This article lists the oldest and youngest Academy Award winners and nominees in the directing and acting award categories.
This list is current as of the 98th Academy Awards ceremony held on March 15, 2026, and is based on statistics documented in The Official Academy Awards Database. N.B.: Ages (including for those persons receiving nominations and/or awards posthumously) are computed by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS); for nominations, all ages are computed "from date of birth to date of nominations announcement"; for awards won, all ages are computed "from date of birth to date of awards ceremony."
Superlatives
Among the oldest and youngest winners and nominees of Academy Awards in standard competitive categories, the following superlatives emerge:
Superlative Overall Director Actor/Supporting Actor Actress/Supporting Actress Oldest Nominee Age 88 Age 81 Age 88 Age 87 Oldest Winner Age 83 Age 74 Age 83 Age 80 Youngest Nominee Age 8 Age 24 Age 8 Age 9 Youngest Winner Age 10 Age 32 Age 20 Age 10
Craft and Technical At the 90th Academy Awards, James Ivory became the oldest Oscar winner in any category, at age 89, after receiving the award for Best Adapted Screenplay for his work on Call Me by Your Name. At the 93rd Academy Awards, Ann Roth became the oldest woman to win an Oscar in any category, at age 89, after receiving the award for Best Costume Design for her work on Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.
At the 95th Academy Awards, John Williams became the oldest Oscar nominee in any category, at age 90, after receiving his 53rd Oscar nomination for Best Original Score for his work on The Fabelmans. At the 96th Academy Awards, he broke the record again, at age 91, after receiving his 54th Oscar nomination for Best Original Score for his work on Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
Multiple winners
Youngest recipients There are six people in Oscar history who have won two Oscars by the age of 30 or younger: Bette Davis for Dangerous and Jezebel Luise Rainer for The Great Ziegfeld and The Good Earth Jodie Foster for The Accused and The Silence of the Lambs Hilary Swank for Boys Don't Cry and Million Dollar Baby Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell for the songs "No Time to Die" from No Time to Die and "What Was I Made For?" from Barbie Davis, Rainer, Foster, and Swank won their awards in the Best Actress category, while Eilish and O'Connell won theirs in the Best Original Song category. Eilish is the youngest person to have won two Oscars in any category, aged 22 at the time of her second win.
Oldest recipients There are fourteen people in Oscar history who have won two or more Oscars at age of 60 or older: Joseph Ruttenberg for Somebody Up There Likes Me and Gigi Cedric Gibbons and Edwin B. Willis for Julius Caesar and Somebody Up There Likes Me Fred Quimby for The Cat Concerto, The Little Orphan, The Two Mouseketeers, and Johann Mouse Katharine Hepburn for Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, The Lion in Winter, and On Golden Pond Edith Head for The Facts of Life and The Sting Melvyn Douglas for Hud and Being There Glen Robinson for Earthquake, The Hindenburg, King Kong, and Logan's Run Clint Eastwood for Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby Michael Kahn for Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan Thelma Schoonmaker for The Aviator and The Departed Roger Deakins for Blade Runner 2049 and 1917 Frances McDormand for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and Nomadland Hayao Miyazaki for Spirited Away and The Boy and the Heron Ruttenberg, Gibbons and Willis, Quimby, Hepburn, Head, Kahn, Schoonmaker, and McDormand are the only people who have won awards when younger than 60, and also when aged 60 or older.
Hepburn is the only actress who won her awards more than twice after her 60s in the Best Actress category.
Best Director
Oldest winners Source: "Academy Award Statistics: Directing: Oldest/Youngest Directing Nominees/Winners", AMPAS Awards Database
Rank Age Name Film Year in Film Date of Birth Date of Award Notes1Million Dollar Baby2004Has held record for years (2005–present)2The Pianist2002Held record for 2 years (2003–2005)3The Power of the Dog20214My Fair Lady1964Held record for 38 years (1965–2003)5The Departed20066Unforgiven19927Oliver!19688A Man for All Seasons19669Gandhi198210The Quiet Man1952Held record for 12 years (1953–1965)
Oldest nominees Rank Age Name Film Year in Film Date of Birth Date of Nomination Notes1Killers of the Flower Moon2023Has held record for years (2024–present)2Prizzi's Honor1985Held record for 38 years (1986–2024)3A Fish Called Wanda19884The Irishman20195Gosford Park20016A Passage to India1984Held record for 1 year (1985–1986)7Letters from Iwo Jima20068Midnight in Paris20119The Fabelmans202210Ran1985
Youngest winners Rank Age Name Film Year in Film Date of Birth Date of Award Notes1La La Land2016Has held record for years (2017–present)2Skippy1930/31Held record for 86 years (1931–2017)3Two Arabian Knights1927/28Held record for 2 years (1929–1931)4American Beauty199957th Heaven1927/286Everything Everywhere All at Once20227All Quiet on the Western Front1929/308Everything Everywhere All at Once20229Tom Jones196310The Godfather Part II1974
Youngest nominees Rank Age Name Film Year in Film Date of Birth Date of Nomination Notes1Boyz n the Hood1991Has held record for years (1992–present)2Citizen Kane1941Held record for 50 years (1942–1992)3Henry V19894A Man and a Woman19665The Sixth Sense19996American Graffiti19737Beasts of the Southern Wild20128Juno20079Being John Malkovich199910Close Encounters of the Third Kind1977
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Source: "Academy Award Statistics: Acting: Oldest/Youngest Winners and Nominees for Acting, By Category: Actor [in a Leading Role]", AMPAS Awards Database
Oldest winners Rank Age Name Film Year in Film Date of Birth Date of Award Notes1The Father2020Oldest winner in any acting categoryHas held record for years (2021–present)2On Golden Pond1981Held record for 39 years (1982–2021)3True Grit1969Held record for 12 years (1970–1982)4Disraeli1929/30Held record for 40 years (1930–1970)Earliest born winner of an award in any category5The Color of Money19866As Good as It Gets19977Network1976Posthumous award8Crazy Heart20099Darkest Hour201710A Double Life1947
Oldest nominees Rank Age Name Film Year in Film Date of Birth Date of Nomination Notes1The Father2020WinnerHas held record for years (2021–present)2The Straight Story1999Held record for 21 years (2000–2021)3Nebraska20134On Golden Pond1981WinnerHeld record for 18 years (1982–2000)5Million Dollar Baby20046Venus20067Living20228Invictus20099The Two Popes201910The Boys from Brazil1978Held record for 3 years (1979–1982)
Youngest winners Rank Age Name Film Year in Film Date of Birth Date of Award Notes1The Pianist2002Has held record for years (2003–present)2The Goodbye Girl1977Held record for 25 years (1978–2003)3On the Waterfront1954Held record for 23 years (1955–1978)4Judgment at Nuremberg19615Leaving Las Vegas19956The Philadelphia Story1940Held record for 14 years (1941–1955)7My Left Foot19898The Theory of Everything20149It Happened One Night1934Held record for 6 years (1935–1941)10The Private Life of Henry VIII1932/33Held record for 1 year (1934–1935)
Youngest nominees Rank Age Name Film Year in Film Date of Birth Date of Nomination Notes1Skippy1930/31Has held record for years (1931–present)2Babes in Arms19393Call Me by Your Name20174The Human Comedy19435Saturday Night Fever19776East of Eden1955Posthumous nomination7Giant19568Half Nelson20069Citizen Kane194110Brokeback Mountain2005
Best Actress in a Leading Role
Source: "Academy Award Statistics: Acting: Oldest/Youngest Winners and Nominees for Acting, By Category: Actress [in a Leading Role]", AMPAS Awards Database
Oldest winners Rank Age Name Film Year in Film Date of Birth Date of Award Notes1Driving Miss Daisy1989Has held record for years (1990–present)2On Golden Pond1981Held record for 8 years (1982–1990)3Nomadland20204Min and Bill1930/31Held record for 51 years (1931–1982)5The Iron Lady20116The Lion in Winter19687The Queen20068The Trip to Bountiful19859Guess Who's Coming to Dinner196710Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri2017
Oldest nominees Rank Age Name Film Year in Film Date of Birth Date of Nomination Notes1Amour2012Has held record for years (2013–present)2Driving Miss Daisy1989WinnerHeld record for 23 years (1990–2013)3The Whisperers1967Held record for 22 years (1968–1990)4Philomena20135Lady for a Day1932/33Held record for 34 years (1934–1968)Earliest born nominee in any category6On Golden Pond1981Winner7Notes on a Scandal20068The Wife20189Mrs Henderson Presents20051045 Years2015
Youngest winners Rank Age Name Film Year in Film Date of Birth Date of Award Notes1Children of a Lesser God1986Has held record for years (1987–present)2Silver Linings Playbook201237th Heaven, Street Angel, and Sunrise1927/28Held record for 58 years (1929–1987)4Suspicion19415Roman Holiday19536The Song of Bernadette19437The Country Girl19548Boys Don't Cry19999Anora202410Darling1965
Youngest nominees Rank Age Name Film Year in Film Date of Birth Date of Nomination Notes1Beasts of the Southern Wild2012Has held record for years (2013–present)2Whale Rider2003Held record for 9 years (2004–2013)3Winter's Bone20104The Story of Adele H.1975Held record for 28 years (1976–2004)5Pride & Prejudice20056Juno2007Page was presenting as female when he received this nomination, prior to his transition as a transmasculine in 2020.7Children of a Lesser God1986Winner8Brooklyn20159A Patch of Blue1965Held record for 10 years (1966–1976)10Titanic1997
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Source: "Academy Award Statistics: Acting: Oldest/Youngest Winners and Nominees for Acting, By Category: Actor [in a Supporting Role]", AMPAS Awards Database
Oldest winners Rank Age Name Film Year in Film Date of Birth Date of Award Notes1Beginners2011Has held record for years (2012–present)2The Sunshine Boys1975Held record for 36 years (1976–2012)3Being There19794Arthur19815Cocoon19856City Slickers19917Little Miss Sunshine20068The Paper Chase1973Held record for 2 years (1974–1976)9Affliction199810Miracle on 34th Street1947Held record for 26 years (1948–1974)
Oldest nominees Rank Age Name Film Year in Film Date of Birth Date of Nomination Notes1All the Money in the World2017Oldest nominee in any acting categoryHas held record for years (2018–present)2The Fabelmans20223The Judge2014Held record for 3 years (2015–2018)4Into the Wild2007Held record for 7 years (2008–2015)5Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close20116Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes1984Posthumous nominationHeld record for 23 years (1985–2008)7Beginners2011Winner8The Two Popes20199Killers of the Flower Moon202310The Last Station2009
Youngest winners Rank Age Name Film Year in Film Date of Birth Date of Award Notes1Ordinary People1980Has held record for years (1981–present)2Jerry Maguire19963West Side Story1961Held record for 19 years (1962–1981)4The Dark Knight2008Posthumous award5Mister Roberts1955Held record for 6 years (1956–1962)6The Godfather Part II19747Judas and the Black Messiah20208The Best Years of Our Lives1946Held record for 9 years (1947–1956)9Traffic200010Johnny Eager1942Held record for 4 years (1943–1947)
Youngest nominees Rank Age Name Film Year in Film Date of Birth Date of Nomination Notes1Kramer vs. Kramer1979Youngest nominee in any categoryHas held record for years (1980–present)2The Sixth Sense19993Shane1953Held record for 26 years (1954–1980)4Oliver!19685Rebel Without a Cause19556Running on Empty19887What's Eating Gilbert Grape19938Manchester by the Sea20169Ordinary People1980Winner10Exodus1960
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Source: "Academy Award Statistics: Acting: Oldest/Youngest Winners and Nominees for Acting, By Category: Actress [in a Supporting Role]", AMPAS Awards Database
Oldest winners