Directors: Age at First Oscar Nomination (Winners and Nominees), 1929-Present
The first directing Oscars were given in 1929 for achievements in 1927/1928
My Oscar Book:
Updated June 8, 2020
I am using the age at which a filmmaker got his/her first Best Director Oscar nomination as an indicator of peer recognition. Rather than focus on the Best Director winners, I examine all of the Best Director nominees, from 1927-28 to the present.
Names in bold letters are directors who have won the Oscar.
1927-1928
Borzage, Frank, Seventh Heaven, 35
Milestone, Lewis, Two Arabian Knights, 33
Brenon, Herbert, Sorrel and Son, 48
Chaplin, Charlie, The Circus, 40
Vidor, King, The Crowd, 34
Wilde, Ted, Speedy, 39
Barrymore, Lionel, Madame X, 51
1928-1929
Lloyd, Frank, The Divine Lady, 40
Beaumont, Harry, Broadway Melody, 36
Cummings, Irving, In Old Arizona, 41
Lubitsch, Ernst, The Patriot, 37
1929-1930
Milestone, Lewis, All Quiet on Western Front, 35
Leonard, Robert Z., The Divorcee, 41
Brown, Clarence, Anna Christie; Romance, 40
1930-1931
Norman Taurog, Skippy, 32
Ruggles, Wesley, Cimarron, 42
Von Sternberg, Morocco, 37
1931-32
Borzage, Frank, Bad Girl, 39
1932-33
Lloyd, Frank, Cavalcade, 43
1934
Capra, Frank, It Happened One Night, 37
Schertzinger, Victor, One Night of Love, 46
La Cava, Gregory, My Man Godfrey, 44
Van Dyke, W.S., The Thin Man, 47
1935
Ford, John, The Informer, 40
Hathaway, Henry, Lives of Bengal Lancer, 37
1936
Capra, Frank, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, 37
1937
McCarey, Leo, The Awful Truth, 39
Dieterle, William, The Life of Emile Zola, 44
Franklin, Sidney, The Good Earth, 44
Wellman, William , A Star Is Born, 41
1938
Capra, Frank, You Can’t Take It With You 1938, 37
1939
Fleming, Victor, Gone with the Wind, 56
Wood, Sam, Goodbye, Mr. Chips, 56
1940
Ford, John, The Grapes of Wrath, 45
Hitchcock, Alfred, Rebecca, 41
1941
Ford, John, How Green Was My Valley, 46
Hall, Alexander, Here Comes Mr Jordan, 47
Hawks, Howard, Sergeant York, 45
Welles, Orson, Citizen Kane, 26
1942
Wyler, William, Mrs. Miniver, 40
Farrow, John, Wake Island, 38
LeRoy, Melvin, Random Harvest, 42
1943
Curtiz, Michael, Casablanca, 55
King, Henry, Song of Bernadette, 51
1944
McCarey, Leo, Going My Way, 45
Preminger, Otto, Laura, 38
1945
Wilder, Billy, The Lost Weekend, 39
Renoir, Jean, The Southerner, 51
1946
Wyler, William, Best Years of Our Lives, 44
Siodmak, Robert, The Killers, 46
1947
Kazan, Elia, Gentleman’s Agreement, 38
Dmytryk, Edward, Crossfire, 39
Koster, Henry, The Bishop’s Wife, 42
1948
Huston, John, Treasure of the Sierra Madre, 42
Litvak, Anatole, The Snake Pit, 46
Negulesco, Jean, Johnny Belinda, 48
Olivier, Laurence , Hamlet, 41
1949
Mankiewicz, Joseph, A Letter to Three Wives, 40
Rossen, Robert, All the King’s Men, 41
1950
Mankiewicz, Joseph, All About Eve, 41
1951
Minnelli, Vincente, An American in Paris, 48
Stevens, George, A Place in the Sun, 47
1952
Ford, John, The Quiet Man, 57
DeMille, Cecil B., The Greatest Show on Earth, 71
1953
Zinnemann, Fred, From Here to Eternity, 46
Walters, Charles, Lili, 42
1954
Kazan, Elia, On the Waterfront, 45
Seaton, George, The Country Girl, 43
1955
Mann, Delbert, Marty, 35
Logan, Joshua, Picnic, 47
Sturges, John, Bad Day at Black Rock, 44
1956
Stevens, George, Giant, 52
Anderson, Michael, Around the World, 36
Lang, Walter, The King and I, 58
1957
Lean, David, The Bridge on the River Kwai, 49
Lumet, Sidney, Twelve Angry Men, 33
Robson, Mark, Peyton Place, 44
1958
Minnelli, Vincente, Gigi, 55
Brooks, Richard, Cat on Hot Tin Roof, 46
Kramer, Stanley, The Defiant Ones, 45
1959
Clayton, Jack, Room at the Top, 38
1960
Wilder, Billy, The Apartment, 54
Cardiff, Jack, Sons and Lovers, 46
Jules Dassin, Never on Sunday, 49
1961
Wise, Robert, West Side Story, 47
Robbins, Jerome, West Side Story, 43
Fellini, Federico, La Dolce Vita, 41
Germi, Pietro, Divorce–Italian Style, 47
Thompson, J. L., The Guns of Navarone, 47
1962
Lean, David, Lawrence of Arabia, 54
Mulligan, Robert, To Kill a Mockingbird, 37
Penn, Arthur, The Miracle Worker, 40
Perry, Frank, David and Lisa, 29
1963
Richardson, Tony, Tom Jones, 35
Ritt, Martin, Hud, 49
1964
Cukor, George, My Fair Lady, 65
Cacoyannis, Michael, Zorba the Greek, 42
Glenville, Peter, Becket, 51
Kubrick, Stanley, Dr. Srangelove, 36
Stevenson, Robert, Mary Poppins, 55
1965
Wise, Robert, The Sound of Music, 51
Teshigahara, Hiroshi, Woman in the Dunes, 38
1966
Zinnemann, Fred, A Man for All Seasons, 59
Antonioni, Michael, Blow-Up, 54
Lelouche, Claude, A Man and a Woman, 30
1967
Nichols, Mike, The Graduate, 36
Jewison, Norman, In the Heat of Night, 41
1968
Reed, Carol, Oliver! 62
Harvey, Anthony, The Lion in Winter, 37
Pontevorvo, Gillo, The Battle of Algiers, 49
Zeffirelli,Franco, Romeo and Juliet, 45
1969
Schlesinger, John, Midnight Cowboy, 1969, 43
Gavras-Costa, Z, 1969, 33
1970
Schaffner, Franklin, Patton, 1970, 50
Altman, Robert, M.A.S. H. 1970, 45
Hiller, Arthur, Love Story, 1970, 46
Russell, Ken, Women in Love, 1970, 43
1971
Friedkin, William, French Connection, 1971, 36
Bogdanovich, Peter Last Picture Show, 1971, 32
1972
Fosse, Bob, Cabaret, 1972, 45
Boorman, John, Deliverance, 1972, 39
Jan Troell, The Emigrants, 1972, 41
1973
Hill, George Roy, The Sting, 1973, 51
Bergman, Ingmar, Cries and Whispers, 1973, 55 (Swedish)
Lucas, George, American Graffiti, 1973, 30
1974
Coppola, Francis. The Godfather, Part II 1974, 35
Cassavetes, John, Woman Under Influence 1974, 45
Truffaut, Francois, Day for Night, 1974, 42
1975
Forman, Milos, One Flew Over Cuckoos, 1975, 43
1976
John Avildsen, Rocky,
Pakula, Alan J., All the President’s Men, 1976, 48
Wethmuller, Lina, Seven Beauties, 1976, 48 (Italian, first woman nominated)
1977
Allen, Woody, Annie Hall, 43
Ross, Herbert, The Turning Point, 1977, 50
Beatty, Warren, Heaven Can Wait, 1978, 41
1978
Cimino, Michael, The Deer Hunter, 1978, 39
Ashby, Hal, Coming Home, 1978, 49
Henry, Buck, Heaven Can Wait, 1978
Parker, Alan, Midnight Express, 1978, 34
1979
Benton, Robert, Kramer Vs. Kramer, 1979, 47
Molinaro, Edward, La Cage Aux Folles, 1979, 51
Yates, Peter, Breaking Away, 1979, 50
1980
Redford, Robert, Ordinary People, 198, 43
Rush, Richard, The Stunt Man, 1980, 40
Lynch, David, The Elephant Man, 1980, 34
1981
Beatty, Warren, Reds, 1981, 44
Hudson, Hugh, Chariots of Fire, 1981, 45
Malle, Louis, Atlantic City, 1981,m49
Rydell, Mark, On Golden Pond, 1981, 47
1982
Attenborough, Richard, Gandhi, 1982, 59
Petersen, Wolfgang, Das Boot, 1982, 41 (German)
1983
Brooks, James L., Terms of Endearment, 1983, 43
Beresford, Bruce, Tender Mercies, 1983, 43
1984
Forman, Milos, Amadeus, 1984, 52 (Oscar 2)
Jaffe, Roland, The Killing Fields, 1984, 39
1985
Pollack, Sydney, Out of Africa, 1985, 51
Babenco, Hector, Kiss of Spider Woman, 1985, 39
Kurosawa, Akira, Ran, 1985, 75
Weir, Peter, Witness, 1985, 41
1986
Stone, Oliver, Platoon, 1986, 40
Ivory, James, A Room with a View, 1986, 58
1987
Bertolucci, Bernardo, The Last Emperor, 1987, 47
Hallstrom, Lasse, My Life as a Dog, 1987, 41 (Swedish)
Lyne, Adrian, Fatal Attraction, 1987, 46
1988
Levinson, Barry, Rain Man, 1988, 46
Crichton, Michael,m A Fish Call Wanda, 1988, 46
1989
Stone, Oliver, Born on Fourth of July, 1989, 43 (Oscar 2)
Branagh, Kenneth, Henry V, 1989, 30
Sheridan, Jim, My Left Foot, 1989,m 40
1990
Costner, Kevin, Dances With Wolves, 1990, 35
Frears, Stephen, The Grifters, 1990, 49
Schroeder, Barbet, Reversal of Fortune, 1990, 49
1991
Demme, Jonathan, Silence of the Lambs, 1991, 45
Scott, Ridley Thelma and Louise 1991 54
Singleton, John Boyz N the Hood 1991 23
1992
Eastwood, Clint, Unforgiven, 1992, 62
Brest, Martin, Scent of a Woman, 1992, 41
Jordan, Neil, The Crying Game, 1992, 42
1993
Spielberg, Steven, Schindler’s List, 1993, 47 (Oscar 2)
Campion, Jane, The Piano, 1993, 38
1994
Zemeckis, Robert Forrest Gump, 1994, 42
1995
Gibson, Mel, Braveheart, 1995, 39
Figgis, Mike, Leaving Las Vegas, 1995, m46
Kieslowski, K., Red, 1995, 53
Noonan, Chris, Babe, 1995, 43
Radford, Michael, The Postman, 1995 , 45
Robbins, Tim, Dead Man Walking, 1995, 37
1996
Minghella, Anthony, The English Patient, 1996, 42
Hicks, Scott Shine 1996 43
Leigh, Mike Secrets and Lies 1996 53
1997
Cameron, James, Titanic, 1997, 43
Cattaneo, Peter The Full Monty 1997 33
Egoyan, Atom The Sweet Herafter 1997 37
Hanson, Curtis L.A. Confidential 1997 52
Van Sant, Gus Good Will Hunting 1997 45
1998
Spielberg, Steven, Saving Private Ryan 1998 52
Benigni, Roberto Life Is Beautiful 1998 46
Madden, John Shakespeare in Love 1998 49
Malick, Terrence The Thin Red Line 1998 55
1999
Mendes, Sam American Beauty 1999 34
Jonze, Spike Being John Malkovich 1999 30
Mann, Michael The Insider 1999 56
Shyamalan, M. Night The Sixth Sense 1999 29
2000
Soderbergh, Steven, Traffic, 2000, 37
Daldry Steven Billy Elliott 2000 40
2001
Howard, Ron, A Beautiful Mind, 2001, 48
2002
Polanski, Roman The Pianist 2002 69
Almodovar, Pedro Talk to Her 2002 53
Marshall, Rob Chicago 2002 42
2003
Jackson, Peter Lord of the Rings 2003 40
Coppola, Sofia Lost in Translation 2003 32
Mereilles, Fernando City of God 2003 48
2004
Eastwood, Clint Million Dollar Baby 2004 74
Hackford, Taylor Ray 2004 59
Payne, Alexander Sideways 2004 43
2005
Lee, Ang Brokeback Mountain 2005 51
Clooney, George Good Night, Good Luck 2005 44
Haggis, Paul Crash 2005 52
Miller, Bennett Capote 2005 39
2006
Scorsese, Martin, The Departed, 2006, 64
Greengrass, Paul United 93 2006 51
2007
Coen, Joel No Country for Old Men 2007 49
Coen, Ethan No Country for Old Men 2007 46
2008
Boyle, Danny Slumdog Millionaire 2008 52
2009
Bigelow, Kathryn The Hurt Locker 2009 58
2010
Hooper, Tom, The King’s Speech, 2010, 38
2011
Hazanovicius, Michel The Artist 2011 44
2012
Lee, Ang Life of Pi 2012 58
2013
Cuaron, Alfonso Gravity 2013 52
2014
Inarritu, Alejandro G. Birdman, 2014, 43
2015
Inarrity, Alejandro G. The Revenant, 2015, 43
2016
Del Toro, Guillermo, The Shape of Water, 2016
Paul Thomas Anderson, Phantom Thread
Greta Gerwig Lady Bird
Christopher Nolan Dunkirk
Jordan Peele Get Out
2018 (91st)
Alfonso Cuarón, Roma (Oscar 2)
Yorgos Lanthimos The Favourite
Spike Lee, BlacKkKlansman
Adam McKay, Vice
Paweł Pawlikowski Cold War (German)
2019 (92nd)
Bong Joon-ho, Parasite, (South Korean)
Sam Mendes,1917
Todd Phillips, Joker
Martin Scorsese The Irishman
Tarantino, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, 2019, 56
2020s
2020/2021 (93rd)
Chloé Zhao Nomadland
Lee Isaac Chung Minari
Emerald Fennell Promising Young Woman
David Fincher Mank
Thomas Vinterberg Another Round
2021 (94th)
Jane Campion The Power of the Dog
Paul Thomas Anderson Licorice Pizza
Kenneth Branagh Belfast
Ryusuke Hamaguchi Drive My Car
Steven Spielberg West Side Story, 2021
2022 (95th)
Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert Everything Everywhere All at Once
Todd Field Tár
Martin McDonagh The Banshees of Inisherin
Ruben Östlund Triangle of Sadness
Steven Spielberg, The Fabelmans, 2022
2023 (96th)
Christopher Nolan Oppenheimer
Jonathan Glazer The Zone of Interest
Yorgos Lanthimos Poor Things
Martin Scorsese Killers of the Flower Moon
Justine Triet Anatomy of a Fall
2024 (97th)
Sean Baker, Anora, 54
Jacques Audiard Emilia Pérez (French, Spanish-speaking)
Brady Corbet The Brutalist
Coralie Fargeat The Substance (French woman)
James Mangold A Complete Unknown
2025 (98th)
