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🎬 Directors

The most-nominated directors in Academy Award for Best Director history

The top 3 according to 65 votes from people: William Wyler · Woody Allen · John Ford. (Updated Jul 18, 2026.)

William Wyler on top with 12 nominations, Scorsese and Spielberg behind him, and Hitchcock, Kubrick and Fellini who never won: every filmmaker with at least four Best Director nominations, with their wins, as of the 97th Academy Awards (2025).

montagnard_paris · · 27 items · 65 votes · 0 comments

Automatically translated (original in Français). See the original

Top 27

  1. 1

    William Wyler

    12 nominations, 3 wins: Mrs. Miniver (1942), The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), Ben-Hur (1959).

    ▲ 5 ▼ 0

    5
  2. 2

    Woody Allen

    7 nominations, 1 win: Annie Hall (1977).

    ▲ 5 ▼ 0

    5
  3. 3

    John Ford

    5 nominations, 4 wins: The Informer (1935), The Grapes of Wrath (1940), How Green Was My Valley (1941), The Quiet Man (1952).

    ▲ 5 ▼ 0

    5
  4. 4

    George Stevens

    5 nominations, 2 wins: A Place in the Sun (1951), Giant (1956).

    ▲ 4 ▼ 0

    4
  5. 5

    David Lean

    7 nominations, 2 wins: The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), Lawrence of Arabia (1962).

    ▲ 4 ▼ 1

    3
  6. 6

    Billy Wilder

    8 nominations, 2 wins: The Lost Weekend (1945), The Apartment (1960).

    ▲ 3 ▼ 0

    3
  7. 7

    Fred Zinnemann

    7 nominations, 2 wins: From Here to Eternity (1953), A Man for All Seasons (1966).

    ▲ 3 ▼ 0

    3
  8. 8

    Mike Nichols

    4 nominations, 1 win: The Graduate (1967).

    ▲ 3 ▼ 0

    3
  9. 9

    Martin Scorsese

    10 nominations, 1 win: The Departed (2006).

    ▲ 3 ▼ 1

    2
  10. 10

    Frank Capra

    6 nominations, 3 wins: It Happened One Night (1934), Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936), You Can't Take It with You (1938).

    ▲ 2 ▼ 0

    2
  11. 11

    Elia Kazan

    5 nominations, 2 wins: Gentleman's Agreement (1947), On the Waterfront (1954).

    ▲ 2 ▼ 0

    2
  12. 12

    John Huston

    5 nominations, 1 win: The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948).

    ▲ 2 ▼ 0

    2
  13. 13

    Clarence Brown

    5 nominations, never won.

    ▲ 2 ▼ 0

    2
  14. 14

    Steven Spielberg

    9 nominations, 2 wins: Schindler's List (1993), Saving Private Ryan (1998).

    ▲ 2 ▼ 1

    1
  15. 15

    George Cukor

    5 nominations, 1 win: My Fair Lady (1964).

    ▲ 2 ▼ 1

    1
  16. 16

    King Vidor

    5 nominations, never won.

    ▲ 2 ▼ 1

    1
  17. 17

    Alfred Hitchcock

    5 nominations, never won.

    ▲ 1 ▼ 0

    1
  18. 18

    Robert Altman

    5 nominations, never won.

    ▲ 1 ▼ 0

    1
  19. 19

    Clint Eastwood

    4 nominations, 2 wins: Unforgiven (1992), Million Dollar Baby (2004).

    ▲ 1 ▼ 0

    1
  20. 20

    Joseph L. Mankiewicz

    4 nominations, 2 wins: A Letter to Three Wives (1949), All About Eve (1950).

    ▲ 1 ▼ 0

    1
  21. 21

    Frank Lloyd

    4 nominations, 2 wins: The Divine Lady (1929), Cavalcade (1933).

    ▲ 1 ▼ 0

    1
  22. 22

    Francis Ford Coppola

    4 nominations, 1 win: The Godfather Part II (1974).

    ▲ 1 ▼ 0

    1
  23. 23

    Stanley Kubrick

    4 nominations, never won.

    ▲ 1 ▼ 0

    1
  24. 24

    Federico Fellini

    4 nominations, never won.

    ▲ 1 ▼ 0

    1
  25. 25

    Sidney Lumet

    4 nominations, never won.

    ▲ 1 ▼ 0

    1
  26. 26

    Peter Weir

    4 nominations, never won.

    ▲ 0 ▼ 0

    0
  27. 27

    Michael Curtiz

    4 nominations, 1 win: Casablanca (1942).

    ▲ 0 ▼ 2

    -2

How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.

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