<P> The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) have presented their annual Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, since 1929 . The Academy Awards for Best Actor and Best Actress have been presented since the 1st ceremony, while the awards for Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress have been presented since the 9th ceremony . Of the 919 Academy Award nominees in an acting category, a total of 338 have received two or more acting nominations (167 men, 171 women). Meryl Streep is the most nominated performer in the acting categories, with 21 nominations between 1979 and 2018 . </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> <P> The 185 performers listed below are the 179 who have received three or more Academy Award nominations in the four acting categories plus the six performers who have two wins from two nominations . </P>

Who is the most nominated male actor in academy history