# Golden Rooster Award for Best Director

Golden Rooster Award for Best Director (中国电影金鸡奖最佳导演) is the main category of Competition of Golden Rooster Awards, awarding to director who have outstanding achievement in direction for motion pictures.

## Award winners and nominees
### 1990s

| Year | Winner and nominees (English) | Winner and nominees (Chinese) | English title | Original title |
| 1990 | Li Qiankuan/Xiao Guiyun | 李前宽、肖桂云 | Founding Ceremony | 开国大典 |
| 1990 | Xie Tieli/Zhao Yuan | 谢铁骊、赵元 | A Dream of the Red Mansions | 红楼梦 |
| 1990 | Chen Jialin | 陈家林 | Bai Se Qi Yi | 百色起义 |
| 1991 | N/A |
| 1991 | Huang Jianzhong/Li Ziyu | 黄健中、李子羽 | Dragon Year Cops | 龙年警官 |
| 1991 | Sai Fu/Mai Lisi | 赛夫、麦丽丝 | Qi Shi Feng Yun | 骑士风云 |
| 1991 | Xia Gang | 夏钢 | Zao Yu Ji Qing | 遭遇激情 |
| 1992 | Sun Zhou | 孙周 | Xin Xiang | 心香 |
| 1992 | Ensable Directors | 导演创作集体 | Decisive Engagement: The Liaoxi-Shenyang Campaign | 大决战 |
| 1992 | Huang Jianzhong | 黄健中 | Spring Festival | 过年 |
| 1992 | Li Qiankuan/Xiao Guiyun | 李前宽、肖桂云 | Jue Zhan Zhi Hou | 决战之后 |
| 1992 | Li Xiepu | 李歇浦 | Kai Tian Pi Di | 开天辟地 |
| 1992 | Xu Geng | 徐耿 | Feng Yu Gu Yuan | 风雨故园 |
| 1993 | Xia Gang | 夏钢 | After Separation | 大撒把 |
| 1993 | Zhang Jianya | 张建亚 | San Mao Joins the Army | 三毛从军记 |
| 1993 | Zhang Yimou | 张艺谋 | The Story of Qiu Ju | 秋菊打官司 |
| 1994 | He Ping | 何平 | Red Firecracker, Green Firecracker | 炮打双灯 |
| 1994 | Sai Fu/Mai Lisi | 赛夫、麦丽丝 | To the East of Heroes | 东归英雄传 |
| 1995 | Huang Jianxin/Yang Yazhou | 黄建新、杨亚洲 | Back to Back, Face to Face | 背靠背，脸对脸 |
| 1995 | Zhou Xiaowen | 周晓文 | Ermo | 二嫫 |
| 1996 | Wu Tianming | 吴天明 | The King of Masks | 变脸 |
| 1996 | Chen Guoxing/Wang Ping | 陈国星、王坪 | Kong Fansen | 孔繁森 |
| 1996 | Ning Ying | 宁瀛 | Police Story | 民警故事 |
| 1996 | Ye Daying | 叶大鹰 | Red Cherry | 红樱桃 |
| 1997 | Wei Lian | 韦廉 | Da Zhuan Zhe | 大转折 |
| 1997 | Huang Shuqin | 黄蜀芹 | I Have a Dad | 我也有爸爸 |
| 1997 | Xie Jin | 谢晋 | The Opium War | 鸦片战争 |
| 1998 | Hu Bingliu | 胡炳榴 | Settlement | 安居 |
| 1998 | Sai Fu/Mai Lisi | 赛夫、麦丽丝 | Genghis Khan | 一代天骄成吉思汗 |
| 1998 | Yang Guangyuan | 杨光远 | The Liberation of Southwest China | 大进军——席卷大西南 |
| 1998 | Yang Yazhou | 杨亚洲 | A Tree in House | 没事偷着乐 |
| 1999 | Zhang Yimou | 张艺谋 | Not One Less | 一个都不能少 |
| 1999 | Huo Jianqi | 霍建起 | Postmen in the Mountains | 那山那人那狗 |
| 1999 | Teng Wenji | 滕文骥 | Spring Rhapsody | 春天的狂想 |

### 2000s

| Year | Winner and nominees (English) | Winner and nominees (Chinese) | English title | Original title |
| 2000 | Chen Guoxing | 陈国星 | Heng Kong Chu Shi | 横空出世 |
| 2000 | Zhang Yimou | 张艺谋 | The Road Home | 我的父亲母亲 |
| 2001 | Huo Jianqi | 霍建起 | Love of Blueness | 蓝色爱情 |
| 2001 | Ding Yinnan | 丁荫楠 | Together Forever | 相伴永远 |
| 2001 | Huang Jianxin | 黄建新 | Who Cares? | 谁说我不在乎 |
| 2002 | Chen Kaige | 陈凯歌 | Together | 和你在一起 |
| 2002 | Yang Yazhou | 杨亚洲 | Pretty Big Feet | '美丽的大脚 |
| 2002 | Sai Fu/Mai Lisi | 赛夫、麦丽丝 | Heavenly Grassland | 天上草原 |
| 2003 | Zhang Yimou | 张艺谋 | Hero | 英雄 |
| 2003 | Huo Jianqi | 霍建起 | Nuan | 暖 |
| 2003 | Zhai Junjie | 翟俊杰 | Jing Tao Hai Lang | 惊涛骇浪 |
| 2003 | Zheng Dongtian | 郑洞天 | Once Upon a Time in Taiwan | 台湾往事 |
| 2004 | Peng Xiaolian | 彭小莲 | Shanghai Story | 美丽上海 |
| 2004 | Zhang Yimou | 张艺谋 | House of Flying Daggers | 十面埋伏 |
| 2005 | Ma Liwen | 马俪文 | You and Me | 我们俩 |
| 2005 | Lu Chuan | 陆川 | Kekexili: Mountain Patrol | 可可西里 |
| 2005 | Lian Weilian/Shen Dong/Chen Jian | 连威廉、沈东、陈健 | On the Mountain of Tai Hang | 太行山上 |
| 2005 | Yin Li | 尹力 | Zhang Side | 张思德 |
| 2006-2007 | Qi Jian | 戚健 | The Forest Ranger | 天狗 |
| 2006-2007 | Yin Li | 尹力 | The Knot | 云水谣 |
| 2006-2007 | Gao Qunshu | 高群书 | Tokyo Trail | 东京审判 |
| 2006-2007 | Jacob Cheung | 张之亮 | A Battle of Wits | 墨攻 |
| 2006-2007 | Yu Zhong | 俞钟 | A Postman OF Paradise | 香巴拉信使 |
| 2008-2009 | Feng Xiaogang | 冯小刚 | Assembly | 集结号 |
| 2008-2009 | Cao Baoping | 曹保平 | The Equation of Love and Death | 李米的猜想 |
| 2008-2009 | Chen Kaige | 陈凯歌 | Forever Enthralled | 梅兰芳 |
| 2008-2009 | Gordon Chan | 陈嘉上 | Painted Skin | 画皮 |
| 2008-2009 | Ning Hao | 宁浩 | Crazy Racer | 疯狂的赛车 |

### 2010s

| Year | Winner and nominees (English) | Winner and nominees (Chinese) | English title | Original title |
| 2010-2011 | Chen Li | 陈力 | Love in the Lounge Bridges | 爱在廊桥 |
| 2010-2011 | An Zhanjun | 安战军 | Through Stunning Storms | 惊沙 |
| 2010-2011 | Feng Xiaogang | 冯小刚 | Aftershock | 唐山大地震 |
| 2010-2011 | Gao Feng | 高峰 | The Old Village | 老寨 |
| 2010-2011 | Ning Cai | 宁才 | Mother | 额吉 |
| 2010-2011 | Zhang Meng | 张猛 | The Piano in a Factory | 钢的琴 |
| 2012-2013 | Peter Chan | 陈可辛 | American Dreams in China | 中国合伙人 |
| 2012-2013 | Wang Jing | 王竞 | Feng Shui | 万箭穿心 |
| 2012-2013 | Wong Kar-wai | 王家卫 | The Grandmaster | 一代宗师 |
| 2012-2013 | Feng Xiaogang | 冯小刚 | Back to 1942 | 一九四二 |
| 2014-2015 | Tsui Hark | 徐克 | The Taking of Tiger Mountain | 智取威虎山 |
| 2014-2015 | Ba Yin | 巴音 | Norjmaa | 诺日吉玛 |
| 2014-2015 | Ann Hui | 许鞍华 | The Golden Era | 黄金时代 |
| 2014-2015 | Liang Ming | 梁明 | Flag | 旗 |
| 2014-2015 | Fu Dongyu | 傅东育 | The Sky of Tibet | 西藏天空 |
| 2016-2017 | Feng Xiaogang | 冯小刚 | I Am Not Madame Bovary | 我不是潘金莲 |
| 2016-2017 | Zheng Dasheng | 郑大圣 | Bangzi Melody | 村戏 |
| 2016-2017 | Cao Baoping | 曹保平 | The Dead End | 烈日灼心 |
| 2016-2017 | Cheng Er | 程耳 | The Wasted Times | 罗曼蒂克消亡史 |
| 2016-2017 | Guan Hu | 管虎 | Mr. Six | 老炮儿 |
| 2018-2019 | Dante Lam | 林超贤 | Operation Red Sea | 红海行动 |
| 2018-2019 | Frant Gwo | 郭帆 | The Wandering Earth | 流浪地球 |
| 2018-2019 | Huo Meng | 霍猛 | Crossing The Border-Zhaoguan | 过昭关 |
| 2018-2019 | Wang Xiaoshuai | 王小帅 | So Long, My Son | 地久天长 |
| 2018-2019 | Dong Yue | 董越 | The Looming Storm | 暴雪将至 |
| 2018-2019 | Lü Yue | 吕乐 | Lost, Found | 找到你 |

### 2020s

| Year | Winner and nominees | English title | Original title |
| 2020 | Wang Rui | Chaogtu with Sarula | 白云之下 |
| 2020 | Yang Lina | Spring Tide | 春潮 |
| 2020 | Peter Chan | Leap | 夺冠 |
| 2020 | Chen Kaige, Zhang Yibai, Guan Hu, Xue Xiaolu, Xu Zheng, Ning Hao, Wen Muye | My People, My Country | 我和我的祖国 |
| 2020 | Zhou Shen, Liu Lu | Almost a Comedy | 半个喜剧 |
| 2020 | Derek Tsang | Better Days | 少年的你 |
| 2021 | Zhang Yimou | Cliff Walkers | 悬崖之上 |
| 2021 | Huang Jianxin Zheng Dasheng | 1921 | 1921 |
| 2021 | Han Yan | A Little Red Flower | 送你一朵小红花 |
| 2021 | Lu Yang | A Writer's Odyssey | 刺杀小说家 |
| 2021 | Yin Li | A Hustle Bustle New Year | 没有过不去的年 |
| 2022 | Chen Kaige Tsui Hark Dante Lam | The Battle at Lake Changjin | 长津湖 |
| 2022 | Longman Leung | Anita | 梅艷芳 |
| 2022 | Wen Muye | Nice View | 奇迹·笨小孩 |
| 2022 | Xue Xiaolu | Embrace Again | 穿过寒冬拥抱你 |
| 2022 | Zhang Yimou Zhang Mo | Sniper | 狙击手 |
| 2023 | Deng Chao Yu Baimei | Ping Pong: The Triumph | 中国乒乓之绝地反击 |
| 2023 | Wuershan | Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms | 封神第一部：朝歌风云 |
| 2023 | Chen Guoxing Lahuajia | Back to Tibet | |
| 2023 | Cheng Er | Hidden Blade | 无名 |
| 2023 | Wei Shujun | Yong'an Town Story Collection | |