You’d think a guy like Tom Hanks has a house overflowing with gold statues. He’s basically the "Dad of Hollywood," after all. We’ve seen him survive a plane crash, storm the beaches of Normandy, and lead a group of toy cowboys. But when you actually sit down and count how many academy awards did tom hanks won, the number might feel a little smaller than his massive reputation suggests.
Honestly, it’s a bit of a head-scratcher.
He has won two Academy Awards. Just two. Both were in the Best Actor category, and they happened back-to-back in the mid-90s. While he’s been nominated a handful of other times, those two years—1993 and 1994—remain the peak of his Oscar glory. It’s a rare feat that most actors can only dream of, yet for someone who has been a top-tier star for four decades, you’d almost expect a double-digit tally.
The Legendary Back-to-Back Wins
Most people remember the big ones. In 1993, Hanks took on the role of Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia. It was a huge deal at the time. He played a gay lawyer fighting both AIDS and a wrongful termination lawsuit. It was raw, it was heartbreaking, and it earned him his first Oscar.
Then came 1994. Forrest Gump.
✨ Don't miss: The Lil Wayne Tracklist for Tha Carter 3: What Most People Get Wrong
You couldn't escape that movie. Between the "box of chocolates" and the running across America, it was a cultural juggernaut. Hanks won again, making him one of only two actors in history to win Best Actor in consecutive years. The only other person to pull that off was Spencer Tracy in the 1930s. Think about that for a second. In nearly 100 years of Oscar history, only two guys have managed to go back-to-back in that category. That’s the kind of air Hanks breathes.
Why Those Two Movies Specifically?
It wasn't just luck. These roles were massive departures from his earlier "funny guy" persona in movies like Splash or Bachelor Party.
- Philadelphia (1993): He lost 30 pounds to look the part. He brought a human face to a crisis that much of Hollywood was still scared to talk about.
- Forrest Gump (1994): He captured a specific kind of innocence that resonated with everyone. It was a technical and emotional masterclass.
The Ones That Got Away
If he has two wins, that means there’s a lot of "almosts." In total, Tom Hanks has been nominated for six Academy Awards. That means he’s walked away empty-handed four times.
His first nomination came for Big in 1988. He played a kid in a man’s body, and while it’s a classic, the Academy usually prefers "serious" drama over body-swap comedies. Later, he was nominated for Saving Private Ryan (1998) and Cast Away (2000). Both times, people thought he was the frontrunner. In Cast Away, he basically carried a two-hour movie by talking to a volleyball. If that doesn't deserve a trophy, what does?
🔗 Read more: Songs by Tyler Childers: What Most People Get Wrong
Then there was a long, weird drought.
He didn't get another nomination until 2020 for A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. He played Mr. Rogers, and he was great, but he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor that time, not the lead. He lost to Brad Pitt.
The Snubs Everyone Talks About
There are a few roles where fans still argue he was robbed of even a nomination.
- Captain Phillips (2013): That final scene in the medical bay? It’s arguably some of the best acting of his entire life. The Academy ignored him entirely that year.
- Sully (2016): He played the "Miracle on the Hudson" pilot with such quiet intensity. Again, no nomination.
- The Post (2017): Playing Ben Bradlee opposite Meryl Streep seemed like Oscar bait, but it didn't land him in the final five.
How He Compares to Other Legends
When you look at the landscape of the Oscars, two wins puts you in a very elite club, but it’s not the top of the mountain. Daniel Day-Lewis has three. Jack Nicholson has three. Meryl Streep has three (and a staggering 21 nominations).
💡 You might also like: Questions From Black Card Revoked: The Culture Test That Might Just Get You Roasted
Hanks is currently tied with legends like Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro, and Marlon Brando. It’s not a bad neighborhood to live in. But because Hanks is so omnipresent in our lives, we tend to inflate his trophy room in our minds.
What’s Left for Tom?
As of 2026, Tom Hanks is still working as hard as ever. He’s moved into more elder-statesman roles. He’s also a massive producer now—his work on miniseries like Band of Brothers and The Pacific has won him a pile of Emmys (seven, to be exact), which are often forgotten when we talk about his Oscar count.
Will he win a third? It’s hard to say. The Academy loves a "comeback" or a "lifetime achievement" vibe for older actors. If he finds a role that really challenges him—something gritty or completely out of character—he could easily find himself back on that stage.
Actionable Takeaway: Tracking the Stats
If you're a film buff or just trying to win a trivia night, keep these numbers in your back pocket. The question of how many academy awards did tom hanks won is usually a trick. People guess four or five because of his fame.
- Total Wins: 2 (Philadelphia, Forrest Gump)
- Total Nominations: 6
- His Streak: Only actor since 1938 to win Best Actor two years in a row.
- The Emmy Factor: If you include his producing and directing, he has significantly more hardware in the TV world than the film world.
The next time you're watching a Hanks marathon, pay attention to the "almosts." Watch Captain Phillips and tell me he didn't deserve at least a nod. Or check out Cast Away again. The gold statues are cool, but the fact that we're still talking about his 30-year-old wins proves that the performances matter way more than the count.
To stay updated on the latest award season buzz and see if Hanks has another run in him, keep an eye on the upcoming fall festival circuits where his newer projects usually debut. You can also track the official Academy Awards Database for historical data on all his previous nods.