Serious Film's Michael C. here to shine a light on an overlooked story from the Oscar nominations.
With all the attention paid to Tangled focusing on its somewhat surprising exclusion from the Best Animated Film lineup I think most people missed the more interesting story. If Alan Menken wins the Oscar for best song for Tangled’s "I See the Light" - and he has as good a chance as any of winning - he will have won an incredible ninth Oscar. Already the most awarded living person a ninth trophy would surpass famed costume designer Edith Head tying him with composer Alfred Newman (All About Eve) for the most awarded individual Oscar winner in history.
**Trivia Alert**
This record is debatable since ahead of Menken would technically still be behind art director Cedric Gibbons with 11 wins for such films as An American in Paris and The Bad and the Beautiful and Walt Disney with an untouchable 22 wins and 4 honorary Oscars. But I don’t believe they should be ranked against Menken since they were men who took credit for the work of entire studios and didn’t necessarily participate in the creation of all the award-winning works. Gibbons, in particular, had it written into his contract that every film released by MGM until 1956 credited him as art director. His IMDB page lists over 1,000 films among his credits.
Oscar hoarders throughout time
Most Awarded Living Individuals
8 Wins
- Alan Menken
7 Wins
- Gary Rydstrom (All wins were in Sound categories though he was recently nominated for Best Short Film for the animated "Lifted")
6 Wins + 2 Special Achievement Oscars and 1 Technical Achievement Award
- Dennis Muren - special effects artist (Jurassic Park, Terminator 2)
6 Wins
- Rick Baker -makeup artist (The new nomination for The Wolfman is his 12th)
5 Wins
- John Williams (Easily the most nominated person alive with 45 to his credit)
- Francis Ford Coppola
4 Wins
- The Coen Brothers
- Clint Eastwood
- Andre Previn - composer (Gigi, My Fair Lady)
- Mark Berger (sound categories - only person to ever go 4/4 nomination-to-wins. Last win was for The English Patient)
- Christopher Boys (sound categories - most recent win was for King Kong)
- Bob Beemer (yet another sound guy. Sound seems to be the easiest category to rack up multiple wins in. His last win was for Dreamgirls)
Who will be the next person to join this list? Some of the people still working who are stuck at 3 wins include writer/directors Woody Allen, Peter Jackson and James Cameron, directors Steven Spielberg and Oliver Stone, actor Jack Nicholson, costume designers Milena Canonero and Sandy Powell (pictured left on her third win for Young Victoria), editor Thelma Schoonmaker and art director Stuart Craig.
Do you think Alan Menken will win his 9th for Tangled?