For 86 years the Academy Awards having been turning artists into icons. Each year we turn our eyes to Hollywood to see who takes home the beloved gold statuette. The Oscars have played a big role in the careers of some of the most iconic actors, actresses and filmmakers. This award functions as a reward to those artists who make films that make a difference and a reminder that great art matters..

Here are a few of our favorite classic Icons at the Oscars.

Martin Scorcese has two nominations this year for The Wolf of Wall Street. He has ten total nominations and one win, for Best Achievement in Directing for The Departed (2006).

Sydney Poitier became the first African American to win the award for Best Actor, for Lilies of the Field (1963). He has one additional nomination and one honorary award.

Elizabeth Taylor was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role three years in a row before taking home the Oscar with her fourth nomination for BUtterfield 8 (1961). She won again in 1967 for her role in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Meryl Streep has grand total of 15 nominations and 3 wins at the Academy Awards across over 30 years in the industry. Her first win was for her Supporting Role in Kramer vs. Kramer (1981). Three years later she won for her Leading Role in Sophie’s Choice (1983). She won again with Iron Lady in 2012. This year she is nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for August Osage County.

Director James Cameron swept the Oscars in 1998 with his iconic film Titanic, winning the awards for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Film Editing. Just over ten years later he made another lasting impression with Avatar. The film won three statuettes, with an additional six nominations.

Audrey Hepburn took home the Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role in 1954 for her role in Roman Holiday. She was honored with four more nominations and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.

Orson Welles’ film Citizen Kane is cemented in the film canon. In 1942 he won the Academy Award for Best Writing, Original Screenplay. That year he was also nominated for Best Director and Best Actor in a Leading Role. He was awarded with an honorary award in 1971 for “For superlative artistry and versatility in the creation of motion pictures”.

Ingrid Bergman has won three Oscar for Best Actress, for her Leading Roles in Gaslight (1944) and Anastasia  (1957) and her Supporting Role in Murder on the Orient Express  (1974). She has an additional four nominations.

Titanic took the Oscars by storm in 1998. The film won 11 total Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematographer, Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Sound, Best Film Editing, Best Effects- Sound Effects Editing, Best Effects- Visual Effects, Best Music- Original Song, and Best Music- Original Dramatic Score. It had three additional nominations: Best Actress in a Leading Role, Best Actress in a Supporting Role and Best Make-up. The list seems to go on and on. 

In 1977 Jodie Foster was nominated for her first Oscar for her Supporting Role in Taxi Driver. She took home the trophy for Best Actress in a Leading Role with her next two nominations, The Accused (1989) and The Silence of the Lambs (1992). She had one more nomination in 1995 for her Leading Role in Nell.

---

There is a new class of Icons at this year’s Academy Awards. Some are new faces, some we are very pleased to be seeing again.

Jared Leto is heading to the ceremony this year with his first nomination as Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Dallas Buyer’s Club.

Dallas Buyer’s Club has also landed seasoned actor Matthew McConaughey his first Oscar nomination, for Best Actor in a Leading Role.

In 2010 Sandra Bullock won her first Oscar for her work in The Blind Side. She’s nominated again this year for her Leading Role in Gravity.

Amy Adams is up for her Leading Role in this year’s American Hustle. She has four previous nominations for Supporting Roles.

Last year Jennifer Lawrence took home the big one for her Leading Role in Silver Lining’s Playbook. This year’s nomination, for American Hustle, is her second nomination in the Supporting Role category.

This year Leonardo DiCaprio has two nominations for The Wolf of Wall Street. Maybe this year he will finally land that win we’ve all been waiting for!

Lupita Nyong'o has already had a killer awards season and she’s heading to the Oscars with her first nomination, for her Supporting Role in 12 Years a Slave.

Cate Blanchett won the Oscar for Best Supporting Role in The Aviator (2004). She has a grand total of four additional nominations, with this year’s Blue Jasmine.  

12 Years a Slave has landed Chiwetel Ejiofor his first Academy Award nomination, for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role.

---

There are a few films throughout the years that have made a name for themselves at the Oscar.

In 85 years only three movies have claimed the Big Five: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay.

It Happened One Night (1935)

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1976)

The Silence of the Lambs (1992)

The record for most awards won by a single title is held by three films, at 11 Oscars.

Ben-Hur (1959)

Titanic (1997)

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

There are individuals who hold records for most Oscars.

…In Acting

Katharine Hepburn won four awards, all for Best Actress

…In Art Direction

Cedric Gibbons, who designed the Oscar statuette, won 11 awards out of a total of 39 nominations.

…In Directing

John Ford won the most directing awards, with four.

…In Makeup

Rick Baker won seven Academy Awards (all for Best Makeup)