Oscar trivia questions ahead of film's biggest night
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — For movie lovers, Oscar night has been a nearly century-long staple of bringing out the brightest and rewarding the biggest names in show business.
It also is a night filled with predictions, competitions and viewing parties dedicated to dishing out on celebrities. Whether its the fashion, the performances or seeing an old favorite finally achieving recognition.
In preparation for those viewing parties, here are some Academy Awards trivia questions to share with friends and family as you prepare for Hollywood's biggest night.
ANSWER: Katharine Hepburn, with four. The actress received her first award for 'Morning Glory' (1934). In the following years she won Best Actress for 'Guess Who's Coming to Dinner' (1968), 'The Lion in Winter' (1969) and 'On Golden Pond' (1982).
ANSWER: Hattie McDaniel. The actress won Best Supporting Actress in 1940 for her role as Mammy in 1939's 'Gone with the Wind.'
McDaniel was famously not allowed at the Atlanta premiere of the film because it was shown in a whites-only theatre. She also was technically not allowed to attend the awards ceremony, until producer David O. Selznick called in a favor. She was seated in the back of the theatre, away from her fellow nominees, Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable and Olivia de Havilland.
As a bonus trivia: the first Black leading actor performance went to Sidney Poitier for 'Lilies of the Field,' 24 years later.
ANSWER: 'The Holdovers,' with Da'Vine Joy Randolph winning Best Supporting Actress in 2024.
She took home the only trophy of the five nominations that the Alexander Payne-directed film about a curmudgeon all-boy's preparatory school teacher (Paul Giamatti) tasked with watching the misbehaved students stuck at the school over Christmas break earned.
ANSWER: Four. 'It's a Wonderful Life' (1946), 'Miracle on 34th Street' (1947), 'The Bishop's Wife' (1947) and 'The Holdovers' (2023) are the only out-and-out Christmas movies to be nominated for the most coveted prize of them all at the ceremony.
No Christmas-themed movie has won the award for Best Picture.
ANSWER: One, so far. 'The Silence of the Lambs' (1993) is to date the only movie in the horror genre to have taken home the top prize.
As a bonus trivia, six other horror films have been nominated for Best Picture throughout the Oscars' 97-year history. Those include: 'The Exorcist' (1973), 'Jaws' (1975), 'The Sixth Sense' (1999), 'Black Swan' (2010), 'Get Out' (2017) and one of this year's nominees, 'The Substance' (2024).
ANSWER: Glenn Close and Peter O'Toole, both with 8 nominations and no win.
O'Toole was given the Honorary Oscar by the Academy for lifetime achievement in 2003, though it is not a competitive category.
ANSWER: 'Shrek' (2001).
While many animated films were nominated and won in other categories decades before the DreamWorks classic about the cantankerous ogre was released, the specific 'animated feature' category was not introduced until the 2002 ceremony.
ANSWER: Parasite (2019).
Directed by Bong Joon-ho, this comedy-thriller about a lower-class family literally sneaking their way to the top won four awards, making history by being the first Korean and non-English film to win Best Picture.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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