Critics' Choice Awards, Best Director - TheTVDB.com

2025

Brady Corbet / The Brutalist

Edward Berger / Conclave

Sean Baker / Anora

Coralie Fargeat / The Substance

Jacques Audiard / Emilia Pérez

RaMell Ross / Nickel Boys

Jon M. Chu / Wicked

Denis Villeneuve / Dune: Part Two

2024

Yorgos Lanthimos / Poor Things

Alexander Payne / The Holdovers

Greta Gerwig / Barbie

Martin Scorsese / Killers of the Flower Moon

Bradley Cooper / Maestro

Christopher Nolan / Oppenheimer

2023

Daniel Kwan / Everything Everywhere All at Once

Martin McDonagh / The Banshees of Inisherin

Daniel Scheinert / Everything Everywhere All at Once

Steven Spielberg / The Fabelmans

James Cameron / Avatar: The Way of Water

S.S. Rajamouli / ఆర్ఆర్ఆర్

Damien Chazelle / Babylon

Baz Luhrmann / Elvis

Gina Prince-Bythewood / The Woman King

Sarah Polley / Women Talking

Todd Field / TÁR

2022

Denis Villeneuve / Dune: Part One

Jane Campion / The Power of the Dog

Steven Spielberg / West Side Story

Guillermo del Toro / Nightmare Alley

Kenneth Branagh / Belfast

Paul Thomas Anderson / Licorice Pizza

2021

Lee Isaac Chung / Minari

Emerald Fennell / Promising Young Woman

David Fincher / Mank

Regina King / One Night in Miami...

Aaron Sorkin / The Trial of the Chicago 7

Chloé Zhao / Nomadland

2020

Josh Safdie / Uncut Gems

Benny Safdie / Uncut Gems

2019

BlacKkKlansman

2018

Luca Guadagnino / Call Me by Your Name

Greta Gerwig / Lady Bird

2017

Kenneth Lonergan / Manchester by the Sea

Damien Chazelle / La La Land

2016

Tom McCarthy / Spotlight

Mel Gibson / Hacksaw Ridge

Denis Villeneuve / Arrival

2015

David Fincher / Gone Girl

Ava DuVernay / Selma

2014

Martin Scorsese / The Wolf of Wall Street

Spike Jonze / Her

2013

Ang Lee / Life of Pi

2012

Nicolas Winding Refn / Drive

Michel Hazanavicius / The Artist

2011

Danny Boyle / 127 Hours

David Fincher / The Social Network

2010

Clint Eastwood / Invictus

Jason Reitman / Up in the Air

James Cameron / Avatar

2009

Danny Boyle / Slumdog Millionaire

David Fincher / The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Gus Van Sant / Milk

2008

Tim Burton / Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Ethan Coen / No Country for Old Men

Joel Coen / No Country for Old Men

2007

Bill Condon / Dreamgirls

Clint Eastwood / Letters from Iwo Jima

2006

Ang Lee / Brokeback Mountain

2005

Clint Eastwood / Million Dollar Baby

2004

Tim Burton / Big Fish

Clint Eastwood / Mystic River

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