John Williams at the Oscars: all his 54 record-breaking Academy Award nominations

John Williams at the Oscars: all his 54 record-breaking Academy Award nominations

John Williams has received the most Oscar nominations than any other living person in history. To celebrate his triumphant career, here is a round-up of all the nominations and wins he has ever received at the Academy Awards

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(Original Caption) Composer John Williams gives his acceptance speech while looking at his Oscar for the Best Original Score for E.T. during the 1982 Academy Awards Ceremony.

Freya Parr

Published: March 19, 2024 at 1:46 pm

John Williams is a name that appears in the Oscars line-up every few years, and is one that's hard to ignore. In 2023, Williams won his 54th nomination for his music to Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the third film in the Indiana Jones franchise that has won the great film composer a nomination in the category of Best Original Score.

This 54th nomination means that John Williams has beat his own record of the most Oscar nominations by any living person in history. BBC Music Magazine named him as one of the top 10 film composers of all time.

His nomination record is just one aspect of Williams's career covered in a new feature documentary, premiering later this year.

Here, we name all John Williams's Oscar nominations – and wins – in film music history. While you're here, why not also look at who else has won big in this category? Have a read of our round-up of all the winners and nominees for the Oscar for Best Original Score in history.

John Williams Oscar nominations

1. Valley of the Dolls (1968)

Best Scoring of Music – Nominated

2. Goodbye, Mr Chips (1970)

Best Score of a Musical Picture – Nominated

3. The Reivers (1970)

Best Original Score – Nominated

4. Fiddler on the Roof (1972)

Best Scoring – Won

5. Images (1973)

Best Original Dramatic Score – Nominated

We named Images as one of the five best lesser-known film scores by John Williams.

6. The Poseidon Adventure (1973)

Best Original Dramatic Score – Nominated

7. Cinderella Liberty (1974)

Best Original Dramatic Score – Nominated

8. Cinderella Liberty (1974)

Nominated for 'Nice to Be Around' for Best Song

9. Tom Sawyer (1974)

Best Scoring – Nominated

Read more:

10. The Towering Inferno (1975)

Best Original Dramatic Score – Nominated

11. Jaws (1976)

Best Original Score – Won

We named Jaws as one of the 10 best John Williams film scores.

12. Star Wars (1978)

Best Original Score – Won

13. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1978)

Best Original Score – Nominated

14. Superman (1979)

Best Original Score – Nominated

15. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1981)

Best Original Score – Nominated

We voted The Empire Strikes Back as the best Star Wars score.

16. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1982)

Best Original Score – Nominated

17. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1983)

Best Original Score – Won

18. Yes, Giorgio (1983)

Nominated for 'If We Were in Love' for Best Original Song

19. Return of the Jedi (1984)

Best Original Score – Nominated

20. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1985)

Best Original Score – Nominated

21. The River (1985)

Best Original Score – Nominated

22. Empire of the Sun (1988)

Best Original Score – Nominated

23. The Witches of Eastwick (1988)

Best Original Score – Nominated

24. The Accidental Tourist (1989)

Best Original Score – Nominated

25. Born on the Fourth of July (1990)

Best Original Score – Nominated

26. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1990)

Best Original Score – Nominated

27. Home Alone (1991)

Best Original Score – Nominated

28. Home Alone (1991)

Nominated for 'Somewhere in the Memory' for Best Original Song

29. JFK (1992)

Best Original Score – Nominated

30. Hook (1992)

Nominated for 'When You're Alone' for Best Original Song

31. Schindler's List (1994)

Best Original Score – Won

32. Sabrina (1996)

Nominated for 'Moonlight' for Best Original Song

33. Sabrina (1996)

Best Original Musical or Comedy Score – Nominated

34. Nixon (1996)

Best Original Dramatic Score – Nominated

35. Sleepers (1997)

Best Original Dramatic Score – Nominated

36. Amistad (1998)

Best Original Dramatic Score – Nominated

37. Saving Private Ryan (1999)

Best Original Dramatic Score – Nominated

38. Angela's Ashes (2000)

Best Original Score – Nominated

39. The Patriot (2001)

Best Original Score – Nominated

40. A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2002)

Best Original Score – Nominated

41. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2002)

Best Original Score – Nominated

42. Catch Me If You Can (2003)

Best Original Score – Nominated

43. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2005)

Best Original Score – Nominated

44. Memoirs of a Geisha (2006)

Best Original Score – Nominated

45. Munich (2006)

Best Original Score – Nominated

46. The Adventures of Tintin (2012)

Best Original Score – Nominated

47. War Horse (2012)

Best Original Score – Nominated

48. Lincoln (2013)

Best Original Score – Nominated

49. The Book Thief (2014)

Best Original Score – Nominated

50. Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2016)

Best Original Score – Nominated

51. Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2018)

Best Original Score – Nominated

52. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2020)

Best Original Score – Nominated

53. The Fabelmans (2023)

Best Original Score – Nominated

54. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2024)

Best Original Score – Nominated

Freya Parr

Digital Editor and Staff Writer, BBC Music Magazine

Freya Parr is BBC Music Magazine's digital editor and staff writer, editing and writing on all styles of music across both the website and print magazine. She has also written for titles including the Guardian, Circus Journal, Frankie and Suitcase Magazine, and runs The Noiseletter, a fortnightly arts and culture publication. Freya's main areas of interest and research lie in 20th-century and contemporary music. She's a regular sea shanty singer, folk obsessive and occasional flautist, pianist, organist and musical theatre director.
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