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)

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

(Dramatic Picture)

Frank Borzage for 7th Heaven, Fox.

1928-29  (2nd)

Frank Lloyd for The Divine Lady, First National.

1929-30  (3rd)

Lewis Milestone for All Quiet on the Western Front, Universal.

1930-31  (4th)

Skippy, Paramount Publix. Norman Taurog.

1931-32  (5th)

Bad Girl, Fox. Frank Borzage.

1932-33  (6th)

Cavalcade, Fox. Frank Lloyd.

1934  (7th)

It Happened One Night, Columbia. Frank Capra.

1935  (8th)

The Informer, RKO Radio. John Ford.

1936  (9th)

Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, Columbia. Frank Capra.

1937  (10th)

The Awful Truth, Columbia. Leo McCarey.

1938  (11th)

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

1939  (12th)

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

1940  (13th)

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

1941  (14th)

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

1942  (15th)

Mrs. Miniver, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. William Wyler.

1943  (16th)

Casablanca, Warner Bros. Michael Curtiz.

1944  (17th)

Going My Way, Paramount. Leo McCarey.

1945  (18th)

The Lost Weekend, Paramount. Billy Wilder.

1946  (19th)

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

1947  (20th)

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

1948  (21st)

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Warner Bros. John Huston.

1949  (22nd)

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

1950  (23rd)

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

1951  (24th)

A Place in the Sun, Paramount. George Stevens.

1952  (25th)

The Quiet Man, Argosy Pictures; Republic. John Ford.

1953  (26th)

From Here to Eternity, Columbia. Fred Zinnemann.

1954  (27th)

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

1955  (28th)

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

1956  (29th)

Giant, Giant Production; Warner Bros. George Stevens.

1957  (30th)

The Bridge on the River Kwai, A Horizon Pictures Production; Columbia. David Lean.

1958  (31st)

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

1959  (32nd)

Ben-Hur, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. William Wyler.

1960  (33rd)

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

1961  (34th)

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

1962  (35th)

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

1963  (36th)

Tom Jones, Woodfall Production; United Artists-Lopert Pictures. Tony Richardson.

1964  (37th)

My Fair Lady, Warner Bros. George Cukor.

1965  (38th)

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

1966  (39th)

A Man for All Seasons, Highland Films, Ltd. Production; Columbia. Fred Zinnemann.

1967  (40th)

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

1968  (41st)

Oliver!, Romulus Films, Ltd. Production; Columbia. Carol Reed.

1969  (42nd)

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

1970  (43rd)

Patton, 20th Century-Fox. Franklin J. Schaffner.

1971  (44th)

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

1972  (45th)

Cabaret, ABC Pictures Production; Allied Artists. Bob Fosse.

1973  (46th)

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

1974  (47th)

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

1975  (48th)

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

1976  (49th)

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

1977  (50th)

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

1978  (51st)

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

1979  (52nd)

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

1980  (53rd)

Ordinary People, Wildwood Enterprises Inc. Production; Paramount. Robert Redford.

1981  (54th)

Reds, J.R.S. Production; Paramount. Warren Beatty.

1982  (55th)

Gandhi, Indo-British Film Production; Columbia. Richard Attenborough.

1983  (56th)

Terms of Endearment, James L. Brooks Production; Paramount. James L. Brooks.

1984  (57th)

Amadeus, Saul Zaentz Company Production; Orion. Milos Forman.

1985  (58th)

Out of Africa, Universal Pictures Limited Production; Universal. Sydney Pollack.

1986  (59th)

Platoon, Hemdale Film Production; Orion. Oliver Stone.

1987  (60th)

The Last Emperor, Hemdale Film Production; Columbia. Bernardo Bertolucci.

1988  (61st)

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

1989  (62nd)

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

1990  (63rd)

Dances with Wolves, Tig Production; Orion. Kevin Costner.

1991  (64th)

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

1992  (65th)

Unforgiven, Warner Bros. Production; Warner Bros. Clint Eastwood.

1993  (66th)

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

1994  (67th)

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

1995  (68th)

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

1996  (69th)

The English Patient, Tiger Moth Production; Miramax Films. Anthony Minghella.

1997  (70th)

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

1998  (71st)

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

1999  (72nd)

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

2000  (73rd)

Traffic, Bedford Falls/Laura Bickford Production; USA Films. Steven Soderbergh.

2001  (74th)

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

2002  (75th)

The Pianist, R. P. Productions, Heritage Films, Studio Babelsberg, Runtime LTD. Production; Focus Features. Roman Polanski.

2003  (76th)

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Wingnut Films Production; New Line. Peter Jackson.

2004  (77th)

Million Dollar Baby, Warner Bros. Pictures Production; Warner Bros. Clint Eastwood.

2005  (78th)

Brokeback Mountain, River Road Entertainment Production; Focus Features. Ang Lee.

2006  (79th)

The Departed, Warner Bros. Pictures Production; Warner Bros. Martin Scorsese.

2007  (80th)

No Country for Old Men, Scott Rudin/Mike Zoss Production; Miramax and Paramount Vantage. Joel Coen and Ethan Coen.

2008  (81st)

Slumdog Millionaire, Celador Films Production; Fox Searchlight. Danny Boyle.

2009  (82nd)

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

2010  (83rd)

The King’s Speech, See-Saw Films and Bedlam Production; The Weinstein Company. Tom Hooper.

2011  (84th)

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

2012  (85th)

Life of Pi, Fox 2000 Pictures Production; 20th Century Fox. Ang Lee.

2013  (86th)

Gravity, A Warner Bros. UK Services Limited Production; Warner Bros. Alfonso Cuarón.

2014  (87th)

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

2015  (88th)

The Revenant, a Regency Enterprises Production; 20th Century Fox. Alejandro G. Iñárritu.

2016  (89th)

La La Land, A Black Label Media/TIK Films Limited/Impostor Pictures/Gilbert Films/Marc Platt Productions production; Summit Entertainment. Damien Chazelle.

2017  (90th)

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

2018  (91st)

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

2019  (92nd)

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

2020  (93rd)

Nomadland, A Highwayman/Hear/Say Productions/Cor Cordium Production; Searchlight. Chloé Zhao.

2021  (94th)

The 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. Jane Campion.

2022  (95th)

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

2023  (96th)

Oppenheimer, Universal Pictures/Syncopy/Atlas Entertainment Production; Universal. Christopher Nolan.

2024  (97th)

Anora, Cre Films Production; Neon. Sean Baker.

2025  (98th)

One Battle After Another, A Ghoulardi Film Company Production; Warner Bros. Paul Thomas Anderson.