Most Nominated Actors Who Never Won an Oscar

Some actors have earned multiple Academy Award nominations yet never won a competitive Oscar. This list highlights the performers with the most Oscar nominations without a victory — the most nominated actors and actresses who, despite acclaim and repeated recognition, never secured the Academy Award statuette.

12. Montgomery Clift (Tie)

Number of nominations: 4

Birthdate: Oct. 17, 1920

Montgomery Clift was an early method actor who emerged on the big screen in 1948’s Red River. He earned three Best Actor nominations between 1948 and 1953 for The Search, A Place in the Sun (opposite Elizabeth Taylor) and From Here to Eternity, and later received a Best Supporting Actor nomination for Judgment at Nuremberg (1961).

12. Charles Boyer (Tie)

Number of nominations: 4

Birthdate: Aug. 28, 1899

French actor Charles Boyer earned four Oscar nominations beginning in 1937. His nominations included Conquest (as Napoleon), Algiers, Gaslight (as the manipulative husband), and a later supporting nomination for Fanny (1961). Despite these honors, an Academy Award win eluded him.

12. Warren Beatty (Tie)

Number of nominations: 4

Birthdate: March 30, 1937

Warren Beatty received multiple acting nominations — for Bonnie and Clyde (1968), Heaven Can Wait (1979), Reds (1982) and Bugsy (1992) — but did not win in the acting categories. He has, however, won the Academy Award for Best Director for Reds.

12. Agnes Moorehead (Tie)

Number of nominations: 4

Birthdate: Dec. 6, 1900

Agnes Moorehead, known to many as Endora from the TV sitcom Bewitched and earlier a member of Orson Welles’ Mercury Players, earned four Oscar nominations for supporting roles: The Magnificent Ambersons (1942), Mrs. Parkington (1944), Johnny Belinda (1948) and Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964). Despite multiple Emmy nominations for Bewitched, she never won the Emmy or an Oscar.

7. Bradley Cooper (Tie)

Number of nominations: 5

Birthdate: Jan. 5, 1975

Bradley Cooper has accumulated five acting nominations for Silver Linings Playbook (2013), American Hustle (2014), American Sniper (2015), A Star Is Born (2019) and Maestro (2024). A prolific performer and filmmaker, Cooper remains one of the contemporary actors with multiple nominations but no competitive acting Oscar win yet.

7. Annette Bening (Tie)

Number of nominations: 5

Birthdate: May 29, 1958

Annette Bening has earned multiple Oscar nominations across supporting and lead categories. Her nominations include The Grifters (1991), American Beauty (2000), Julia, The Kids Are All Right (2011) and Nyad (2024). Known for her versatility, Bening remains one of the most honored actresses without a win.

7. Michelle Williams (Tie)

Number of nominations: 5

Birthdate: Sept. 9, 1980

Michelle Williams has five Oscar nominations to her name: Brokeback Mountain (2006), Blue Valentine (2011), My Week with Marilyn (2012), Manchester by the Sea (2017) and The Fabelmans (2023). A critically respected actor, she continues to be a frequent presence in awards seasons.

7. Arthur Kennedy (Tie)

Number of nominations: 5

Birthdate: Feb. 17, 1914

Arthur Kennedy, better known for his stage work today, earned five Academy Award nominations in his film career: Champion (1949), Bright Victory (1951), Trial (1955), Peyton Place (1957) and Some Came Running (1958). Despite wide recognition, he never won the Oscar.

7. Albert Finney (Tie)

Number of nominations: 5

Birthdate: May 9, 1936

British actor Albert Finney received five Oscar nominations over his long career: Tom Jones (1964), Murder on the Orient Express (1975), The Dresser (1983), Under the Volcano (1984) and a supporting nomination for Erin Brockovich (2001). A celebrated performer, Finney never won a competitive Academy Award.

4. Thelma Ritter (Tie)

Number of nominations: 6

Birthdate: Feb. 14, 1905

Thelma Ritter was a distinguished character actress with six Best Supporting Actress nominations: All About Eve (1950), The Mating Season (1951), With a Song in My Heart (1952), Pickup on South Street (1953), Pillow Talk (1959) and Birdman of Alcatraz (1962). She remains one of the most-nominated performers in that category without a win.

4. Deborah Kerr (Tie)

Number of nominations: 6

Birthdate: Sept. 30, 1921

Deborah Kerr, the Scottish actress celebrated for roles in films like From Here to Eternity (1953) and The King and I (1956), earned six Best Actress nominations in a distinguished career that began with Edward, My Son (1949) and included Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison (1958), Separate Tables (1959) and The Sundowners (1961).

4. Amy Adams (Tie)

Number of nominations: 6

Birthdate: Aug. 20, 1974

Amy Adams has become one of the most nominated actresses of her generation. Her nominations include supporting nods for Junebug (2005), Doubt (2008), The Fighter (2010), The Master (2012) and Vice (2018), as well as a Best Actress nomination for American Hustle (2013). Though she has yet to win a competitive Oscar, she remains a frequent presence during awards season.

3. Richard Burton

Number of nominations: 7

Birthdate: Nov. 10, 1925

Richard Burton, a legendary Shakespearean and film actor, was nominated seven times for Academy Awards for performances in My Cousin Rachel (1952), The Robe (1953), Becket (1964), The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1965), Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966), Anne of the Thousand Days (1969) and Equus (1977), yet he never won a competitive Oscar.

1. Peter O’Toole (Tie)

Number of nominations: 8

Birthdate: Aug. 2, 1932

Peter O’Toole received eight Academy Award nominations, beginning with his iconic turn in Lawrence of Arabia (1962) and including Becket (1964), The Lion in Winter (1968), Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969), The Ruling Class (1972), The Stunt Man (1980), My Favorite Year (1982) and Venus (2006). Although he never won a competitive Oscar, the Academy honored him with an Honorary Award in 2002 for his contributions to film.

1. Glenn Close (Tie)

Number of nominations: 8

Birthdate: March 19, 1947

Glenn Close is widely regarded as one of America’s finest actors, with a range of memorable performances. Her eight Oscar nominations include The World According to Garp (1982), The Big Chill (1983), The Natural (1984), Fatal Attraction (1987), Dangerous Liaisons (1988), Albert Nobbs (2011), The Wife (2017) and Hillbilly Elegy (2020). Although she has yet to claim a competitive Academy Award, she continues to work and remains a prominent figure in film and theater.