The Critics' Choice Award for Best Director is one of the awards given to film directors working in the film industry by the Critics Choice Association at the annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards. It was first given out to Mel Gibson for Braveheart in 1996 as a juried award. Until 2001, only the winner was presented; since then, a set of nominees is announced every year.
Only four directors have received the award more than once with two wins each: Alfonso Cuarón, Sam Mendes, Martin Scorsese, and Steven Spielberg. The latter also holds the record of most nominations in the category with eight. Kathryn Bigelow, Jane Campion, and Chloé Zhao are the only female winners of the award.
Winners and nominees
1990s Year Director Film(s) 1995 Mel Gibson Braveheart 1996 Anthony Minghella The English Patient 1997 James Cameron Titanic 1998 Steven Spielberg Saving Private Ryan 1999 Sam Mendes American Beauty
2000s Year Director Film(s) 2000 Steven Soderbergh Erin Brockovich / Traffic Ridley Scott Gladiator 2001 Ron Howard (TIE) A Beautiful Mind Baz Luhrmann (TIE) Moulin Rouge! Peter Jackson The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring 2002 Steven Spielberg Catch Me If You Can / Minority Report Roman Polanski The Pianist Martin Scorsese Gangs of New York 2003 Peter Jackson The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Tim Burton Big Fish Sofia Coppola Lost in Translation Clint Eastwood Mystic River Jim Sheridan In America 2004 Martin Scorsese The Aviator Clint Eastwood Million Dollar Baby Marc Forster Finding Neverland Taylor Hackford Ray Alexander Payne Sideways 2005 Ang Lee Brokeback Mountain George Clooney Good Night, and Good Luck Paul Haggis Crash Ron Howard Cinderella Man Steven Spielberg Munich 2006 Martin Scorsese The Departed Bill Condon Dreamgirls Clint Eastwood Letters from Iwo Jima Stephen Frears The Queen Paul Greengrass United 93 2007 Joel Coen and Ethan Coen No Country for Old Men Tim Burton Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Sidney Lumet Before the Devil Knows You're Dead Sean Penn Into the Wild Julian Schnabel The Diving Bell and the Butterfly Joe Wright Atonement 2008 Danny Boyle Slumdog Millionaire David Fincher The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Ron Howard Frost/Nixon Christopher Nolan The Dark Knight Gus Van Sant Milk 2009 Kathryn Bigelow The Hurt Locker James Cameron Avatar Lee Daniels Precious Clint Eastwood Invictus Jason Reitman Up in the Air Quentin Tarantino Inglourious Basterds
2010s Year Director Film 2010 David Fincher The Social Network Darren Aronofsky Black Swan Danny Boyle 127 Hours Joel Coen and Ethan Coen True Grit Tom Hooper The King's Speech Christopher Nolan Inception 2011 Michel Hazanavicius The Artist Stephen Daldry Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close Alexander Payne The Descendants Nicolas Winding Refn Drive Martin Scorsese Hugo Steven Spielberg War Horse 2012 Ben Affleck Argo Kathryn Bigelow Zero Dark Thirty Tom Hooper Les Misérables Ang Lee Life of Pi David O. Russell Silver Linings Playbook Steven Spielberg Lincoln 2013 Alfonso Cuarón Gravity Paul Greengrass Captain Phillips Spike Jonze Her Steve McQueen 12 Years a Slave David O. Russell American Hustle Martin Scorsese The Wolf of Wall Street 2014 Richard Linklater Boyhood Wes Anderson The Grand Budapest Hotel Ava DuVernay Selma David Fincher Gone Girl Alejandro G. Iñárritu Birdman Angelina Jolie Unbroken 2015 George Miller Mad Max: Fury Road Todd Haynes Carol Alejandro G. Iñárritu The Revenant Tom McCarthy Spotlight Ridley Scott The Martian Steven Spielberg Bridge of Spies 2016 Damien Chazelle La La Land Mel Gibson Hacksaw Ridge Barry Jenkins Moonlight Kenneth Lonergan Manchester by the Sea David Mackenzie Hell or High Water Denis Villeneuve Arrival Denzel Washington Fences 2017 Guillermo del Toro The Shape of Water Greta Gerwig Lady Bird Luca Guadagnino Call Me by Your Name Martin McDonagh Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Christopher Nolan Dunkirk Jordan Peele Get Out Steven Spielberg The Post 2018 Alfonso Cuarón Roma Damien Chazelle First Man Bradley Cooper A Star Is Born Peter Farrelly Green Book Yorgos Lanthimos The Favourite Spike Lee BlacKkKlansman Adam McKay Vice 2019 Sam Mendes (TIE) 1917 Bong Joon Ho (TIE) Parasite Noah Baumbach Marriage Story Greta Gerwig Little Women Josh Safdie and Benny Safdie Uncut Gems Martin Scorsese The Irishman Quentin Tarantino Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
2020s Year Director Film 2020 Chloé Zhao Nomadland Lee Isaac Chung Minari Emerald Fennell Promising Young Woman David Fincher Mank Regina King One Night in Miami... Spike Lee Da 5 Bloods Aaron Sorkin The Trial of the Chicago 7 2021 Jane Campion The Power of the Dog Paul Thomas Anderson Licorice Pizza Kenneth Branagh Belfast Guillermo del Toro Nightmare Alley Steven Spielberg West Side Story Denis Villeneuve Dune 2022 Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert Everything Everywhere All at Once James Cameron Avatar: The Way of Water Damien Chazelle Babylon Todd Field Tár Baz Luhrmann Elvis Martin McDonagh The Banshees of Inisherin Sarah Polley Women Talking Gina Prince-Bythewood The Woman King S. S. Rajamouli RRR Steven Spielberg The Fabelmans 2023 Christopher Nolan Oppenheimer Bradley Cooper Maestro Greta Gerwig Barbie Yorgos Lanthimos Poor Things Alexander Payne The Holdovers Martin Scorsese Killers of the Flower Moon 2024 Jon M. Chu Wicked Jacques Audiard Emilia Pérez Sean Baker Anora Edward Berger Conclave Brady Corbet The Brutalist Coralie Fargeat The Substance RaMell Ross Nickel Boys Denis Villeneuve Dune: Part Two 2025 Paul Thomas Anderson One Battle After Another Ryan Coogler Sinners Guillermo del Toro Frankenstein Josh Safdie Marty Supreme Joachim Trier Sentimental Value Chloé Zhao Hamnet
Awards breakdown Multiple winners 2 wins Alfonso Cuarón Sam Mendes Martin Scorsese Steven Spielberg
Multiple nominees
2 nominations Paul Thomas Anderson Kathryn Bigelow Danny Boyle Tim Burton Ethan Coen Joel Coen Bradley Cooper Alfonso Cuarón Paul Greengrass Tom Hooper Alejandro González Iñárritu Peter Jackson Yorgos Lanthimos Ang Lee Spike Lee Baz Luhrmann Martin McDonagh Sam Mendes David O. Russell Josh Safdie (one shared with his brother Benny) Ridley Scott Quentin Tarantino Denis Villeneuve Chloe Zhao
3 nominations James Cameron Damien Chazelle Guillermo del Toro Greta Gerwig Ron Howard Alexander Payne
4 nominations Clint Eastwood David Fincher Christopher Nolan
7 nominations Martin Scorsese
9 nominations Steven Spielberg
See also BAFTA Award for Best Direction Academy Award for Best Director Golden Globe Award for Best Director Independent Spirit Award for Best Director Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Feature Film
References
External links Official website