Who Won Best Director Every Year at the Oscars

In 2024, we’ll be watching the 96th Academy Awards ceremony. That’s right. It’s been 96 years since they began the biggest awards show in Hollywood. There have been a lot of actors, actresses, set designers, writers, and cinematographers who have received incredible honors over the years. While that’s impressive, today, we’re talking about the dreamers who won Best Director every year at the Oscars. These are the folks who had the ideas necessary to bring a story to life, and they did such a good job that they received the ultimate award.

To compile this list of the Best Director every year at the Oscars, 24/7 Tempo consulted various sources, including the Internet Movie Database and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. We also reviewed the films at Box Office Mojo and Rotten Tomatoes to find some interesting facts about the films for which they won. While critics loved these films, we know that audiences don’t always agree. So we invite you to also check out this list of the top movies that audiences love, but critics hate.

1929: Lewis Milestone & Frank Borzage

• Movies: “Two Arabian Knights” & “Seventh Heaven”
• Rotten Tomatoes Scores:
  “Two Arabian Knights” – No Critic’s Score. Audience Score: 64%
  “Seventh Heaven” – 100% Fresh. Audience Score: 84%

This was the first Oscars ceremony, and for the first and only time, there were two winners for Best Director. “Two Arabian Knights” won for best comedy, and “Seventh Heaven” won for the best dramatic picture.

1930: Frank Lloyd

• Movie: “The Divine Lady”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: No Score
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 21%

This was the story of the love affair between Lady Emma Hamilton and Viscount Horatio Nelson. It was a very romantic film, and critics loved it. It was nominated for three awards overall.

1931: Lewis Milestone

• Movie: “All Quiet on the Western Front”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 98% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 89%

Lewis Milestone took the award home for a second time in three years for this epic anti-war film. The 2022 remake was also nominated for Best Picture in 2023 among eight other nominations.

1932: Norman Taurog

• Movie: “Skippy”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 86% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 57%

Next on our list of the Best Director every year at the Oscars is Norman Taurog, whose film “Skippy” made him the youngest director at that time to win the award. A younger director would win in 2016.

1933: Frank Borzage

• Movie: “Bad Girl”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: No Score
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 40%

The film was nominated for three awards. In addition to winning Best Director, it also took home the trophy for Best Writing, Adaption.

1934: Frank Lloyd

• Movie: “Cavalcade“
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 66%
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 27%

Frank Lloyd took home the trophy again for “Cavalcade,” which was an epic film that depicted many serious events of the 20th century, including the Titanic and the beginnings of World War I.

1935: Frank Capra

• Movie: “It Happened One Night”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 98% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 93%

Frank Capra is another director that you will see many times on this list. This first win was paired with Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay.

1936: John Ford

• Movie: “The Informer”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 94%
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 78%

“The Informer” is another movie that really made a big impression at the Academy Awards. It was also nominated for Best Screenplay, Best Original Score, and more.

1937: Frank Capra

• Movie: “Mr. Deeds Goes to Town”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 91%
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 86%

You may have seen the reboot with Adam Sandler, but critics liked the original better. This was the second Best Director win for Frank Capra, and it wouldn’t be the last.

1938: Leo McCarey

• Movie: “The Awful Truth”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 90%
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 87%

This movie, which is about a divorcing couple that can’t stop meddling in each other’s affairs, gave Leo McCarey the Best Director trophy and an award for Carey Grant for Best Supporting Actor.

1939: Frank Capra

• Movie: “You Can’t Take It with You”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 94% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes: Audience Score: 88%

Frank Capra struck again in 1939 with this movie about a man from an uptight family who falls in love with a girl from a wild family. It essentially set up the future of rom coms, and it brought home the award.

1940: Victor Fleming

• Movie: “Gone with the Wind”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 90% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 92%

This is the movie we’ve all heard of before and it won the Oscar for Best Director in 1940. Overall, it was nominated for 10 awards, including being the first time a black actress won an oscar for acting.

1941: John Ford

• Movie: “The Grapes of Wrath”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 100% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 88%

This is another famous movie that was directed by John Ford, for his second directing award. The movie was about The Great Depression, and it made quite an impression.

1942: John Ford

• Movie: “How Green Was My Valley“
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 93% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 81%

John Ford won for the second time in two years with this film about working-class people in the 40s. The biggest shock was that it beat “Citizen Kane” and took home the award for Best Picture.

1943: William Wyler

• Movie: “Mrs. Miniver”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 94% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 84%

It’s another movie about middle-class folks. This time, they’re trying to live life during the height of World War II. Actress Greer Garson blew audiences away, and she took home the trophy for Best Supporting Actress.

1944: Michael Curtiz

• Movie: “Casablanca”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 99% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 95%

The Best Director every year at the Oscars list continues with another major hit. “Casablanca” was a big hit, and it also won Best Screenplay and Best Picture.

1945: Leo McCarey

• Movie: “Going My Way”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 83%
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 74%

In addition to winning Best Director, Best Picture, Best Actor, and more, “Going My Way” was also the highest-growing film of the year. It was an all-around hit.

1946: Billy Wilder

• Movie: “The Lost Weekend”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 97% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 90%

The movie was based on the book of the same name. It’s about a writer who’s a struggling alcoholic who goes on a weekend bender. Apparently, the Academy liked that angle because they also gave it Best Picture.

1947: William Wyler

• Movie: “The Best Years of Our Lives”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 97% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 93%

Wyler directed a great film about veterans dealing with life after World War II. It was a movie that spoke to the American experience, and that’s why it also won Best Picture.

1948: Elia Kazan

• Movie: “Gentleman’s Agreement”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 82% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 78%

This important film was about a reporter who pretends to be Jewish so he can report on a story about anti-Semitism, but he sees first-hand the hatred and bigotry that many face. It resonated with audiences and also took home Best Picture.

1949: John Huston

• Movie: “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 100% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 93%

It’s a fun movie about down-on-their-luck guys who go exploring for gold in Mexico. It was a hit, and it won John Houston the trophy for Best Director and Best Screenplay.

1950: Joseph L. Mankiewicz

• Movie: “A Letter to Three Wives”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 100% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 86%

Next on our grand list of the Best Director every year at the Oscars is Joseph L. Mankiewicz. He made a film about a woman who writes a letter to three wives and informs them that she skipped town with one of their husbands. Critics and audiences loved it, and it won the award.

1951: Joseph L. Mankiewicz

• Movie: “All About Eve”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 99% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 94%

Mankiewicz won twice in a row. This time, for “All About Eve,” a movie about an aspiring actress who’s trying to make it in the business.

1952: George Stevens

• Movie: “A Place in the Sun”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 82%
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 84%

This movie about a love triangle was based on the novel “An American Tragedy,” and director George Stevens perfected it.

1953: John Ford

• Movie: “The Quiet Man”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 91% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 91%

John Ford appears yet again on this list, and this time it’s for “The Quiet Man.” It’s a comedic romance set in Ireland. The film was beautifully shot, which is why it also won Best Cinematography.

1954: Fred Zinnemann

• Movie: “From Here to Eternity”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 88% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 84%

This is one of the most beloved romance films in history, which is why Zinnemann brought home the trophy. Singer Frank Sinatra also won for Best Actor.

1955: Elia Kazan

• Movie: “On the Waterfront”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 99% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 95%

This epic crime drama is often referenced in pop culture, and it started with a 1954 release and a Best Director award for Elia Kazan. Leading actor Marlon Brando won Best Actor.

1956: Delbert Mann

• Movie: “Marty”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 96% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 87%

Believe it or not, “Marty” was the first film that Delbert Mann ever made. In addition to getting Best Director, the film also received Best Actor, Best Picture, and Best Screenplay.

1957: George Stevens

• Movie: “Giant”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 88% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 87%

This film, about a Texas ranching family that’s challenged by changing times, won Stevens the Best Director award. It was also James Dean’s last film, and he earned a posthumous Oscar nomination.

1958: David Lean

• Movie: “The Bridge on the River Kwai”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 96% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 93%

Military and war movies seem to do pretty well during award season, and this film is no exception. The critical darling won Lean Best Director and won six other awards that year.

1959: Vincente Minnelli

• Movie: “Gigi”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 88% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 74%

There are many movies with the name Gigi in the title, but this is the only one on our list of the Best Director every year at the Oscars. The movie was so well received that it won all nine awards for which it was nominated.

1960: William Wyler

• Movie: “Ben-Hur”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 85% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 89%

This movie is most famous for its epic chariot race. However, critics loved every minute and gave Wyler the trophy for Best Director.

1961: Billy Wilder

• Movie: “The Apartment”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 94% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 94%

Billy Wilder strikes again. This time, it was for the romantic comedy “The Apartment,” which went home with four awards that year. It was nominated for 10.

1962: Jerome Robbins & Robert Wise

• Movie: “West Side Story”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 92% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 84%

This is the rare occurrence when two directors win for the same movie, but they pulled it off with this film, which is a Shakespeare adaptation.

1963: David Lean

• Movie: “Lawrence of Arabia”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 94% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 93%

Most movie fans have heard of this masterpiece that combines brilliant acting with amazing cinematography, and it was all put into one incredible package by David Lean.

1964: Tony Richardson

• Movie: “Tom Jones”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 81% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 58%

This book adaptation was one of the biggest comedies of the year. Altogether, it was nominated for 10 Oscars and won four of them, including Best Picture.

1965: George Cukor

• Movie: “My Fair Lady”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 95% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 90%

“My Fair Lady” is one of the most beloved movies of all time. In addition to taking home the Best Director award, it was also the second highest-grossing film of the year.

1966: Robert Wise

• Movie: “The Sound of Music”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 83% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 91%

Speaking of the most memorable films, “The Sound of Music” took the world by storm. Many of its songs are still enjoyed today. Robert Wise won Best Director for putting the whole thing together.

1967: Fred Zinnemann

• Movie: “A Man for All Seasons”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 89% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 87%

This movie, which was adapted from a play of the same name, was pretty epic. It’s about the 16th-century Lord Chancellor of England and his relationship with King Henry VIII.

1968: Mike Nichols

• Movie: “The Graduate”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 86% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 90%

This is another classic movie that made Dustin Hoffman a star. Though it was nominated for seven Oscars, it only won Best Director.

1969: Carol Reed

• Movie: “Oliver!”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 90% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 81%

“Oliver!” is a British film that made the line “Please sir, I want some more” one of the biggest catchphrases ever. That and the cinematography are the reasons why Reed won the award.

1970: John Schlesinger

• Movie: “Midnight Cowboy”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 89% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 88%

Dustin Hoffman stars in yet another winner for Best Director. The movie also took home the trophy for Best Picture.

1971: Franklin J. Schaffner

• Movie: “Patton”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 91% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 93%

Yet again, a war movie brings home the trophy. This time, it’s about WWII hero General George S. Patton, and Schaffner, who knew just how to tell the story, won the award.

1972: William Friedkin

• Movie: “The French Connection”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 96% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 87%

This smart and suspenseful action film helped Friedkin win a much-deserved award.

1973: Bob Fosse

• Movie: “Cabaret”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 92% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 87%

“Cabaret” is considered one of the best musicals of all time. That’s why it’s no surprise that the movie also won Best Original Score.

1974: George Roy Hill

• Movie: “The Sting”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 93% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 95%

This movie starred some of the biggest stars of the day, including Paul Newman and Robert Redford, and this director did a great job with them.

1975: Francis Ford Coppola

• Movie: “The Godfather Part II”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 96% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 97%

It’s not often that a mafia film is nominated for so many awards, but “The Godfather Part II” had 11 nominations, including Best Director.

1976: Miloš Forman

• Movie: “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 93% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 96%

Director Miloš Forman won his first Best Director trophy for this classic film that is also considered to be one of the best of Jack Nicholson’s career.

1977: John G. Avildsen

• Movie: “Rocky”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 92% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 69%

One of the best movies of Sylvester Stallone’s career also won many awards, including one for Best Director for John G. Avildsen.

1978: Woody Allen

• Movie: “Annie Hall”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 97% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 92%

This is one of Woody Allen’s classic films. He also won for Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen.

1979: Michael Cimino

• Movie: “The Deer Hunter”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 86% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 91%

This well-reviewed film featured some of the biggest stars of the day, including Robert De Niro and Meryl Streep.

1980: Robert Brenton

• Movie: “Kramer vs. Kramer”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 89% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 89%

A great entry on this list of the Best Director every year at the Oscars belongs to Robert Brenton, who made this unique movie about divorce.

1981: Robert Redford

• Movie: “Ordinary People”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 89% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 88%

Many people know Robert Redford as an actor, but he also directed this incredible film.

1982: Warren Beatty

• Movie: “Reds”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 90% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 82%

Another actor/director, Warren Beatty, brought home the directing trophy for Reds.

1983: Richard Attenborough

• Movie: “Gandhi”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 89% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 92%

Many people know Richard Attenborough as the old guy who started Jurassic Park, but he also directed this gem.

1984: James L. Brooks

• Movie: “Terms of Endearment”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 82% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 83%

This movie was nominated for 11 awards and brought home five, including Best Director.

1985: Miloš Forman

• Movie: “Amadeus”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 89% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 95%

Miloš Forman strikes again with this movie about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s life.

1986: Sydney Pollack

• Movie: “Out of Africa”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 63%
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 82%

“Out of Africa” also starred Robert Redford and Meryl Streep, so it was destined for greatness.

1987: Oliver Stone

• Movie: “Platoon”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 89% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 93%

Oliver Stone is considered to be one of the best directors of all time, and the drama “Platoon” is one of his best.

1988: Bernardo Bertolucci

• Movie: “The Last Emperor”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 86% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 88%

This movie about the last emperor of China was nominated for nine total Oscars.

1989: Barry Levinson

• Movie: “Rain Man”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 88% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 90%

This road trip comedy/drama starring Tom Cruise won the award for Barry Levinson.

1990: Oliver Stone

• Movie: “Born on the Fourth of July”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 84% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 76%

Oliver Stone won his second Best Director trophy for this anti-war drama that also starred Tom Cruise.

1991: Kevin Costner

• Movie: “Dances with Wolves”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 87% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 87%

This was the first movie that actor Kevin Costner directed, and it was nominated for 12 awards.

1992: Jonathan Demme

• Movie: “The Silence of the Lambs”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 95% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 95%

This cannibalistic drama scared and impressed audiences, and it took home the award.

1993: Clint Eastwood

• Movie: “Unforgiven”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 96% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 93%

Noticing a trend here? Another actor-turned-director won Best Director for this drama.

1994: Steven Spielberg

• Movie: “Schindler’s List”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 98% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 97%

This is just one of many awards for the incredible director Steven Spielberg.

1995: Robert Zemeckis

• Movie: “Forrest Gump”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 71%
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 95%

Tom Hanks blew audiences away in this excellent film that also won him a trophy for Best Actor in a Leading Role.

1996: Mel Gibson

• Movie: “Braveheart”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 76% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 85%

Gibson became an incredible director, and this war film is only one of many great films.

1997: Anthony Minghella

• Movie: “The English Patient”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 86% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 83%

This is considered to be one of the most romantic movies of all time, and that’s why it was nominated for 12 Oscars.

1998: James Cameron

• Movie: “Titanic”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 88% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 69%

“Titanic” was a national phenomenon that also became one of the highest-grossing films.

1999: Steven Spielberg

• Movie: “Saving Private Ryan”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 94% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 95%

Spielberg strikes again in this incredibly realistic war film.

2000: Sam Mendes

• Movie: “American Beauty”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 87% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 93%

“American Beauty” was beloved by critics, and it made $350 million on a $15 million budget.

2001: Steven Soderbergh

• Movie: “Traffic”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 93% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 85%

This movie about the war on drugs was a critical darling, and it got Soderbergh the Oscar.

2002: Ron Howard

• Movie: “A Beautiful Mind”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 74% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 93%

Ron Howard has proved to be an incredible director, and “A Beautiful Mind” is just one of his gems.

2003: Roman Polanski

• Movie: “The Pianist”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 95% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 96%

Divisive director Roman Polanski is on our list of the Best Director every year at the Oscars for his work on The Pianist.

2004: Peter Jackson

• Movie: “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 94% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 86%

This epic story had a lot of moving parts, and director Peter Jackson did a great job with the material.

2005: Clint Eastwood

• Movie: “Million Dollar Baby”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 90% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 90%

Eastwood strikes again with this boxing drama starring Hillary Swank.

2006: Ang Lee

• Movie: “Brokeback Mountain”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 88% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 82%

This movie divided audiences, but the Academy awarded it with Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay.

2007: Martin Scorsese

• Movie: “The Departed”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 91% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 94%

Martin Scorsese can make great crime thrillers, and this one got him the Best Director award.

2008: Joel and Ethan Coen

• Movie: “No Country for Old Men”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 93% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 86%

This is one of many Coen Brothers masterpieces and the book adaptation was a hit at the Oscars.

2009: Danny Boyle

• Movie: “Slumdog Millionaire”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 91% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 90%

This movie went from the film festival to the mainstream and won the award.

2010: Kathryn Bigelow

• Movie: “The Hurt Locker”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 97% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 84%

This military film is the first time that a woman won for Best Director!

2011: Tom Hooper

• Movie: “The King’s Speech”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 94% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 92%

“The King’s Speech” was a worldwide phenomenon, and it had 12 nominations.

2012: Michel Hazanavicius

• Movie: “The Artist”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 95% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 87%

This was a bit of an artistic film, which is right up the Academy’s alley. So, it won.

2013: Ang Lee

• Movie: “Life of Pi”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 86% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 84%

The “The Life of Pi” was a fantastical movie that starred real animals. It impressed the Academy and won Best Director.

2014: Alfonso Cuarón

• Movie: “Gravity”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 96% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 79%

This incredible movie had astronauts who were literally lost in space. It was a technical achievement that won the award.

2015: Alejandro González Iñárritu

• Movie: “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 91% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 78%

Birdman is an abstract film that the Academy drools over, so it was no surprise that it won for Best Director.

2016: Alejandro González Iñárritu

• Movie: “The Revenant”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 78% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 84%

Alejandro González Iñárritu won for the second time in a row, this time for “The Revenant.”

2017: Damien Chazelle

• Movie: “La La Land”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 91% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 81%

“La La Land ” is a modern musical with Ryan Gosling showing his best moves. It was directed well and won the award.

2018: Guillermo Del Toro

• Movie: “The Shape of Water”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 92% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 72%

This unique creature feature won Guillermo Del Toro a much-deserved Oscar.

2019: Alfonso Cuarón

• Movie: “Roma”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 96% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 72%

Alfonso Cuarón won his second Best Director award for this film inspired by his own childhood.

2020: Bong Joon Ho

• Movie: “Parasite”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 99% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Scores: 90%

South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon Ho took home the award for this subtitled film.

2021: Chloé Zhao

• Movie: “Nomadland”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 93% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 82%

This year marked the second time in history that a woman brought home the Best Director trophy.

2022: Jane Campion

• Movie: “Power of the Dog”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 94% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 76%

“Power of the Dog” is a modern-day western that gave a third woman a Best Director award.

2023: Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert

• Movie: “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
• Rotten Tomatoes Critic’s Score: 94% Fresh
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 86%

Finally, we have dual directors who took home the Best Director awards for this fantastical movie about a woman exploring other universes.

That’s your official list of the winners of Best Director every year at the Oscars. There are some talented folks here, many of whom made movies that we’ll never forget. We’ll soon see who wins the Best Director trophy in 2024. In the meantime, you can watch some of the Oscar-winning movies streaming this month.