Steven Spielberg has created timeless classics such as E.T., Jurassic Park, Saving Private Ryan, Schindler's List, and many more. He began his film career in the late 1960s, but he didn't have that much success until the 70s and 80s when he created some of his most famous films. Jaws was his first hit movie and the one that helped him become who he is today. Who knew that a movie about a huge, killer shark would have led to him becoming one of the most successful directors in Hollywood. He only won one major award for it, but it was nominated for a few Oscars.
After that, Spielberg has made a habit out of winning awards for almost every movie he makes, and he's won so many that it's getting hard to keep track. He has even won a few Oscars! Here is a list of all the major awards Steven Spielberg has won for some most famous movies, according to his awards page on IMDb.
7 ‘Jaws’ (1975) - 1 Award
Jaws is one of Steven Spielberg’s oldest films and it was his first big film that began his successful career. Even if you haven’t watched the whole movie, you can tell what it’s about just from its name. According to IMDb, the film is about, “when a killer shark unleashes chaos on a beach community" and "it's up to a local sheriff, a marine biologist, and an old seafarer to hunt the beast down.” There are tons of people in the world who are afraid of sharks, so making a movie about a big, killer shark was the perfect way to get people’s attention. It won three Oscars for Best Sound, Best Film Editing, and Best Original Dramatic Score, but Steven didn’t receive any of those. His only major award was the Guinness World Record Award for First Summer Blockbuster Film in 2005.
6 ‘Lincoln’ (2012) - 6 Awards
Lincoln is one of Steven Spielberg’s newest hit movies. He made history with his movies, so of course he had to make a movie about one of America’s most historical presidents—President Lincoln. According to IMDb, this is what the film is about: “As the American Civil War continues to rage, America's president struggles with continuing carnage on the battlefield as he fights with many inside his own cabinet on the decision to emancipate the slaves.” The movie won two Oscars, but they weren’t for Steven, although he was nominated for two Oscars that year. Luckily for him, he still won six other major awards.
5 ‘Indiana Jones And The Raiders Of The Lost Ark’ (1981) - 6 Awards
Steven Spielberg won the same amount of awards for Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark as he did for Lincoln. According to IMDb, the movie tells this story: “In 1936, archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones is hired by the U.S. government to find the Ark of the Covenant before Adolf Hitler's Nazis can obtain its awesome powers.” The movie, which is also known just as Raiders of the Lost Ark, turned into a popular franchise with four films (the fifth one is coming out in 2022), merchandise, and theme park attractions. It won four Oscars for Best Set Decoration, Best Sound, Best Film Editing, and Best Visual Effects, and Steven was nominated for Best Director.
4 ‘Jurassic Park’ (1993) - 9 Awards
Jurassic Park is another one of Steven Spielberg’s hits that turned into a huge franchise. According to IMDb, the film is about “a pragmatic paleontologist visiting an almost complete theme park is tasked with protecting a couple of kids after a power failure causes the park's cloned dinosaurs to run loose.” The idea of dinosaurs coming back to life and living alongside humans is what made the film and its sequels so popular. There’s a lot of people who love dinosaurs and have wondered what it would be like if they were still alive. Jurassic Park gives them that answer. Plus, the Jurassic Park theme park attractions bring that idea to life. The film won three Oscars for Best Sound, Best Sound Effects Editing, and Best Visual Effects, but Steven did not win any Oscars. He did, however, win other awards for it.
3 ‘E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial’ (1982) - 13 Awards
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial might be Steven Spielberg’s most famous film. According to IMDb, the movie is about “a troubled child [who] summons the courage to help a friendly alien escape Earth and return to his home world.” A lot of people grew up watching E.T. and the titular alien is still a popular character today. Everyone loves the little alien and he looks so believable in the movie that it makes you think he really is real. Although there’s no sequel to the film, it still created a franchise with merchandise and a theme park attraction. The iconic movie won four Oscars for Best Sound, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Effects Editing, and Best Original Score. Steven didn’t win any of them, but he was nominated for Best Picture and Best Director.
2 ‘Saving Private Ryan’ (1998) - 21 Awards (Including 1 Oscar)
Saving Private Ryan is one of Steven Spielberg’s most legendary movies and one that is meaningful to so many Americans, especially those who have served in the military. According to IMDb, the movie's story goes something like this: “following the Normandy Landings, a group of U.S. soldiers go behind enemy lines to retrieve a paratrooper whose brothers have been killed in action.” The movie has won 79 awards in total and Steven received 21 of them, including an Oscar for Best Director.
1 ‘Schindler's List’ (1993) - 29 Awards (Including 2 Oscars)
Even though Jurassic Park, E.T., and Saving Private Ryan might be Steven Spielberg’s most well-known films, his most successful one is Schindler’s List. “Schindler’s List, starring Liam Neeson, in the true story of a German businessman who saves the lives of more than a thousand Polish Jews during the Holocaust,” according to History. The reason it’s so successful is because it’s a true story about a real hero who saved 1,200 people and inspires viewers whenever they watch it. It earned Steven two Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director, which were the first two Oscars he ever received.
