Legendary Composer John Williams Continues to Break His Own Oscars Record with 54th Nomination

Mar. 15, 2025

John Williams in Hollywood, California, on June 9, 2016.Photo:David Livingston/Getty Images

David Livingston/Getty Images

John Williamsisn’t slowing down!

The legendary composer, 91, is nominated for Best Original Score at the upcomingAcademy Awards, for his work onIndiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.

The nod marks Williams' 54th total at the Oscars throughout his prolific career — making him still the most-nominated person alive — and continues to cement his place as the oldest person ever to be nominated for a competitive Oscar.

A frequent collaborator ofSteven Spielberg, Williams has won five Oscars: forSchindler’s List,E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,Star Wars,JawsandFiddler on the Roof.

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John Williams at the 66th Academy Awards in Los Angeles on March 21, 1994.Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty

In terms of the most Oscar nominations in history, the composer trails only behindWalt Disney, who received 59 nominations (including 22 total wins), according toForbes.Last year, when Williams received his53rd overall Academy Award nominationfor his work onThe Fabelmans,the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences noted in a press release that he is “to the best of our knowledge” the oldest Oscar nominee in a competitive award category.

“I’m very grateful to the Academy for their kind recognition, and I’m enormously grateful to Steven Spielberg for offering me the opportunity to compose the score for this very special and personal film,” Williams said in a statement at the time, perThe Hollywood Reporter.

And it wouldn’t be the last time Williams would be nominated more than once in a year. He scored three nominations in 1973 for his work scoringCinderella LibertyandTom Sawyer,and also received a Best Song nomination forCinderella Liberty’s “Nice To Be Around.”

John Williams in Los Angeles on Oct. 25, 2003.Carlo Allegri/Getty Images

Carlo Allegri/Getty Images

Most of Williams' work is well-known and highly regarded, as he scored the music for all nineStar Warsfilms, four of the fiveIndiana Jonesmovies and the first threeHarry Potterinstallments.

In 2005, the American Film Institute chose Williams' 1977Star Warscomposition as the greatest American film score of all time. The Library of Congress also entered the soundtrack into the National Recording Registry for being “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.”

Williamsreceived the AFI Life Achievement Awardin 2016, and Spielberg — who has worked with the composer on all but five of his films — praised Williams' career contributions as he presented him with the award.

“Without John Williams, bikes don’t really fly, nor do brooms in Quidditch matches, and nor do men in red capes. There is no Force. Dinosaurs do not walk the Earth. We do not wonder, we do not weep, we do not believe,” Spielberg, 77, said at the time.

source: people.com