At 94 years old, legendary composer John Williams still holds one of the most talked-about records in Hollywood: the highest number of Oscar nominations without wins.
Williams, born on Feb. 8, 1932, has earned 54 Academy Award nominations, the most for any living person and second only to Walt Disney’s 59. Out of those, he has won five Oscars. That means he has 49 nominations that did not turn into wins.
However, Williams’ record reflects a career filled with constant recognition. He has been nominated across seven straight decades, something no other composer has achieved.
Many of his nominations came during years when he was even competing against himself. That means multiple scores he created were nominated in the same category.
(Photo by Carlo Allegri/Getty Images for LAPA
His five Oscar wins include:
- Fiddler on the Roof (1971) – Best Scoring
- Jaws (1975) – Best Original Score
- Star Wars (1977) – Best Original Score
- E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) – Best Original Score
- Schindler’s List (1993) – Best Original Score
His most recent win came in 1994 for Schindler’s List. Since then, he has gone more than 30 years without another Oscar victory. Still, he continued to earn nominations, about 23 more after that last win.
Williams began his career as a jazz pianist and studio musician before moving into film scoring in the 1950s and 1960s. His early work included television shows like Lost in Space and Gilligan’s Island.
His big break came in the 1970s through collaborations with directors Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. These partnerships helped shape modern cinema.
He went on to compose some of the most recognizable themes in movie history, including:
- Star Wars (main theme and “Imperial March”)
- Indiana Jones (“Raiders March”)
- Jurassic Park
- Harry Potter(“Hedwig’s Theme”)
- Superman
- Saving Private Ryan
Over seven decades, Williams has scored more than 100 films, making him one of the most prolific composers ever.
Beyond movies, he also served as the principal conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra from 1980 to 1993 and continues to write music for concerts and orchestras.
Even in his 90s, Williams shows no signs of slowing down. As of 2026, he recently completed a score for a new Steven Spielberg project and is working on new concert pieces.
The documentary Music by John Williams was nominated for a Grammy in 2026 for Best Music Film. Across his career, he has earned 76 Grammy nominations and 27 wins, adding to his long list of achievements.
Despite not receiving a new Oscar nomination for the latest awards season, his record of 54 nominations remains untouched. Williams is still widely seen as the greatest living film composer.
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