Click through our updated visual history of every winner of the Academy Award for Best Director, from the most recent Oscar winner to the very first champion. Gallery updated March 2024.
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Christopher Nolan
Image Credit: Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal Pictures “Oppenheimer” (2023)
The biopic about the life of theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, aka the father of the atomic bomb, received a whopping 13 Oscars this year, more than any other film. Nolan claimed his first career Academy Award for directing the movie that also made nearly $1 billion at the worldwide box office.
2023 Best Director nominees:
Justine Triet (“Anatomy of a Fall”)
Martin Scorsese (“Killers of the Flower Moon”)
Christopher Nolan (“Oppenheimer”)
Yorgos Lanthimos (“Poor Things”)
Jonathan Glazer (“The Zone of Interest”) -
Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert
Image Credit: A24 “Everything Everywhere All at Once” (2022)
The duo received their first career Oscar nominations this year for directing, screenplay and producing the A24 hit about a family who traverses the multiverse. Kwan and Scheinert previously worked on projects like “Swiss Army Man,” “Omniboat: A Fast Boat Fantasia” and “Interesting Ball.”
2022 Best Director nominees:
Martin McDonagh (“The Banshees of Inisherin”)
Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”)
Steven Spielberg (“The Fabelmans”)
Todd Field (“Tár”)
Ruben Östlund (“Triangle of Sadness”) -
Jane Campion
Image Credit: Courtesy Netflix “The Power of the Dog” (2021)
2021 Best Director nominees:
Paul Thomas Anderson (“Licorice Pizza”)
Kenneth Branagh (“Belfast”)
Jane Campion (“The Power of the Dog”)
Ryusuke Hamaguchi (“Drive My Car”)
Steven Spielberg (“West Side Story”) -
Chloe Zhao
Image Credit: Robin Platzer/Twin Images/LFI/Photoshot/Newscom/The Mega Agency “Nomadland” (2020)
Chloe Zhao became first Asian woman, and second woman ever, to win with her film about a group of people living out of vans on the outskirts of society.
2020 Best Director nominees:
Chloe Zhao (“Nomadland”)
Lee Isaac Chung (“Minari”)
Emerald Fennell (“Promising Young Woman”)
David Fincher (“Mank”)
Thomas Vinterberg (“Another Round”) -
Bong Joon Ho
Image Credit: Getty “Parasite” (2019)
Bong Joon Ho won his first Oscar in this category for this social thriller about a poor Korean family that infiltrates an upper class household. He also took home Oscars for writing and producing the Best Picture winner.
2019 Best Director nominees:
Bong Joon Ho (“Parasite”)
Sam Mendes (“1917”)
Todd Phillips (“Joker”)
Martin Scorsese (“The Irishman”)
Quentin Tarantino (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”) -
Alfonso Cuaron
Image Credit: Netflix “Roma” (2018)
Cuaron won his second Oscar in this category for this intimate drama about a housekeeper (Yalitza Aparicio) working for a middle-class family in 1970s Mexico City. He previously won Best Director for “Gravity” (2013).
2018 Best Director Nominees:
Alfonso Cuaron, “Roma”
Spike Lee, “BlacKkKlansman”
Yorgos Lanthimos, “The Favourite”
Adam McKay, “Vice”
Pawel Pawlikowski, “Cold War” -
Guillermo Del Toro
Image Credit: Danielle Levitt for Variety “The Shape of Water” (2017)
Del Toro won Oscars for both directing and producing this Best Picture winner about a mute woman who falls in love with a mysterious sea creature being held in a government facility.
2017 Best Director Nominees:
Paul Thomas Anderson, “Phantom Thread”
Guillermo del Toro, “The Shape of Water”
Greta Gerwig, “Lady Bird”
Christopher Nolan, “Dunkirk”
Jordan Peele, “Get Out” -
Damien Chazelle
Image Credit: Stephen Lovekin/WWD “La La Land” (2016)
At just 32 years old, Chazelle became the youngest director to win in this category, earning his Oscar for his musical romance set in contemporary Los Angeles.
2016 Best Director Nominees:
Damien Chazelle, “La La Land”
Mel Gibson, “Hacksaw Ridge”
Barry Jenkins, “Moonlight”
Kenneth Lonergan, “Manchester By the Sea”
Denis Villeneuve, “Arrival” -
Alejandro G. Inarritu
Image Credit: Michael Buckner/Variety “The Revenant” (2015)
Inarritu became the first director in more than fifty years to win back-to-back Oscars, earning his second trophy for this epic story of a frontiersman (played by Best Actor-winner Leonardo DiCaprio) fighting to survive in the frigid wilderness.
2015 Best Director Nominees:
Lenny Abrahamson, “Room”
Alejandro G. Inarritu, “The Revenant”
Tom McCarthy, “Spotlight”
Adam McKay, “The Big Short”
George Miller, “Mad Max: Fury Road” -
Alejandro G. Inarritu
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “Birdman, or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance” (2014)
Inarritu won the first of two consecutive Oscars in this category for his black comedy about a washed-up Hollywood actor who tries to reignite his career by mounting a Broadway play. The film, which also won Oscars for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay, is famous appearing as if it was shot in a single take.
2014 Best Director Nominees:
Wes Anderson, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Alejandro G. Inarritu, “Birdman, or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance”
Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”
Bennett Miller, “Foxcatcher”
Morton Tyldum, “The Imitation Game” -
Alfonso Cuaron
Image Credit: Rob Latour/Variety “Gravity” (2013)
Cuaron earned Oscars for both Directing and Editing this space thriller, which was both a critical and box office smash. Cuaron became the first Mexican director to win in this category.
2013 Best Director Nominees:
Alfonso Cuaron, “Gravity”
Steve McQueen, “12 Years a Slave”
Alexander Payne, “Nebraska”
David O. Russell, “American Hustle”
Martin Scorsese, “The Wolf of Wall Street” -
Ang Lee
Image Credit: Jake Netter/20th Century Fox “Life of Pi” (2012)
Lee’s second Oscar was for his visually stunning adaptation of Yann Martel’s novel about a young man and a Tiger stranded at sea in a small life boat.
2012 Best Director Nominees:
Michael Haneke, “Amour”
Ang Lee, “Life of Pi”
David O. Russell, “Silver Linings Playbook”
Steven Spielberg, “Lincoln”
Benh Zeitlin, “Beasts of the Southern Wild” -
Michel Hazanavicius
Image Credit: Francois Berthier “The Artist” (2011)
The French director had only made a handful of films before winning for this black-and-white love letter to old Hollywood, which also earned the Oscar for Best Picture and Best Actor.
2011 Best Director Nominees:
Woody Allen, “Midnight in Paris”
Michel Hazanavicius, “The Artist”
Terence Malick, “The Tree of Life”
Alexander Payne, “The Descendants”
Martin Scorsese, “Hugo” -
Tom Hooper
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive/Penske Media “The King’s Speech” (2010)
After winning an Emmy for directing “Elizabeth I,” Hooper returned to the subject of the British monarchy, and won an Oscar for helming this Best Picture winner about the stuttering King George VI.
2010 Best Director Nominees:
Darren Aronofsky, “Black Swan”
Joel and Ethan Coen, “True Grit”
David Fincher, “The Social Network”
Tom Hooper, “The King’s Speech”
David O. Russell, “The Fighter” -
Kathryn Bigelow
Image Credit: Courtesy of Jonathan OlleySummit Entertainment “The Hurt Locker” (2009)
It took 82 years for a woman to win in this category, with Bigelow earning the prize for this Best Picture-winner about a besieged weapons team during the Iraq War.
2009 Best Director Nominees:
Kathryn Bigelow, “The Hurt Locker”
James Cameron, “Avatar”
Lee Daniels, “Precious”
Jason Reitman, “Up in the Air”
Quentin Tarantino “Inglorious Basterds” -
Danny Boyle
Image Credit: Michale Buckner/Variety “Slumdog Millionaire” (2008)
Boyle’s uplifting drama about a boy whose life history helps him win the Indian version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” won a total of eight Oscars, including Best Picture.
2008 Best Director Nominess:
Danny Boyle, “Slumdog Millionaire”
Stephen Daldry, “The Reader”
David Fincher, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
Ron Howard, “Frost/Nixon”
Gus Van Sant, “Milk” -
Ethan and Joel Coen
Image Credit: Michael Buckner/Variety “No Country for Old Men” (2007)
The Coens won Oscars for directing, writing, and producing this gripping adaptation of the novel by Cormac McCarthy. Their win in this category made them only the second directing team to be named as Best Director.
2007 Best Director Nominees:
Paul Thomas Anderson, “There Will Be Blood”
Ethan and Joel Coen, “No Country for Old Men”
Tony Gilroy, “Michael Clayton”
Jason Reitman, “Juno”
Julian Schnabel, “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” -
Martin Scorsese
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “The Departed” (2006)
After four previous nominations for directing such classics as “Taxi Driver,” “Raging Bull,” and “Goodfellas,” Scorsese finally won his Oscar for this brutal crime drama based on an acclaimed film from Hong Kong.
2006 Best Director Nominees:
Clint Eastwood, “Letters from iwo Jima”
Stephen Frears, “The Queen”
Paul Greengrass, “United 93”
Alejandro G. Inarritu, “Babel”
Martin Scorsese, “The Departed” -
Ang Lee
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “Brokeback Mountain” (2005)
Lee, the first non-white director to win in this cateogry, earned his first Oscar for his now-landmark film about the love affair between two ranch hands in the Wyoming mountains.
2005 Best Director Nominees:
George Clooney, “Good Night, and Good Luck”
Paul Haggis, “Crash”
Ang Lee, “Brokeback Mountain”
Bennett Miller, “Capote”
Steven Spielberg, “Munich” -
Clint Eastwood
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “Million Dollar Baby” (2004)
Eastwood earned his second Directing Oscar for this Best Picture-winner about an aging trainer (played by Eastwood) who reluctantly agrees to coach a tenacious female boxer (Best Actress-winner Hilary Swank).
2004 Best Director Nominees:
Clint Eastwood, “Million Dollar Baby”
Taylor Hackford, “Ray”
Mike Leigh, “Vera Drake”
Alexander Payne, “Sideways”
Martin Scorsese, “The Aviator” -
Peter Jackson
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” (2003)
In addition to his win for directing the final installment of the trilogy based on the classic novels by J.R.R. Tolkien, Jackson also earned wins for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. The film made a clean sweep of the Oscars that year, winning all eleven of its nominations.
2003 Best Director Nominees:
Sofia Coppola, “Lost in Translation”
Clint Eastwood, “Mystic River”
Peter Jackson, “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”
Fernando Meirelles, “City of God”
Peter Weir, “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World” -
Roman Polanski
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “The Pianist” (2002)
In a huge upset, the exiled director won the Oscar for this haunting detailing of the Holocaust experiences of Polish pianist Wladyslaw Szpliman as he attempts to survive the Nazi occupation of Warsaw poland.
2002 Best Director Nominees:
Pedro Almodovar, “Talk to Her”
Stephen Daldry, “The Hours”
Rob Marshall, “Chicago”
Roman Polanski, “The Pianist”
Martin Scorsese, “Gangs of New York” -
Ron Howard
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “A Beautiful Mind” (2001)
After being overlooked for 1995’s “Apollo 13,” Howard earned his Oscar for helming this biography of John Nash, the brilliant Nobel Laureate who faced a lifetime struggle with mental illness.
2001 Best Director Nominees:
Robert Altman, “Gosford Park”
Ron Howard, “A Beautiful Mind”
Peter Jackson, “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring”
David Lynch, “Mulholland Drive”
Ridley Scott, “Black Hawk Down” -
Steven Soderbergh
Image Credit: Stewart Cook/REX/Shutterstock “Traffic” (2000)
Soderbergh went into Oscar night with two directing nominations– for “Traffic” and “Erin Brokovich”– but was not expected to win for either. No one was more shocked than Soderbergh when he won for his epic look at the impact of drugs in America and beyond.
2000 Best Director Nominees:
Stephen Daldry, “Billy Elliot”
Ang Lee, “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”
Ridley Scott, “Gladiator”
Steven Soderbergh, “Erin Brockovich”
Steven Soderbergh, “Traffic” -
Steven Soderbergh
Image Credit: Guy Delort/WWD “Traffic” (2000)
Soderbergh went into Oscar night with two directing nominations– for “Traffic” and “Erin Brokovich”– but was not expected to win for either. No one was more shocked than Soderbergh when he won for his epic look at the impact of drugs in America and beyond.
2000 Best Director Nominees:
Stephen Daldry, “Billy Elliot”
Ang Lee, “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”
Ridley Scott, “Gladiator”
Steven Soderbergh, “Erin Brockovich”
Steven Soderbergh, “Traffic” -
Sam Mendes
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “American Beauty” (1999)
Mendes, an acclaimed stage director on both sides of the Atlantic, earned his Oscar for his film debut, a haunting satire about the American middle class.
1999 Best Director Nominees:
Lasse Hallstrom, “The Cider House Rules”
Spike Jonze, “Being John Malkovich”
Michael Mann, “The Insider”
Sam Mendes, “American Beauty”
M. Night Shyamalan, “The Sixth Sense” -
Steven Spielberg
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “Saving Private Ryan” (1998)
Spielberg’s second Oscar came only five years after his epic World War II-drama, which included a 20-minute opening sequence that is often called one of the greatest battle sequences in the history of cinema.
1998 Best Director Nominees:
Roberto Benigni, “Life Is Beautiful”
John Madden, “Shakespeare in Love”
Terrence Malick, “The Thin Red Line”
Steven Spielberg, “Saving Private Ryan”
Peter Weir, “The Truman Show” -
James Cameron
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “Titanic” (1997)
Cameron raised his arms and declared himself “King of the World” when he won his Oscar for his romantic epic centered around the sinking of the famed ocean liner.
1997 Best Director Nominees:
James Cameron, “Titanic”
Peter Cattaneo, “The Full Monty”
Atom Egoyan, “The Sweet Hereafter”
Curtis Hanson, “L.A. Confidential”
Gus Van Sant, “Good Will Hunting” -
Anthony Minghella
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “The English Patient” (1996)
The British director and playwright, who died in 2008, earned his Oscar for directing this romatic drama about the love affair between a Hungarian count and a British socialite. The film won nine Oscars, including Best Picture.
1996 Best Director Nominees:
Joel Coen, “Fargo”
Milos Forman, “The People vs. Larry Flynt”
Scott Hicks, “Shine”
Mike Leigh, “Secrets and Lies”
Anthony Minghella, “The English Patient” -
Mel Gibson
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “Braveheart” (1995)
In only his second directing effort, Gibson won the Oscar for this Best Picture-winner, a sprawling epic about the fight for Scottish independence from Great Britian.
1995 Best Director Nominees:
Mike Figgis, “Leaving Las Vegas”
Mel Gibson, “Braveheart”
Chris Noonan, “Babe”
Michael Radford, “Il Postino (The Postman)”
Tim Robbins, “Dead Man Walking” -
Robert Zemeckis
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “Forrest Gump” (1994)
The director of such popular films as “Back to the Future” and “Who Framed Roger Rabbit,” Zemeckis earned Oscar gold for his box-office smash about a simple-minded southern man (Best Actor-winner Tom Hanks) who witnesses some of the most iconic moments of the 20th century.
1994 Best Director Nominees:
Woody Allen, “Bullets Over Broadway”
Krzysztof Kieślowski, “Red”
Robert Redford, “Quiz Show”
Quentin Tarantino, “Pulp Fiction”
Robert Zemeckis, “Forrest Gump” -
Steven Spielberg
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “Schindler’s List” (1993)
It was a suprise to nobody when Spielberg won his long-overdue first Oscar for his unflinching and beautiful Holocaust drama, which has since been regarded as one of the great American films of all time.
1993 Best Director Nominees:
Robert Altman, “Short Cuts”
Jane Campion, “The Piano”
James Ivory, “The Remains of the Day”
Jim Sheridan, “In the Name of the Father”
Steven Spielberg, “Schindler’s List” -
Clint Eastwood
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “Unforgiven” (1992)
After almost four decades in Hollywood, Eastwood won his first Oscar for directing this dark western about a reformed outlaw who is lured back to his dark past. Eastwood also earned a nomination for Best Actor that year.
1992 Best Director Nominees:
Robert Altman, “The Player”
Martin Brest, “Scent of a Woman”
Clint Eastwood, “Unforgiven”
James Ivory, “Howard’s End”
Neil Jordan, “The Crying Game” -
jonathan-demme-Fairchild-ArchivePenske-Media
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive/Penske Media “The Silence of the Lambs” (1991)
Demme’s now-classic thriller is one of only three films to win in the top five categories at the Oscars: Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, and Screenplay.
1991 Best Director Nominees:
Jonathan Demme, “The Silence of the Lambs”
Barry Levinson, “Bugsy”
Ridley Scott, “Thelma and Louise’
John Singleton, “Boyz n the Hood”
Oliver Stone, “JFK” -
Kevin Costner
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “Dances with Wolves” (1990)
Costner, in his debut as a driector, won for this epic Western about a Union soldier who gradually becomes a part of a tribe of Lacota Indians. The film won a total of seven Oscars, including Best Picture.
1990 Best Director Nominees:
Francis Ford Coppola, “The Godfather Part III”
Kevin Costner, “Dances with Wolves”
Stephen Frears, “The Grifters”
Barbet Schroeder, “Reversal of Fortune”
Martin Scorsese, “Goodfellas” -
Oliver Stone
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “Born on the Fourth of July” (1989)
Stone’s second directing Oscar came for this biographical film about Ron Kovic, a paralyzed Vietnam veteran who evolves to become a noted anti-war activist.
1989 Best Director Nominees:
Woody Allen, “Crimes and Misdemeanors”
Kenneth Branagh, “Henry V”
Jim Sheridan, “My Left Foot”
Oliver Stone, “Born on the Fourth of July”
Peter Weir, “Dead Poets Society” -
Barry Levinson
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “Rain Man” (1988)
Four Oscars, including Best Picture and Director, went to Levinson’s popular drama about the relationship between an Autistic savant (Best Actor Dustin Hoffman) and his manipulative brother (Tom Cruise). The film was the highest-grossing movie of 1988.
1988 Best Director Nominees:
Charles Crichton, “A Fish Called Wanda”
Barry Levinson, “Rain Man”
Mike Nichols, “Working Girl”
Alan Parker, “Mississippi Burning”
Martin Scorsese, “The Last Temptation of Christ” -
Bernardo Bertolucci
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “The Last Emperor” (1987)
The Italian director’s epic about the last emperor of China had a clean sweep of the 1987 Oscars, winning in all nine categories in which it was nominated.
1987 Best Director Nominees:
Bernardo Bertolucci, “The Last Emperor”
John Boorman, “Hope and Glory”
Lasse Hallstrom, “My Life as a Dog”
Norman Jewison, “Moonstruck”
Adrian Lyne, “Fatal Attraction” -
Oliver Stone
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “Platoon” (1986)
After winning an Oscar for his screenplay of “Midnight Express,” Stone won his first directing Oscar for this dark examination of the Vietnam War, which earned a number of Oscars, including Best Picture.
1986 Best Director Nominees:
Woody Allen, “Hannah and Her Sisters”
James Ivory, “A Room with a View”
Roland Joffe, “The Mission”
David Lynch, “Blue Velvet”
Oliver Stone, “Platoon” -
Sydney Pollack
Image Credit: Fairchild Publishing/WWD “Out of Africa” (1985)
After directing such classics as “The Way We Were” and “Tootsie,” Pollack earned an Oscar for directing this epic romance about a wealthy Danish author’s adventures in the wilds of Africa.
1985 Best Director Nominees:
Hector Babenco, “Kiss of the Spider Woman”
John Huston, “Prizzi’s Honor”
Akira Kurosawa, “Ran”
Sydney Pollack, “Out of Africa”
Peter Weir, “Witness” -
Milos Forman
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “Amadeus” (1984)
Forman (pictured above with producer Saul Zaentz) won his second Oscar for this historical drama which fictionalized the rivalry between composers Antonio Salieri and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The film won a total of eight Oscars, including Best Picture.
1984 Best Director Nominees:
Woody Allen, “Broadway Danny Rose”
Robert Benton, “Places in the Heart”
Milos Forman, “Amadeus”
Roland Joffe, “The Killing Fields”
David Lean, “A Passage to India” -
james-l-brooks-Michael-BucknerDeadline
Image Credit: Michael Buckner/Deadline “Terms of Endearment” (1983)
The creative voice behind such television classics as “Taxi,” “The Simpsons,” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” Brooks won Oscars for writing, directing, and producing this drama about the turbulent relationship between a mother and daughter.
1983 Best Director Nominees:
Bruce Beresford, “Tender Mercies”
Ingmar Bergman, “Fanny and Alexander”
James L. Brooks, “Terms of Endearment”
Mike Nichols, “Silkwood”
Peter Yates, “The Dresser” -
Richard Attenborough
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive/WWD “Gandhi” (1982)
Attenborough spent almost two decades trying to bring the story of Mohatma Gandhi to the screen. The resulting film earned eight Oscars, including Best Picture.
1982 Best Director Nominees:
Richard Attenborough, “Gandhi”
Sidney Lumet, “The Verdict”
Wolfgang Petersen, “Das Boot”
Sydney Pollack, “Tootsie”
Steven Spielberg, “ET: The Extra-terrestrial” -
Warren Beatty
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “Reds” (1981)
After earning multiple nominations for acting, producing, and writing, Beatty earned his first, and to date, only Oscar for directing this three-hour epic about socialist journalist John Reed.
1981 Best Director Nominees:
Warren Beatty, “Reds”
Hugh Hudson, “Chariots of Fire”
Louis Malle, “Atlantic City”
Mark Rydell, “On Golden Pond”
Steven Spielberg, “Raiders of the Lost Ark” -
Robert Redford
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “Ordinary People” (1980)
Redford, the star of such classics as “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” and “The Sting,” won his Oscar for his directorial debut, a haunting portrait of a family in crisis after suffering a tragic loss.
1980 Best Director Nominees:
David Lynch, “The Elephant Man”
Roman Polanski, “Tess”
Robert Redford, “Ordinary People”
Richard Rush, “The Stunt Man”
Martin Scorsese, “Raging Bull” -
Robert Benton
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “Kramer vs. Kramer” (1979)
Benton won Oscars for both directing and writing this emotional drama, which also won acting Oscars for stars Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep.
1979 Best Director Nominees:
Robert Benton, “Kramer vs. Kramer”
Francis Ford Coppola, “Apocalypse Now”
Bob Fosse, “All That Jazz”
Edouard Molinaro, “La Cage aux Folles”
Peter Yates, “Breaking Away” -
Michael Cimino
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “The Deer Hunter” (1978)
Cimino co-wrote and directed this Best Picture-winner about a group of friends whose lives are shattered following their tours of duty in Vietnam. Cimino went on to direct ‘Heaven’s Gate,” one the costliest disasters in film history.
1978 Best Director Nominees:
Woody Allen, “Interiors”
Hal Ashby, “Coming Home”
Warren Beatty/Buck Henry, “Heaven Can Wait”
Michael Cimino, “The Deer Hunter”
Alan Parker, “Midnight Express” -
Woody Allen
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “Annie Hall” (1977)
Allen wrote, directed, and starred in this romantic comedy about a failed relationship. Allen won in a directing race that included George Lucas (“Star Wars”) and Steven Spielberg (“Close Encounters of the Third Kind”).
1977 Best Director Nominees:
Woody Allen, “Annie Hall”
George Lucas, “Star Wars”
Herbert Ross, “The Turning Point”
Steven Spielberg, “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”
Fred Zinnemann, “Julia” -
John G. Avildsen
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “Rocky” (1976)
Avildsen earned his Oscar for directing the classic boxing film, which was the highest-grossing film of the year and made Sylvester Stallone a bona fide star.
1976 Best Director Nominees:
John G. Avildsen, “Rocky”
Ingmar Bergman, “Face to Face”
Sidney Lumet, “Network”
Alan J. Pakula, “All the President’s Men”
Lina Wertmuller, “Seven Beauties” -
Milos Forman
Image Credit: WWD “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1975)
An important filmmaker in his native Czechoslovakia, Forman’s second American film, an adaptation of the acclaimed novel by Ken Kesey, is one of only three films to ever win Oscar in the top five categories: Picture, Actor, Actress, Director, and Screenplay.
1975 Best Director Nominees:
Robert Altman, “Nashville”
Federico Fellini, “Amarcord”
Milos Forman, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”
Stanley Kubrick, “Barry Lyndon”
Sidney Lumet, “Dog Day Afternoon” -
Francis Ford Coppola
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “The Godfather Part II” (1974)
After losing the Best Director Oscar for the first “Godfather” film, Coppola took the prize for the film’s sequel, the first sequel to ever win the Best Picture Oscar.
1974 Best Director Nominees:
John Cassavetes, “A Woman Under the Influence”
Francis Ford Coppola, “The Godfather Part II”
Bob Fosse, “Lenny”
Roman Polanski, “Chinatown”
Francois Truffaut, “Day for Night” -
George Roy Hill
Image Credit: Roman Salicki/WWD “The Sting” (1973)
Hill’s entertaining caper film brought him his first Oscar win after earning a previous nomination for 1969’s “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.”
1973 Best Director Nominees:
Ingmar Bergman, “Cries and Whispers”
Bernardo Bertolucci, “Last Tango in Paris”
William Friedkin, “The Exorcist”
George Roy Hill, “The Sting”
George Lucas, “American Graffiti” -
Bob Fosse
Image Credit: Kobal Collection “Cabaret” (1972)
Fosse was a surprise winner in this category for his reimagining of the classic stage musical by John Kander and Fred Ebb. The film holds the record for most Oscar wins–eight– without winning Best Picture.
1972 Best Director Nominees:
John Boorman, “Deliverance”
Francis Ford Coppola, “The Godfather”
Bob Fosse, “Cabaret”
Joseph L. Mankiewicz, “Sleuth”
Jan Troell, “The Emigrants” -
William Friedkin
Image Credit: Michael Buckner/Variety “The French Connection” (1971)
Friedkin’s gritty crime drama about two narcotics detective tracking a wealthy French heroin smuggler was the first R-rated film to win Best Picture.
1971 Best Director Nominees:
Peter Bigdanovich, “The Last Picture Show”
William Friedkin, “The French Connection”
Norman Jewison, “Fiddler on the Roof”
Stanley Kubrick, “A Clockwork Orange”
John Schlesinger, “Sunday Bloody Sunday” -
Franklin J. Schaffner
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “Patton” (1970)
After earning a number of Emmys directing television, Schaffner earned an Oscar for directing this epic biography of General George S. Patton, the accomplished but controversial World War II figure.
1970 Best Director Nominees:
Robert Altman, “M.A.S.H.”
Federico Fellini, “Fellini Satyricon”
Arthur Hiller, “Love Story”
Ken Russell, “Women in Love”
Franklin J. Schaffner, “Patton” -
John Schlesinger
Image Credit: Michel Marou/WWD “Midnight Cowboy” (1969)
Schlesinger’s drama about the unlikely friendship between a male prostitute and a con man was the first and only X-rated film to win the Best Picture Oscar.
1969 Best Director Nominees:
Costa-Gavras, “Z”
George Roy Hill, “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”
Arthur Penn, “Alice’s Restaurant”
Sydney Pollack, “They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?”
John Schlesinger, “Midnight Cowboy” -
Carol Reed
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “Oliver” (1968)
Film critic Pauline Kael called this adaptation superior to the stage musical on which it was based. Oscar voters agreed, awarding it five Oscars, including Best Picture.
1968 Best Director Nominees:
Anthony Harvey, “The Lion in Winter”
Stanley Kubrick, “2001: A Space Odyssey”
Gillo Pontecorvo, “The Battle of Algiers”
Carole Reed, “Oliver”
Franco Zeffirelli, ” Romeo and Juliet” -
Mike Nichols
Image Credit: Sal Traina/WWD “The Graduate” (1967)
After succeding as a comedian and Tony-winning stage director, Nichols earned Oscar gold for this box-office hit, a coming-of-age- comedy about a college student’s transition into an uncertain adulthood.
1967 Best Director Nominees:
Richard Brooks, “In Cold Blood”
Norman Jewison, “In the Heat of the Night”
Stanley Kramer, “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner”
Mike Nichols, “The Graduate”
Arthur Penn, “Bonnie and Clyde” -
Fred Zinnemann
Image Credit: Guy Marineau/WWD “A Man for All Seasons” (1966)
Zinnemann’s fourth career Oscar– and his second for directing a feature– came for this sweeping adapation of the acclaimed play about Sir Thomas More’s conflicts with Henry VIII.
1966 Best Director Nominees:
Michelangelo Antonioni, “Blowup”
Richard Brooks, “The Professionals”
Claude Lelouch, “A Man and a Woman”
Mike Nichols, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”
Fred Zinnemann, “A Man for All Seasons” -
Robert Wise
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “The Sound of Music” (1965)
The beloved adaptation of the popular Rodgers & Hammerstein musical earned Wise his second Best Director Oscar.
1965 Best Director Nominess:
David Lean, “Doctor Zhivago”
John Schlesinger, “Darling”
Hiroshi Teshigahara, “The Dunes”
Robert Wise, “The Sound of Music”
William Wyler, “The Collector” -
George Cukor
Image Credit: Public Domain “My Fair Lady” (1964)
After four previous nominations, Cukor won his first Oscar for directing the adaptation of Lerner & Lowe’s popular stage musical, istelf an adaptation of the classic play, “Pygmalion.”
1964 Best Director Nominees:
Michael Cacoyannis, “Zorba the Greek”
George Cukor, “My Fair Lady”
Peter Glenville, “Becket”
Stanley Kubrick, “Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb”
Robert Stevenson, “Mary Poppins” -
Tony Richardson
Image Credit: Tim Jenkins/WWD “Tom Jones” (1963)
Part of the “New Wave” of British directors, Rchardson won his Oscar for his adaptation of the classic novel by Henry Fielding. The film also earned five acting nominations, including three nods in the Supporting Actress race.
1963 Best Director Nominees:
Federico Fellini, “8 1/2”
Elia Kazan, “America America”
Otto Preminger, “The Cardinal”
Tony Richardson, “Tom Jones”
Martin Ritt, “Hud” -
David Lean
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “Lawrence of Arabia” (1962)
Lean’s second directing Oscar came for this sprawling historical epic based on the life of famed archeologist and military officer T.E. Lawrence.
1962 Best Director Nominees:
Pietro Germi, “Divorce Italian Style”
David Lean, “Lawrence of Arabia”
Robert Mulligan, “To Kill a Mockingbird”
Arthur Penn, “The Miracle Worker”
Frank Perry, “David and Lisa” -
Jerome Robbins/Robert Wise
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “West Side Story” (1961)
For the first time in Oscar history, a team won the award for Best Director, something that would only happen one other time. Wise and Robbins won the Oscar for the film adaptation of the classic musical by Leonard Bernstein.
1961 Best Director Nominees:
Federico Fellini, “La Dolce Vita”
Stanley Kramer, “Judgement at Nuremberg”
Robert Rossen, “The Hustler”
J. Lee Thompson, “The Guns of Navarone”
Jerome Robbins/Robert Wise, “West Side Story” -
Billy Wilder
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “The Apartment” (1960)
Wilder became the first person to win Oscars for producing, directing, and writing, winning here for his classic romantic comedy which starred Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine.
1960 Best Director Nominees:
Jack Cardiff, “Sons and Lovers”
Jules Dassin, “Never on Sunday”
Alfred Hitchcock, “Psycho”
Billy Wilder, “The Apartment”
Fred Zinnemann, “The Sundowners” -
William Wyler
Image Credit: Alan Berliner/WWD “Ben-Hur” (1959)
Wyler won his third directing Oscar for this historical epic, which is one of the highest-grossing films of all time and won a record-setting eleven Oscars.
1959 Best Director Nominees:
Jack Clayton, “Room at the Top”
George Stevens, “The Diary of Anne Frank”
Billy Wilder, “Some Like It Hot”
William Wyler, “Ben-Hur”
Fred Zinnemann, “The Nun’s Story” -
Vincente Minnelli
Image Credit: Public Domain “Gigi” (1958)
The popular director of stage and movie musicals– and the father of Liza Minnelli– earned his Oscar for this charming music featuring songs by the composing team of Lerner and Lowe.
1958 Best Director Nominees:
Richard Brooks, “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”
Stanley Kramer, “The Defiant Ones”
Vincente Minnelli, “Gigi”
Mark Robson, “The Inn of the Sixth Happiness”
Robert Wise, “I Want to Live!” -
David Lean
Image Credit: Alan Berliner/WWD “The Bridge on the River Kwai” (1957)
Lean won his first Oscar for Best Director for this drama about a group of captured British soldiers in Japan during World War II.
1957 Best Director Nominees:
David Lean, “The Bridge on the River Kwai”
Joshua Logan, “Sayonara”
Sidney Lumet, “12 Angry Men”
Mark Robson, “Peyton Place”
Billy Wilder, “Witness for the Prosecution” -
George Stevens
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “Giant” (1956)
Stevens earned his second Oscar for directing this epic drama which starred Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, and James Dean in his final screen performance.
1956 Best Director Nominees:
Michael Anderson, “Around the World in 80 Days”
Walter Lang, “The King and I”
George Stevens, “Giant”
King Vidor, “War and Peace”
William Wyler, “Friendly Persuasion” -
Delbert Mann
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “Marty” (1955)
After directing the television play of the same name, Mann made his big-screen debut directing the film version, which earned him the Oscar. Mann later became president of the Director’s Guild.
1955 Best Director Nominees:
Elia Kazan, “East of Eden”
David Lean, “Summertime”
Joshua Logan, “Picnic”
Delbert Mann, “Marty”
John Sturges, “Bad Day at Black Rock” -
Elia Kazan
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “On the Waterfront” (1954)
Kazan’s second Oscar came for this exploration of union corruption and violence among a group of New Jersey longshoremen.
1954 Best Director Nominees:
Alfred Hitchcock, “Rear Window”
Elia Kazan, “On the Waterfront”
George Seaton, “The Country Girl”
William A. Wellman, “The High And the Mighty”
Billy Wilder, “Sabrina” -
Fred Zinnemann
Image Credit: Public Domain “From Here to Eternity” (1953)
This romantic drama which follows a group of American soldiers during the lead-up to Pearl Harbor won Zinnemann his first Oscar for Best Director. He had earned previous Oscars for his work on short films and documentaries.
1953 Best Director Nominees:
George Stevens, “Shane”
Charles Walters, “Lili”
Billy Wilder, “Stalag 17”
William Wyler, “Roman Holiday”
Fred Zinnemann, “From Here to Eternity” -
John Ford
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “The Quiet Man” (1952)
Ford, known mostly for westerns and war films, won a record-setting fourth directing Oscar for this charming comedy set in Ireland.
1952 Best Director Nominees:
Cecil B. DeMille, “The Greatest Show on Earth”
John Ford, “The Quiet Man”
John Huston, “Moulin Rouge”
Joseph L. Mankiewicz, “5 Fingers”
Fred Zinnemann, “High Noon” -
George Stevens
Image Credit: Margaret Herrick Library “A Place in the Sun” (1951)
Stevens won his first Oscar for this adaptation of the classic 1925 novel by Theodore Dreiser about a middle class man caught between two women.
1951 Best Director Nominees:
John Huston, “The African Queen”
Elia Kazan, “A Streetcar Named Desire”
Vincente Minnelli, “An American in Paris”
George Stevens, “A Place in the Sun”
William Wyler, “Detective Story” -
Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “All About Eve” (1950)
Mankiewicz’s second consecutive directing Oscar– a feat that would not be repeated until 2016– came for this classic drama about an aging star and an overzealous fan.
1950 Best Director Nominees:
George Cukor, “Born Yesterday”
John Huston, “Asphalt Jungle”
Joseph L. Mankiewicz, “All About Eve”
Carol Reed, “The Third Man”
Billy Wilder, “Sunset Boulevard” -
Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Image Credit: Public Domain “A Letter to Three Wives” (1949)
Mankiewicz won his first of two consecutive Oscars for this romantic drama involving three women and a mystery involving one of the women’s husbands.
1949 Best Director Nominees:
Joseph L. Mankiewicz, “A Letter to Three Wives”
Carol Reed, “The Fallen Idol”
Robert Rossen, “All the Kings’s Men”
William A. Wellman, “Battleground”
William Wyler, “The Heiress” -
John Huston
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre” (1948)
Huston not only won Oscars for writing and directing the classic western; his father, Walter Huston, also took home the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
1948 Best Director Nominees:
John Huston, “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre”
Anatole Litvak, “The Snake Pit”
Jean Negulesco, “Johnny Belinda”
Laurence Olivier, “Hamlet”
Fred Zinnemann, “The Search” -
Elia Kazan
Image Credit: Public Domain “Gentleman’s Agreement” (1947)
Kazan, a founder of the famed Actor’s Studio, earned his first Oscar for directing this Best Picture-winner about antisemitism in America.
1947 Best Director Nominees:
George Cukor, “A Double Life”
Edward Dmytryk, “Crossfire”
Elia Kazan, “Gentleman’s Agreement”
Henry Koster, “The Bishop’s Wife”
David Lean, “Great Expectations” -
William Wyler
Image Credit: Public Domain “The Best Years of Our Lives” (1946)
Wyler’s second came for his wartime drama about a trio of soldiers who have trouble adjusting to life after returning home from World War II.
1946 Best Director Nominees:
Clarence Brown, “The Yearling”
Frank Capra, “It’s a Wonderful Life”
Alfred Hitchcock, “Spellbound”
David Lean, “Brief Encounter”
Robert Siodmak, “The Killers”
William Wyler, “The Best Years of Our Lives” -
Billy Wilder
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “The Lost Weekend” (1945)
Wilder’s first Oscar wins were for directing and co-writing the adaptation of the novel about an alcoholic writer.
1945 Best Director Nominees:
Clarence Brown, “National Velvert”
Alfred Hitchcock, “Spellbound”
Leo McCarey, “The Bells of St. Mary’s”
Jean Renoir, “The Southerner”
Billy Wilder, “The Lost Weekend” -
Leo McCarey
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “Going My Way” (1944)
McCarey’s second Oscar win was for this charming musical drama about a young priest taking over a parish from a grizzled older priest.
1944 Best Director Nominees:
Alfred Hitchcock, “Lifeboat”
Henry King, “Wilson”
Leo McCarey, “Going My Way”
Otto Preminger, “Laura”
Billy Wilder, “Double Indemnity” -
Michael Curtiz
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “Casablanca” (1943)
The Hungarian-born Curtiz earned his Oscar for what is often called one of the greatest films of all time, a romantic drama about the goings-on in a Morrocan nightclub during World War II.
1943 Best Director Nominees:
Clarence Brown, “The Human Comedy”
Michael Curtiz, “Casablanca”
Henry King, “The Song of Bernadette”
Ernst Lubitsch, “Heaven Can Wait”
George Stevens, “The More the Merrier” -
William Wyler
Image Credit: Public Domain “Mrs. Miniver” (1942)
The first of Wyler’s three Oscar wins in this category came for this drama about the impact of World War II on a small British farming community. Wyler is the only director in Oscar history to direct three Best Picture winners.
1942 Best Director Nominees:
Michael Curtiz, “Yankee Doodle Dandy”
John Farrow, “Wake Island”
Mervyn LeRoy, “Random Harvest”
Sam Wood, “Kings Row”
William Wyler, “Mrs. Miniver” -
John Ford
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “How Green Was My Valley” (1941)
Beating out Orson Welles for “Citizen Kane,” Ford won his third directing Oscar– and his second in a row– for this Best Picture-winner about a Welsh mining family during the 1800’s.
1941 Best Director Nominees:
John Ford, “How Green Was My Valley”
Alexander Hall, “Here Comes Mr. Jordan”
Howard Hawks, “Sergeant York”
Orson Welles, “Citizen Kane”
William Wyler, “The Little Foxes” -
John Ford
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “The Grapes of Wrath” (1940)
Ford’s second of four Best Director wins was for this haunting adaptation of the classic John Steinbeck novel about a struggling family during the Great Depression.
1940 Best Director Nominees:
George Cukor, “The Philadelphia Story”
John Ford, “The Grapes of Wrath”
Alfred Hitchcock, “Rebecca”
Sam Wood, “Kitty Foyle”
William Wyler, “The Letter” -
Victor Fleming
Image Credit: Public Domain “Gone with the Wind” (1939)
After replacing director George Cukor during filming, Fleming took home the Oscar for the classic Civil War-epic, but he is equally well-known for directing an even more-beloved classic: “The Wizard of Oz.”
1939 Best Director Nominees:
Frank Capra, “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington”
Victor Fleming, “Gone with the Wind”
John Ford, “Stagecoach”
Sam Wood, “Goodbye, Mr. Chips”
William Wyler, “Wuthering Heights” -
Frank Capra
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “You Can’t Take It With You” (1938)
Capra won this third Oscar in five years for this adaptation of the classic stage comedy by Kaufman and Hart; it was also the highest-grossing film of 1938.
1938 Best Director Nominees:
Frank Capra, “You Can’t Take It with You”
Michael Curtiz, “Angels with Dirty Faces”
Michael Curtiz, “Four Daughters”
Norman Taurog, “Boys Town”
King Vidor, “The Citadel” -
Leo McCarey
Image Credit: Public Domain “The Awful Truth” (1937)
Although this screwball comedy earned McCarey his first Oscar, he reportedly said that he believed his other 1937 release, “Make Way for Tomorrow,” was the superior film.
1937 Best Director Nominees:
William Dieterle, “The Life of Emile Zola”
Sidney Franklin, “The Good Earth”
Gregory La Cava, “Stage Door”
Leo McCarey, “The Awful Truth”
William A. Wellman, “A Star Is Born” -
Frank Capra
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “Mr. Deeds Goes to Town” (1936)
Capra’s second of three Oscars in five years came for this rags-to-riches comedy which earned Gary Cooper his first Oscar nomination.
1936 Best Director Nominees:
Frank Capra, “Mr. Deeds Goes to Town”
Gregory La Cava, “My Man Godfrey”
Robert Z. Leonard, “The Great Ziegfeld”
W.S. Van Dyke, “San Francisco”
William Wyler, “Dodsworth” -
John Ford
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “The Informer” (1935)
The first of Ford’s four Oscars in this category– a record that has yet to be beaten– was for this drama about set against Ireland’s struggle for independence.
1935 Best Director Nominees:
John Ford, “The Informant”
Henry Hathaway, “The Lives of a Bengal Lancer”
Frank Lloyd, “Mutiny on the Bounty” -
Frank Capra
Image Credit: Public Domain “It Happened One Night” (1934)
Capra’s first Oscar in five years was for this screwball comedy, the first movie to ever win all of the top five Oscars: Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, and Screenplay.
1934 Best Director Nominees:
Frank Capra, “It Happened One Night”
Victor Schertzinger, “One Night of Love”
W.S. Van Dyke, “The THin Man” -
Frank Lloyd
Image Credit: Public Domain “Cavalcade” (1933)
Lloyd’s second Oscar came for this adaptation of the play by Noel Coward about an upper-class couple and their relationships against the backdrop of some to the critical moments of the first quarter of the 20th century.
1933 Best Director Nominees:
Frank Capra, “Lady for a Day”
George Cukor, “Little Women”
Frank Lloyd, “Cavalcade” -
Frank Borzage
Image Credit: Public Domain “Bad Girl” (1931)
Borzage’s second Oscar came for this drama about the daily struggles of ordinary people.
1931 Best Director Nominees:
Frank Borzage, “Bad Girl”
King Vidor, “The Champ”
Josef von Sternberg, “Shanghai Express” -
Norman Taurog
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “Skippy” (1930)
At just 32, Taurog was the youngest winner ever in this category, a record that held until Damien Chazelle broke it in 2016 with his win for “La La Land.”
1930 Best Director Nominees:
Clarence Brown, “A Free Soul”
Lewis Milestone, “The Front Page”
Wesley Ruggles, “Cimarron”
Norman Taurog, “Skippy”
Josef von Sternberg, “Morocco” -
Lewis Milestone
Image Credit: Public Domain “All Quiet on the Western Front” (1929)
Milestone earned his Oscar directing this adaptation of the classic novel by Erich Maria Remarque about a German soldiers experiences during World War I.
1929 Best Director Nominees:
Clarence Brown, “Anna Christie”
Clarence Brown, “Romance”
Robert Z. Leonard, “The Divorcee”
Ernst Lunitsch, “The Love Parade”
Lewis Milestone, “All Quiet on the Western Front”
King Vidor, “Hallelujah!” -
Frank Lloyd
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “The Divine Lady” (1929)
As the rules allowed as such, Lloyd received nominations for three separate films in 1929. His win can for this silent comedy-musical is the first, and to date, only film to ever win Best Director without being nominated for Best Picture.
1929 Best Director Nominations:
Lionel Barrymore, “Madame X”
Henry Beaumont, “The Broadway Melody”
Irving Cummings, “In Old Arizona”
Frank Lloyd, The Divine Lady”
Frank Lloyd, “Drag”
Frank Lloyd, “Weary River”
Ernst Lubitsch, “The Patriot” -
Frank Borzage/Lewis Milestone
Image Credit: Courtesy Image “7th Heaven/”Two Arabian Nights” (1927/1928)
At the first Oscar ceremony, directors of comedy were honored apart from those in drama. Both Milestone and Borzage would go on to win additional Oscars, and the separation of comedy and drama would be discontinued the following year.
1927/1928 Best Director Nominees:
Frank Borzage, “7th Heaven” (Drama)
Herbert Brenon, “Sorrell and Son” (Drama)
Lewis Milestone, “Two Arabian Nights” (Comedy)
King Vidor, “The Crowd” (Drama)
Ted Wilde, “Speedy” (Comedy) -
More Oscar Photo Galleries
Image Credit: AMPAS Every Oscar winner for Best Picture
Every Oscar winner for Best Director
Every Oscar winner for Best Actor
Every Oscar winner for Best Actress
Every Oscar winner for Best Supporting Actor
Every Oscar winner for Best Supporting Actress
Musicals that won Best Picture
Westerns that won Best Picture
Tom O’Neil: My Top 25 Oscar Best Picture Winners of All Time
