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Edith Head

American costume designer who won a record eight competitive Academy Awards.

Los Angeles, California, United States

Edith Head at a retrospective of her work in 1976

Marianna Diamos / Los Angeles Times / UCLA Library / Wikimedia CommonsSourceCC BY 4.0

Biography

Edith Head was born Edith Claire Posener on 28 October 1897 in California. After teaching languages, she entered film costume design and became one of Hollywood's most influential designers. She won eight competitive Academy Awards, the last for The Sting in 1974, and died on 24 October 1981. American costume designer who won a record eight competitive Academy Awards. In Jewish World Records, Edith Head is connected to the record “Most Academy Awards Won by a Jewish Woman,” based on the stored achievement of 8 competitive Academy Awards. Edith Head holds the lifetime record for the most competitive Academy Awards won by a woman: eight awards for Costume Design. She reached eight with The Sting at the ceremony on 2 April 1974.

Video

Edith Head — biographical video selected and supplied by JWR editor for the record-holder profile.

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Records held by Edith Head

Edith Head at a retrospective of her work in 1976
JWR VerifiedFounding Record
Awards · Academy AwardsMost

Most Academy Awards Won by a Jewish Woman

Record holder

Edith Head

Record value

8 Academy Awards

Edith Head (1897–1981), the Hollywood costume designer born Edith Claire Posener, won eight Academy Awards for Costume Design from 35 nominations—the highest number of Oscars won by a woman. Her eight winning films, with the YEAR OF THE OSCAR CEREMONY (rather than the year of the film's release), were:

Country represented
United States
Achievement location
United States
Achievement date
2 April 1974
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