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Academy Award for Best Director

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Academy Award for Best Director

The Academy Award for Best Director (officially known as the Academy Award of Merit for Directing) is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given in honor of a film director who has exhibited outstanding directing while working in the film industry. The 1st Academy Awards ceremony was held in 1929 with the award being split into "Dramatic" and "Comedy" categories; Frank Borzage and Lewis Milestone won for 7th Heaven and Two Arabian Knights, respectively. However, these categories were merged for all subsequent ceremonies. Nominees are determined by single transferable vote within the directors branch of AMPAS; winners are selected by a plurality vote from the entire eligible voting members of the academy. For the first eleven years of the Academy Awards, directors were allowed to be nominated for multiple films in the same year. However, after the nomination of Michael Curtiz for two films, Angels with Dirty Faces and Four Daughters, at the 11th Academy Awards, the rules were revised so that an individual could only be nominated for one film at each ceremony. That rule has since been amended, although the only director who has received multiple nominations in the same year was Steven Soderbergh for Erin Brockovich and Traffic in 2000, winning the award for the latter. The Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Picture have been very closely linked throughout their history. Of the 91 films that won Best Picture and were also nominated for Best Director, 70 won the award. The award has been criticised in recent years for failing to recognise female directors. Of the 257 individual directors nominated in the history of the award, only 9 have been women; and only 3 of the 76 winners have been women. Since its inception, the award has been given to 74 different directors or directing teams. As of the 97th Academy Awards ceremony, American filmmaker Sean Baker is the most recent winner in this category for his work on Anora.

Infobox

Awarded for
Excellence in Cinematic Direction Achievement
Country
United States
Presented by
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS)
First award
May 16, 1929; 96 years ago (1929-05-16) (for films released during the 1927/1928 film season)
Most recent winner
Sean Baker, Anora (2024)
Most awards
John Ford (4)
Most nominations
William Wyler (12)
Website
oscars.org

Tables

Table key · Winners and nominees
mw- .mw- Indicates the winner
· Winners and nominees › 1920s
Year
Director(s)
Film
Ref.
1927/28 (1st)
Frank Borzage (Dramatic Picture)
7th Heaven
Herbert Brenon (Dramatic Picture)
Sorrell and Son
King Vidor (Dramatic Picture)
The Crowd
Lewis Milestone (Comedy Picture)
Two Arabian Knights
Ted Wilde (Comedy Picture)
Speedy
Charlie Chaplin (Comedy Picture)
The Circus
1928/29(2nd)
Frank Lloyd
The Divine Lady
Lionel Barrymore
Madame X
Harry Beaumont
The Broadway Melody
Irving Cummings
In Old Arizona
Frank Lloyd
Drag
Weary River
Ernst Lubitsch
The Patriot
· Winners and nominees › 1930s
Year
Director(s)
Film
Ref.
1929/30(3rd)
Lewis Milestone
All Quiet on the Western Front
Clarence Brown
Anna Christie
Romance
Robert Z. Leonard
The Divorcee
Ernst Lubitsch
The Love Parade
King Vidor
Hallelujah!
1930/31(4th)
Norman Taurog
Skippy
Clarence Brown
A Free Soul
Lewis Milestone
The Front Page
Wesley Ruggles
Cimarron
Josef von Sternberg
Morocco
1931/32(5th)
Frank Borzage
Bad Girl
King Vidor
The Champ
Josef von Sternberg
Shanghai Express
1932/33(6th)
Frank Lloyd
Cavalcade
Frank Capra
Lady for a Day
George Cukor
Little Women
1934(7th)
Frank Capra
It Happened One Night
Victor Schertzinger
One Night of Love
W. S. Van Dyke
The Thin Man
1935(8th)
John Ford
The Informer
Henry Hathaway
The Lives of a Bengal Lancer
Frank Lloyd
Mutiny on the Bounty
Michael Curtiz (Write-in)
Captain Blood
1936(9th)
Frank Capra
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
Gregory La Cava
My Man Godfrey
Robert Z. Leonard
The Great Ziegfeld
W. S. Van Dyke
San Francisco
William Wyler
Dodsworth
1937(10th)
Leo McCarey
The Awful Truth
William Dieterle
The Life of Emile Zola
Sidney Franklin
The Good Earth
Gregory La Cava
Stage Door
William A. Wellman
A Star Is Born
1938(11th)
Frank Capra
You Can't Take It with You
Michael Curtiz
Angels with Dirty Faces
Four Daughters
Norman Taurog
Boys Town
King Vidor
The Citadel
1939(12th)
Victor Fleming
Gone with the Wind
Frank Capra
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
John Ford
Stagecoach
Sam Wood
Goodbye, Mr. Chips
William Wyler
Wuthering Heights
· Winners and nominees › 1940s
Year
Director(s)
Film
Ref.
1940(13th)
John Ford
The Grapes of Wrath
George Cukor
The Philadelphia Story
Alfred Hitchcock
Rebecca
Sam Wood
Kitty Foyle
William Wyler
The Letter
1941(14th)
John Ford
How Green Was My Valley
Alexander Hall
Here Comes Mr. Jordan
Howard Hawks
Sergeant York
Orson Welles
Citizen Kane
William Wyler
The Little Foxes
1942(15th)
William Wyler
Mrs. Miniver
Michael Curtiz
Yankee Doodle Dandy
John Farrow
Wake Island
Mervyn LeRoy
Random Harvest
Sam Wood
Kings Row
1943(16th)
Michael Curtiz
Casablanca
Clarence Brown
The Human Comedy
Henry King
The Song of Bernadette
Ernst Lubitsch
Heaven Can Wait
George Stevens
The More the Merrier
1944(17th)
Leo McCarey
Going My Way
Alfred Hitchcock
Lifeboat
Henry King
Wilson
Otto Preminger
Laura
Billy Wilder
Double Indemnity
1945(18th)
Billy Wilder
The Lost Weekend
Clarence Brown
National Velvet
Alfred Hitchcock
Spellbound
Leo McCarey
The Bells of St. Mary's
Jean Renoir
The Southerner
1946(19th)
William Wyler
The Best Years of Our Lives
Clarence Brown
The Yearling
Frank Capra
It's a Wonderful Life
David Lean
Brief Encounter
Robert Siodmak
The Killers
1947(20th)
Elia Kazan
Gentleman's Agreement
George Cukor
A Double Life
Edward Dmytryk
Crossfire
Henry Koster
The Bishop's Wife
David Lean
Great Expectations
1948(21st)
John Huston
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
Anatole Litvak
The Snake Pit
Jean Negulesco
Johnny Belinda
Laurence Olivier
Hamlet
Fred Zinnemann
The Search
1949(22nd)
Joseph L. Mankiewicz
A Letter to Three Wives
Carol Reed
The Fallen Idol
Robert Rossen
All the King's Men
William A. Wellman
Battleground
· Winners and nominees › 1950s
Year
Director(s)
Film
Ref.
1950(23rd)
Joseph L. Mankiewicz
All About Eve
George Cukor
Born Yesterday
John Huston
The Asphalt Jungle
Carol Reed
The Third Man
Billy Wilder
Sunset Boulevard
1951(24th)
George Stevens
A Place in the Sun
John Huston
The African Queen
Elia Kazan
A Streetcar Named Desire
Vincente Minnelli
An American in Paris
William Wyler
Detective Story
1952(25th)
John Ford
The Quiet Man
Cecil B. DeMille
The Greatest Show on Earth
John Huston
Moulin Rouge
Joseph L. Mankiewicz
5 Fingers
Fred Zinnemann
High Noon
1953(26th)
Fred Zinnemann
From Here to Eternity
George Stevens
Shane
Charles Walters
Lili
Billy Wilder
Stalag 17
William Wyler
Roman Holiday
1954(27th)
Elia Kazan
On the Waterfront
Alfred Hitchcock
Rear Window
George Seaton
The Country Girl
William A. Wellman
The High and the Mighty
Billy Wilder
Sabrina
1955(28th)
Delbert Mann
Marty
Elia Kazan
East of Eden
David Lean
Summertime
Joshua Logan
Picnic
John Sturges
Bad Day at Black Rock
1956(29th)
George Stevens
Giant
Michael Anderson
Around the World in 80 Days
Walter Lang
The King and I
King Vidor
War and Peace
William Wyler
Friendly Persuasion
1957(30th)
David Lean
The Bridge on the River Kwai
Joshua Logan
Sayonara
Sidney Lumet
12 Angry Men
Mark Robson
Peyton Place
Billy Wilder
Witness for the Prosecution
1958(31st)
Vincente Minnelli
Gigi
Richard Brooks
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Stanley Kramer
The Defiant Ones
Mark Robson
The Inn of the Sixth Happiness
Robert Wise
I Want to Live!
1959(32nd)
William Wyler
Ben-Hur
Jack Clayton
Room at the Top
George Stevens
The Diary of Anne Frank
Billy Wilder
Some Like It Hot
· Winners and nominees › 1960s
Year
Director(s)
Film
Ref.
1960(33rd)
Billy Wilder
The Apartment
Jack Cardiff
Sons and Lovers
Jules Dassin
Never on Sunday
Alfred Hitchcock
Psycho
Fred Zinnemann
The Sundowners
1961(34th)
Robert Wise & Jerome Robbins
West Side Story
Federico Fellini
La Dolce Vita
Stanley Kramer
Judgment at Nuremberg
Robert Rossen
The Hustler
J. Lee Thompson
The Guns of Navarone
1962(35th)
David Lean
Lawrence of Arabia
Pietro Germi
Divorce Italian Style
Robert Mulligan
To Kill a Mockingbird
Arthur Penn
The Miracle Worker
Frank Perry
David and Lisa
1963(36th)
Tony Richardson
Tom Jones
Federico Fellini
8½
Elia Kazan
America America
Otto Preminger
The Cardinal
Martin Ritt
Hud
1964(37th)
George Cukor
My Fair Lady
Michael Cacoyannis
Zorba the Greek
Peter Glenville
Becket
Stanley Kubrick
Dr. Strangelove
Robert Stevenson
Mary Poppins
1965(38th)
Robert Wise
The Sound of Music
David Lean
Doctor Zhivago
John Schlesinger
Darling
Hiroshi Teshigahara
Woman in the Dunes
William Wyler
The Collector
1966(39th)
Fred Zinnemann
A Man for All Seasons
Michelangelo Antonioni
Blowup
Richard Brooks
The Professionals
Claude Lelouch
A Man and a Woman
Mike Nichols
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
1967(40th)
Mike Nichols
The Graduate
Richard Brooks
In Cold Blood
Norman Jewison
In the Heat of the Night
Stanley Kramer
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
Arthur Penn
Bonnie and Clyde
1968(41st)
Carol Reed
Oliver!
Anthony Harvey
The Lion in Winter
Stanley Kubrick
2001: A Space Odyssey
Gillo Pontecorvo
The Battle of Algiers
Franco Zeffirelli
Romeo and Juliet
1969(42nd)
John Schlesinger
Midnight Cowboy
Costa-Gavras
Z
George Roy Hill
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Arthur Penn
Alice's Restaurant
· Winners and nominees › 1970s
Year
Director(s)
Film
Ref.
1970(43rd)
Franklin J. Schaffner
Patton
Robert Altman
M*A*S*H
Federico Fellini
Fellini Satyricon
Arthur Hiller
Love Story
Ken Russell
Women in Love
1971(44th)
William Friedkin
The French Connection
Peter Bogdanovich
The Last Picture Show
Norman Jewison
Fiddler on the Roof
Stanley Kubrick
A Clockwork Orange
John Schlesinger
Sunday Bloody Sunday
1972(45th)
Bob Fosse
Cabaret
John Boorman
Deliverance
Francis Ford Coppola
The Godfather
Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Sleuth
Jan Troell
The Emigrants
1973(46th)
George Roy Hill
The Sting
Ingmar Bergman
Cries and Whispers
Bernardo Bertolucci
Last Tango in Paris
William Friedkin
The Exorcist
George Lucas
American Graffiti
1974(47th)
Francis Ford Coppola
The Godfather Part II
John Cassavetes
A Woman Under the Influence
Bob Fosse
Lenny
Roman Polanski
Chinatown
François Truffaut
Day for Night
1975(48th)
Miloš Forman
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Robert Altman
Nashville
Federico Fellini
Amarcord
Stanley Kubrick
Barry Lyndon
Sidney Lumet
Dog Day Afternoon
1976(49th)
John G. Avildsen
Rocky
Ingmar Bergman
Face to Face
Sidney Lumet
Network
Alan J. Pakula
All the President's Men
Lina Wertmüller
Seven Beauties
1977(50th)
Woody Allen
Annie Hall
George Lucas
Star Wars
Herbert Ross
The Turning Point
Steven Spielberg
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Fred Zinnemann
Julia
1978(51st)
Michael Cimino
The Deer Hunter
Woody Allen
Interiors
Hal Ashby
Coming Home
Warren Beatty & Buck Henry
Heaven Can Wait
Alan Parker
Midnight Express
1979(52nd)
Robert Benton
Kramer vs. Kramer
Francis Ford Coppola
Apocalypse Now
Bob Fosse
All That Jazz
Édouard Molinaro
La Cage aux Folles
· Winners and nominees › 1980s
Year
Director(s)
Film
Ref.
1980(53rd)
Robert Redford
Ordinary People
David Lynch
The Elephant Man
Roman Polanski
Tess
Richard Rush
The Stunt Man
Martin Scorsese
Raging Bull
1981(54th)
Warren Beatty
Reds
Hugh Hudson
Chariots of Fire
Louis Malle
Atlantic City
Mark Rydell
On Golden Pond
Steven Spielberg
Raiders of the Lost Ark
1982(55th)
Richard Attenborough
Gandhi
Sidney Lumet
The Verdict
Wolfgang Petersen
Das Boot
Sydney Pollack
Tootsie
Steven Spielberg
the Extra-Terrestrial
1983(56th)
James L. Brooks
Terms of Endearment
Bruce Beresford
Tender Mercies
Ingmar Bergman
Fanny and Alexander
Mike Nichols
Silkwood
Peter Yates
The Dresser
1984(57th)
Miloš Forman
Amadeus
Woody Allen
Broadway Danny Rose
Robert Benton
Places in the Heart
Roland Joffé
The Killing Fields
David Lean
A Passage to India
1985(58th)
Sydney Pollack
Out of Africa
Héctor Babenco
Kiss of the Spider Woman
John Huston
Prizzi's Honor
Akira Kurosawa
Ran
Peter Weir
Witness
1986(59th)
Oliver Stone
Platoon
Woody Allen
Hannah and Her Sisters
James Ivory
A Room with a View
Roland Joffé
The Mission
David Lynch
Blue Velvet
1987(60th)
Bernardo Bertolucci
The Last Emperor
John Boorman
Hope and Glory
Lasse Hallström
My Life as a Dog
Norman Jewison
Moonstruck
Adrian Lyne
Fatal Attraction
1988(61st)
Barry Levinson
Rain Man
Charles Crichton
A Fish Called Wanda
Mike Nichols
Working Girl
Alan Parker
Mississippi Burning
Martin Scorsese
The Last Temptation of Christ
1989(62nd)
Oliver Stone
Born on the Fourth of July
Woody Allen
Crimes and Misdemeanors
Kenneth Branagh
Henry V
Jim Sheridan
My Left Foot
· Winners and nominees › 1990s
Year
Director(s)
Film
Ref.
1990(63rd)
Kevin Costner
Dances With Wolves
Francis Ford Coppola
The Godfather Part III
Stephen Frears
The Grifters
Barbet Schroeder
Reversal of Fortune
Martin Scorsese
Goodfellas
1991(64th)
Jonathan Demme
The Silence of the Lambs
Barry Levinson
Bugsy
Ridley Scott
Thelma & Louise
John Singleton
Boyz n the Hood
Oliver Stone
JFK
1992(65th)
Clint Eastwood
Unforgiven
Robert Altman
The Player
Martin Brest
Scent of a Woman
James Ivory
Howards End
Neil Jordan
The Crying Game
1993(66th)
Steven Spielberg
Schindler's List
Robert Altman
Short Cuts
Jane Campion
The Piano
James Ivory
The Remains of the Day
Jim Sheridan
In the Name of the Father
1994(67th)
Robert Zemeckis
Forrest Gump
Woody Allen
Bullets Over Broadway
Krzysztof Kieślowski
Three Colours: Red
Robert Redford
Quiz Show
Quentin Tarantino
Pulp Fiction
1995(68th)
Mel Gibson
Braveheart
Mike Figgis
Leaving Las Vegas
Chris Noonan
Babe
Michael Radford
Il Postino: The Postman
Tim Robbins
Dead Man Walking
1996(69th)
Anthony Minghella
The English Patient
Joel Coen
Fargo
Miloš Forman
The People vs. Larry Flynt
Scott Hicks
Shine
Mike Leigh
Secrets & Lies
1997(70th)
James Cameron
Titanic
Peter Cattaneo
The Full Monty
Atom Egoyan
The Sweet Hereafter
Curtis Hanson
Confidential
Gus Van Sant
Good Will Hunting
1998(71st)
Steven Spielberg
Saving Private Ryan
Roberto Benigni
Life Is Beautiful
John Madden
Shakespeare in Love
Terrence Malick
The Thin Red Line
Peter Weir
The Truman Show
1999(72nd)
Sam Mendes
American Beauty
Lasse Hallström
The Cider House Rules
Spike Jonze
Being John Malkovich
Michael Mann
The Insider
· Winners and nominees › 2000s
Year
Director(s)
Film
Ref.
2000(73rd)
Steven Soderbergh
Traffic
Stephen Daldry
Billy Elliot
Ang Lee
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Ridley Scott
Gladiator
Steven Soderbergh
Erin Brockovich
2001(74th)
Ron Howard
A Beautiful Mind
Robert Altman
Gosford Park
Peter Jackson
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
David Lynch
Mulholland Drive
Ridley Scott
Black Hawk Down
2002(75th)
Roman Polanski
The Pianist
Pedro Almodóvar
Talk to Her
Stephen Daldry
The Hours
Rob Marshall
Chicago
Martin Scorsese
Gangs of New York
2003(76th)
Peter Jackson
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Sofia Coppola
Lost in Translation
Clint Eastwood
Mystic River
Fernando Meirelles
City of God
Peter Weir
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
2004(77th)
Clint Eastwood
Million Dollar Baby
Taylor Hackford
Ray
Mike Leigh
Vera Drake
Alexander Payne
Sideways
Martin Scorsese
The Aviator
2005(78th)
Ang Lee
Brokeback Mountain
George Clooney
Good Night, and Good Luck
Paul Haggis
Crash
Bennett Miller
Capote
Steven Spielberg
Munich
2006(79th)
Martin Scorsese
The Departed
Clint Eastwood
Letters from Iwo Jima
Stephen Frears
The Queen
Paul Greengrass
United 93
Alejandro González Iñárritu
Babel
2007(80th)
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
No Country for Old Men
Paul Thomas Anderson
There Will Be Blood
Tony Gilroy
Michael Clayton
Jason Reitman
Juno
Julian Schnabel
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
2008(81st)
Danny Boyle
Slumdog Millionaire
Stephen Daldry
The Reader
David Fincher
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard
Frost/Nixon
Gus Van Sant
Milk
2009(82nd)
Kathryn Bigelow
The Hurt Locker
James Cameron
Avatar
Lee Daniels
Precious
Jason Reitman
Up in the Air
· Winners and nominees › 2010s
Year
Director(s)
Film
Ref.
2010(83rd)
Tom Hooper
The King's Speech
Darren Aronofsky
Black Swan
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
True Grit
David Fincher
The Social Network
David O. Russell
The Fighter
2011(84th)
Michel Hazanavicius
The Artist
Woody Allen
Midnight in Paris
Terrence Malick
The Tree of Life
Alexander Payne
The Descendants
Martin Scorsese
Hugo
2012(85th)
Ang Lee
Life of Pi
Michael Haneke
Amour
David O. Russell
Silver Linings Playbook
Steven Spielberg
Lincoln
Benh Zeitlin
Beasts of the Southern Wild
2013(86th)
Alfonso Cuarón
Gravity
Steve McQueen
12 Years a Slave
Alexander Payne
Nebraska
David O. Russell
American Hustle
Martin Scorsese
The Wolf of Wall Street
2014(87th)
Alejandro G. Iñárritu
Birdman
Wes Anderson
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Richard Linklater
Boyhood
Bennett Miller
Foxcatcher
Morten Tyldum
The Imitation Game
2015 (88th)
Alejandro G. Iñárritu
The Revenant
Lenny Abrahamson
Room
Tom McCarthy
Spotlight
Adam McKay
The Big Short
George Miller
Mad Max: Fury Road
2016 (89th)
Damien Chazelle
La La Land
Mel Gibson
Hacksaw Ridge
Barry Jenkins
Moonlight
Kenneth Lonergan
Manchester by the Sea
Denis Villeneuve
Arrival
2017 (90th)
Guillermo del Toro
The Shape of Water
Paul Thomas Anderson
Phantom Thread
Greta Gerwig
Lady Bird
Christopher Nolan
Dunkirk
Jordan Peele
Get Out
2018 (91st)
Alfonso Cuarón
Roma
Yorgos Lanthimos
The Favourite
Spike Lee
BlacKkKlansman
Adam McKay
Vice
Paweł Pawlikowski
Cold War
2019 (92nd)
Bong Joon-ho
Parasite
Sam Mendes
1917
Todd Phillips
Joker
Martin Scorsese
The Irishman
· Winners and nominees › 2020s
Year
Director(s)
Film
Ref.
2020/21(93rd)
Chloé Zhao
Nomadland
Lee Isaac Chung
Minari
Emerald Fennell
Promising Young Woman
David Fincher
Mank
Thomas Vinterberg
Another Round
2021(94th)
Jane Campion
The Power of the Dog
Paul Thomas Anderson
Licorice Pizza
Kenneth Branagh
Belfast
Ryusuke Hamaguchi
Drive My Car
Steven Spielberg
West Side Story
2022(95th)
Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert
Everything Everywhere All at Once
Todd Field
Tár
Martin McDonagh
The Banshees of Inisherin
Ruben Östlund
Triangle of Sadness
Steven Spielberg
The Fabelmans
2023(96th)
Christopher Nolan
Oppenheimer
Jonathan Glazer
The Zone of Interest
Yorgos Lanthimos
Poor Things
Martin Scorsese
Killers of the Flower Moon
Justine Triet
Anatomy of a Fall
2024(97th)
Sean Baker
Anora
Jacques Audiard
Emilia Pérez
Brady Corbet
The Brutalist
Coralie Fargeat
The Substance
James Mangold
A Complete Unknown
· Multiple wins and nominations › Multiple wins
4
4
Wins
4
Director
John Ford
3
3
Wins
3
Director
Frank Capra
William Wyler
William Wyler
Wins
William Wyler
2
2
Wins
2
Director
Frank Borzage
Alfonso Cuarón
Alfonso Cuarón
Wins
Alfonso Cuarón
Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood
Wins
Clint Eastwood
Miloš Forman
Miloš Forman
Wins
Miloš Forman
Alejandro G. Iñárritu
Alejandro G. Iñárritu
Wins
Alejandro G. Iñárritu
Elia Kazan
Elia Kazan
Wins
Elia Kazan
David Lean
David Lean
Wins
David Lean
Ang Lee
Ang Lee
Wins
Ang Lee
Frank Lloyd
Frank Lloyd
Wins
Frank Lloyd
Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Wins
Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Leo McCarey
Leo McCarey
Wins
Leo McCarey
Lewis Milestone
Lewis Milestone
Wins
Lewis Milestone
Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Wins
Steven Spielberg
George Stevens
George Stevens
Wins
George Stevens
Oliver Stone
Oliver Stone
Wins
Oliver Stone
Billy Wilder
Billy Wilder
Wins
Billy Wilder
Robert Wise
Robert Wise
Wins
Robert Wise
Fred Zinnemann
Fred Zinnemann
Wins
Fred Zinnemann
Wins
Director
4
John Ford
3
Frank Capra
William Wyler
2
Frank Borzage
Alfonso Cuarón
Clint Eastwood
Miloš Forman
Alejandro G. Iñárritu
Elia Kazan
David Lean
Ang Lee
Frank Lloyd
Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Leo McCarey
Lewis Milestone
Steven Spielberg
George Stevens
Oliver Stone
Billy Wilder
Robert Wise
Fred Zinnemann
· Multiple wins and nominations › Three or more nominations
12
12
Nominations
12
Director
William Wyler
10
10
Nominations
10
Director
Martin Scorsese
9
9
Nominations
9
Director
Steven Spielberg
8
8
Nominations
8
Director
Billy Wilder
7
7
Nominations
7
Director
Woody Allen
David Lean
David Lean
Nominations
David Lean
Fred Zinnemann
Fred Zinnemann
Nominations
Fred Zinnemann
6
6
Nominations
6
Director
Frank Capra
5
5
Nominations
5
Director
Robert Altman
Clarence Brown
Clarence Brown
Nominations
Clarence Brown
George Cukor
George Cukor
Nominations
George Cukor
John Ford
John Ford
Nominations
John Ford
Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock
Nominations
Alfred Hitchcock
John Huston
John Huston
Nominations
John Huston
Elia Kazan
Elia Kazan
Nominations
Elia Kazan
George Stevens
George Stevens
Nominations
George Stevens
King Vidor
King Vidor
Nominations
King Vidor
4
4
Nominations
4
Director
Francis Ford Coppola
Michael Curtiz
Michael Curtiz
Nominations
Michael Curtiz
Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood
Nominations
Clint Eastwood
Federico Fellini
Federico Fellini
Nominations
Federico Fellini
Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick
Nominations
Stanley Kubrick
Frank Lloyd
Frank Lloyd
Nominations
Frank Lloyd
Sidney Lumet
Sidney Lumet
Nominations
Sidney Lumet
Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Nominations
Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Mike Nichols
Mike Nichols
Nominations
Mike Nichols
Peter Weir
Peter Weir
Nominations
Peter Weir
3
3
Nominations
3
Director
Paul Thomas Anderson
Ingmar Bergman
Ingmar Bergman
Nominations
Ingmar Bergman
Richard Brooks
Richard Brooks
Nominations
Richard Brooks
Joel Coen
Joel Coen
Nominations
Joel Coen
Stephen Daldry
Stephen Daldry
Nominations
Stephen Daldry
David Fincher
David Fincher
Nominations
David Fincher
Miloš Forman
Miloš Forman
Nominations
Miloš Forman
Bob Fosse
Bob Fosse
Nominations
Bob Fosse
Alejandro González Iñárritu
Alejandro González Iñárritu
Nominations
Alejandro González Iñárritu
James Ivory
James Ivory
Nominations
James Ivory
Norman Jewison
Norman Jewison
Nominations
Norman Jewison
Stanley Kramer
Stanley Kramer
Nominations
Stanley Kramer
Ang Lee
Ang Lee
Nominations
Ang Lee
Ernst Lubitsch
Ernst Lubitsch
Nominations
Ernst Lubitsch
David Lynch
David Lynch
Nominations
David Lynch
Leo McCarey
Leo McCarey
Nominations
Leo McCarey
Lewis Milestone
Lewis Milestone
Nominations
Lewis Milestone
Alexander Payne
Alexander Payne
Nominations
Alexander Payne
Arthur Penn
Arthur Penn
Nominations
Arthur Penn
Roman Polanski
Roman Polanski
Nominations
Roman Polanski
Sydney Pollack
Sydney Pollack
Nominations
Sydney Pollack
Carol Reed
Carol Reed
Nominations
Carol Reed
David O. Russell
David O. Russell
Nominations
David O. Russell
John Schlesinger
John Schlesinger
Nominations
John Schlesinger
Ridley Scott
Ridley Scott
Nominations
Ridley Scott
Oliver Stone
Oliver Stone
Nominations
Oliver Stone
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino
Nominations
Quentin Tarantino
William A. Wellman
William A. Wellman
Nominations
William A. Wellman
Robert Wise
Robert Wise
Nominations
Robert Wise
Sam Wood
Sam Wood
Nominations
Sam Wood
Nominations
Director
12
William Wyler
10
Martin Scorsese
9
Steven Spielberg
8
Billy Wilder
7
Woody Allen
David Lean
Fred Zinnemann
6
Frank Capra
5
Robert Altman
Clarence Brown
George Cukor
John Ford
Alfred Hitchcock
John Huston
Elia Kazan
George Stevens
King Vidor
4
Francis Ford Coppola
Michael Curtiz
Clint Eastwood
Federico Fellini
Stanley Kubrick
Frank Lloyd
Sidney Lumet
Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Mike Nichols
Peter Weir
3
Paul Thomas Anderson
Ingmar Bergman
Richard Brooks
Joel Coen
Stephen Daldry
David Fincher
Miloš Forman
Bob Fosse
Alejandro González Iñárritu
James Ivory
Norman Jewison
Stanley Kramer
Ang Lee
Ernst Lubitsch
David Lynch
Leo McCarey
Lewis Milestone
Alexander Payne
Arthur Penn
Roman Polanski
Sydney Pollack
Carol Reed
· Age superlatives
Oldest winner
Oldest winner
Record
Oldest winner
Director
Clint Eastwood
Film
Million Dollar Baby
Age
74 years, 272 days
Oldest nominee
Oldest nominee
Record
Oldest nominee
Director
Martin Scorsese
Film
Killers of the Flower Moon
Age
81 years, 67 days
Youngest winner
Youngest winner
Record
Youngest winner
Director
Damien Chazelle
Film
La La Land
Age
32 years, 38 days
Youngest nominee
Youngest nominee
Record
Youngest nominee
Director
John Singleton
Film
Boyz n the Hood
Age
24 years, 44 days
Record
Director
Film
Age
Ref.
Oldest winner
Clint Eastwood
Million Dollar Baby
74 years, 272 days
Oldest nominee
Martin Scorsese
Killers of the Flower Moon
81 years, 67 days
Youngest winner
Damien Chazelle
La La Land
32 years, 38 days
Youngest nominee
John Singleton
Boyz n the Hood
24 years, 44 days

References

  1. The Circus originally received a nomination for Best Director (Comedy Picture), as well as nominations for Best Actor an
  2. The 2nd Academy Awards is the only ceremony for which there were no official nominees. Subsequent research by AMPAS has
  3. According to the Oscars.org database, Brown's directing nomination counts as one singular, joint, cumulative nomination
  4. Michael Curtiz was not on the original ballot of nominees. However, after the year prior with Bette Davis's omission for
  5. The eligibility period for the 93rd ceremony was extended through to February 28, 2021, due to the impact of the COVID-1
  6. Wise earned two individual nominations (resulting in one win); and one joint nomination with Jerome Robbins, which also
  7. While the Coen Brothers, as a directing duo, earned two nominations, their work on Fargo was credited as being split apa
  8. "1927–28 Academy Awards Winners"
    http://www.filmsite.org/aa27.html
  9. "Academy Awards Winners (1927/8 – 1939)"
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  10. "87th Annual Academy Awards of Merit Rules"
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  11. Los Angeles Times
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  12. Entertainment Weekly
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  13. "1938 Academy Awards Winners and History"
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  14. "Picture/Director Not from Same Film"
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  15. www.filmsite.org
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  16. "#OscarsSoMale: Academy Awards Shut Out Women for Best Director"
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  17. "Oscars: Coralie Fargeat Gets Sole Female Best Director Nod"
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  18. "Academy Award For Best Director: How Many Women Have Ever Been Nominated Or Won?"
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  19. Crouse 2005, p. 257
  20. Levy 2003, page 52
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  22. The Daily Telegraph
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  26. "The 5th Academy Awards (1932) Nominees and Winners"
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  27. "The 6th Academy Awards (1933) Nominees and Winners"
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  28. "The 7th Academy Awards (1935) Nominees and Winners"
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