Peter Jackson’s The Return of the King won 11 Academy Awards. Released in 2003, it became the concluding film in Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, adapted from J. R. R. Tolkien’s fantasy novel.
The film won every category in which it was nominated, including Best Picture, Best Director for Jackson, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Original Song for “Into the West.” Its other awards recognized cinematography, film editing, visual effects, sound mixing, costume design, makeup, and original score.
Its 11-award total tied the record for the most Oscars won by a single film. The other films with 11 wins were Ben-Hur and Titanic. The Return of the King was also notable because it was the first fantasy film to win Best Picture.
The result is sometimes confused with the trilogy’s overall Oscar performance. Across all three films, The Lord of the Rings received 30 nominations and won 17 awards; The Return of the King alone accounted for all 11 of its nominations.