15 Hollywood Siblings Who Both Won Oscars (2024)

In the entertainment industry, celebrity siblings who happen to be doing the same job rarely achieve the same level of success. One usually makes greater strides, forcing the other to live in their shadow. However, in Hollywood, there are several examples of two siblings who both achieved the highest honor — winning an Oscar. Though it could be argued that many of these celebrities are still not equally famous, the fact that they both scooped the most coveted accolade means a lot.

Most of the siblings got the Oscars after working on different projects, while some teamed up and made the family proud. Others worked in totally different eras, one continuing the legacy left by the other. Whatever the dynamics, there is no denying that their stories are truly inspirational, and many family members working in similar arenas will be hoping to emulate them in some form.

15 Shirley MacLaine and Warren Beatty

Best Actress for Terms of Endearment & Best Director for Red

Shirley MacLainescooped Best Actress for her wonderful performance as the widowed mother, Aurora Greenway, in Terms of Endearment. Her brother, Warren Beatty, never scooped a Best Actor award, despite being one of the most celebrated actors who ever lived, but he was awarded the Best Director for his work in the John Reed biopic, Red. Years later, he received one of the Academy's biggest accolades, the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award.

The Siblings' legacy

Beatty remains the most accomplished of the two siblings, having been nominated for 16 Oscars, while MacLaine was nominated for four. Beatty is also the only star ever to be nominated for writing, acting, directing, and producing a movie — a feat he achieved twice, first with Red, and then Heaven Can Wait. Still, there is one area in which MacLaine outperformed her brother: she did much better than him on television, garnering six Emmy nominations, whereas her brother has none.

14 Joan Fontaine and Olivia de Havilland

Best Actress for Suspicion & Best Actress for The Heiress and To Each His Own

Joan Fontaine was the first to get an Oscar. She was perfect in Suspicion, where she played a woman struggling to leave her irresponsible lover. For her performance, she won Best Actress (the only ever-acting Oscar for any Alfred Hitchcock movie). Her sister, Olivia de Havilland, had debuted in Hollywood first, but became successful much later, winning Best Actress for The Heiress and To Each His Own.

The Siblings' legacy

Undoubtedly the best movie star of the ‘40s, Fontaine deserved every award she ever got. Collectively, she had three Oscar nominations in her career. De Havilland did much better, managing six Oscar nominations. Interestingly, the two never got along. According to Entertainment Weekly, they didn't speak for 40 years. Their feud hit its peak at the 1942 Oscars, when they were nominated in the same category. Fontaine won that night, but the two never spoke.

13 Douglas and Norma Shearer

Best Sound Production for The Big House, Naughty Marietta, San Franciso, Strike Up the Band, and The Great Caruso and Best Visual Effects Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo and Green Dolphin Street & Best Actress for The Divorcee

A sound engineer and director by profession, Douglas Shearer won five Oscars for Sound Production for the movies The Big House, Naughty Marietta, San Francisco, Strike Up the Band, and The Great Caruso. He also won Best Visual Effects for Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo and Green Dolphin Street. His sister, Norman Shearer, would go on to win Best Actress for her performance as a scorned wife in The Divorcee.

The Siblings' legacy

Douglas is celebrated for being one of the pioneers of sound in Hollywood. Because of his work, the industry made a smooth transition from the Silent Era. In total, he was nominated for 21 Oscars. Norma did well, too, as she is a five-time Oscar nominee who is largely credited for ushering in and enforcing the feminist era in cinema by starring in many great movies about female empowerment.

Related: Top 10 Movies With the Most Academy Award Wins

12 Ethel and Lionel Barrymore

Best Supporting Actress in None but the Lonely Heart & Best Actor in A Free Soul

Lionel Barrymore was brilliant in the pre-Code movie, A Free Soul, where he played a lawyer defending his daughter’s ex-lover during a murder trial. For his efforts, the Academy awarded him Best Actor. For her part, Ethel Barrymore, won Best Supporting Actress for playing a tough mother to a stubborn man in None but the Lonely Heart.

The Siblings' legacy

For the Barrymore family, it’s all in the blood. Ethel and Lionel are aunt and uncle to Drew Barrymore, who has a couple of Emmy nominations under her belt. However, Ethel can be labeled the most successful one, thanks to her four Oscar nominations and her extensive work in the radio and theater scenes. Because of her stage work, she earned herself the title of “The First Lady of American Theater.”

11 Herman and Joseph Mankiewicz

Best Original Screenplay for Citizen Kane & Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay for A Letter to Three Wives and All About Eve (each)

Herman Mankiewicz won Best Original Screenplay for his writing work in the greatest film of all time, Citizen Kane. That achievement was big enough to make the entire family proud, yet his younger brother, Joseph Mankiewicz, topped it by winning four Oscars, all for directing and writing two films: All About Eve and A Letter to Three Wives.

The Siblings' legacy

Serving as both a writer and director is advantageous, as it always gives a person a chance to win two awards if a movie is good enough. Throughout his career, Joseph was nominated 10 times in the two categories. Herman wasn’t an accolade magnate like his brother, but he had a fruitful career writing screenplays for numerous films. He also penned a few books and wrote for the theater scenes.

10 Alfred and Lionel Newman

Best Original Score for Alexander's Ragtime Band, Tin Pan Alley, The Song of Bernadette, The Song of Bernadette, With a Song in My Heart, Call Me Madam, Love is a Many Splendored Thing, The King and I, and Camelot & Best Original Score for Hello Dolly!

Alfred Newman won a whopping nine Oscars during his lengthy career. His brother, Lionel Newman, was a composer, too, and his sole Oscar win came for his work in the romantic comedy, Hello Dolly! The two come from a family of composers. Their other brother, Emil, made scores for numerous films, and so did their nephews and nieces, Randy Newman, Thomas Newman, David Newman, and Maria Newman.

The Siblings' legacy

Even though he only won a single Oscar, Lionel was nominated 11 times, proving that his win wasn’t a fluke. He truly had what it took to make catchy tunes. Alfred was more consistent and prolific, earning a whopping 45 nominations throughout his career. This makes him the second-most nominated composer in Oscar history, second to only John Williams. He, alongside Dimitri Tiokin, and Max Steiner, are considered the three godfathers of cinema music.

9 Ethan and Joel Coen

Ethan Coen and Joel Coen need no introduction. Commonly referred to as “The Coen Brothers,” the duo is considered one of the best modern-day directors in the world, though Joel mostly does the directing while Ethan does the producing. Together, they have won four Oscars each; two for Fargo, and two for No Country for Old Men.

The Siblings' Legacy

The brothers’ brilliance has never been disputed. Almost every film they have made has been recognized by the Academy in some form, hence the number of Oscars they have been nominated for adds up to 42. Regrettably, the brothers appear to have had a falling out, and Joel is now working on his one. Thankfully, there hasn’t been the feeling of a missing piece. Joel’s most recent solo effort, The Tragedy of Macbeth, was received well.

8 James and William Goldman

Best Adapted Screenplay for The Lion in Winter & Best Original Screenplay for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and Best Adapted Screenplay for All the President's Men

William Goldman has two Oscars to boast. One is a Best Original Screenplay trophy for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and another is a Best Adapted Screenplay trophy for All the President's Men. His brother, James Goldman, won Best Adapted Screenplay for his work in the historical drama, The Lion in Winter.

The Siblings' Legacy

William was the most successful of the two, having not only written scripts for film and television, but also published both children's and adult books. In addition to that, he was awarded the Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement by the Writers Guild of America. James only wrote 10 films before retiring in the late-80s. His brother would continue working for almost 20 more years, leaving behind a larger body of work.

7 Denis and Terry Sanders

Best Short Subject for A Time Out of War and Best Documentary for Czechoslovakia 1968 & Best Documentary for Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision

Denis Sanders won two Academy Awards, first for Best Short Subject for A Time Out of War, which he had also used as the thesis for his master's degree thesis at UCLA, and then Best Documentary for Czechoslovakia 1968. His brother, Terry Sanders, received the Best Documentary Feature Oscar for Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision.

The Siblings' Legacy

The brothers never received any other Oscar nominations, but they are widely acknowledged for making some of the greatest-ever documentary films. Their productions are known for being factual and for having an overabundance of detail. Fans hoping to see what happens when two siblings combine ideas can check out A Time Out of War, which is the only project the two ever worked on together.

6 Richard and Robert Sherman

For the Sherman brothers, Richard and Robert Sherman, it all started with their father, Al, who composed many tunes during the Pan Alley era of American show business. The siblings would then take inspiration from their dad and use their skills in the film industry. The two ended up winning Best Original Score and Best Original Song for Mary Poppins, as well as Best Original Score for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

The Siblings' Legacy

The Sherman brothers have received many of their accolades together, including a National Medal of Arts awarded to them by President George W. Bush. The duo also enjoyed one major benefit that comes with being a music composer, and that’s being recognized by the Recording Academy of the United States too. During their career, they were nominated for nine Grammys, winning two.

5 Todd and Jay Boekelheide

Best Sound for Amadeus & Best Sound Editing for The Right Stuff

Todd Boekelheide’s Oscar means a lot because he won it for a movie about one of the greatest composers who ever lived. Todd won Best Sound for Amadeus while his brother, Jay Boekelheide, won Best Sound Editing a year earlier for The Right Stuff. Interestingly, Todd had also been nominated for Best Sound that same year Never Cry Wolf, but lost.

The Siblings' Legacy

Todd’s influence goes beyond the sound departments of films. He is both a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Oscars) and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (Emmys). Despite getting off to a strong start, his brother, Jay, has been less aggressive, scoring only five films, with his last project coming way back in 1994.

4 Richard and Paul Sylbert

Best Art Direction for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and for Dick Tracy & Best Art Direction for Heaven Can Wait

Richard Sylbert fought in the Korean War before joining Hollywood as a production designer. He would go on to scoop the Best Art Direction Oscar for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, and for Dick Tracy. His brother, Paul Sylbert, got the same award for Heaven Can Wait, giving the family another reason to celebrate.

The Siblings' Legacy

Richard had six Oscar nominations in total, beating his brother in that area. However, Paul was more versatile. He lent his services to films, television shows, stage productions, and commercials, enabling him to have a firmer grasp of everything that involved acting. The two brothers weren’t afraid of working together either. Early in their career, they collaborated on A Face in the Crowd and Baby Doll.

3 Neil and Chris Corbould

Best Visual Effects for Gladiator and Gravity & Best Visual Effects for Inception

Ridley Scott’s Gladiator is remembered for having some of the most glaring movie mistakes, where gas cylinders and a plane appeared in some of the scenes, yet Neil Corbould somehow won an Oscar for Best Visual Effects. He then won a similar award for Gravity (which was more deserving). His brother, Chris Corbould, also scooped that particular trophy for Inception (the most deserving).

The Siblings' Legacy

Apart from the two films mentioned above, Neil has received a nomination for his work in Snow White and the Huntsman. Though the awards have been few, he remains a highly sought-after special effects supervisor. Some of his recent work can be found in Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning – Part One, and Napoleon. Chris has an even larger body of work; he has worked on a whopping 15 James Bond movies as well as several other blockbusters during his lengthy career.

Related: The 25 All-Time Best Picture Oscar Winners, Ranked

2 Christoph and Wolfgang Lauenstein

Best Animated Short for Balance

The Lauenstein twins, Christoph and Wolfgang, scooped Best Animated Short for Balance. Considered one of the most creative films ever made, it follows five people living on a platform that floats in space. Each of them looks the same, except for different numbers on their backs. Unfortunately, the brothers have refrained from coming up with another mind-blowing project of the same kind.

The Siblings' Legacy

The brothers have mostly focused on animation works for advertising, and even though fans might be furious at them for not making more films, it could be presumably because commercials have proved more profitable out of all their endeavors. And since they are now both in their ‘60s, fans shouldn’t remain hopeful about them shifting their strategy back to storytelling.

1 Julius J. and Philip G. Epstein

Julius J. and Philip G. Epstein’s only Oscar came after they did a brilliant job in Casablanca. The two adapted the unproduced stage play, Everybody Comes to Rick's by Murray Burnett and Joan Alison, and because of the near-perfect plot, they won Best Adapted Screenplay. Sadly, Philip died earlier, leaving Julius to continue the work the two had enjoyed together.

The Siblings' Legacy

After his twin brother’s death, Julius received two more Oscar nominations for his writing efforts. He continued to provide his services for numerous studios, earning himself several accolades from other award organizations. Still, the brothers are best remembered for their efforts as a duo. Today, the brilliance of Casablanca remains unmatched, and the duo's legacy will forever be tied to it.