Top5 » These Women Scored the Most Best Actress Nominations of All Time

These Women Scored the Most Best Actress Nominations of All Time

There's one reigning queen of Oscar nominations and that's good old Meryl Streep. Most Best Actress Nominations of All Time.

By Top5 Staff ∙ 2 years ago

These Women Scored the Most Best Actress Nominations of All Time

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There’s one reigning queen of Oscar nominations and that’s good old Meryl Streep. Does that woman ever give a bad performance? The simple answer is no. She’s praised for everything she does. If she starred in a Lifetime movie (which will never, ever happen) she’d probably get an Oscar for that too. She’s ahead of Katharine Hepburn by two nominations, and she’s still going strong. This woman cannot be stopped! So who else comes close to her crazy record of awesomeness? Let’s see…

5.) Ingrid Bergman – 6 Nominations, 3 Wins

Jane Fonda – 6 Wins, 2 Wins

It’s a tie! Two amazing actresses from two different eras. Bergman was one of the top beauties and talents of her day, starring in Casablanca and she also won for films like Anastasia and Gaslight. She created scandal when she had an affair with the famous Italian director Roberto Rossellini, which hurt her career for a while. These days it wouldn’t be a big deal, stars have affairs and split up left and right. Back then – not OK, which is too bad. Then there’s Fonda who’s still going strong. Ok, maybe she does some silly movies with J. Lo here and there but she won for the awesome movies Klute and Coming Home, and got nominations for On Golden Pond, They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? and a bunch more, right? She can slum with J. Lo if she wants.

4.) Greer Garson – 7 Nominations, 1 Wins

Garson was a beauty who signed a contract with MGM in the late 1930s and killed it in almost every role she played. She wasn’t some dumb blonde running around in a bikini, she was the real deal. Mrs. Miniver was probably her best role, and she was nominated for things like Goodbye Mr. Chips and Blossoms in the Dust. She’s not a huge name today like Bette Davis or Hepburn, sadly, so maybe that means it’s time to dig out some of her films and start watching.

Greer Garson

3.) Bette Davis – 10 Nominations, 2 Wins

Bette Davis

Gotta love Bette Davis’ spunk and those big eyes she had. She had a long career, and looks-wise was kind of the Susan Sarandon of her day – compare their pics if you don’t think it’s true. They’re like twins. Sarandon doesn’t have ten nominations though, but she’s got time. She won for Jezebel and Dangerous, and got nominations for tons of other flicks, including the super campy move Whatever Happened to Baby Jane that she did with Joan Crawford aka “Mommy Dearest.” Scary.

2.) Katharine Hepburn – 12 Nominations, 4 Wins

Katharine Hepburn

Not too shabby at twelve Oscar nominations. Her partner on screen and off, Spencer Tracy, is one of the men with the most nominations so they were a total power couple. She won a lot too – On Golden Pond, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, The Lion in Winter, and Morning Glory. That’s a crazy legacy to leave behind.

1.) Meryl Streep – 17 Nominations, 3 Wins

Meryl Streep

Well, we have to start with the queen bee, right? Fourteen nominations is a crazy number – think of all the struggling actresses out there doing their best Streep impression in their mirror, waiting for the day when they can be as great as her – or even just slightly as good. It was pretty cute when she won this past year for The Iron Lady and made a comment about not caring at all that people are probably sick of her winning. She deserves them!