<P> As well as the record for total number of acting nominations , Streep holds the record for most Best Actress nominations with 17 , ahead of Katharine Hepburn with 12 and Bette Davis with 10 . Jack Nicholson is the most nominated male performer in the acting categories with 12 nominations . The most Best Actor nominations is nine , for both Spencer Tracy and Laurence Olivier ( Nicholson has eight ) . Thelma Ritter is the most nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category with six , while in the Best Supporting Actor category six actors have each received four nominations , they are Walter Brennan , Claude Rains , Arthur Kennedy , Jack Nicholson , Robert Duvall and Jeff Bridges . The record for most nominations in the acting categories without a win , is eight by Peter O'Toole , followed by Richard Burton with seven , and Deborah Kerr , Thelma Ritter and Glenn Close all with six . Both O'Toole and Kerr did receive the Academy 's Honorary Oscar . </P>
<P> As well as the record for total number of acting nominations , Streep holds the record for most Best Actress nominations with 17 , ahead of Katharine Hepburn with 12 and Bette Davis with 10 . Jack Nicholson is the most nominated male performer in the acting categories with 12 nominations . The most Best Actor nominations is nine , for both Spencer Tracy and Laurence Olivier ( Nicholson has eight ) . Thelma Ritter is the most nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category with six , while in the Best Supporting Actor category six actors have each received four nominations , they are Walter Brennan , Claude Rains , Arthur Kennedy , Jack Nicholson , Robert Duvall and Jeff Bridges . The record for most nominations in the acting categories without a win , is eight by Peter O'Toole , followed by Richard Burton with seven , and Deborah Kerr , Thelma Ritter and Glenn Close all with six . Both O'Toole and Kerr did receive the Academy 's Honorary Oscar . </P>
who is the most nominated male actor in academy history
who is the most nominated male actor in academy history
Jack Nicholson
Jack Nicholson