People with the Most Golden Globe Awards of All Time
The Golden Globes have been honoring the best in film and
television for nearly a century, but only a tiny group of performers and
creatives have truly dominated the awards. Most actors never win a Globe, and
even two or three wins is rare — yet a select few have climbed all the way
to six, seven and even eight Golden Globe Awards over their
careers.
This post is based on my YouTube episode from Cinema
Awards Archive, “People with the Most Golden Globe Awards of All Time,”
where we break down the all‑time leaderboard and the specific roles that made
these legends record‑holders.
Why These Records Matter
What makes these achievements remarkable isn’t just the
number of trophies, but the range and longevity it takes to
rack up this many wins. These performers have been recognized across multiple
decades, multiple formats — films, miniseries, limited series, TV drama,
directing and producing — proving they’re not one‑hit wonders but genuine
industry pillars.
Let’s start at the very top: the eight‑award tier, home to the most decorated Golden Globe winners in history.
-------------------------------------------- The Eight‑Award Tier-------------------------------------------------
1. Meryl Streep – 8 Golden Globes
If there’s one name synonymous with Golden Globe success, it’s Meryl Streep. She holds the all‑time record for Golden Globe nominations by an actor, with 33 nominations and 8 competitive wins, more than any other performer in history.Her eight wins span an astonishing range of roles and eras,
including:
- Kramer
vs. Kramer (1979) – Best Supporting Actress
- The
French Lieutenant’s Woman (1981) – Best Actress, Drama
- Sophie’s
Choice (1982) – Best Actress, Drama
- Adaptation (2002)
– Best Supporting Actress
- Angels
in America (2003) – Best Supporting Actress – Miniseries
- The
Devil Wears Prada (2006) – Best Actress – Musical or Comedy
- Julie
& Julia (2009) – Best Actress – Musical or Comedy
- The
Iron Lady (2011) – Best Actress, Drama
Streep has won in drama, comedy, supporting and
limited series categories, and in 2017 she also received the Cecil
B. DeMille Award for outstanding contributions to entertainment. By
2019, she had extended her own record as the most‑nominated actor in
Golden Globes history, a mark that may never be matched.
2. Tom Hanks – 8 Golden Globes (including Cecil B. DeMille)
Sharing the top spot numerically is Tom Hanks, with eight Golden Globes when you include his Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement, presented in 2020.His competitive wins cover both acting and producing:
Acting wins
- Big (1989)
– Best Actor – Musical or Comedy
- Sleepless
in Seattle (1994) – Best Actor – Musical or Comedy
- Forrest
Gump (1995) – Best Actor – Drama
- Saving
Private Ryan (1999) – Best Actor – Drama
- Cast
Away (2001) – Best Actor – Drama
Production wins (television/limited series)
- From
the Earth to the Moon (1998) – Best Miniseries or Television Film
- Band
of Brothers (2001) – Best Miniseries or Television Film
- John
Adams (2008) – Best Miniseries or Television Film
On top of the Globes, Hanks is a two‑time
consecutive Oscar winner for Philadelphia (1993)
and Forrest Gump (1994), a feat only he and Spencer Tracy
share. His Golden Globe tally reflects how completely he dominated American
film and prestige TV in the 1990s and 2000s.
3. Barbra Streisand – 8 Golden Globes
The third member of the eight‑win club is Barbra Streisand, whose Golden Globe résumé combines acting, music and directing in a way no one else has matched. Streisand has eight competitive Globes, and nine total when you include her Cecil B. DeMille Award from 2000.
Her wins include:
- Funny
Girl (1969) – Best Actress – Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy
- Henrietta
Award – World Film Favorite (1970, 1971, 1975, 1978)
- A
Star Is Born (1977) – Best Actress – Motion Picture, Musical or
Comedy
- “Evergreen”
(from A Star Is Born, 1977) – Best Original Song
- Yentl (1984)
– Best Director
With Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Original Song Globes, Streisand remains one of the very few artists to win Golden Globes as an actor, director and songwriter. Her Best Director win for Yentl made her the first woman ever to receive that award, a record that stood alone for decades.
-------------------------------------------- The Seven‑Award Tier------------------------------------------------
Just below the eight‑win giants is a trio of legends with seven Golden Globe Awards each.
4. Julie Andrews – 7 Golden Globes
Julie Andrews, beloved for Mary Poppins and The
Sound of Music, has seven Golden Globes across film and special “World Film
Favorite” honors.
Her wins include:
- Mary
Poppins (1964) – Best Actress – Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical
- The
Sound of Music (1965) – Best Actress – Motion Picture, Comedy or
Musical
- Henrietta
Award – World Film Favorite Female (1966, 1967, 1968, 1969)
- Victor/Victoria (1982)
– Best Actress – Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical
Andrews was one of the defining box‑office stars of
the 1960s, and later received the Kennedy Center Honors in
2001 for her contributions to American culture.
5. Jane Fonda – 7 Golden Globes
Jane Fonda, a cultural icon and outspoken activist, has also collected seven Golden Globes over a career spanning six decades. Her wins cover breakthrough, dramatic and “World Film Favorite” categories:- Tall
Story (1962) – New Star of the Year – Actress
- Klute (1972)
– Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
- Henrietta
Award – World Film Favorites (1973, 1979, 1980)
- Julia (1978)
– Best Actress – Motion Picture, Drama
- Coming
Home (1979) – Best Actress – Motion Picture, Drama
She received the Cecil B. DeMille Award in
2021 and has also been honoured with the Honorary Palme d’Or, AFI Life
Achievement Award and Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award, underlining
her status as a true industry elder.
6. Paul Newman – 7 Golden Globes
Paul Newman combined matinee‑idol charisma with genuine acting depth, and his seven Golden Globes reflect that legacy.His wins include:
- Somebody
Up There Likes Me (1957) – New Star of the Year – Actor
- Henrietta
Award – World Film Favorite (1964, 1966, 1968)
- Rachel,
Rachel (1969) – Best Director
- Empire
Falls (2006) – Best Supporting Actor – Television and Best
Miniseries or Television Film
Newman also received the Cecil B. DeMille Award in
1985 and went on to co‑found Newman’s Own, donating hundreds of
millions of dollars to charity — making his off‑screen legacy as significant as
his on‑screen one.
-------------------------------------------- The Six‑Award Tier------------------------------------------------------
Finally, we have a tightly packed group of six
Golden Globe winners, who round out the all‑time leaderboard.
7. Alan Alda – 6 Golden Globes
Alan Alda is best known for playing Hawkeye
Pierce on the long‑running CBS series MASH*, where he also
wrote and directed many episodes. His six Golden Globes came primarily from
that role, with wins spanning 1976, 1977 and 1980–1983, reflecting
the show’s dominance over an 11‑season run.
In 2019, Alda received the SAG Life Achievement
Award, and he continues to work as a communicator and podcast host, focused
on science and empathy.
8. Nicole Kidman – 6 Golden Globes
Nicole Kidman has six Golden Globes for a mix of
film and television performances, underscoring her range across drama, musical
and limited‑series work.
Her wins include:
- To
Die For (1996) – Best Actress – Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical
- Moulin
Rouge! (2002) – Best Actress – Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical
- The
Hours (2004) – Best Actress – Motion Picture, Drama
- Big
Little Lies (2018) – Best Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie
and Best Television Limited Series or TV Movie
- Being
the Ricardos (2022) – Best Actress – Motion Picture, Drama
Kidman has appeared multiple times on Time’s 100
most influential people list and, in 2024, became the first
Australian actor to receive the AFI Life Achievement Award.
9. Angela Lansbury – 6 Golden Globes
Angela Lansbury earned six Golden Globes across film and television, with many tied to her iconic role as Jessica Fletcher in Murder, She Wrote.Her wins include:
- The
Picture of Dorian Gray (1945) – Best Supporting Actress – Motion
Picture
- The
Manchurian Candidate (1962) – Best Supporting Actress – Motion
Picture
- Best
Actress – Television Series, Drama for Murder, She Wrote (1984,
1986, 1989, 1991)
Lansbury received 18 Primetime Emmy nominations,
including 12 consecutive nods for Murder, She Wrote,
and was one of the few performers nominated across all four major “EGOT”
awards.
10. Shirley MacLaine – 6 Golden Globes
Shirley MacLaine’s six Golden Globes span from
classic cinema to later dramatic turns.
Her wins include:
- The
Trouble with Harry (1954) – New Star of the Year – Actress
- Special
Achievement Award (1958)
- The
Apartment (1960) – Best Actress – Motion Picture, Comedy or
Musical
- Irma
la Douce (1963) – Best Actress – Motion Picture, Comedy or
Musical
- Terms
of Endearment (1983) – Best Actress – Motion Picture, Drama
- Madame
Sousatzka (1988) – Best Actress – Motion Picture, Drama
MacLaine received the Cecil B. DeMille Award in
1998 and later the AFI Life Achievement Award and Kennedy
Center Honors, solidifying her status as one of the last true stars from
Hollywood’s Golden Age.
11. Jack Nicholson – 6 Golden Globes
Jack Nicholson is one of cinema’s most
charismatic and unpredictable leading men, and his six Golden Globes reflect
that stature.
His wins include:
- Chinatown (1974)
– Best Actor – Motion Picture, Drama
- One
Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1976) – Best Actor – Motion Picture,
Drama
- Terms
of Endearment (1984) – Best Actor – Motion Picture, Drama
- Prizzi’s
Honor (1986) – Best Actor – Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy
- As
Good as It Gets (1998) – Best Actor – Motion Picture, Musical or
Comedy
- About
Schmidt (2003) – Best Actor – Motion Picture, Drama
Nicholson is one of only three male actors to win
three Oscars and one of only two performers nominated for Academy
Awards in every decade from the 1960s to the 2000s, making his
Globe haul just one part of a towering awards legacy.
12. Oliver Stone – 6 Golden Globes
Rounding out the list is Oliver Stone, whose six
Golden Globes come from his work as a writer, director and producer.
His wins include:
- Midnight
Express (1979) – Best Screenplay
- Platoon (1987)
– Best Director
- Born
on the Fourth of July (1990) – Best Director, Best Screenplay and
Best Motion Picture – Drama
- JFK (1992)
– Best Director
Stone’s films often tackle controversial American political
topics, and his Globe wins recognise the impact of movies like Platoon, Born
on the Fourth of July and JFK on both cinema and
public debate.
Summary: The Golden Globe Elite
So there you have it — the complete list of Golden
Globe all‑time record holders:
- At
the top: Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks and Barbra Streisand,
with eight wins each, representing decades of consistent
excellence and industry respect.
- Just
behind: Julie Andrews, Jane Fonda and Paul Newman, with seven
wins apiece, shaping both cinema and television through the
second half of the 20th century and beyond.
- Rounding
out the circle: Alan Alda, Nicole Kidman, Angela Lansbury, Shirley
MacLaine, Jack Nicholson and Oliver Stone, each with six wins,
spanning TV comedy, prestige drama, directing and more.
None of these names are one‑hit wonders; they’ve been
recognised over multiple decades, formats and genres, which is
exactly what it takes to become a Golden Globe legend.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Which of these record‑setting careers impresses you the
most? Are you Team Meryl Streep for her 33 nominations and
eight wins, or do you lean toward Tom Hanks, Barbra Streisand or one of the six‑win
icons?
Tell me in the comments — and if you enjoy deep dives into award‑show records and film history, check out the full episode on Cinema Awards Archive, and don’t forget to like, subscribe and hit the bell so you never miss an update.
