Best Director Oscar Winners & Nomination History
The AwardWentTo archive contains 481 Academy Award records for Best Director, including 97 wins, across 97 film years (1928/29–2025).
Years follow the source film eligibility/dataset year, which may differ from the ceremony calendar year. Counts describe film-linked archive records, including historical and special-award context where supplied.
Archive film years: 1927–2025. Leave either field blank to include the earliest or latest available year.
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Winner history
97 winning records in the selected film-year range. Follow a year to see its other category results.
| Film year | Film | Credited nominee / recipient |
|---|---|---|
| Film year2025 | FilmOne Battle after Another IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientPaul Thomas Anderson |
| Film year2024 | FilmAnora IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientSean Baker |
| Film year2023 | FilmOppenheimer IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientChristopher Nolan |
| Film year2022 | FilmEverything Everywhere All at Once IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientDaniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert |
| Film year2021 | FilmThe Power of the Dog IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientJane Campion |
| Film year2020 | FilmNomadland IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientChloé Zhao |
| Film year2019 | FilmParasite IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientBong Joon Ho |
| Film year2018 | FilmRoma IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientAlfonso Cuarón |
| Film year2017 | FilmThe Shape of Water IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientGuillermo del Toro |
| Film year2016 | FilmLa La Land IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientDamien Chazelle |
| Film year2015 | FilmThe Revenant IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientAlejandro G. Iñárritu |
| Film year2014 | FilmBirdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientAlejandro G. Iñárritu |
| Film year2013 | FilmGravity IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientAlfonso Cuarón |
| Film year2012 | FilmLife of Pi IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientAng Lee |
| Film year2011 | FilmThe Artist IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientMichel Hazanavicius |
| Film year2010 | FilmThe King's Speech IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientTom Hooper |
| Film year2009 | FilmThe Hurt Locker IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientKathryn Bigelow |
| Film year2008 | FilmSlumdog Millionaire IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientDanny Boyle |
| Film year2007 | FilmNo Country for Old Men IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientJoel Coen and Ethan Coen |
| Film year2006 | FilmThe Departed IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientMartin Scorsese |
| Film year2005 | FilmBrokeback Mountain IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientAng Lee |
| Film year2004 | FilmMillion Dollar Baby IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientClint Eastwood |
| Film year2003 | FilmThe Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientPeter Jackson |
| Film year2002 | FilmThe Pianist IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientRoman Polanski |
| Film year2001 | FilmA Beautiful Mind IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientRon Howard |
| Film year2000 | FilmTraffic IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientSteven Soderbergh |
| Film year1999 | FilmAmerican Beauty IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientSam Mendes |
| Film year1998 | FilmSaving Private Ryan IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientSteven Spielberg |
| Film year1997 | FilmTitanic IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientJames Cameron |
| Film year1996 | FilmThe English Patient IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientAnthony Minghella |
| Film year1995 | FilmBraveheart IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientMel Gibson |
| Film year1994 | FilmForrest Gump IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientRobert Zemeckis |
| Film year1993 | FilmSchindler's List IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientSteven Spielberg |
| Film year1992 | FilmUnforgiven IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientClint Eastwood |
| Film year1991 | FilmThe Silence of the Lambs IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientJonathan Demme |
| Film year1990 | FilmDances With Wolves IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientKevin Costner |
| Film year1989 | FilmBorn on the Fourth of July IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientOliver Stone |
| Film year1988 | FilmRain Man IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientBarry Levinson |
| Film year1987 | FilmThe Last Emperor IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientBernardo Bertolucci |
| Film year1986 | FilmPlatoon IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientOliver Stone |
| Film year1985 | FilmOut of Africa IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientSydney Pollack |
| Film year1984 | FilmAmadeus IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientMilos Forman |
| Film year1983 | FilmTerms of Endearment IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientJames L. Brooks |
| Film year1982 | FilmGandhi IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientRichard Attenborough |
| Film year1981 | FilmReds IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientWarren Beatty |
| Film year1980 | FilmOrdinary People IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientRobert Redford |
| Film year1979 | FilmKramer vs. Kramer IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientRobert Benton |
| Film year1978 | FilmThe Deer Hunter IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientMichael Cimino |
| Film year1977 | FilmAnnie Hall IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientWoody Allen |
| Film year1976 | FilmRocky IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientJohn G. Avildsen |
| Film year1975 | FilmOne Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientMilos Forman |
| Film year1974 | FilmThe Godfather Part II IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientFrancis Ford Coppola |
| Film year1973 | FilmThe Sting IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientGeorge Roy Hill |
| Film year1972 | FilmCabaret IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientBob Fosse |
| Film year1971 | FilmThe French Connection IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientWilliam Friedkin |
| Film year1970 | FilmPatton IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientFranklin J. Schaffner |
| Film year1969 | FilmMidnight Cowboy IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientJohn Schlesinger |
| Film year1968 | FilmOliver! IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientCarol Reed |
| Film year1967 | FilmThe Graduate IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientMike Nichols |
| Film year1966 | FilmA Man for All Seasons IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientFred Zinnemann |
| Film year1965 | FilmThe Sound of Music IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientRobert Wise |
| Film year1964 | FilmMy Fair Lady IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientGeorge Cukor |
| Film year1963 | FilmTom Jones IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientTony Richardson |
| Film year1962 | FilmLawrence of Arabia IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientDavid Lean |
| Film year1961 | FilmWest Side Story IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientRobert Wise, Jerome Robbins |
| Film year1960 | FilmThe Apartment IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientBilly Wilder |
| Film year1959 | FilmBen-Hur IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientWilliam Wyler |
| Film year1958 | FilmGigi IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientVincente Minnelli |
| Film year1957 | FilmThe Bridge on the River Kwai IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientDavid Lean |
| Film year1956 | FilmGiant IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientGeorge Stevens |
| Film year1955 | FilmMarty IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientDelbert Mann |
| Film year1954 | FilmOn the Waterfront IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientElia Kazan |
| Film year1953 | FilmFrom Here to Eternity IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientFred Zinnemann |
| Film year1952 | FilmThe Quiet Man IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientJohn Ford |
| Film year1951 | FilmA Place in the Sun IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientGeorge Stevens |
| Film year1950 | FilmAll about Eve IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientJoseph L. Mankiewicz |
| Film year1949 | FilmA Letter to Three Wives IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientJoseph L. Mankiewicz |
| Film year1948 | FilmThe Treasure of the Sierra Madre IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientJohn Huston |
| Film year1947 | FilmGentleman's Agreement IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientElia Kazan |
| Film year1946 | FilmThe Best Years of Our Lives IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientWilliam Wyler |
| Film year1945 | FilmThe Lost Weekend IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientBilly Wilder |
| Film year1944 | FilmGoing My Way IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientLeo McCarey |
| Film year1943 | FilmCasablanca IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientMichael Curtiz |
| Film year1942 | FilmMrs. Miniver IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientWilliam Wyler |
| Film year1941 | FilmHow Green Was My Valley IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientJohn Ford |
| Film year1940 | FilmThe Grapes of Wrath IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientJohn Ford |
| Film year1939 | FilmGone with the Wind IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientVictor Fleming |
| Film year1938 | FilmYou Can't Take It with You IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientFrank Capra |
| Film year1937 | FilmThe Awful Truth IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientLeo McCarey |
| Film year1936 | FilmMr. Deeds Goes to Town IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientFrank Capra |
| Film year1935 | FilmThe Informer IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientJohn Ford |
| Film year1934 | FilmIt Happened One Night IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientFrank Capra |
| Film year1932/33 | FilmCavalcade IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientFrank Lloyd |
| Film year1931/32 | FilmBad Girl IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientFrank Borzage |
| Film year1930/31 | FilmSkippy IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientNorman Taurog |
| Film year1929/30 | FilmAll Quiet on the Western Front IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientLewis Milestone |
| Film year1928/29 | FilmThe Divine Lady IMDb | Credited nominee / recipientFrank LloydSource contextNOTE: THIS IS NOT AN OFFICIAL NOMINATION. There were no announcements of nominations, no certificates of nomination or honorable mention, and only the winners (*) were revealed during the awards banquet on April 3, 1930. |
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476 film/year points with available runtime data in the selected range. The chart groups records for the same film and year.
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About these award records
This independent archive groups film-linked award records by film, credited name, category and eligibility year. The film year can differ from the year the ceremony took place. Ceremony numbers are shown where supplied by the records.
Each distinct performance, song or award credit remains a separate record, even when it belongs to the same film. Shared credits stay together. A person's page covers the name shown, without combining aliases or shared credits into a complete career total.
Totals can include honorary, special and historical awards alongside competitive nominations. Awards without a linked film are outside these page totals. Source notes and uncertain records are retained; category comparisons omit groups with unresolved notes, ties or conflicting identities.
For the official record, search the Academy Awards Database (opens in a new tab). Award Went To is an independent exploration tool and is not affiliated with the Academy.