Oscar statuette ©AMPAS


Winners Only by Category:
Directing

Listed below are the Academy Award winners in the category of Directing (non-winning nominations have been omitted from this list). Click on the name of a film or person in the list to display more information about that film or person. Or, click on a category in the column on the right to display the winners in that category.

1927-28  (1st)

(Comedy Picture)

Winner markerLewis Milestone for Two Arabian Knights, The Caddo Company; United Artists.

(Dramatic Picture)

Winner markerFrank Borzage for 7th Heaven, Fox.

1928-29  (2nd)

Winner markerFrank Lloyd for The Divine Lady, First National.

1929-30  (3rd)

Winner markerLewis Milestone for All Quiet on the Western Front, Universal.

1930-31  (4th)

Winner markerSkippy, Paramount Publix. Norman Taurog.

1931-32  (5th)

Winner markerBad Girl, Fox. Frank Borzage.

1932-33  (6th)

Winner markerCavalcade, Fox. Frank Lloyd.

1934  (7th)

Winner markerIt Happened One Night, Columbia. Frank Capra.

1935  (8th)

Winner markerThe Informer, RKO Radio. John Ford.

1936  (9th)

Winner markerMr. Deeds Goes to Town, Columbia. Frank Capra.

1937  (10th)

Winner markerThe Awful Truth, Columbia. Leo McCarey.

1938  (11th)

Winner markerYou Can’t Take It with You, Columbia. Frank Capra.

1939  (12th)

Winner markerGone with the Wind, Selznick International Pictures; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Victor Fleming.

1940  (13th)

Winner markerThe Grapes of Wrath, 20th Century-Fox. John Ford.

1941  (14th)

Winner markerHow Green Was My Valley, 20th Century-Fox. John Ford.

1942  (15th)

Winner markerMrs. Miniver, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. William Wyler.

1943  (16th)

Winner markerCasablanca, Warner Bros. Michael Curtiz.

1944  (17th)

Winner markerGoing My Way, Paramount. Leo McCarey.

1945  (18th)

Winner markerThe Lost Weekend, Paramount. Billy Wilder.

1946  (19th)

Winner markerThe Best Years of Our Lives, Samuel Goldwyn Productions; RKO Radio. William Wyler.

1947  (20th)

Winner markerGentleman’s Agreement, 20th Century-Fox. Elia Kazan.

1948  (21st)

Winner markerThe Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Warner Bros. John Huston.

1949  (22nd)

Winner markerA Letter to Three Wives, 20th Century-Fox. Joseph L. Mankiewicz.

1950  (23rd)

Winner markerAll About Eve, 20th Century-Fox. Joseph L. Mankiewicz.

1951  (24th)

Winner markerA Place in the Sun, Paramount. George Stevens.

1952  (25th)

Winner markerThe Quiet Man, Argosy Pictures; Republic. John Ford.

1953  (26th)

Winner markerFrom Here to Eternity, Columbia. Fred Zinnemann.

1954  (27th)

Winner markerOn the Waterfront, Horizon-American Corporation; Columbia. Elia Kazan.

1955  (28th)

Winner markerMarty, Hecht and Lancaster’s Steven Productions; United Artists. Delbert Mann.

1956  (29th)

Winner markerGiant, Giant Production; Warner Bros. George Stevens.

1957  (30th)

Winner markerThe Bridge on the River Kwai, A Horizon Pictures Production; Columbia. (UK, USA) David Lean.

1958  (31st)

Winner markerGigi, Arthur Freed Productions, Inc.; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Vincente Minnelli.

1959  (32nd)

Winner markerBen-Hur, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. William Wyler.

1960  (33rd)

Winner markerThe Apartment, The Mirisch Company, Inc.; United Artists. Billy Wilder.

1961  (34th)

Winner markerWest Side Story, Mirisch Pictures, Inc. and B and P Enterprises, Inc.; United Artists. Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins.

1962  (35th)

Winner markerLawrence of Arabia, Horizon Pictures (G.B.), Ltd.-Sam Spiegel-David Lean Production; Columbia. (UK) David Lean.

1963  (36th)

Winner markerTom Jones, Woodfall Production; United Artists-Lopert Pictures. (UK) Tony Richardson.

1964  (37th)

Winner markerMy Fair Lady, Warner Bros. George Cukor.

1965  (38th)

Winner markerThe Sound of Music, Argyle Enterprises Production; 20th Century-Fox. Robert Wise.

1966  (39th)

Winner markerA Man for All Seasons, Highland Films, Ltd. Production; Columbia. (UK) Fred Zinnemann.

1967  (40th)

Winner markerThe Graduate, Mike Nichols-Lawrence Turman Production; Embassy Pictures Corporation. Mike Nichols.

1968  (41st)

Winner markerOliver!, Romulus Films, Ltd. Production; Columbia. (UK) Carol Reed.

1969  (42nd)

Winner markerMidnight Cowboy, Jerome Hellman-John Schlesinger Production; United Artists. John Schlesinger.

1970  (43rd)

Winner markerPatton, 20th Century-Fox. Franklin J. Schaffner.

1971  (44th)

Winner markerThe French Connection, Philip D’Antoni Production in association with Schine-Moore Productions; 20th Century-Fox. William Friedkin.

1972  (45th)

Winner markerCabaret, ABC Pictures Production; Allied Artists. Bob Fosse.

1973  (46th)

Winner markerThe Sting, Universal-Bill/Phillips-George Roy Hill Film Production; Zanuck/Brown Presentation; Universal. George Roy Hill.

1974  (47th)

Winner markerThe Godfather Part II, Coppola Company Production; Paramount. Francis Ford Coppola.

1975  (48th)

Winner markerOne Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Fantasy Films Production; United Artists. Milos Forman.

1976  (49th)

Winner markerRocky, Robert Chartoff-Irwin Winkler Production; United Artists. John G. Avildsen.

1977  (50th)

Winner markerAnnie Hall, Jack Rollins and Charles H. Joffe Production; United Artists. Woody Allen.

1978  (51st)

Winner markerThe Deer Hunter, EMI Films/Michael Cimino Film Production; Universal. Michael Cimino.

1979  (52nd)

Winner markerKramer vs. Kramer, Stanley Jaffe Productions; Columbia. Robert Benton.

1980  (53rd)

Winner markerOrdinary People, Wildwood Enterprises Inc. Production; Paramount. Robert Redford.

1981  (54th)

Winner markerReds, J.R.S. Production; Paramount. Warren Beatty.

1982  (55th)

Winner markerGandhi, Indo-British Film Production; Columbia. (UK, India) Richard Attenborough.

1983  (56th)

Winner markerTerms of Endearment, James L. Brooks Production; Paramount. James L. Brooks.

1984  (57th)

Winner markerAmadeus, Saul Zaentz Company Production; Orion. (USA, France, Czechoslovakia) Milos Forman.

1985  (58th)

Winner markerOut of Africa, Universal Pictures Limited Production; Universal. (USA, UK) Sydney Pollack.

1986  (59th)

Winner markerPlatoon, Hemdale Film Production; Orion. (USA, UK) Oliver Stone.

1987  (60th)

Winner markerThe Last Emperor, Hemdale Film Production; Columbia. (UK, Italy, China, France) Bernardo Bertolucci.

1988  (61st)

Winner markerRain Man, Guber-Peters Company Production; United Artists. Barry Levinson.

1989  (62nd)

Winner markerBorn on the Fourth of July, A. Kitman Ho & Ixtlan Production; Universal. Oliver Stone.

1990  (63rd)

Winner markerDances with Wolves, Tig Production; Orion. (USA, UK) Kevin Costner.

1991  (64th)

Winner markerThe Silence of the Lambs, Strong Heart/Demme Production; Orion. Jonathan Demme.

1992  (65th)

Winner markerUnforgiven, Warner Bros. Production; Warner Bros. Clint Eastwood.

1993  (66th)

Winner markerSchindler’s List, Universal Pictures/Amblin Entertainment Production; Universal. Steven Spielberg.

1994  (67th)

Winner markerForrest Gump, Steve Tisch/Wendy Finerman Production; Paramount. Robert Zemeckis.

1995  (68th)

Winner markerBraveheart, Icon Productions/Ladd Company Production; Paramount. Mel Gibson.

1996  (69th)

Winner markerThe English Patient, Tiger Moth Production; Miramax Films. (USA, UK) Anthony Minghella.

1997  (70th)

Winner markerTitanic, Lightstorm Entertainment Production; 20th Century Fox and Paramount. James Cameron.

1998  (71st)

Winner markerSaving Private Ryan, Amblin Entertainment Production in association with Mutual Film Company; DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures. Steven Spielberg.

1999  (72nd)

Winner markerAmerican Beauty, Jinks/Cohen Company Production; DreamWorks. Sam Mendes.

2000  (73rd)

Winner markerTraffic, Bedford Falls/Laura Bickford Production; USA Films. (USA, Mexico, Germany) Steven Soderbergh.

2001  (74th)

Winner markerA Beautiful Mind, Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment Production; Universal and DreamWorks. Ron Howard.

2002  (75th)

Winner markerThe Pianist, R. P. Productions, Heritage Films, Studio Babelsberg, Runtime LTD. Production; Focus Features. (UK, France, Poland, Germany) Roman Polanski.

2003  (76th)

Winner markerThe Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Wingnut Films Production; New Line. (New Zealand, USA) Peter Jackson.

2004  (77th)

Winner markerMillion Dollar Baby, Warner Bros. Pictures Production; Warner Bros. Clint Eastwood.

2005  (78th)

Winner markerBrokeback Mountain, River Road Entertainment Production; Focus Features. (USA, Canada) Ang Lee.

2006  (79th)

Winner markerThe Departed, Warner Bros. Pictures Production; Warner Bros. Martin Scorsese.

2007  (80th)

Winner markerNo Country for Old Men, Scott Rudin/Mike Zoss Production; Miramax and Paramount Vantage. Joel Coen and Ethan Coen.

2008  (81st)

Winner markerSlumdog Millionaire, Celador Films Production; Fox Searchlight. (UK, India) Danny Boyle.

2009  (82nd)

Winner markerThe Hurt Locker, Voltage Pictures Production; Summit Entertainment. Kathryn Bigelow.

2010  (83rd)

Winner markerThe King’s Speech, See-Saw Films and Bedlam Production; The Weinstein Company. (UK, USA, Australia) Tom Hooper.

2011  (84th)

Winner markerThe Artist, Le Petite Reine/Studio 37/La Classe Américaine/JD Prod/France 3 Cinéma/Jouror Productions/uFilm Production; The Weinstein Company. (France, Belgium, USA) Michel Hazanavicius.

2012  (85th)

Winner markerLife of Pi, Fox 2000 Pictures Production; 20th Century Fox. (USA, Taiwan, UK, Canada) Ang Lee.

2013  (86th)

Winner markerGravity, A Warner Bros. UK Services Limited Production; Warner Bros. (UK, USA) Alfonso Cuarón.

2014  (87th)

Winner markerBirdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), a New Regency/M Productions/LeGrisbi Production; Fox Searchlight. Alejandro G. Iñárritu.

2015  (88th)

Winner markerThe Revenant, a Regency Enterprises Production; 20th Century Fox. (USA, Hong Kong, Taiwan) Alejandro G. Iñárritu.

2016  (89th)

Winner markerLa La Land, A Black Label Media/TIK Films Limited/Impostor Pictures/Gilbert Films/Marc Platt Productions production; Summit Entertainment. (USA, Hong Kong) Damien Chazelle.

2017  (90th)

Winner markerThe Shape of Water, A Double Dare You Production; Fox Searchlight. Guillermo del Toro.

2018  (91st)

Winner markerRoma, A Netflix/Participant Media/Esperanto-Filmoj Production; Netflix. (Mexico, USA) Alfonso Cuarón.

2019  (92nd)

Winner markerParasite, A Barunson E&A Production; Neon. (South Korea) Bong Joon Ho.

2020  (93rd)

Winner markerNomadland, A Highwayman/Hear/Say Productions/Cor Cordium Production; Searchlight. (Germany, USA) Chloé Zhao.

2021  (94th)

Winner markerThe Power of the Dog, A See-Saw Films/Bad Girl Creek/Max Films in assoc. with Brightstar/The New Zealand Film Commission/Cross City Films/BBC Film Production; Netflix. (UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, USA) Jane Campion.

2022  (95th)

Winner markerEverything Everywhere All at Once, Hot Dog Hands Prod.; A24. Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert.

2023  (96th)

Winner markerOppenheimer, Universal Pictures/Syncopy/Atlas Entertainment Production; Universal. (USA, UK) Christopher Nolan.