span of just over 45 years between first and most recent nomination. Within that window, she has been recognized for roles ranging from historical figures such as Margaret Thatcher in *The Iron Lady* to contemporary dramas like *The Post* and ensemble pieces such as *The Devil Wears Prada* and *The Iron Lady*.
- 1970s: 2 nominations (1979, 1980).
- 1980s: 4 nominations (1981-1986).
- 1990s: 4 nominations (1990, 1991, 1994, 1999).
- 2000s: 5 nominations (2000, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2010).
- 2010s: 5 nominations (2012, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2020).
- 2020s: 1 nomination (2022, for *Don't Look Up*).
What this record means for the future of the Academy Awards
As the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences continues to diversify its membership and expand categories, the record for most nominations may eventually face new challenges. However, given the shift toward serialized streaming and ensemble storytelling, future actresses may find it harder to rack up nominations at the same pace as Streep, who benefited from a studio-centric era in which star-driven, script-heavy dramas dominated the Best Actress slate.
Frequently asked questions about the most nominated actress
What are the most common questions about Which Actress Has The Most Academy Awards Nominations?
Which actresses trail just behind Meryl Streep?
Katharine Hepburn's 12 nominations have translated into four Best Actress wins, the most in the history of that category. Bette Davis, with 11 nominations and two wins, was one of the most powerful figures in the early Golden Age of Hollywood, dominating the 1930s and 1940s at the Academy Awards.
Has anyone come close to catching Meryl Streep?
Statistically, catching Meryl Streep's 21 nominations would require an active actress to maintain roughly one nomination every two years for more than two decades. Among current contenders, Cate Blanchett (8 nominations) and Saoirse Ronan (4 nominations as of 2025, with early-career momentum) are among the most plausible long-term candidates, but even at that pace they would need sustained critical acclaim across six or seven more major films to reach the low-teens.
Why does Meryl Streep have so many nominations but "only" three wins?
Several factors explain why Streep's win count lags behind her nomination total. The Best Actress category is consistently crowded with iconic performances, and in years such as 1986 (*The Color Purple*), 1990 (*Postcards from the Edge*), and 2017 (*The Post*), she faced especially strong competition that split the vote among multiple acclaimed performances.
How many nominations did Meryl Streep earn by decade?
Breaking down Streep's nominations by decade reveals a remarkably steady pattern of recognition. In the 1970s she received 2 nominations, in the 1980s 4, in the 1990s 4, in the 2000s 5, in the 2010s 5, and 1 additional nomination in the early 2020s through the 97th Academy Awards cycle.
Will another actress surpass Meryl Streep?
Statistically, overtaking 21 nominations is an extreme long-shot. To reach that number, a contemporary actress would need to be nominated roughly once every two years for more than two decades, while also avoiding prolonged slumps in critical favor-a pattern that even stars such as Cate Blanchett and François Cluzet's contemporaries have not yet matched.
Who is the most nominated actress in Academy Awards history?
Meryl Streep is the most nominated actress in Academy Awards history, with 21 total nominations across the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress categories. This figure includes nominations from 1979 through the early 2020s, spanning more than four decades of film.
Which actress has won the most Oscars?
Katharine Hepburn has won the most Academy Awards among actresses, with four Best Actress trophies for *Morning Glory* (1933), *Guess Who's Coming to Dinner* (1967), *The Lion in Winter* (1968), and *On Golden Pond* (1981). No other actress has matched that total in the history of the Oscars.
Has Meryl Streep ever not been nominated in a strong year?
Yes; there have been years when Streep delivered critically acclaimed performances but did not receive a nomination. For example, her work in *The Post* (2017) and *The Laundromat* (2019) sparked awards-season buzz, yet only *The Post* earned a Best Actress nod, while the latter did not chart on the final shortlist.
How do male actors compare to Meryl Streep in nomination totals?
Among male actors, Jack Nicholson and Laurence Olivier hold the records for the highest nomination counts, with 12 and 10 nominations respectively. Even combined, these figures fall short of Meryl Streep's 21, which remains the highest total for any performer in the history of the Academy Awards.
Is Meryl Streep still eligible for future nominations?
Yes. Meryl Streep remains an active performer and continues to headline major studio and streaming projects, making her eligible for future Academy Award nominations. As long as she continues to submit performances that resonate with Voting members and critics, her record could technically grow even further, though each additional nomination becomes progressively rarer at this stage of her career.
What is the significance of being "most nominated" versus "most winning"?
Being the most nominated actress signals consistent recognition and respect from the American Academy, while the most winning actress reflects a higher success rate in converting nominations into trophies. In Streep's case, 21 nominations with 3 wins underscore enduring influence, whereas Katharine Hepburn's 12 nominations with 4 wins highlight a once-in-a-lifetime record of victory.
Are there any actresses with all nominations and no wins?
Yes; Glenn Close has 8 Academy Award nominations with 0 wins, tying her with the late Peter O'Toole as the performers with the most acting nominations without a competitive Oscar. This record underscores how the Oscar voting process can separate long-term acclaim from actual trophy counts.