With the seismic shift of the expanded best picture field in 2009, certain forms of Oscar trivia seem dead or at least on life support. Foxcatcher proved you could still be a "lone director" nominee for a non Best Picture player, and Carol proved you could still get a big swath of nominations but miss out on placing in the top category. But nearly all the records involving films that weren't nominated for Best Picture will not be broken now; when Oscar notices you in a big way these days, you're also likely to achieve that highest distinction of being a Best Picture nominee.
But with 3 being the magic number today, let's take a look back at the rare cases of films that won 3 or more Oscars that were not nominated for Best Picture. The only film that could theoretically join this list this year is Jackie (the most nominated film that isn't up for Best Picture) but it would have to win all three of its bids!
The 18 Biggest Oscar Winners That Were NOT
Nominated for Best Picture
(current titles for categories used in this list though some have changed)
01 Five Oscar wins from six nominations
The Bad and the Beautiful (1952) Supporting Actress, Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Production Design, Costume Design. It lost only Best Actor but mysteriously wasn't nominated for Picture or Director despite obvious widespread love for it. But then, 1952 was among the very strangest of Oscar years for multiple reasons.
Curiously Kirk Douglas also leads one of the three films tied for runner up in this particular list...
02 [TIE] Four Oscar wins from six nominations
Spartacus (1960) Supporting Actor, Cinematography, Production Design, Costume Design. It lost only Original Score and Editing (to Exodus and The Apartment respectively)
Fanny & Alexander (1983) Cinematography, Production Design, Costume Design, Foreign Language Film. It only only Director and Screenplay (to Terms of Endearment and Tender Mercies respectively).
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects, Makeup. It lost only Cinematography and Editing, both categories going to JFK. It's a real pity this wasn't nominated for Best Picture and Best Director. It has held up so very beautifully over the years as one of the greatest action films ever made.
05 Four Oscar wins from four nominations
The Matrix (1999) 4 Oscar wins from four nominations: Editing, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects
06 [TIE] Three Oscar wins from seven nominations
Hud (1963) Actress, Supporting Actor, Cinematography. It lost the bulk of its nominations which were Director, Actor, Adapted Screenplay, and Production Design. And since it's one of the greatest movies of its entire very strong decade, it's a travesty that it didn't receive a Best Picture nomination.
Dick Tracy (1990) Production Design, Makeup, Original Song. It lost the bulk of its nods which were Supporting Actor, Cinematography, Costume Design, and Sound.
08 [TIE] Three Oscar wins from six nominations
Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) Editing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects. It lost Cinematography, Production Design, and Sound Mixing
Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) Cinematography, Art Direction, Costume Design. It lost Sound, Sound Editing, and Original Score
Pan's Labyrinth (2006) 3 Oscar wins from six nominations: Cinematography, Art Direction, Makeup. It lost Original Screenplay, Score, and Foreign Language Film
11 [TIE] Three wins from five nominations
Camelot (1967) Production Design, Costume Design, Adapted Score. It lost only Cinematography and Sound.
Glory (1989) Supporting Actor, Cinematography, Sound Mixing. It lost Editing and Production Design.
13. [TIE] Three wins from four nominations
The Thief of Bagdad (1940) Cinematography, Production Design, Visual Effects. It lost only Original Score
Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) Costume Design, Sound Editing, Makeup. It lost only Production Design
King Kong (2005) Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects. It lost only Production Design
16. [TIE] Three wins from three nominations
Grand Prix (1966) Editing, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing
Jurassic Park (1993) Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects. It's absolutely nutty that this dino-classic didn't receive more nominations, isn't it? Blame Schindler's List, the same year, which focused all the Spielberg love towards a more "important" picture. Both films are still beloved a quarter century later.
The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) Editing, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing