Who Won Best Director Academy Awards?

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Academy Award: Best Director

From Frank Borzage in 1929 to Christopher Nolan in 2024, the Academy Awards have recognized outstanding achievement by movie directors throughout the years. Multiple winners of the Best Director Oscar have included Frank Capra, John Ford, Clint Eastwood, Steven Spielberg and Alejandro G. Inarritu.

2024 (96th)
Christopher NolanOppenheimer
Oppenheimer
Other Nominees: Justine Triet (Anatomy Of A Fall); Martin Scorsese (Killers Of The Flower Moon); Yorgos Lanthimos (Poor Things); Jonathan Glazer (The Zone Of Interest)
2023 (95th)
Daniel Kwan & Daniel ScheinertEverything Everywhere All At Once
Everything Everywhere All At Once
Other Nominees: Martin McDonagh (The Banshees Of Inisherin); Steven Spielberg (The Fabelmans); Todd Field (Tar); Ruben Ostlund (Triangle Of Sadness)
2022 (94th)
Jane CampionThe Power Of The Dog
The Power Of The Dog
Other Nominees: Kenneth Branagh (Belfast); Ryusuke Hamaguchi (Drive My Car); Paul Thomas Anderson (Licorice Pizza); Steven Spielberg (West Side Story)
2021 (93rd)
Chloe ZhaoNomadland
Nomadland
Other Nominees: Thomas Vinterberg (Another Round); David Fincher (Mank); Lee Isaac Chung (Minari); Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman)
2020 (92nd)
Bong Joon-hoParasite
Parasite
Other Nominees: Martin Scorsese (The Irishman); Todd Phillips (Joker); Sam Mendes (1917); Quentin Tarantino (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood)
2019 (91st)
Alfonso CuarónRoma
Roma
Other Nominees: Yorgos Lanthimos (The Favourite), Spike Lee(BlacKkKlansman), Adam McKay (Vice), Paweł Pawlikowski (Cold War)
2018 (90th)
Guillermo del ToroThe Shape Of Water
The Shape Of Water
Other Nominees: Paul Thomas Anderson (Phantom Thread); Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird); Christopher Nolan (Dunkirk); Jordan Peele (Get Out)
2017 (89th)
Damien ChazelleLa La Land
La La Land
Other Nominees: Mel Gibson (Hacksaw Ridge); Barry Jenkins (Moonlight); Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester by the Sea); Denis Villeneuve (Arrival)
Year      
2016 Alejandro G. Inarritu (The Revenant) The Revenant
2015 Alejandro G. Inarritu (Birdman) Birdman
2014 Alfonso Cuaron (Gravity) Gravity
2013 Ang Lee (Life Of Pi) Life Of Pi
2012 Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist) The Artist
2011 Tom Hooper (The King's Speech) The King's Speech
2010 Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker) The Hurt Locker
2009 Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire) Slumdog Millionaire
2008 Joel & Ethan Coen (No Country For Old Men) No Country For Old Men
2007 Martin Scorsese (The Departed) The Departed
2006 Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain) Brokeback Mountain
2005 Clint Eastwood (Million Dollar Baby) Million Dollar Baby
2004 Peter Jackson (The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King) The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King
2003 Roman Polanski (The Pianist) The Pianist
2002 Ron Howard (A Beautiful Mind) A Beautiful Mind
2001 Steven Soderbergh (Traffic) Traffic
2000 Sam Mendes (American Beauty) American Beauty
1999 Steven Spielberg (Saving Private Ryan) Saving Private Ryan
1998 James Cameron (Titanic) Titanic
1997 Anthony Minghella (The English Patient) The English Patient
1996 Mel Gibson (Braveheart) Braveheart
1995 Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump) Forrest Gump
1994 Steven Spielberg (Schindler's List) Schindler's List
1993 Clint Eastwood (Unforgiven) Unforgiven
1992 Jonathan Demme (The Silence Of The Lambs) The Silence Of The Lambs
1991 Kevin Costner (Dances With Wolves) Dances With Wolves
1990 Oliver Stone (Born On The Fourth Of July) Born On The Fourth Of July
1989 Barry Levinson (Rain Man) Rain Man
1988 Bernardo Bertolucci (The Last Emperor) The Last Emperor
1987 Oliver Stone (Platoon) Platoon
1986 Sydney Pollack (Out Of Africa) Out Of Africa
1985 Milos Forman (Amadeus) Amadeus
1984 James L. Brooks (Terms Of Endearment) Terms Of Endearment
1983 Richard Attenborough (Gandhi) Gandhi
1982 Warren Beatty (Reds) Reds
1981 Robert Redford (Ordinary People) Ordinary People
1980 Robert Benton (Kramer vs. Kramer) Kramer vs. Kramer
1979 Michael Cimino (The Deer Hunter) The Deer Hunter
1978 Woody Allen (Annie Hall) Annie Hall
1977 John G. Avildsen (Rocky) Rocky
1976 Milos Forman (One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest) One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
1975 Francis Ford Coppola (The Godfather Part II) The Godfather Part II
1974 George Roy Hill (The Sting) The Sting
1973 Bob Fosse (Cabaret) Cabaret
1972 William Friedkin (The French Connection)  
1971 Franklin J Shaffner (Patton)  
1970 John Schlesinger Midnight Cowboy  
1969 Carol Reed Oliver!  
1968 Mike Nichols The Graduate  
1967 Fred Zinnemann A Man For All Seasons A Man For All Seasons
1966 Robert Wise The Sound Of Music The Sound Of Music
1965 George Cukor My Fair Lady My Fair Lady
1964 Tony Richardson Tom Jones  
1963 David Lean Lawrence Of Arabia Lawrence Of Arabia
1962 Robert Wise & Jerome Robbins West Side Story West Side Story
1961 Billy Wilder The Apartment  
1960 William Wyler Ben-Hur Ben-Hur
1959 Vincente Minnelli Gigi  
1958 David Lean The Bridge On The River Kwai The Bridge On The River Kwai
1957 George Stevens Giant  
1956 Delbert Mann Marty Marty
1955 Elia Kazan On The Waterfront  
1954 Fred Zinnemann From Here To Eternity  
1953 John Ford The Quiet Man  
1952 George Stevens A Place In The Sun  
1951 Joseph L Mankiewicz All About Eve All About Eve
1950 Joseph L Mankiewicz A Letter To Three Wives  
1949 John Huston The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre  
1948 Elia Kazan Gentleman's Agreement  
1947 William Wyler The Best Years Of Our Lives  
1946 Billy Wilder The Lost Weekend  
1945 Leo McCarey Going My Way  
1944 Michael Curtiz Casablanca Casablanca
1943 William Wyler Mrs. Miniver Mrs. Miniver
1942 John Ford How Green Was My Valley  
1941 John Ford The Grapes Of Wrath  
1940 Victor Fleming Gone With The Wind Gone With The Wind
1939 Frank Capra You Can't Take It With You You Can't Take It With You
1938 Leo McCarey The Awful Truth  
1937 Frank Captra Mr Deeds Goes To Town  
1936 John Ford The Informer The Informer
1935 (7th) Frank Capra It Happened One Night It Happened One Night
1934 (6th) Frank Lloyd Cavalcade Cavalcade
1932 (5th) Frank Borzage Bad Girl  
1931 (4th) Norman Taurog Skippy  
1930 (3rd) Lewis Milestone All Quiet On The Western Front  
1930 (2nd) Frank Lloyd The Divine Lady  
1929 (1st) -Comedy Lewis Milestone Two Arabian Nights  
1929 (1st) -Drama Frank Borzage 7th Heaven 7th Heaven