Academy award for Best director - wikipedia Academy award for Best director Academy Award for Best Director Current recipient : Guillermo del Toro Awarded for Excellence in Cinematic Direction Achievement Country United States Presented by Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ( AMPAS ) First awarded 1929 ( for direction in films released during the 1927 / 1928 film season ) Currently held by Guillermo del Toro The Shape of Water ( 2017 ) Website oscars.org The Academy Award for Best Director ( officially known as the Academy Award for Best 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 90 films that have been awarded Best Picture, 64 have also been awarded Best Director. Since its inception, the award has been given to 69 directors or directing teams. John Ford has received the most awards in this category with four. William Wyler was nominated on twelve occasions, more than any other individual. Damien Chazelle became the youngest director in history to receive this award, at the age of 32 for his work on La La Land. Two directing teams have shared the award ; Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins for West Side Story in 1961 and Joel and Ethan Coen for No Country for Old Men in 2007. The Coen brothers are the only siblings to have won the award. Kathryn Bigelow is the only woman to have won the award, for 2009 's The Hurt Locker. As of the 2018 ceremony, Guillermo del Toro is the most recent winner in this category for his work on The Shape of Water. Contents 1 Winners and nominees 2 Multiple wins and nominations 3 Age superlatives 4 Diversity of nominees / winners 4.1 Asian nominees / winners 4.2 Black nominees / winners 4.3 Female nominees / winners 4.4 Hispanic / Latino nominees / winners 5 Notes 6 See also 7 References 8 Bibliography 9 External links Winners and Nominees In the following table, the years are listed as per Academy convention, and generally correspond to the year of film release in Los Angeles County, California ; the ceremonies are always held the following year. For the first five ceremonies, the eligibility period spanned twelve months from August 1 to July 31. For the 6th ceremony held in 1934, the eligibility period lasted from August 1, 1932, to December 31, 1933. Since the 7th ceremony held in 1935, the period of eligibility became the full previous calendar year from January 1 to December 31. Table key Indicates the winner Frank Borzage won in the `` Dramatic '' category at the first ceremony. Lewis Milestone won in the `` Comedy '' category at the first ceremony and later received a second award for All Quiet on the Western Front. Frank Capra won three awards in this category, for It Happened One Night, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, and You Ca n't Take It with You. Billy Wilder ( right ) was nominated eight times, winning twice. Elia Kazan won in 1947 for Gentleman 's Agreement and again for On the Waterfront. John Huston received the award in 1948 for The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. George Stevens won twice, five years apart, for A Place in the Sun and Giant. Fred Zinnemann received two awards ( for From Here to Eternity and A Man for All Seasons ). David Lean won for The Bridge on the River Kwai and Lawrence of Arabia and was nominated for five other films. Robert Wise earned two awards in this category, co-winning for West Side Story and winning for The Sound of Music. George Cukor won in 1964 for My Fair Lady. Mike Nichols won for 1967 's The Graduate. William Friedkin won in 1971 for The French Connection. Bob Fosse won for his direction of Cabaret in 1972. Francis Ford Coppola earned the award for The Godfather Part II. Miloš Forman won for both 1975 's One Flew Over the Cuckoo 's Nest and 1984 's Amadeus. Woody Allen received seven nominations in the category, winning only once ( for Annie Hall ). Actor Robert Redford won for Ordinary People. Warren Beatty won in 1981 for directing Reds. Richard Attenborough won in 1982 for his epic biopic, Gandhi. James L. Brooks won for his 1983 film Terms of Endearment. Oliver Stone earned two awards in this category in the 1980s -- one for Platoon ( 1986 ), and the other for Born on the Fourth of July ( 1989 ). Bernardo Bertolucci won as director of The Last Emperor in 1987. Kevin Costner earned the award in 1990 for directing Dances with Wolves. Jonathan Demme won for his direction of The Silence of the Lambs ( 1991 ). Steven Spielberg, a two - time winner for Schindler 's List and Saving Private Ryan. Robert Zemeckis won for his direction of Forrest Gump ( 1994 ). James Cameron received the award for Titanic ( 1997 ). Sam Mendes won in 1999 for his directorial debut -- American Beauty. Ron Howard, 2001 winner for A Beautiful Mind. Roman Polanski won in 2002 for his direction of The Pianist. Peter Jackson won for The Lord of the Rings : The Return of the King. Ang Lee has won twice in this category -- in 2005 for Brokeback Mountain and in 2012 for Life of Pi. Martin Scorsese has received eight nominations for Best Director, but has only won for The Departed in 2006. Joel Coen and Ethan Coen won for 2007 's No Country for Old Men. Danny Boyle won for 2008 's Slumdog Millionaire. Kathryn Bigelow is the first and only woman to date to win the award. She won for The Hurt Locker in 2009. Tom Hooper won this award for The King 's Speech in 2010. Michel Hazanavicius became the first French director to win the award for his work on The Artist. In 2013, Alfonso Cuarón became the first Mexican director to win the award for his work on Gravity. Alejandro G. Iñárritu won this award two years in a row becoming the third director to achieve this, and the first since 1950, for directing Birdman ( 2014 ) and The Revenant ( 2015 ). Damien Chazelle won this award for directing La La Land ( 2016 ), making him the youngest winner of the category. Guillermo del Toro won this award for directing The Shape of Water ( 2017 ). Year Director ( s ) Film Ref. 1920s 1927 / 28 ( 1st ) Borzage ! Frank Borzage ( Dramatic ) 7th Heaven Brenon ! Herbert Brenon ( Dramatic ) Sorrell and Son Vidor ! King Vidor ( Dramatic ) Crowd ! The Crowd Milestone ! Lewis Milestone ( Comedy ) Two Arabian Knights Wilde ! Ted Wilde ( Comedy ) Speedy 1928 / 1929 ( 2nd ) Lloyd ! Frank Lloyd Divine ! The Divine Lady Barrymore ! Lionel Barrymore Madame X Beaumont ! Harry Beaumont Broadway ! The Broadway Melody Cummings ! Irving Cummings In Old Arizona Lloyd ! Frank Lloyd Drag Weary River Lubitsch ! Ernst Lubitsch Patriot ! The Patriot 1930s 1929 / 1930 ( 3rd ) Milestone ! Lewis Milestone All Quiet on the Western Front Brown ! Clarence Brown Anna Christie Romance Leonard ! Robert Z. Leonard Divorcee ! The Divorcee Lubitsch ! Ernst Lubitsch Love ! The Love Parade Vidor ! King Vidor Hallelujah ! 1930 / 1931 ( 4th ) Taurog ! Norman Taurog Skippy Brown ! Clarence Brown Free ! A Free Soul Milestone ! Lewis Milestone Front ! The Front Page Ruggles ! Wesley Ruggles Cimarron Sternberg ! Josef von Sternberg Morocco 1931 / 1932 ( 5th ) Borzage ! Frank Borzage Bad Girl Vidor ! King Vidor Champ ! The Champ Sternberg ! Josef von Sternberg Shanghai Express 1932 / 1933 ( 6th ) Lloyd ! Frank Lloyd Cavalcade Capra ! Frank Capra Lady for a Day Cukor ! George Cukor Little Women 1934 ( 7th ) Capra ! Frank Capra It Happened One Night Schertzinger ! Victor Schertzinger One Night of Love Van Dyke ! W.S. Van Dyke Thin ! The Thin Man 1935 ( 8th ) Ford ! John Ford Informer ! The Informer Hathaway ! Henry Hathaway Lives ! The Lives of a Bengal Lancer Lloyd ! Frank Lloyd Mutiny on the Bounty 1936 ( 9th ) Capra ! Frank Capra Mr. Deeds Goes to Town La Cava ! Gregory La Cava My Man Godfrey Leonard ! Robert Z. Leonard Great ! The Great Ziegfeld Van Dyke ! W.S. Van Dyke San Francisco Wyler ! William Wyler Dodsworth 1937 ( 10th ) McCarey ! Leo McCarey Awful ! The Awful Truth Dieterle ! William Dieterle Life ! The Life of Emile Zola Franklin ! Sidney Franklin Good ! The Good Earth La Cava ! Gregory La Cava Stage Door Wellman ! William A. Wellman Star ! A Star Is Born 1938 ( 11th ) Capra ! Frank Capra You Ca n't Take It with You Curtiz ! Michael Curtiz Angels with Dirty Faces Four Daughters Taurog ! Norman Taurog Boys Town Vidor ! King Vidor Citadel ! The Citadel 1939 ( 12th ) Fleming ! Victor Fleming Gone with the Wind Capra ! Frank Capra Mr. Smith Goes to Washington Ford ! John Ford Stagecoach Wood ! Sam Wood Goodbye, Mr. Chips Wyler ! William Wyler Wuthering Heights 1940s 1940 ( 13th ) Ford ! John Ford Grapes ! The Grapes of Wrath Cukor ! George Cukor Philadelphia ! The Philadelphia Story Hitchcock ! Alfred Hitchcock Rebecca Wood ! Sam Wood Kitty Foyle Wyler ! William Wyler Letter ! The Letter 1941 ( 14th ) Ford ! John Ford How Green Was My Valley Hall ! Alexander Hall Here Comes Mr. Jordan Hawks ! Howard Hawks Sergeant York Welles ! Orson Welles Citizen Kane Wyler ! William Wyler Little ! The Little Foxes 1942 ( 15th ) Wyler ! William Wyler Mrs. Miniver Curtiz ! Michael Curtiz Yankee Doodle Dandy Farrow ! John Farrow Wake Island LeRoy ! Mervyn LeRoy Random Harvest Wood ! Sam Wood Kings Row 1943 ( 16th ) Curtiz ! Michael Curtiz Casablanca Brown ! Clarence Brown Human ! The Human Comedy King ! Henry King Song ! The Song of Bernadette Lubitsch ! Ernst Lubitsch Heaven Can Wait Stevens ! George Stevens More ! The More the Merrier 1944 ( 17th ) McCarey ! Leo McCarey Going My Way Hitchcock ! Alfred Hitchcock Lifeboat King ! Henry King Wilson Preminger ! Otto Preminger Laura Wilder ! Billy Wilder Double Indemnity 1945 ( 18th ) Wilder ! Billy Wilder Lost ! The Lost Weekend Brown ! Clarence Brown National Velvet Hitchcock ! Alfred Hitchcock Spellbound McCarey ! Leo McCarey Bells ! The Bells of St. Mary 's Renoir ! Jean Renoir Southerner ! The Southerner 1946 ( 19th ) Wyler ! William Wyler Best ! The Best Years of Our Lives Brown ! Clarence Brown Yearling ! The Yearling Capra ! Frank Capra It 's a Wonderful Life Lean ! David Lean Brief Encounter Siodmak ! Robert Siodmak Killers ! The Killers 1947 ( 20th ) Kazan ! Elia Kazan Gentleman 's Agreement Cukor ! George Cukor Double ! A Double Life Dmytryk ! Edward Dmytryk Crossfire Koster ! Henry Koster Bishop ! The Bishop 's Wife Lean ! David Lean Great Expectations 1948 ( 21st ) Huston ! John Huston Treasure ! The Treasure of the Sierra Madre Litvak ! Anatole Litvak Snake ! The Snake Pit Negulesco ! Jean Negulesco Johnny Belinda Olivier ! Laurence Olivier Hamlet Zinnemann ! Fred Zinnemann Search ! The Search 1949 ( 22nd ) Mankiewicz ! Joseph L. Mankiewicz Letter ! A Letter to Three Wives Reed ! Carol Reed Fallen ! The Fallen Idol Rossen ! Robert Rossen All the King 's Men Wellman ! William A. Wellman Battleground Wyler ! William Wyler Heiress ! The Heiress 1950s 1950 ( 23rd ) Mankiewicz ! Joseph L. Mankiewicz All About Eve Cukor ! George Cukor Born Yesterday Huston ! John Huston Asphalt ! The Asphalt Jungle Reed ! Carol Reed Man ! The Third Man Wilder ! Billy Wilder Sunset Boulevard 1951 ( 24th ) Stevens ! George Stevens Place ! A Place in the Sun Huston ! John Huston African ! The African Queen Kazan ! Elia Kazan Streetcar ! A Streetcar Named Desire Minnelli ! Vincente Minnelli American ! An American in Paris Wyler ! William Wyler Detective Story 1952 ( 25th ) Ford ! John Ford Quiet ! The Quiet Man DeMille ! Cecil B. DeMille Greatest ! The Greatest Show on Earth Huston ! John Huston Moulin Rouge Mankiewicz ! Joseph L. Mankiewicz 5 Fingers Zinnemann ! Fred Zinnemann High Noon 1953 ( 26th ) Zinnemann ! Fred Zinnemann From Here to Eternity Stevens ! George Stevens Shane Walters ! Charles Walters Lili Wilder ! Billy Wilder Stalag 17 Wyler ! William Wyler Roman Holiday 1954 ( 27th ) Kazan ! Elia Kazan On the Waterfront Hitchcock ! Alfred Hitchcock Rear Window Seaton ! George Seaton Country ! The Country Girl Wellman ! William A. Wellman High ! The High and the Mighty Wilder ! Billy Wilder Sabrina 1955 ( 28th ) Mann ! Delbert Mann Marty Kazan ! Elia Kazan East of Eden Lean ! David Lean Summertime Logan ! Joshua Logan Picnic Sturges ! John Sturges Bad Day at Black Rock 1956 ( 29th ) Stevens ! George Stevens Giant Anderson ! Michael Anderson Around the World in 80 Days Lang ! Walter Lang King ! The King and I Vidor ! King Vidor War and Peace Wyler ! William Wyler Friendly Persuasion 1957 ( 30th ) Lean ! David Lean Bridge ! The Bridge on the River Kwai Logan ! Joshua Logan Sayonara Lumet ! Sidney Lumet 12 Angry Men Robson ! Mark Robson Peyton Place Wilder ! Billy Wilder Witness for the Prosecution 1958 ( 31st ) Minnelli ! Vincente Minnelli Gigi Brooks ! Richard Brooks Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Kramer ! Stanley Kramer Defiant ! The Defiant Ones Robson ! Mark Robson Inn ! The Inn of the Sixth Happiness Wise ! Robert Wise I Want to Live ! 1959 ( 32nd ) Wyler ! William Wyler Ben - Hur Clayton ! Jack Clayton Room at the Top Stevens ! George Stevens Diary ! The Diary of Anne Frank Wilder ! Billy Wilder Some Like It Hot Zinnemann ! Fred Zinnemann Nun 's ! The Nun 's Story 1960s 1960 ( 33rd ) Wilder ! Billy Wilder Apartment ! The Apartment Cardiff ! Jack Cardiff Sons and Lovers Dassin ! Jules Dassin Never on Sunday Hitchcock ! Alfred Hitchcock Psycho Zinnemann ! Fred Zinnemann Sundowners ! The Sundowners 1961 ( 34th ) Wise ! Robert Wise Robbins ! Jerome Robbins West Side Story Fellini ! Federico Fellini La Dolce Vita Kramer ! Stanley Kramer Judgment at Nuremberg Rossen ! Robert Rossen Hustler ! The Hustler Thompson ! J. Lee Thompson Guns ! The Guns of Navarone 1962 ( 35th ) Lean ! David Lean Lawrence of Arabia Germi ! Pietro Germi Divorce Italian Style Mulligan ! Robert Mulligan To Kill a Mockingbird Penn ! Arthur Penn Miracle ! The Miracle Worker Perry ! Frank Perry David and Lisa 1963 ( 36th ) Richardson ! Tony Richardson Tom Jones Fellini ! Federico Fellini 81⁄2 Kazan ! Elia Kazan America America Preminger ! Otto Preminger Cardinal ! The Cardinal Ritt ! Martin Ritt Hud 1964 ( 37th ) Cukor ! George Cukor My Fair Lady Cacoyannis ! Michael Cacoyannis Zorba the Greek Glenville ! Peter Glenville Becket Kubrick ! Stanley Kubrick Dr. Strangelove or : How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb Stevenson ! Robert Stevenson Mary Poppins 1965 ( 38th ) Wise ! Robert Wise Sound ! The Sound of Music Lean ! David Lean Doctor Zhivago Schlesinger ! John Schlesinger Darling Teshigahara ! Hiroshi Teshigahara Woman ! Woman in the Dunes Wyler ! William Wyler Collector ! The Collector 1966 ( 39th ) Zinnemann ! Fred Zinnemann Man ! A Man for All Seasons Antonioni ! Michelangelo Antonioni Blowup Brooks ! Richard Brooks Professionals ! The Professionals Lelouch ! Claude Lelouch Man ! A Man and a Woman Nichols ! Mike Nichols Who 's Afraid of Virginia Woolf ? 1967 ( 40th ) Nichols ! Mike Nichols Graduate ! The Graduate Brooks ! Richard Brooks In Cold Blood Jewison ! Norman Jewison In the Heat of the Night Kramer ! Stanley Kramer Guess Who 's Coming to Dinner Penn ! Arthur Penn Bonnie and Clyde 1968 ( 41st ) Reed ! Carol Reed Oliver ! Harvey ! Anthony Harvey Lion ! The Lion in Winter Kubrick ! Stanley Kubrick 2001 : A Space Odyssey Pontecorvo ! Gillo Pontecorvo Battle ! The Battle of Algiers Zeffirelli ! Franco Zeffirelli Romeo and Juliet 1969 ( 42nd ) Schlesinger ! John Schlesinger Midnight Cowboy Gavras ! Costa - Gavras Z Hill ! George Roy Hill Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid Penn ! Arthur Penn Alice 's Restaurant Pollack ! Sydney Pollack They Shoot Horses, Do n't They ? 1970s 1970 ( 43rd ) Schaffner ! Franklin J. Schaffner Patton Altman ! Robert Altman M * A * S * H Fellini ! Federico Fellini Fellini Satyricon Hiller ! Arthur Hiller Love Story Russell ! Ken Russell Women in Love 1971 ( 44th ) Friedkin ! William Friedkin French ! The French Connection Bogdanovich ! Peter Bogdanovich Last ! The Last Picture Show Jewison ! Norman Jewison Fiddler on the Roof Kubrick ! Stanley Kubrick Clockwork ! A Clockwork Orange Schlesinger ! John Schlesinger Sunday Bloody Sunday 1972 ( 45th ) Fosse ! Bob Fosse Cabaret Boorman ! John Boorman Deliverance Coppola ! Francis Ford Coppola Godfather ! The Godfather Mankiewicz ! Joseph L. Mankiewicz Sleuth Troell ! Jan Troell Emigrants ! The Emigrants 1973 ( 46th ) Hill ! George Roy Hill Sting ! The Sting Bergman ! Ingmar Bergman Cries and Whispers Bertolucci ! Bernardo Bertolucci Last Tango in Paris Friedkin ! William Friedkin Exorcist ! The Exorcist Lucas ! George Lucas American Graffiti ( 47th ) Coppola ! Francis Ford Coppola Godfather ! The Godfather Part II Cassavetes ! John Cassavetes Woman ! A Woman Under the Influence Fosse ! Bob Fosse Lenny Polanski ! Roman Polanski Chinatown Truffaut ! François Truffaut Day for Night ( 48th ) Forman ! Miloš Forman One Flew Over the Cuckoo 's Nest Altman ! Robert Altman Nashville Fellini ! Federico Fellini Amarcord Kubrick ! Stanley Kubrick Barry Lyndon Lumet ! Sidney Lumet Dog Day Afternoon 1976 ( 49th ) Avildsen ! John G. Avildsen Rocky Bergman ! Ingmar Bergman Face to Face Lumet ! Sidney Lumet Network Pakula ! Alan J. Pakula All the President 's Men Wertmüller ! Lina Wertmüller Seven Beauties 1977 ( 50th ) Allen ! Woody Allen Annie Hall Lucas ! George Lucas Star Wars Ross ! Herbert Ross Turning ! The Turning Point Spielberg ! Steven Spielberg Close Encounters of the Third Kind Zinnemann ! Fred Zinnemann Julia 1978 ( 51st ) Cimino ! Michael Cimino Deer ! The Deer Hunter Allen ! Woody Allen Interiors Ashby ! Hal Ashby Coming Home Beatty ! Warren Beatty Henry ! Buck Henry Heaven Can Wait Parker ! Alan Parker Midnight Express 1979 ( 52nd ) Benton ! Robert Benton Kramer vs. Kramer Coppola ! Francis Ford Coppola Apocalypse Now Fosse ! Bob Fosse All That Jazz Molinaro ! Édouard Molinaro La Cage aux Folles Yates ! Peter Yates Breaking Away 1980s 1980 ( 53rd ) Redford ! Robert Redford Ordinary People Lynch ! David Lynch Elephant ! The Elephant Man Polanski ! Roman Polanski Tess Rush ! Richard Rush Stunt ! The Stunt Man Scorsese ! Martin Scorsese Raging Bull 1981 ( 54th ) Beatty ! Warren Beatty Reds Hudson ! Hugh Hudson Chariots of Fire Malle ! Louis Malle Atlantic City Rydell ! Mark Rydell On Golden Pond Spielberg ! Steven Spielberg Raiders of the Lost Ark 1982 ( 55th ) Attenborough ! Richard Attenborough Gandhi Lumet ! Sidney Lumet Verdict ! The Verdict Petersen ! Wolfgang Petersen Das Boot Pollack ! Sydney Pollack Tootsie Spielberg ! Steven Spielberg E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial ( 56th ) Brooks ! James L. Brooks Terms of Endearment Beresford ! Bruce Beresford Tender Mercies Bergman ! Ingmar Bergman Fanny and Alexander Nichols ! Mike Nichols Silkwood Yates ! Peter Yates Dresser ! The Dresser 1984 ( 57th ) Forman ! Miloš Forman Amadeus Allen ! Woody Allen Broadway Danny Rose Benton ! Robert Benton Places in the Heart Joffé ! Roland Joffé Killing ! The Killing Fields Lean ! David Lean Passage ! A Passage to India 1985 ( 58th ) Pollack ! Sydney Pollack Out of Africa Babenco ! Héctor Babenco Kiss of the Spider Woman Huston ! John Huston Prizzi 's Honor Kurosawa ! Akira Kurosawa Ran Weir ! Peter Weir Witness 1986 ( 59th ) Stone ! Oliver Stone Platoon Allen ! Woody Allen Hannah and Her Sisters Ivory ! James Ivory Room ! A Room with a View Joffé ! Roland Joffé Mission ! The Mission Lynch ! David Lynch Blue Velvet ( 60th ) Bertolucci ! Bernardo Bertolucci Emperor ! The Last Emperor Boorman ! John Boorman Hope and Glory Hallström ! Lasse Hallström My Life as a Dog Jewison ! Norman Jewison Moonstruck Lyne ! Adrian Lyne Fatal Attraction 1988 ( 61st ) Levinson ! Barry Levinson Rain Man Crichton ! Charles Crichton Fish ! A Fish Called Wanda Nichols ! Mike Nichols Working Girl Parker ! Alan Parker Mississippi Burning Scorsese ! Martin Scorsese Last ! The Last Temptation of Christ 1989 ( 62nd ) Stone ! Oliver Stone Born on the Fourth of July Allen ! Woody Allen Crimes and Misdemeanors Branagh ! Kenneth Branagh Henry V Sheridan ! Jim Sheridan My Left Foot Weir ! Peter Weir Dead Poets Society 1990s 1990 ( 63rd ) Costner ! Kevin Costner Dances with Wolves Coppola ! Francis Ford Coppola Godfather ! The Godfather Part III Frears ! Stephen Frears Grifters ! The Grifters Schroeder ! Barbet Schroeder Reversal of Fortune Scorsese ! Martin Scorsese Goodfellas 1991 ( 64th ) Demme ! Jonathan Demme Silence ! The Silence of the Lambs Levinson ! Barry Levinson Bugsy Scott ! Ridley Scott Thelma & Louise Singleton ! John Singleton Boyz n the Hood Stone ! Oliver Stone JFK 1992 ( 65th ) Eastwood ! Clint Eastwood Unforgiven Altman ! Robert Altman Player ! The Player Brest ! Martin Brest Scent of a Woman Ivory ! James Ivory Howards End Jordan ! Neil Jordan Crying ! The Crying Game 1993 ( 66th ) Spielberg ! Steven Spielberg Schindler 's List Altman ! Robert Altman Short Cuts Campion ! Jane Campion Piano ! The Piano Ivory ! James Ivory Remains ! The Remains of the Day Sheridan ! Jim Sheridan In the Name of the Father 1994 ( 67th ) Zemeckis ! Robert Zemeckis Forrest Gump Allen ! Woody Allen Bullets over Broadway Kieślowski ! Krzysztof Kieślowski Three Colors : Red Redford ! Robert Redford Quiz Show Tarantino ! Quentin Tarantino Pulp Fiction 1995 ( 68th ) Gibson ! Mel Gibson Braveheart Figgis ! Mike Figgis Leaving Las Vegas Noonan ! Chris Noonan Babe Radford ! Michael Radford Il Postino : The Postman Robbins ! Tim Robbins Dead Man Walking ( 69th ) Minghella ! Anthony Minghella English ! The English Patient Coen ! Joel Coen Fargo Forman ! Miloš Forman People ! The People vs. Larry Flynt Hicks ! Scott Hicks Shine Leigh ! Mike Leigh Secrets & Lies 1997 ( 70th ) Cameron ! James Cameron Titanic Cattaneo ! Peter Cattaneo Monty ! The Full Monty Egoyan ! Atom Egoyan Sweet ! The Sweet Hereafter Hanson ! Curtis Hanson L.A. Confidential Van Sant ! Gus Van Sant Good Will Hunting 1998 ( 71st ) Spielberg ! Steven Spielberg Saving Private Ryan Benigni ! Roberto Benigni Life Is Beautiful Madden ! John Madden Shakespeare in Love Malick ! Terrence Malick Thin ! The Thin Red Line Weir ! Peter Weir Truman ! The Truman Show 1999 ( 72nd ) Mendes ! Sam Mendes American Beauty Hallström ! Lasse Hallström Cider ! The Cider House Rules Jonze ! Spike Jonze Being John Malkovich Mann ! Michael Mann Insider ! The Insider Shyamalan ! M. Night Shyamalan Sixth ! The Sixth Sense 2000s 2000 ( 73rd ) Soderbergh ! Steven Soderbergh Traffic Daldry ! Stephen Daldry Billy Elliot Lee ! Ang Lee Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Scott ! Ridley Scott Gladiator Soderbergh ! Steven Soderbergh Erin Brockovich 2001 ( 74th ) Howard ! Ron Howard Beautiful ! A Beautiful Mind Altman ! Robert Altman Gosford Park Jackson ! Peter Jackson Lord ! The Lord of the Rings : The Fellowship of the Ring Lynch ! David Lynch Mulholland Drive Scott ! Ridley Scott Black Hawk Down 2002 ( 75th ) Polanski ! Roman Polanski Pianist ! The Pianist Almodóvar ! Pedro Almodóvar Talk to Her Daldry ! Stephen Daldry Hours ! The Hours Marshall ! Rob Marshall Chicago Scorsese ! Martin Scorsese Gangs of New York 2003 ( 76th ) Jackson ! Peter Jackson Lord ! The Lord of the Rings : The Return of the King Coppola ! Sofia Coppola Lost in Translation Eastwood ! Clint Eastwood Mystic River Meirelles ! Fernando Meirelles City of God Weir ! Peter Weir Master and Commander : The Far Side of the World ( 77th ) Eastwood ! Clint Eastwood Million Dollar Baby Hackford ! Taylor Hackford Ray Leigh ! Mike Leigh Vera Drake Payne ! Alexander Payne Sideways Scorsese ! Martin Scorsese Aviator ! The Aviator 2005 ( 78th ) Lee ! Ang Lee Brokeback Mountain Clooney ! George Clooney Good Night, and Good Luck Haggis ! Paul Haggis Crash Miller ! Bennett Miller Capote Spielberg ! Steven Spielberg Munich 2006 ( 79th ) Scorsese ! Martin Scorsese Departed ! The Departed Eastwood ! Clint Eastwood Letters from Iwo Jima Frears ! Stephen Frears Queen ! The Queen Greengrass ! Paul Greengrass United 93 Iñárritu ! Alejandro González Iñárritu Babel 2007 ( 80th ) Coen ! Joel Coen Coen ! Ethan Coen No Country for Old Men Anderson ! Paul Thomas Anderson There Will Be Blood Gilroy ! Tony Gilroy Michael Clayton Reitman ! Jason Reitman Juno Schnabel ! Julian Schnabel Diving ! The Diving Bell and the Butterfly 2008 ( 81st ) Boyle ! Danny Boyle Slumdog Millionaire Daldry ! Stephen Daldry Reader ! The Reader Fincher ! David Fincher Curious ! The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Howard ! Ron Howard Frost / Nixon Van Sant ! Gus Van Sant Milk 2009 ( 82nd ) Bigelow ! Kathryn Bigelow Hurt ! The Hurt Locker Cameron ! James Cameron Avatar Daniels ! Lee Daniels Precious : Based on the Novel ' Push ' by Sapphire Reitman ! Jason Reitman Up in the Air Tarantino ! Quentin Tarantino Inglourious Basterds 2010s ( 83rd ) Hooper ! Tom Hooper King 's ! The King 's Speech Aronofsky ! Darren Aronofsky Black Swan Coen ! Joel Coen Coen ! Ethan Coen True Grit Fincher ! David Fincher Social ! The Social Network Russell ! David O. Russell Fighter ! The Fighter 2011 ( 84th ) Hazanavicius ! Michel Hazanavicius Artist ! The Artist Allen ! Woody Allen Midnight in Paris Malick ! Terrence Malick Tree ! The Tree of Life Payne ! Alexander Payne Descendants ! The Descendants Scorsese ! Martin Scorsese Hugo 2012 ( 85th ) Lee ! Ang Lee Life of Pi Haneke ! Michael Haneke Amour Russell ! David O. Russell Silver Linings Playbook Spielberg ! Steven Spielberg Lincoln Zeitlin ! Benh Zeitlin Beasts of the Southern Wild 2013 ( 86th ) Cuarón ! Alfonso Cuarón Gravity McQueen ! Steve McQueen 12 Years a Slave Payne ! Alexander Payne Nebraska Russell ! David O. Russell American Hustle Scorsese ! Martin Scorsese Wolf ! The Wolf of Wall Street 2014 ( 87th ) Iñárritu ! Alejandro G. Iñárritu Birdman or ( The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance ) Anderson ! Wes Anderson Grand ! The Grand Budapest Hotel Linklater ! Richard Linklater Boyhood Miller ! Bennett Miller Foxcatcher Tyldum ! Morten Tyldum Imitation ! The Imitation Game 2015 ( 88th ) Iñárritu ! Alejandro G. Iñárritu The Revenant Abrahamson ! Lenny Abrahamson Room McCarthy ! Tom McCarthy Spotlight McKay ! Adam McKay Big ! The Big Short Miller ! George Miller Mad Max : Fury Road 2016 ( 89th ) Chazelle ! Damien Chazelle La La Land Gibson ! Mel Gibson Hacksaw Ridge Jenkins ! Barry Jenkins Moonlight Lonergan ! Kenneth Lonergan Manchester by the Sea Villeneuve ! Denis Villeneuve Arrival 2017 ( 90th ) del Toro ! Guillermo del Toro The Shape of Water Anderson ! Paul Thomas Anderson Phantom Thread Gerwig ! Greta Gerwig Lady Bird Nolan ! Christopher Nolan Dunkirk Peele ! Jordan Peele Get Out Multiple wins and nominations The following individuals have won multiple Best Director awards : Wins Director John Ford Frank Capra William Wyler Frank Borzage 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 John Ford has the most Best Director wins with four, winning in 1935, 1940, 1941, and 1952. William Wyler has the most nominations with twelve, winning in 1942, 1946, and 1959. Clarence Brown was nominated six times between 1929 and 1946, but never won the award -- the most nominations without a success. The following directors have received four or more Best Director nominations ( * indicates no wins ) : Nominations Director 12 William Wyler 8 Martin Scorsese Billy Wilder 7 Woody Allen David Lean Steven Spielberg Fred Zinnemann 6 Clarence Brown * Frank Capra 5 Robert Altman * George Cukor Michael Curtiz John Ford Alfred Hitchcock * John Huston Elia Kazan Frank Lloyd George Stevens King Vidor * Francis Ford Coppola Clint Eastwood Federico Fellini * Stanley Kubrick * Sidney Lumet * Joseph L. Mankiewicz Mike Nichols Peter Weir * Age superlatives Clint Eastwood won in 1992 for Unforgiven and became the oldest director to win in the category with Million Dollar Baby in 2004. Record Director Film Age ( in years ) Ref. Oldest winner Clint Eastwood Million Dollar Baby 74 Oldest nominee John Huston Prizzi 's Honor 79 Youngest winner Damien Chazelle La La Land 32 Youngest nominee John Singleton Boyz n the Hood 24 Diversity of Nominees / Winners Asian Nominees / Winners As of the 90th Academy Awards, four Asian directors have been nominated a total of six times in this category, and one director has won the award twice. 1965 -- Hiroshi Teshigahara for Woman in the Dunes 1985 -- Akira Kurosawa for Ran 1999 -- M. Night Shyamalan for The Sixth Sense 2000 -- Ang Lee for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 2005 -- Lee ! Ang Lee for Brokeback ! Brokeback Mountain 2012 -- Lee ! Ang Lee for Life ! Life of Pi Black Nominees / Winners As of the 90th Academy Awards, five black directors have been nominated in this category one time each, and none have won the award. 1991 -- John Singleton for Boyz n the Hood 2009 -- Lee Daniels for Precious 2013 -- Steve McQueen for 12 Years a Slave 2016 -- Barry Jenkins for Moonlight 2017 -- Jordan Peele for Get Out Female Nominees / Winners As of the 90th Academy Awards, five female directors have been nominated in this category one time each, and one has won the award. 1976 -- Wertmüller ! Lina Wertmüller for Seven Beauties 1993 -- Campion ! Jane Campion for Piano ! The Piano 2003 -- Coppola ! Sofia Coppola for Lost in Translation 2009 -- Bigelow ! Kathryn Bigelow for Hurt ! The Hurt Locker 2017 -- Greta Gerwig for Lady Bird Hispanic / Latino Nominees / Winners As of the 90th Academy Awards, six Hispanic / Latino directors have been nominated a total of eight times in this category with four wins among them. 1985 -- Héctor Babenco for Kiss of the Spider Woman 2002 -- Pedro Almodóvar for Talk to Her 2003 -- Fernando Meirelles for City of God 2006 -- Alejandro González Iñárritu for Babel 2013 -- Cuarón ! Alfonso Cuarón for Gravity ! Gravity 2014 -- Iñárritu ! Alejandro González Iñárritu for Birdman ! Birdman 2015 -- Iñárritu ! Alejandro González Iñárritu for Revenant ! The Revenant 2017 -- Guillermo del Toro for The Shape of Water Notes Jump up ^ The 2nd Academy Awards is unique in being the only occasion where there were no official nominees. Subsequent research by AMPAS has resulted in a list of unofficial or de facto nominees, based on records of which films were evaluated by the judges. See also BAFTA Award for Best Direction Golden Globe Award for Best Director Independent Spirit Award for Best Director Critics ' Choice Movie Award for Best Director Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing -- Feature Film References Jump up ^ Dirks, Tim. `` 1927 -- 28 Academy Awards Winners ''. Rainbow Media. Archived from the original on July 24, 2010. Retrieved November 20, 2015. Jump up ^ Dirks, Tim. `` Academy Awards Winners ( 1927 / 8 -- 1939 ) ''. Rainbow Media. Archived from the original on January 14, 2016. Retrieved November 20, 2015. Jump up ^ `` 87th Annual Academy Awards of Merit Rules '' ( PDF ). Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Rule 5.5 & Rule 10. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on October 21, 2014. Retrieved February 8, 2016. Jump up ^ Pond, Steve ( January 7, 2006 ). `` Eight things every voter ( and fan ) should know about Oscar 's decidedly unique nomination process ''. Los Angeles Times. 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Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 2nd Academy Awards Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 3rd Academy Awards ( 1930 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on August 2, 2016. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 4th Academy Awards ( 1931 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on November 2, 2016. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 5th Academy Awards ( 1932 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 6th Academy Awards ( 1933 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on February 1, 2017. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 7th Academy Awards ( 1935 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on July 2, 2016. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 8th Academy Awards ( 1936 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on November 11, 2014. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 9th Academy Awards ( 1937 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on July 2, 2016. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 10th Academy Awards ( 1938 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on March 21, 2016. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 11th Academy Awards ( 1939 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on July 2, 2016. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 12th Academy Awards ( 1940 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on January 28, 2017. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 13th Academy Awards ( 1941 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on March 21, 2016. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 14th Academy Awards ( 1942 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 15th Academy Awards ( 1943 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 16th Academy Awards ( 1944 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on March 21, 2016. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 17th Academy Awards ( 1945 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on July 2, 2016. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 18th Academy Awards ( 1946 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 19th Academy Awards ( 1947 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 20th Academy Awards ( 1948 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on July 2, 2016. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 21st Academy Awards ( 1949 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on November 11, 2014. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 22nd Academy Awards ( 1950 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 23rd Academy Awards ( 1951 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on January 28, 2017. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 24th Academy Awards ( 1952 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 25th Academy Awards ( 1953 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on November 11, 2014. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 26th Academy Awards ( 1954 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 27th Academy Awards ( 1955 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on December 20, 2014. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 28th Academy Awards ( 1956 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on November 11, 2014. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 29th Academy Awards ( 1957 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 30th Academy Awards ( 1958 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 31st Academy Awards ( 1959 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 32nd Academy Awards ( 1960 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on September 8, 2016. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 33rd Academy Awards ( 1961 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 34th Academy Awards ( 1962 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 35th Academy Awards ( 1963 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on July 2, 2016. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 36th Academy Awards ( 1964 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 37th Academy Awards ( 1965 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 38th Academy Awards ( 1966 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 39th Academy Awards ( 1967 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 40th Academy Awards ( 1968 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 41st Academy Awards ( 1969 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 42nd Academy Awards ( 1970 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 43rd Academy Awards ( 1971 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 44th Academy Awards ( 1972 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 45th Academy Awards ( 1973 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 46th Academy Awards ( 1974 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 47th Academy Awards ( 1975 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 48th Academy Awards ( 1976 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 49th Academy Awards ( 1977 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 50th Academy Awards ( 1978 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 51st Academy Awards ( 1979 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 52nd Academy Awards ( 1980 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 53rd Academy Awards ( 1981 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 54th Academy Awards ( 1982 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 55th Academy Awards ( 1983 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on September 5, 2012. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 56th Academy Awards ( 1984 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 57th Academy Awards ( 1985 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 58th Academy Awards ( 1986 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 59th Academy Awards ( 1987 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 60th Academy Awards ( 1988 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 61st Academy Awards ( 1989 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 62nd Academy Awards ( 1990 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 63rd Academy Awards ( 1991 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 64th Academy Awards ( 1992 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 65th Academy Awards ( 1993 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 66th Academy Awards ( 1994 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 67th Academy Awards ( 1995 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 68th Academy Awards ( 1996 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ). Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 69th Academy Awards ( 1997 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 70th Academy Awards ( 1998 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 71st Academy Awards ( 1999 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 72nd Academy Awards ( 2000 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 73rd Academy Awards ( 2001 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 74th Academy Awards ( 2002 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 75th Academy Awards ( 2003 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 76th Academy Awards ( 2004 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 77th Academy Awards ( 2005 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on May 27, 2017. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 78th Academy Awards ( 2006 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on November 9, 2014. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 79th Academy Awards ( 2007 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 80th Academy Awards ( 2008 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 81st Academy Awards ( 2009 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on November 10, 2014. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 82nd Academy Awards ( 2010 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on September 29, 2012. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 83rd Academy Awards ( 2011 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on May 26, 2011. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 84th Academy Awards ( 2012 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on October 15, 2014. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 85th Academy Awards ( 2013 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on October 14, 2014. Retrieved August 27, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The 86th Academy Awards ( 2014 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on October 14, 2014. Retrieved April 10, 2014. Jump up ^ `` The 87th Academy Awards ( 2015 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on March 10, 2015. Retrieved January 15, 2015. Jump up ^ `` The 88th Academy Awards ( 2016 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ( AMPAS ). Archived from the original on January 25, 2016. Retrieved January 14, 2016. Jump up ^ `` The 89th Academy Awards ( 2017 ) Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ( AMPAS ). Archived from the original on March 3, 2017. Retrieved January 14, 2017. Jump up ^ Barnes, Brooks ( March 4, 2018 ). `` ' The Shape of Water ' Wins Best Picture as Oscars Project Diversity ''. The New York Times. Retrieved March 4, 2018. ^ Jump up to : `` Oldest / Youngest Directing Nominees and Winners ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on March 1, 2009. Retrieved November 19, 2015. Jump up ^ Stolworthy, Jacob ( January 23, 2018 ). `` Oscar nominations 2018 : Jordan Peele and Greta Gerwig 's Best Director nods are a win for diversity and creativity ''. The Independent. Retrieved January 23, 2018. Jump up ^ Gonzalez, Sandra ( January 23, 2018 ). `` Greta Gerwig 's ' Lady Bird ' best director nomination is a huge deal ''. CNN. Retrieved January 23, 2018. Bibliography Crouse, Richard ( 2005 ). Reel Winners : Movie Award Trivia. Toronto, Ontario, Canada : University of Toronto Press. ISBN 978 - 1 - 55002 - 574 - 3. Levy, Emanuel ( 2003 ). All About Oscar : The History and Politics of the Academy Awards. New York, United States : Continuum International Publishing Group. ISBN 978 - 0 - 8264 - 1452 - 6. External links Oscars.org ( official Academy site ) The Academy Awards Database ( official site ) Oscar.com ( official ceremony promotional site ) Academy Awards Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ( AMPAS ) Records Most wins per ceremony Oscar season Governors Awards Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting Pre-show Awards of Merit Best Picture Director Actor Actress Supporting Actor Supporting Actress Adapted Screenplay Original Screenplay Animated Feature Documentary Feature Foreign Language Film Animated Short Film Documentary Short Subject Live Action Short Film Cinematography Costume Design Film Editing Makeup and Hairstyling Original Score Original Song Production Design Sound Editing Sound Mixing Visual Effects Special awards Governors Awards Academy Honorary Award Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award Special Achievement Academy Award Academy Scientific and Technical Awards Academy Award of Merit ( non-competitive ) Scientific and Engineering Award Technical Achievement Award John A. Bonner Medal of Commendation Gordon E. Sawyer Award Student Awards Student Academy Award Former awards Merit Awards Assistant Director Dance Direction Story Special Awards Academy Juvenile Award Ceremonies ‡ ( List Book ) 1927 / 28 1928 / 29 1929 / 30 1930 / 31 1931 / 32 1932 / 33 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1984 1985 1986 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Footnote ‡ Dates and years listed for each ceremony were the eligibility period of film release in Los Angeles County. For the first five ceremonies, the eligibility period was done on a seasonal basis, from August to July. For the 6th ceremony, held in 1934, the eligibility period lasted from August 1, 1932 to December 31, 1933. Since the 7th ceremony held in 1935, the period of eligibility became the full previous calendar year from January 1 to December 31. Book Category Portal Academy Awards lists Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ( AMPAS ) Records Oscar season Oscar speech History of film Most wins per ceremony Combined major Oscars Superlatives Big Five All four acting categories Combined major awards Academy, Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Award careers Acting All nominees Best Actor ( by age ) Best Actress ( by age ) Best Supporting Actor ( by age ) Best Supporting Actress ( by age ) Acting noms in foreign language Actor multi-nom years Multi-Best Picture acting careers Multi-win Actors Multi-nom Actors Love curse Directing Best Director ( by age ) Film Films Foreign - language wins Foreign - language nominees Foreign - language noms in other categories Foreign - language : count by country Animated feature noms in other categories Ethnicity African Argentine Asian Australian Black Brazilian British Canadian Chilean Colombian Cuban French German - speaking Greek Hispanic - American ( U.S. ) Indian Iranian Italian Jewish Latin American Mexican New Zealand Nordic Pakistani Polish Puerto Rican Spanish Uruguayan Other Ceremonies Families Fictitious LGBT Multi-win years Posthumous Best Picture Presenters Trophy displays Oldest & Youngest Awards for Walt Disney Women in Non-gendered Categories Book Category Portal Academy Award for Best Director 1927 -- 1950 Frank Borzage ( 1927 ) Lewis Milestone ( 1928 ) Frank Lloyd ( 1929 ) Lewis Milestone ( 1930 ) Norman Taurog ( 1931 ) Frank Borzage ( 1932 ) Frank Lloyd ( 1933 ) Frank Capra ( 1934 ) John Ford ( 1935 ) Frank Capra ( 1936 ) Leo McCarey ( 1937 ) Frank Capra ( 1938 ) Victor Fleming ( 1939 ) John Ford ( 1940 ) John Ford ( 1941 ) William Wyler ( 1942 ) Michael Curtiz ( 1943 ) Leo McCarey ( 1944 ) Billy Wilder ( 1945 ) William Wyler ( 1946 ) Elia Kazan ( 1947 ) John Huston ( 1948 ) Joseph L. Mankiewicz ( 1949 ) Joseph L. Mankiewicz ( 1950 ) 1951 -- 1975 George Stevens ( 1951 ) John Ford ( 1952 ) Fred Zinnemann ( 1953 ) Elia Kazan ( 1954 ) Delbert Mann ( 1955 ) George Stevens ( 1956 ) David Lean ( 1957 ) Vincente Minnelli ( 1958 ) William Wyler ( 1959 ) Billy Wilder ( 1960 ) Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise ( 1961 ) David Lean ( 1962 ) Tony Richardson ( 1963 ) George Cukor ( 1964 ) Robert Wise ( 1965 ) Fred Zinnemann ( 1966 ) Mike Nichols ( 1967 ) Carol Reed ( 1968 ) John Schlesinger ( 1969 ) Franklin J. Schaffner ( 1970 ) William Friedkin ( 1971 ) Bob Fosse ( 1972 ) George Roy Hill ( 1973 ) Francis Ford Coppola ( 1974 ) Miloš Forman ( 1975 ) 1976 -- 2000 John G. Avildsen ( 1976 ) Woody Allen ( 1977 ) Michael Cimino ( 1978 ) Robert Benton ( 1979 ) Robert Redford ( 1980 ) Warren Beatty ( 1981 ) Richard Attenborough ( 1982 ) James L. Brooks ( 1983 ) Miloš Forman ( 1984 ) Sydney Pollack ( 1985 ) Oliver Stone ( 1986 ) Bernardo Bertolucci ( 1987 ) Barry Levinson ( 1988 ) Oliver Stone ( 1989 ) Kevin Costner ( 1990 ) Jonathan Demme ( 1991 ) Clint Eastwood ( 1992 ) Steven Spielberg ( 1993 ) Robert Zemeckis ( 1994 ) Mel Gibson ( 1995 ) Anthony Minghella ( 1996 ) James Cameron ( 1997 ) Steven Spielberg ( 1998 ) Sam Mendes ( 1999 ) Steven Soderbergh ( 2000 ) 2001 -- present Ron Howard ( 2001 ) Roman Polanski ( 2002 ) Peter Jackson ( 2003 ) Clint Eastwood ( 2004 ) Ang Lee ( 2005 ) Martin Scorsese ( 2006 ) Joel Coen and Ethan Coen ( 2007 ) Danny Boyle ( 2008 ) Kathryn Bigelow ( 2009 ) Tom Hooper ( 2010 ) Michel Hazanavicius ( 2011 ) Ang Lee ( 2012 ) Alfonso Cuarón ( 2013 ) Alejandro G. Iñárritu ( 2014 ) Alejandro G. Iñárritu ( 2015 ) Damien Chazelle ( 2016 ) Guillermo del Toro ( 2017 ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Academy_Award_for_Best_Director&oldid=839548801 '' Categories : Academy Awards Best Directing Academy Award winners Films whose director won the Best Directing Academy Award Film directing awards Hidden categories : Use mdy dates from March 2018 Featured lists Talk Contents About Wikipedia Aragonés Asturianu Azərbaycanca বাংলা Беларуская Български Boarisch Bosanski Català Čeština Dansk Deutsch Eesti Ελληνικά Español Euskara فارسی Français Galego 한국어 Հայերեն Hrvatski Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית ქართული Қазақша Latviešu Magyar Македонски მარგალური Bahasa Melayu Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Plattdüütsch Polski Português Română Русский Scots Simple English Slovenčina Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska தமிழ் Татарча / tatarça ไทย Тоҷикӣ Türkçe Українська Tiếng Việt 中文 47 more Edit links This page was last edited on 4 May 2018, at 04 : 16. 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Question: who won the most academy awards for best director
Answer: John Ford