Academy Awards
Every Oscar best-picture winner, ever
Brian Truitt,Kim Willis
A look at the biggest Oscar winners, the 96 movies awarded best picture.
1927/28: “Wings” | Richard Arlen, Clara Bow and Charles “Buddy” Rogers star in the first Academy Award best-picture winner, a silent film.
Sunset Boulevard, Corbis Via Getty Images
1928/29: “The Broadway Melody” | Bessie Love and Charles King star in the musical that was the first sound film to win.
WARNER BROS.
1929/30: “All Quiet on the Western Front” | Lew Ayres, center, stars in the World War I epic based on the novel by Erich Maria Remarque.
Photofest
1931/32: “Grand Hotel” | Greta Garbo and John Barrymore find drama and romance in a Berlin hotel.
Hulton Archive, Getty Images
1932/33: “Cavalcade”| The film, starring Una O’Connor and Diana Wynyard, touched on historic events like the sinking of the Titanic and the death of Queen Victoria in a look at Londoners from 1899 through 1933.
Hulton Archive, Getty Images
1934: “It Happened One Night” | Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert both won Academy Awards for their performances in this romantic comedy about a spoiled heiress who runs away and into the path of a reporter looking for a story.
Sony Home Entertainment
1935: “Mutiny on the Bounty” | Clark Gable, left, and Charles Laughton play the iconic characters Fletcher Christian and Captain Bligh.
George Rinhart, Corbis Via Getty Images
1936: “The Great Ziegfeld” | Luise Rainer, left, Myrna Loy, William Powell and Virginia Bruce star in this look at the life of famed stage revue producer Florenz Ziegfeld.
MGM
1937: “The Life of Emile Zola” | Paul Muni and Gale Sondergaard star in this film about the Dreyfus affair, a political scandal that rocked France in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Warner Home Video
1938: “You Can’t Take It With You” | Jean Arthur, left, James Stewart, Mary Forbes and Robert Greig star in this romantic comedy.
Columbia TriStar, Getty Images
1939: “Gone With the Wind” | Vivien Leigh and Hattie McDaniel star in the Civil War sudser. Leigh won for best actress for her role as Scarlett O’Hara. McDaniel became the first African American to be nominated for and win an Oscar, for her supporting role as Mammy.
Turner Entertainment Co.
1940: “Rebecca” | Joan Fontaine and Laurence Olivier star in this Alfred Hitchcock thriller.
John Springer Collection, Corbis Via Getty Images
1941: “How Green Was My Valley” | Roddy McDowall, left, and Walter Pidgeon star in this drama set in a Welsh mining town.
20th Century Fox
1942: “Mrs. Miniver” | Greer Garson, with Walter Pidgeon, won an Academy Award for her performance.
Everett Collection
1943: “Casablanca” | Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman star in the classic set in the early days of World War II. Bogart was nominated for best actor, but didn’t win.
Warner Bros. Pictures
1944: “Going My Way” | Bing Crosby, center, won the best-actor Oscar as a colorful priest.
Universal Studios Home Video
1945: “The Lost Weekend” | Ray Milland, with Howard De Silva, won the best-actor Oscar in this gritty look at the life of an alcoholic.
Universal Studios Home Video
1946: “The Best Years of Our Lives” | Dana Russell (pictured with Virginia Mayo) co-starred with Fredric March and Harold Russell in the drama about WWII vets struggling upon their return home. The film won seven Oscars, including best actor and supporting actor for March and Russell.
RKO Pictures, Getty Images
1947: “Gentleman’s Agreement” | Dorothy McGuire and Gregory Peck star in this drama that examines anti-Semitism.
20th Century-Fox/Getty Images
1948: “Hamlet” | Laurence Olivier won best actor for his acclaimed performance as Shakespeare’s Danish prince.
John Springer Collection, Corbis Via Getty Images
1949: “All the King’s Men” | Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Robert Penn Warren, the film about a corrupt politician stars Broderick Crawford, Walter Burke, John Ireland and Shepperd Strudwick. Crawford won the best-actor Oscar.
Columbia Pictures/Getty Images
1950: “All About Eve” | This film, starring Anne Baxter, left, and Bette Davis, is the only film in Oscar history to receive four female acting nominations (Davis and Baxter as best actress, Celeste Holm and Thelma Ritter as best supporting actress).
AMC
1951: “An American in Paris” | Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron romp through this musical romance.
MGM
1952: “The Greatest Show on Earth”| James Stewart, Cornel Wilde and Charlton Heston go to the circus.
PARAMOUNT HOME VIDEO
1953: “From Here to Eternity” | Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr are caught in a classic moment from this war film set in Hawaii.
Courtesy Of Columbia Pictures Corporation
1954: “On the Waterfront” | Eva Marie Saint and Marlon Brando both took home Oscars for this drama. Saint won best supporting actress while Brando won best actor.
COLUMBIA PICTURES
1955: “Marty”| Ernest Borgnine, with Betsy Blair, won the best-actor Oscar for this film about love among the lonely.
MGM Home Entertainment
1956: “Around the World in 80 Days” | David Niven, left, and Robert Newton star in this film about a worldwide adventure.
WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT
1957: “The Bridge on the River Kwai” | Alec Guinness, center, won the best-actor Oscar for this film set in a Japanese POW camp.
COLUMBIA/TRISTAR
1958: “Gigi” | Leslie Caron and Louis Jourdan star in this musical romance.
MGM
1959: “Ben-Hur”| This film rode away with 11 Oscars – including best actor for Charlton Heston – setting a new record.
Warner Home Video
1960: “The Apartment” | Shirley MacLaine and Jack Lemmon both were nominated for Oscars for their performances.
Everett Collection
1961: “West Side Story”| Natalie Wood and Rita Moreno star in this musical about doomed young lovers.
M-G-M STUDIOS, INC.
1962: “Lawrence of Arabia” | Peter O’Toole and Omar Sharif stars in this story of conflicted loyalty during wartime, based on the life of T.E. Lawrence.
Columbia TriStar, Getty Images
1963: “Tom Jones” | Albert Finney stars as a rake opposite Diane Cilento in this romantic comedy.
MGM Home Entertainment
1964: “My Fair Lady” | Audrey Hepburn stars with Rex Harrison, who took home the best-actor Oscar for his performance.
WARNER BROS.
1965: “The Sound of Music” | Julie Andrews sings her way through this musical based on the real Von Trapp family singers, which broke box-office records despite mixed reviews from critics.
Robert E. Wise, 20th Century Fox
1966: “A Man for All Seasons” | Orson Welles, left, stars with Paul Scofield, who won the best-actor Oscar.
Everett Collection
1967: “In the Heat of the Night” | Lee Grant and Sidney Poitier star in this drama about a murder in a racist Southern town, which has the famous line, “They call me Mr. Tibbs!”
MGM
1968: “Oliver!” | Mark Lester plays the titular orphan in the film based on Charles Dickens’ novel “Oliver Twist.”
Chris Ware, Getty Images
1969: “Midnight Cowboy” | Jon Voight stars as a prostitute in the first (and only) X-rated film to win a best-picture Oscar.
JEROME HELLMAN, UNITED ARTISTS
1970: “Patton” | George C. Scott famously refused to accept the Oscar when he won best actor for his performance as Gen. George S. Patton in the war epic that swept seven categories.
Camerique, Getty Images
1971: “The French Connection” | Gene Hackman won the Oscar for best actor.
20th Century Fox, Getty Images
1972: “The Godfather” | Marlon Brando turned down his best-actor Oscar for this epic mobster movie to protest the industry’s depiction of Native Americans.
PARAMOUNT PICTURES
1973: “The Sting” | Paul Newman and Robert Redford (nominated for best actor) play charismatic con men in the crime caper that won seven Oscars.
Screen Archives, Getty Images
1974: “The Godfather: Part II” | Al Pacino, center, stars in the first sequel to win the top prize.
PARAMOUNT PICTURES
1975: “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” | Jack Nicholson won the best-actor Oscar in the film version of Ken Kesey’s book.
FANTASY FILMS
1976: “Rocky” | Sylvester Stallone wrote and starred in this story of an underdog boxer.
PHOTOFEST
1977: “Annie Hall” | Diane Keaton won the Oscar for best actress, while Woody Allen won for directing and best screenplay.
MGM
1978: “The Deer Hunter” | Robert De Niro stars in this film about the way the Vietnam War affects the lives of people in a small town.
Mondadori Via Getty Images
1979: “Kramer vs. Kramer” | Dustin Hoffman won the best-actor Oscar while Meryl Streep won best supporting actress. Justin Henry, who was 8 at the time, was nominated as best supporting actor.
Columbia Pictures, Getty Images
1980: “Ordinary People” | Mary Tyler Moore stars with Timothy Hutton, who won for best supporting actor in his first film role.
Courtesy Of Paramount Pictures
1981: “Chariots of Fire” | Ian Charleson, center, stars in this film about British track athletes training for the 1924 Olympics.
Warner Home Video
1982: “Gandhi”| Ben Kingsley, center, won the best-actor Oscar for his role as the Indian leader.
COLUMBIA PICTURES
1983: “Terms of Endearment” |Shirley MacLaine, left, Debra Winger and Jack Nicholson were all nominated for their roles. MacLaine beat out Winger for best actress while Nicholson took home another best-actor award.
PARAMOUNT PICTURES
1984: “Amadeus” | Tom Hulce was nominated for best actor but lost to his co-star, F. Murray Abraham.
THE SAUL ZAENTZ COMPANY
1985: “Out of Africa”| Meryl Streep was nominated as best actress for her performance.
UNIVERSAL PICTURES
1986: “Platoon”| Tom Berenger, left, and Willem Dafoe both received best-supporting actor nominations.
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
1987: “The Last Emperor” | Richard Vuu played Pu-Yi, China’s last emperor, at age 3.
Courtesy Of Columbia Pictures Corporation
1988:“Rain Man” | Dustin Hoffman, left, won for best actor playing Tom Cruise’s brother.
STEPHEN VAUGHAN, UNITED ARTISTS
1989:“Driving Miss Daisy” | Jessica Tandy won the best-actress Oscar while Morgan Freeman received a best-actor nomination.
WARNER BROS.
1990: “Dances With Wolves” | Kevin Costner played the lead and also received an Oscar for directing the film, based on the novel by Michael Blake.
Ben Glass/Orion Pictures
1991: “The Silence of the Lambs” | Anthony Hopkins won best actor for his nightmare-inducing role as Hannibal Lecter in the first horror film to win the top prize.
KEN REGAN, ORION PICTURES CORP.
1992: “Unforgiven” | Clint Eastwood starred in and directed the movie. He took home the Oscar for best director.
WARNER BROS.
1993: “Schindler’s List” | Liam Neeson stars in the World War II drama, based on the real-life story of Oskar Schindler, who is credited with saving the lives of 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust.
DAVID JAMES, NBC
1994: “Forrest Gump” | Tom Hanks, with Rebecca Williams, won the best-actor Oscar, his second in a row.
PHILLIP CARUSO/PARAMOUNT PICTURES
1995: “Braveheart” | Mel Gibson, center, took home the directing Oscar for this film about the 13th century fight for Scottish independence.
ANDREW COOPER, PARAMOUNT PICTURES
1996: “The English Patient” | Ralph Fiennes was nominated for a best-actor Oscar for his role as an adventurous cartographer.
PHIL BRAY, MIRAMAX FILMS
1997: “Titanic”| Leonardo DiCaprio romances Kate Winslet, who received a best-actress nomination. The film tied “Ben-Hur” with an all-time high 11 Oscar wins and was the first film ever to reach the $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office.
PARAMOUNT PICTURES
1998: “Shakespeare In Love” | Joseph Fiennes romances Gwyneth Paltrow, who won the Oscar for best actress.
Laurei Sparham, Miramax Films
1999: “American Beauty” | Kevin Spacey, with Mena Suvari, won the best-actor Oscar.
Courtesy Of DreamWorks Distribution
2000: “Gladiator” | Russell Crowe won the best-actor Oscar.
Courtesy Of DreamWorks Pictures
2001: “A Beautiful Mind” | Russell Crowe was nominated for best actor as troubled genius John Nash.
ELI REED, UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
2002: “Chicago” | Catherine Zeta-Jones won the Oscar for best supporting actress in this musical crime comedy-drama.
MIRAMAX
2003: “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” | Ian McKellen helped complete the Middle-earth trilogy. This is the third film to win the all-time high of 11 Oscars, and the only fantasy film ever to win the Academy’s top prize.
Courtesy Of New Line Cinema
2004: “Million Dollar Baby” | Clint Eastwood won the directing Oscar and Hilary Swank won for best actress. Eastwood also received a best-actor nomination.
Merie W. Wallace/Warner Bros. Pictures
2005: “Crash”| Don Cheadle stars in this tale of interweaving lives in Los Angeles.
Lorey Sebastian, Lions Gate Films
2006: “The Departed” | Jack Nicholson, left, and Matt Damon star in this film that also won Martin Scorsese a directing Oscar.
Courtesy Of Warner Bros.
2007: “No Country for Old Men” | Javier Bardem won the Oscar for best supporting actor for his performance as an enigmatic killer.
Richard Foreman, Miramax Films
2008: “Slumdog Millionaire” | The movie set in India, with Dev Patel and Freida Pinto, won eight Oscars, none in acting categories.
Ishika Mohan, Fox Searchlight
2009: “The Hurt Locker” | Jeremy Renner received a best-actor nomination but did not win. The film, however, won six Oscars, and Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to win an Oscar for directing.
Summit Entertainment
2010: “The King’s Speech” | Colin Firth, with Helena Bonham Carter, won the best-actor Oscar for his role in this historical drama as the future King George VI working to cope with his stammer.
Laurie Sparham, The Weinstein Company
2011:“The Artist” | Jean Dujardin won the Oscar for best actor while Bérénice Bejo received a best-supporting actress nomination. The (mostly) silent film won five Academy Awards.
Courtesy Of Warner Bros. Pictures
2012: “Argo” | Ben Affleck produced, directed and starred in this best picture based on the real-life rescue of American embassy workers in Iran in 1980.
Courtesy Of Warner Bros.
2013: “12 Years a Slave” | Chiwetel Ejiofor received a best-actor nomination for his performance in this wrenching drama based on the memoir of former slave Solomon Northup.
Jaap Buitendijk/Fox Searchlight Pictures
2014: “Birdman” | The film was nominated for nine Oscars; Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu won best director and star Michael Keaton was nominated for best actor.
Fox Searchlight Pictures
2015: “Spotlight” | Rachel McAdams, Mark Ruffalo and Brian d’Arcy James star in the real-life story of how The Boston Globe uncovered the Catholic Church child molestation scandal. The film was nominated for six Oscars, with supporting-acting nominations for McAdams and Ruffalo.
Kerry Hayes, Open Road Films
2016: “Moonlight” | In the wildest Oscars ending ever, “La La Land” was erroneously announced as best picture. But in reality, the vote went to “Moonlight,” the coming-of-age drama starring Mahershala Ali, right, and Alex Hibbert. The film won three Oscars, including best supporting actor for Ali and screenplay for director Barry Jenkins.
Courtesy Of A24
2017: “The Shape of Water” | A voiceless janitor, played by Sally Hawkins, and her co-worker, Octavia Spencer, work in a secret government laboratory in 1960s Baltimore. The romantic fantasy earned 13 Oscar nominations and won four.
Courtesy Of Fox Searchlight Pictures
2018: “Green Book” | Mahershala Ali stars as classical and jazz pianist Don Shirley and Viggo Mortensen is Frank “Tony Lip” Vallelonga, his driver and bodyguard in the 1960s Deep South. Ali won the Oscar for best supporting actor.
Universal Pictures Via Everett Collection
2019:“Parasite” | Bong Joon-ho’s South Korean dark comedy, an unnerving social thriller about an impoverished family with a get-rich scheme that goes off the rails, became the first foreign-language film to win best picture.
Neon
2020:“Nomadland” | Frances McDormand stars as a nomad who lives out of her van after she loses her husband and her home when their Nevada mining town is wiped out in an economic collapse. The film won three Oscars, including best actress for McDormand and best director for Chloé Zhao, who made Oscar history as first woman of color to win the category.
SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES
2021:“CODA” | An inclusive twist on the coming-of-age formula starring Emilia Jones as Ruby, the only hearing member of a deaf Massachusetts fishing family. The first best-picture winner from a streaming service (AppleTV+) also earned best supporting actor for Troy Kotsur, the first male deaf actor to win an Oscar.
Seacia Pavao
2022:“Everything Everywhere All at Once” | A laundromat owner (Michelle Yeoh) lives out several different realities, including one where she has hot dog fingers, in the sci-fi comedy. The movie picked up seven Oscars including best actress for Yeoh, supporting actor (Ke Huy Quan) and actress (Jamie Lee Curtis), directing and original screenplay.
ALLYSON RIGGS
2023:“Oppenheimer” | Cillian Murphy won best actor as theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan’s acclaimed atomic bomb biopic, which also took home best director, supporting actor (Robert Downey Jr.) and cinematography.
UNIVERSAL PICTURES
Featured Weekly Ad
