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, 29
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
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
Friedkin, William French Connection 1971 34
Bogdanovich, Peter Last Picture Show 1971 32
Fosse, Bob Cabaret 1972 45
Boorman, John Deliverance 1972 39
Jan Troell The Emigrants 1972 41
Hill, George Roy The Sting 1973 51
Bergman, Ingmar Cries and Whispers 1973 55
Lucas, George American Graffiti 1973 29
Coppola, Francis The Godfather, Part II 1974 35
Cassavetes, John Woman Under Influence 1974 45
Truffaut, Francois Day for Night 1974 42
Forman, Milos One Flew Over Cuckoos 1975 43
Pakula, Alan J. All the President’s Men 1976 48
Wethmuller, Lina Seven Beauties 1976 48
Ross, Herbert The Turning Point 1977 50
Beatty, Warren, Heaven Can Wait, 1978, 41
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
Benton, Robert Kramer Vs. Kramer 1979 47
Molinaro, Edward La Cage Aux Folles 1979 51
Yates, Peter Breaking Away 1979 50
Redford, Robert Ordinary People 1980 43
Rush, Richard The Stunt Man 1980 40
Lynch, David The Elephant Man 1980 34
Beatty, Warren Reds 1981 44
Hudson, Hugh Chariots of Fire 1981 45
Malle, Louis Atlantic City 1981 49
Rydell, Mark On Golden Pond 1981 47
Attenborough, Richard Gandhi 1982 59
Petersen, Wolfgang Das Boot 1982 41
Brooks, James L. Terms of Endearment 1983 43
Beresford, Bruce Tender Mercies 1983 43
Forman, Milos Amadeus 1984 52
Jaffe, Roland Killing Fields 1984 39
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
Stone, Oliver Platoon 1986 40
Ivory, James A Room with a View 1986 58
Bertolucci, B The Last Emperor 1987 47
Hallstrom, Lasse My Life as a Dog 1987 41
Lyne, Adrian Fatal Attraction 1987 46
Levinson, Barry Rain Man 1988 46
Crichton, Michael Fish Call Wanda 1988 46
Branagh, Kenneth Henry V 1989 29
Sheridan, Jim My Left Foot 1989 40
Stone, Oliver Born on Fourth of July 1989 43
Costner, Kevin Dances With Wolves 1990 35
Frears, Stephen The Grifters 1990 49
Schroeder, Barbet Reversal of Fortune 1990 49
Demme, Jonathan Silence of the Lambs 1991 45
Scott, Ridley Thelma and Louise 1991 54
Singleton, John Boyz N the Hood 1991 23
Eastwood, Clint Unforgiven 1992 62
Brest, Martin Scent of a Woman 1992 41
Jordan, Neil The Crying Game 1992 42
Spielberg, Steven Schindler’s List 1993 47
Campion, Jane The Piano 1993 38
Zemeckis, Robert Forrest Gump 1994 42
Gibson, Mel Braveheart 1995 39
Figgis, Mike Leaving Las Vegas 1995 46
Kieslowski, K. Red 1995 53
Noonan, Chris Babe 1995 43
Radford, Michael The Postman 1995 45
Robbins, Tim Dead Man Walking 1995 37
Minghella, Anthony The English Patient 1996 42
Hicks, Scott Shine 1996 43
Leigh, Mike Secrets and Lies 1996 53
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
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
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
Soderbergh, Steven Traffic 2000 37
Daldry Steven Billy Elliott 2000 40
Howard, Ron A Beautiful Mind 2001 48
Polanski, Roman The Pianist 2002 69
Almodovar, Pedro Talk to Her 2002 53
Marshall, Rob Chicago 2002 42
Jackson, Peter Lord of the Rings 2003 40
Coppola, Sofia Lost in Translation 2003 32
Mereilles, Fernando City of God 2003 48
Eastwood, Clint Million Dollar Baby 2004 74
Hackford, Taylor Ray 2004 59
Payne, Alexander Sideways 2004 43
Lee, Ang Brokeback Mountain 2005 51
Clooney, George Good Night, Good Luck 2005 44
Haggis, Paul Crash 2005 52
Miller, Bennett Capote 2005 39
Scorsese, Martin The Departed 2006 64
Greengrass, Paul United 93 2006 51
Coen, Joel No Country for Old Men 2007 49
Coen, Ethan No Country for Old Men 2007 46
Boyle, Danny Slumdog Millionaire 2008 52
Bigelow, Kathryn The Hurt Locker 2009 58
Hooper, Tom The King’s Speech 2010 38
Hazanovicius, Michel The Artist 2011 44
Lee, Ang Life of Pi 2012 58
Cuaron, Alfonso Gravity 2013 52
Inarritu, Alejandro G. Birdman, 2014, 43
Inarrity, Alejandro G. The Revenant, 2015, 43
Chazelle, Damien, La La Land, 2016, 32
Jenkins, Barry, Moonlight, 2016
Del Toro, Guillermo, The Shape of Water, 2017
