For nearly a century, the Academy Awards of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has provided the highest levels of achievement to professionals working in the entertainment industry.
Every year, the Academy hosts an awards ceremony watched by millions of Americans to honor the best films and actors/actresses. More than 9,000 industry experts in Hollywood are members of the organization and help to select the nominees for the various categories.
Some of the biggest names in Hollywood have received Oscars throughout their career, including Marlon Brando, Leonardo DiCaprio and Meryl Streep.
Aside from acting, the Academy Awards offer a wide variety of high-profile awards for other professions within the film and entertainment industry. The individual who has won the most awards in the history of the organization was Disney founder and animation pioneer Walt Disney. Through a career that expanded across decades, Disney won 26 Oscars and received 59 nominations.
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The period Disney received his Academy accolades occurred between 1932 and 1969 in the Best Animated Short category for "Three Little Pigs," "The Ugly Duckling," "Winnie the Pooh" and "The Blustery Day." Disney continued receiving awards from the Academy after his death in 1967 and is widely regarded today as a media and entertainment innovator.
By the time of his death, Disney had turned his company into the biggest animation studio in the United States and founded the Disneyland theme park to entertain millions. He is widely regarded as the most important figure in the history of film animation and a cultural icon.
Before Katherine Hepburn passed away in 2003, she cemented her Hollywood legacy with four best actress awards at the Academy Awards, along with 12 nominations. She was a trailblazer for female entertainers in the film industry at the time and earned accolades across various genres of acting, including drama, comedy and gothic mystery.
The four films she received best actress awards for included 1933's "Morning Glory," 1967's "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner," 1968's "The Lion in Winter" and 1981's "On Golden Pond." In the twilight years of her life and career, Hepburn was also honored by the American Film Institute with the award of the greatest female star of classic Hollywood cinema.
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Retired actor Daniel Day-Lewis stands behind Hepburn with three best actor awards and six nominations over the course of his career. He won best actor for 1989's "My Left Foot," 2008's "There Will Be Blood" and 2013's "Lincoln."
In the history of the Academy Awards, three films hold the title for most Oscars: 1997's "Titanic," 1959's "Ben-Hur" and 2003's "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King."
Each of these iconic Hollywood blockbusters racked up 11 Academy Awards during the years they were nominated. Moreover, both the "Lord of the Rings" and the "Titanic" brought in over $1 billion at the box office during the release year.
