Countries That Have Won the Most Oscars
The 91st edition of the Academy Awards will be held on Sunday, Feb. 24, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, honoring the best film productions and artists in the previous year by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, or simply, the Academy, the organization that presents the Oscars. There are 24 Oscar categories and this will be the first ceremony in three decades to be conducted without a host.
This year, there are five nominations in the Foreign Language film category: "Capernaum," produced in Lebanon, "Cold War," produced in Poland, "Never Look Away," produced in Germany, "Shoplifters," produced in Japan and "Roma," produced in Mexico. This year marks Lebanon's first nomination, while Mexico has earned nominations but never won.
These are the countries that have won the most Oscars for foreign-language films. A four-way tie for fourth place is broken by the number of total nominations a country has received.
4. The Netherlands
3 Oscars, 7 nominations
The Netherlands is tied for fourth place in the number of Oscars for foreign-language films awarded by the Academy. The Netherlands first won the Oscar for best Foreign Language Film in 1986 with Fons Rademakers' "The Assault." The Netherlands also won for "Antonia's Line" (1995) and "Character" (1997). The country has been nominated for an Academy Award seven times.
Learn more about The Netherlands.
4. Soviet Union
3 Oscars, 9 nominations
The former Soviet Union earned three Oscars for best foreign-language film, first winning in 1968 for Sergei Bondarchuk's adaptation of the Leo Tolstoy novel, "War and Peace." The Soviet Union also earned Oscars for Akira Kurosawa's "Dersu Uzala," which was a joint Soviet-Japanese production, and Vladimir Menshov's "Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears." Overall, the country received nine nominations.
The Soviet Union collapsed at the end of 1991 and its successor country is Russia. Learn more about Russia.
4. Denmark
3 Oscars, 12 nominations
Denmark is fifth on the list of countries that took home the Academy Award for foreign language film, with three wins. The country first won the Oscar in 1987 for "Babette's Feast" directed by Gabriel Axel. Surprisingly, Denmark also took home the same award one year later for "Pelle the Conquerora." Denmark last won the Academy Award for foreign productions in 2010 for "In a Better World." The country has received 12 Academy Award nominations.
Learn more about Denmark.
4. Sweden
3 Oscars, 16 nominations
This Nordic country is the fourth-most awarded country for foreign film productions by the Academy. The legendary director and writer Ingmar Bergman is responsible for all three Oscars going to Sweden, first with "The Virgin Spring" in 1960, then with "Through a Glass Darkly" in 1961 and finally with 1983's "Fanny and Alexander." In total, Sweden's movies have earned 16 nominations from the Academy.
Learn more about Sweden.
3. Spain
4 Oscars, 19 nominations
Spain is third on the list of countries with four wins for best foreign film distinguished by the Academy. The country first won the Oscar for best Foreign Language Film in 1982 with José Luis Garci's "Begin the Beguine." Spain also won for "Belle Époque" (1993), "All About My Mother" (1999) and "The Sea Inside" (2004). Spain has received 19 nominations.
Learn more about Spain.
2. France
9 Oscars, 37 nominations
Coming in second, France won the Academy Award nine times, beginning with Jacques Tati's 'My Uncle' in 1958. The country last took home the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 1992 for 'Indochine'. Other awards included 'Get Out Your Handkerchiefs' (1978), 'Madame Rosa' (1977), and 'Day for Night' (1973). France was nominated for an Academy Award 37 times.
Learn more about France.
1. Italy
11 Oscars, 28 nominations
Coincidentally or not, the country that started the Renaissance in the 14th century is also the country deemed by the Academy as most artistic in movie production. Italy won the Oscar for best foreign language film 11 times, beginning with "La Strada," directed by Federico Fellini and most recently with Paulo Sorrentino's "The Great Beauty." Other awards have gone to "Life Is Beautiful" (1998), "Mediterraneo" (1991) and "Cinema Paradiso" (1989). Italy has received 28 Academy Award nominations.
Learn more about Italy.
Want to Know More?
The 2019 U.S. News Best Countries rankings, formed in partnership with BAV Group, a unit of global marketing communications company VMLY&R, and The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, aim to gauge global perceptions of the world's largest economies.
Find out how your country did in the 2019 Best Countries rankings and explore more news, data and analysis on U.S. News.
Sintia Radu covers international affairs and technology for U.S. News & World Report. You can follow her on Twitter @sintiaradu and send her suggestions and ideas at sradu@usnews.com.
