Awards & Winners

Golden Globe Award for Best Director - Motion Picture

Golden Globe Awards

This page lists the winners of and nominees for the Golden Globe Award for Best Director. Since its inception in 1943, it has been presented annually by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, an organization composed of journalists who cover the United States film industry for publications based outside North America. Having won all four of his nominations, Elia Kazan has been honored most often in this category. Martin Scorsese, Clint Eastwood, David Lean, Miloš Forman, and Oliver Stone tie for second place with three wins each. Steven Spielberg has had the most nominations and has received the award twice. Barbra Streisand is the only woman to have won the award. In the following lists, the first names, listed in bold type against a blue background, are the winners, and the following names are the remaining nominees. The years given are those in which the films under consideration were released, not the year of the ceremony, which takes place in January of the following year. Notes: "†" indicates Academy Award-winning direction. "§" indicates Golden Globe Award-winning direction that was not nominated for an Academy Award.
Date Established : 1943

Check all the winners of Golden Globe Award for Best Director - Motion Picture presented under Golden Globe Awards since 1944 .


Ben Affleck

Honored for : Argo

Nominations 2013 »

Nominee Nominated Work
David O. Russell American Hustle
Paul Greengrass Captain Phillips
Alexander Payne Nebraska
Steve McQueen 12 Years a Slave
Alfonso Cuarón Gravity

Martin Scorsese

Honored for : Hugo

Nominations 2012 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Woody Allen Midnight in Paris
George Clooney The Ides of March
Michel Hazanavicius The Artist
Alexander Payne The Descendants
Martin Scorsese Hugo

David Fincher

Honored for : The Social Network

Nominations 2011 »

Nominee Nominated Work
David O. Russell The Fighter
Tom Hooper The King's Speech
David Fincher The Social Network
Darren Aronofsky Black Swan
Christopher Nolan Inception

James Cameron

Honored for : Avatar

Nominations 2010 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Quentin Tarantino Inglourious Basterds
Jason Reitman Up in the Air
Clint Eastwood Invictus
James Cameron Avatar
Kathryn Bigelow The Hurt Locker

Danny Boyle

Honored for : Slumdog Millionaire

Nominations 2009 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Danny Boyle Slumdog Millionaire
Stephen Daldry The Reader
David Fincher The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard Frost/Nixon
Sam Mendes Revolutionary Road

Julian Schnabel

Honored for : The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Nominations 2008 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Julian Schnabel The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Ethan Coen No Country for Old Men
Joel Coen No Country for Old Men
Tim Burton Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Ridley Scott American Gangster
Joe Wright Atonement

Martin Scorsese

Honored for : The Departed

Nominations 2007 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Martin Scorsese The Departed
Alejandro González Iñárritu Babel
Clint Eastwood Flags of Our Fathers
Clint Eastwood Letters from Iwo Jima
Stephen Frears The Queen

Ang Lee

Honored for : Brokeback Mountain

Nominations 2006 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Ang Lee Brokeback Mountain
Fernando Meirelles The Constant Gardener
George Clooney Good Night, and Good Luck
Peter Jackson King Kong
Woody Allen Match Point
Steven Spielberg Munich

Clint Eastwood

Honored for : Million Dollar Baby

Nominations 2005 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Clint Eastwood Million Dollar Baby
Martin Scorsese The Aviator
Mike Nichols Closer
Marc Forster Finding Neverland
Alexander Payne Sideways

Peter Jackson

Honored for : The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Nominations 2004 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Peter Jackson The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Anthony Minghella Cold Mountain
Sofia Coppola Lost in Translation
Peter Weir Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
Clint Eastwood Mystic River

Martin Scorsese

Honored for : Gangs of New York

Nominations 2003 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Martin Scorsese Gangs of New York
Alexander Payne About Schmidt
Spike Jonze Adaptation
Rob Marshall Chicago
Stephen Daldry The Hours
Peter Jackson The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Robert Altman

Honored for : Gosford Park

Nominations 2002 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Robert Altman Gosford Park
Steven Spielberg A.I. Artificial Intelligence
Ron Howard A Beautiful Mind
Peter Jackson The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Baz Luhrmann Moulin Rouge!
David Lynch Mulholland Drive

Ang Lee

Honored for : Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Nominations 2001 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Ang Lee Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Steven Soderbergh Erin Brockovich
Ridley Scott Gladiator
István Szabó Sunshine
Steven Soderbergh Traffic

Sam Mendes

Honored for : American Beauty

Nominations 2000 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Sam Mendes American Beauty
Neil Jordan The End of the Affair
Norman Jewison The Hurricane
Michael Mann The Insider
Anthony Minghella The Talented Mr. Ripley

Steven Spielberg

Honored for : Saving Private Ryan

Nominations 1999 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Steven Spielberg Saving Private Ryan
Shekhar Kapur Elizabeth
Robert Redford The Horse Whisperer
John Madden Shakespeare in Love
Peter Weir The Truman Show

James Cameron

Honored for : Titanic

Nominations 1998 »

Nominee Nominated Work
James Cameron Titanic
Steven Spielberg Amistad
James L. Brooks As Good as It Gets
Jim Sheridan The Boxer
Curtis Hanson L.A. Confidential

Miloš Forman

Honored for : The People vs. Larry Flynt

Nominations 1997 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Miloš Forman The People vs. Larry Flynt
Anthony Minghella The English Patient
Alan Parker Evita
Joel Coen Fargo
Scott Hicks Shine

Mel Gibson

Honored for : Braveheart

Nominations 1996 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Mel Gibson Braveheart
Rob Reiner The American President
Ron Howard Apollo 13
Martin Scorsese Casino
Mike Figgis Leaving Las Vegas
Ang Lee Sense and Sensibility

Robert Zemeckis

Honored for : Forrest Gump

Nominations 1995 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Robert Zemeckis Forrest Gump
Edward Zwick Legends of the Fall
Oliver Stone Natural Born Killers
Quentin Tarantino Pulp Fiction
Robert Redford Quiz Show

Steven Spielberg

Honored for : Schindler's List

Nominations 1994 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Steven Spielberg Schindler's List
Martin Scorsese The Age of Innocence
Andrew Davis The Fugitive
Jane Campion The Piano
James Ivory The Remains of the Day

Clint Eastwood

Honored for : Unforgiven

Nominations 1993 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Clint Eastwood Unforgiven
Rob Reiner A Few Good Men
James Ivory Howards End
Robert Altman The Player
Robert Redford A River Runs Through It

Oliver Stone

Honored for : JFK

Nominations 1992 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Oliver Stone JFK
Barry Levinson Bugsy
Terry Gilliam The Fisher King
Barbra Streisand The Prince of Tides
Jonathan Demme The Silence of the Lambs

Kevin Costner

Honored for : Dances with Wolves

Nominations 1991 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Kevin Costner Dances with Wolves
Francis Ford Coppola The Godfather Part III
Martin Scorsese Goodfellas
Barbet Schroeder Reversal of Fortune
Bernardo Bertolucci The Sheltering Sky

Oliver Stone

Honored for : Born on the Fourth of July

Nominations 1990 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Oliver Stone Born on the Fourth of July
Peter Weir Dead Poets Society
Spike Lee Do the Right Thing
Edward Zwick Glory
Rob Reiner When Harry Met Sally...

Clint Eastwood

Honored for : Bird

Nominations 1989 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Clint Eastwood Bird
Fred Schepisi Evil Angels
Alan Parker Mississippi Burning
Barry Levinson Rain Man
Sidney Lumet Running on Empty
Mike Nichols Working Girl

Bernardo Bertolucci

Honored for : The Last Emperor

Nominations 1988 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Bernardo Bertolucci The Last Emperor
James L. Brooks Broadcast News
Richard Attenborough Cry Freedom
Adrian Lyne Fatal Attraction
John Boorman Hope and Glory

Oliver Stone

Honored for : Platoon

Nominations 1987 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Oliver Stone Platoon
Woody Allen Hannah and Her Sisters
Roland Joffé The Mission
James Ivory A Room with a View
Rob Reiner Stand by Me

John Huston

Honored for : Prizzi's Honor

Nominations 1986 »

Nominee Nominated Work
John Huston Prizzi's Honor
Richard Attenborough A Chorus Line
Steven Spielberg The Color Purple
Sydney Pollack Out of Africa
Peter Weir Witness

Miloš Forman

Honored for : Amadeus

Nominations 1985 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Miloš Forman Amadeus
Francis Ford Coppola The Cotton Club
Roland Joffé The Killing Fields
Sergio Leone Once Upon a Time in America
David Lean A Passage to India

Barbra Streisand

Honored for : Yentl

Nominations 1984 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Ingmar Bergman Fanny and Alexander
Barbra Streisand Yentl
Peter Yates The Dresser
Mike Nichols Silkwood
Bruce Beresford Tender Mercies
James L. Brooks Terms of Endearment

Richard Attenborough

Honored for : Gandhi

Nominations 1983 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Richard Attenborough Gandhi
Steven Spielberg E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Costa-Gavras Missing
Sydney Pollack Tootsie
Sidney Lumet The Verdict

Warren Beatty

Honored for : Reds

Nominations 1982 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Warren Beatty Reds
Louis Malle Atlantic City
Mark Rydell On Golden Pond
Sidney Lumet Prince of the City
Miloš Forman Ragtime
Steven Spielberg Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark

Robert Redford

Honored for : Ordinary People

Nominations 1981 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Robert Redford Ordinary People
David Lynch The Elephant Man
Martin Scorsese Raging Bull
Richard Rush The Stunt Man
Roman Polanski Tess

Francis Ford Coppola

Honored for : Apocalypse Now

Nominations 1980 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Francis Ford Coppola Apocalypse Now
Hal Ashby Being There
Peter Yates Breaking Away
James Bridges The China Syndrome
Robert Benton Kramer vs. Kramer

Michael Cimino

Honored for : The Deer Hunter

Nominations 1979 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Michael Cimino The Deer Hunter
Paul Mazursky An Unmarried Woman
Hal Ashby Coming Home
Terrence Malick Days of Heaven
Woody Allen Interiors
Alan Parker Midnight Express

Herbert Ross

Honored for : The Turning Point

Nominations 1978 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Herbert Ross The Turning Point
Woody Allen Annie Hall
Steven Spielberg Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Fred Zinnemann Julia
George Lucas Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope

Sidney Lumet

Honored for : Network

Nominations 1977 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Sidney Lumet Network
Alan J. Pakula All the President's Men
Hal Ashby Bound for Glory
John Schlesinger Marathon Man
John G. Avildsen Rocky

Miloš Forman

Honored for : One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Nominations 1976 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Miloš Forman One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Stanley Kubrick Barry Lyndon
Sidney Lumet Dog Day Afternoon
Steven Spielberg Jaws
Robert Altman Nashville

Roman Polanski

Honored for : Chinatown

Nominations 1975 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Roman Polanski Chinatown
Francis Ford Coppola The Conversation
Francis Ford Coppola The Godfather Part II
Bob Fosse Lenny
John Cassavetes A Woman Under the Influence

William Friedkin

Honored for : The Exorcist

Nominations 1974 »

Nominee Nominated Work
William Friedkin The Exorcist
George Lucas American Graffiti
Fred Zinnemann The Day of the Jackal
Bernardo Bertolucci Last Tango in Paris
Peter Bogdanovich Paper Moon

Francis Ford Coppola

Honored for : The Godfather

Nominations 1973 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Francis Ford Coppola The Godfather
Billy Wilder Avanti!
Bob Fosse Cabaret
John Boorman Deliverance
Alfred Hitchcock Frenzy

William Friedkin

Honored for : The French Connection

Nominations 1972 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Robert Mulligan Summer of '42
William Friedkin The French Connection
Stanley Kubrick A Clockwork Orange
Norman Jewison Fiddler on the Roof
Peter Bogdanovich The Last Picture Show

Arthur Hiller

Honored for : Love Story

Nominations 1971 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Arthur Hiller Love Story
Bob Rafelson Five Easy Pieces
Robert Altman MASH
Franklin J. Schaffner Patton
Ken Russell Women in Love

Charles Jarrott

Honored for : Anne of the Thousand Days

Nominations 1970 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Charles Jarrott Anne of the Thousand Days
Gene Kelly Hello, Dolly!
John Schlesinger Midnight Cowboy
Stanley Kramer The Secret of Santa Vittoria
Sydney Pollack They Shoot Horses, Don't They?

Paul Newman

Honored for : Rachel, Rachel

Nominations 1969 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Paul Newman Rachel, Rachel
Anthony Harvey The Lion in Winter
Carol Reed Oliver!
William Wyler Funny Girl
Franco Zeffirelli Romeo and Juliet

Mike Nichols

Honored for : The Graduate

Nominations 1968 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Mike Nichols The Graduate
Arthur Penn Bonnie and Clyde
Mark Rydell The Fox
Stanley Kramer Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
Norman Jewison In the Heat of the Night

Fred Zinnemann

Honored for : A Man for All Seasons

Nominations 1967 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Fred Zinnemann A Man for All Seasons
Lewis Gilbert Alfie
Claude Lelouch A Man and a Woman
Robert Wise The Sand Pebbles
Mike Nichols Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

David Lean

Honored for : Doctor Zhivago

Nominations 1966 »

Nominee Nominated Work
David Lean Doctor Zhivago
William Wyler The Collector
John Schlesinger Darling
Guy Green A Patch of Blue
Robert Wise The Sound of Music

George Cukor

Honored for : My Fair Lady

Nominations 1965 »

Nominee Nominated Work
George Cukor My Fair Lady
Peter Glenville Becket
John Huston The Night of the Iguana
John Frankenheimer Seven Days in May
Michael Cacoyannis Zorba the Greek

Elia Kazan

Honored for : America America

Nominations 1964 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Elia Kazan America America
Otto Preminger The Cardinal
Hall Bartlett The Caretakers
Joseph L. Mankiewicz Cleopatra
Robert Wise The Haunting
Martin Ritt Hud
George Englund The Ugly American
Tony Richardson Tom Jones

David Lean

Honored for : Lawrence of Arabia

Nominations 1963 »

Nominee Nominated Work
David Lean Lawrence of Arabia
Martin Ritt Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man
Ismael Rodríguez Los Hermanos del Hierro
George Cukor The Chapman Report
Blake Edwards Days of Wine and Roses
John Huston Freud: The Secret Passion
Mervyn LeRoy Gypsy
Stanley Kubrick Lolita
John Frankenheimer The Manchurian Candidate
Morton DaCosta The Music Man
Robert Mulligan To Kill a Mockingbird

Stanley Kramer

Honored for : Judgment at Nuremberg

Nominations 1962 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Stanley Kramer Judgment at Nuremberg
William Wyler The Children's Hour
Anthony Mann El Cid
J. Lee Thompson The Guns of Navarone
Jerome Robbins West Side Story
Robert Wise West Side Story

Jack Cardiff

Honored for : Sons and Lovers

Nominations 1961 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Jack Cardiff Sons and Lovers
Billy Wilder The Apartment
Richard Brooks Elmer Gantry
Stanley Kubrick Spartacus
Fred Zinnemann The Sundowners

William Wyler

Honored for : Ben-Hur

Nominations 1960 »

Nominee Nominated Work
William Wyler Ben-Hur
Otto Preminger Anatomy of a Murder
George Stevens The Diary of Anne Frank
Fred Zinnemann The Nun's Story
Stanley Kramer On the Beach

Vincente Minnelli

Honored for : Gigi

Nominations 1959 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Vincente Minnelli Gigi
Richard Brooks Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Stanley Kramer The Defiant Ones
Robert Wise I Want to Live!
Delbert Mann Separate Tables

David Lean

Honored for : The Bridge on the River Kwai

Nominations 1958 »

Nominee Nominated Work
David Lean The Bridge on the River Kwai
Sidney Lumet 12 Angry Men
Fred Zinnemann A Hatful of Rain
Joshua Logan Sayonara
Billy Wilder Witness for the Prosecution

Elia Kazan

Honored for : Baby Doll

Nominations 1957 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Elia Kazan Baby Doll
Michael Anderson Around the World in 80 Days
George Stevens Giant
Vincente Minnelli Lust for Life
King Vidor War and Peace

Joshua Logan

Honored for : Picnic

Nominations 1956 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Joshua Logan Picnic

Elia Kazan

Honored for : On the Waterfront

Nominations 1955 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Elia Kazan On the Waterfront

Fred Zinnemann

Honored for : From Here to Eternity

Nominations 1954 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Fred Zinnemann From Here to Eternity

Cecil B. DeMille

Honored for : The Greatest Show on Earth

Nominations 1953 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Cecil B. DeMille The Greatest Show on Earth
Richard Fleischer The Narrow Margin
John Ford The Quiet Man

László Benedek

Honored for : Death of a Salesman

Nominations 1952 »

Nominee Nominated Work
László Benedek Death of a Salesman
Vincente Minnelli An American in Paris
George Stevens A Place in the Sun

Billy Wilder

Honored for : Sunset Boulevard

Nominations 1951 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Billy Wilder Sunset Boulevard
Joseph L. Mankiewicz All About Eve
John Huston The Asphalt Jungle
George Cukor Born Yesterday

Robert Rossen

Honored for : All the King's Men

Nominations 1950 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Robert Rossen All the King's Men
William Wyler The Heiress

John Huston

Honored for : The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

Nominations 1949 »

Nominee Nominated Work
John Huston The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

Elia Kazan

Honored for : Gentleman's Agreement

Nominations 1948 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Elia Kazan Gentleman's Agreement

Frank Capra

Honored for : It's a Wonderful Life

Nominations 1947 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Frank Capra It's a Wonderful Life

Billy Wilder

Honored for : The Lost Weekend

Nominations 1946 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Billy Wilder The Lost Weekend

Leo McCarey

Honored for : Going My Way

Nominations 1945 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Leo McCarey Going My Way

Henry King

Honored for : The Song of Bernadette

Nominations 1944 »

Nominee Nominated Work
Henry King The Song of Bernadette