Year Academy Award Golden Globe Directors Guild of America BAFTA Critics' Choice
2017 Guillermo del Toro
The Shape of Water
Guillermo del Toro
The Shape of Water
Guillermo del Toro
The Shape of Water
Guillermo del Toro
The Shape of Water
Guillermo del Toro
The Shape of Water
2016 Damien Chazelle
La La Land
Damien Chazelle
La La Land
Damien Chazelle
La La Land
Damien Chazelle
La La Land
Damien Chazelle
La La Land
2015 Alejandro González Iñárritu
The Revenant
Alejandro González Iñárritu
The Revenant
Alejandro González Iñárritu
The Revenant
Alejandro González Iñárritu
The Revenant
George Miller
Mad Max: Fury Road
2014 Alejandro González Iñárritu
Birdman
Richard Linklater
Boyhood
Alejandro González Iñárritu
Birdman
Richard Linklater
Boyhood
Richard Linklater
Boyhood
2013 Alfonso Cuarón
Gravity
Alfonso Cuarón
Gravity
Alfonso Cuarón
Gravity
Alfonso Cuarón
Gravity
Alfonso Cuarón
Gravity
2012 Ang Lee
Life of Pi
Ben Affleck
Argo
Ben Affleck
Argo
Ben Affleck
Argo
Ben Affleck
Argo
2011 Michel Hazanavicius
The Artist
Martin Scorsese
Hugo
Michel Hazanavicius
The Artist
Michel Hazanavicius
The Artist
Michel Hazanavicius
The Artist
2010 Tom Hooper
The King's Speech
David Fincher
The Social Network
Tom Hooper
The King's Speech
David Fincher
The Social Network
David Fincher
The Social Network
2009 Kathryn Bigelow
The Hurt Locker
James Cameron
Avatar
Kathryn Bigelow
The Hurt Locker
Kathryn Bigelow
The Hurt Locker
Kathryn Bigelow
The Hurt Locker
2008 Danny Boyle
Slumdog Millionaire
Danny Boyle
Slumdog Millionaire
Danny Boyle
Slumdog Millionaire
Danny Boyle
Slumdog Millionaire
Danny Boyle
Slumdog Millionaire
2007 Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
No Country for Old Men
Julian Schnabel
Le Scaphandre et le Papillon
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
No Country for Old Men
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
No Country for Old Men
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
No Country for Old Men
2006 Martin Scorsese
The Departed
Martin Scorsese
The Departed
Martin Scorsese
The Departed
Paul Greengrass
United 93
Martin Scorsese
The Departed
2005 Ang Lee
Brokeback Mountain
Ang Lee
Brokeback Mountain
Ang Lee
Brokeback Mountain
Ang Lee
Brokeback Mountain
Ang Lee
Brokeback Mountain
2004 Clint Eastwood
Million Dollar Baby
Clint Eastwood
Million Dollar Baby
Clint Eastwood
Million Dollar Baby
Mike Leigh
Vera Drake
Martin Scorsese
The Aviator
2003 Peter Jackson
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Peter Jackson
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Peter Jackson
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Peter Weir
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
Peter Jackson
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2002 Roman Polanski
The Pianist
Martin Scorsese
Gangs of New York
Rob Marshall
Chicago
Roman Polanski
The Pianist
Steven Spielberg
Minority Report & Catch Me If You Can
2001 Ron Howard
A Beautiful Mind
Robert Altman
Gosford Park
Ron Howard
A Beautiful Mind
Peter Jackson
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Ron Howard
A Beautiful Mind
2000 Steven Soderbergh
Traffic
Ang Lee
Wo hu cang long
Ang Lee
Wo hu cang long
Ang Lee
Wo hu cang long
Steven Soderbergh
Erin Brockovich & Traffic
1999 Sam Mendes
American Beauty
Sam Mendes
American Beauty
Sam Mendes
American Beauty
Pedro Almodóvar
Todo sobre mi madre
Sam Mendes
American Beauty
1998 Steven Spielberg
Saving Private Ryan
Steven Spielberg
Saving Private Ryan
Steven Spielberg
Saving Private Ryan
Peter Weir
The Truman Show
Steven Spielberg
Saving Private Ryan
1997 James Cameron
Titanic
James Cameron
Titanic
James Cameron
Titanic
Baz Luhrmann
Romeo + Juliet
James Cameron
Titanic
1996 Anthony Minghella
The English Patient
Miloš Forman
The People vs. Larry Flynt
Anthony Minghella
The English Patient
Joel Coen
Fargo
Anthony Minghella
The English Patient
1995 Mel Gibson
Braveheart
Mel Gibson
Braveheart
Ron Howard
Apollo 13
Michael Radford
Il Postino
Mel Gibson
Braveheart
1994 Robert Zemeckis
Forrest Gump
Robert Zemeckis
Forrest Gump
Robert Zemeckis
Forrest Gump
Mike Newell
Four Weddings and a Funeral
1993 Steven Spielberg
Schindler's List
Steven Spielberg
Schindler's List
Steven Spielberg
Schindler's List
Steven Spielberg
Schindler's List
1992 Clint Eastwood
Unforgiven
Clint Eastwood
Unforgiven
Clint Eastwood
Unforgiven
Robert Altman
The Player
1991 Jonathan Demme
The Silence of the Lambs
Oliver Stone
JFK
Jonathan Demme
The Silence of the Lambs
Alan Parker
The Commitments
1990 Kevin Costner
Dances with Wolves
Kevin Costner
Dances with Wolves
Kevin Costner
Dances with Wolves
Martin Scorsese
Goodfellas
1989 Oliver Stone
Born on the Fourth of July
Oliver Stone
Born on the Fourth of July
1988 Barry Levinson
Rain Man
Clint Eastwood
Bird
1987 Bernardo Bertolucci
The Last Emperor
Bernardo Bertolucci
The Last Emperor
1986 Oliver Stone
Platoon
Oliver Stone
Platoon
1985 Sydney Pollack
Out of Africa
John Huston
Prizzi's Honor
1984 Miloš Forman
Amadeus
Miloš Forman
Amadeus
1983 James L. Brooks
Terms of Endearment
Barbra Streisand
Yentl
1982 Richard Attenborough
Gandhi
Richard Attenborough
Gandhi
1981 Warren Beatty
Reds
Warren Beatty
Reds
1980 Robert Redford
Ordinary People
Robert Redford
Ordinary People
1979 Robert Benton
Kramer vs. Kramer
Francis Ford Coppola
Apocalypse Now
1978 Michael Cimino
The Deer Hunter
Michael Cimino
The Deer Hunter
1977 Woody Allen
Annie Hall
Herbert Ross
The Turning Point
1976 John G. Avildsen
Rocky
Sidney Lumet
Network
1975 Miloš Forman
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Miloš Forman
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1974 Francis Ford Coppola
The Godfather Part II
Roman Polanski
Chinatown
1973 George Roy Hill
The Sting
William Friedkin
The Exorcist
1972 Bob Fosse
Cabaret
Francis Ford Coppola
The Godfather
1971 William Friedkin
The French Connection
William Friedkin
The French Connection
1970 Franklin J. Schaffner
Patton
Arthur Hiller
Love Story