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BAFTA Award for Best Direction

British film industry award


British film industry award

FieldValue
nameBAFTA Award for Best Direction
imageBrady Corbet at Berlinale 2024.jpg
captionThe 2024 recipient: Brady Corbet
awarded_forExcellence in film directing
presenterBritish Academy of Film and Television Arts
locationLondon
countryUnited Kingdom
year1968
holderBrady Corbet for The Brutalist (2024)
websitehttp://www.bafta.org/

The BAFTA Award for Best Direction, formerly known as David Lean Award for Achievement in Direction, is a British Academy Film Award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to a film director for a specific feature film.

BAFTA is a British organisation that hosts annual awards shows for film, television, and video games (and formerly also for children's film and television). Since 1968, selected films have been awarded with the BAFTA award for Best Direction at an annual ceremony.

In the following lists, the titles and names in bold with a gold background are the winners and recipients respectively; those not in bold are the remaining nominees. The winner is also the first name listed in each category.

History

The award was originally known as David Lean Award for Achievement in Direction, in honour of British director David Lean.

There are no records showing any nominations, or a winner, for this award at the 39th British Academy Film Awards, presented in 1986 for films released in 1985.

Winners and nominees

1960s

YearDirector(s)FilmRef.
Mike Nichols*The Graduate*
Lindsay Andersonif....
Carol Reed †Oliver!
Franco ZeffirelliRomeo and Juliet
John Schlesinger*Midnight Cowboy*
Richard AttenboroughOh! What a Lovely War
Ken RussellWomen in Love
Peter YatesBullitt

1970s

YearDirector(s)FilmRef.
George Roy Hill*Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid*
Robert AltmanMASH*
David LeanRyan's Daughter
Ken LoachKes
John Schlesinger*Sunday Bloody Sunday*
Miloš FormanTaking Off
Joseph LoseyThe Go-Between
Luchino ViscontiDeath in Venice
Bob Fosse*Cabaret*
Peter BogdanovichThe Last Picture Show
William Friedkin †The French Connection
Stanley KubrickA Clockwork Orange
François Truffaut*Day for Night*
Luis BuñuelThe Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
Nicolas RoegDon't Look Now
Fred ZinnemannThe Day of the Jackal
Roman Polanski*Chinatown*
Francis Ford CoppolaThe Conversation
Sidney LumetMurder on the Orient Express / Serpico
Louis MalleLacombe Lucien
Stanley Kubrick*Barry Lyndon*
Sidney LumetDog Day Afternoon
Martin ScorseseAlice Doesn't Live Here Anymore
Steven SpielbergJaws
Miloš Forman*One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest*
Alan J. PakulaAll the President's Men
Alan ParkerBugsy Malone
Martin ScorseseTaxi Driver
Woody Allen*Annie Hall*
Richard AttenboroughA Bridge Too Far
John G. Avildsen †Rocky
Sidney LumetNetwork
Alan Parker*Midnight Express*
Robert AltmanA Wedding
Steven SpielbergClose Encounters of the Third Kind
Fred ZinnemannJulia
Francis Ford Coppola*Apocalypse Now*
Woody AllenManhattan
Michael Cimino †The Deer Hunter
John SchlesingerYanks

1980s

YearDirector(s)FilmRef.
Akira Kurosawa*Kagemusha*
Robert Benton †Kramer vs. Kramer
David LynchThe Elephant Man
Alan ParkerFame
Louis Malle*Atlantic City*
Bill ForsythGregory's Girl
Hugh HudsonChariots of Fire
Karel ReiszThe French Lieutenant's Woman
Richard Attenborough*Gandhi*
Costa-GavrasMissing
Mark RydellOn Golden Pond
Steven SpielbergE.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Bill Forsyth*Local Hero*
James IvoryHeat and Dust
Sydney PollackTootsie
Martin ScorseseThe King of Comedy
Wim Wenders*Paris, Texas*
Roland JofféThe Killing Fields
Sergio LeoneOnce Upon a Time in America
Peter YatesThe Dresser
*Not awarded*
Woody Allen*Hannah and Her Sisters*
Roland JofféThe Mission
Neil JordanMona Lisa
James IvoryA Room with a View
Oliver Stone*Platoon*
Richard AttenboroughCry Freedom
Claude BerriJean de Florette
John BoormanHope and Glory
Louis Malle*Au revoir les enfants*
Gabriel AxelBabette's Feast
Bernardo Bertolucci †The Last Emperor
Charles CrichtonA Fish Called Wanda
Kenneth Branagh*Henry V*
Stephen FrearsDangerous Liaisons
Alan ParkerMississippi Burning
Peter WeirDead Poets Society

1990s

YearDirector(s)FilmRef.
Martin Scorsese*Goodfellas*
Woody AllenCrimes and Misdemeanors
Bruce BeresfordDriving Miss Daisy
Giuseppe TornatoreCinema Paradiso
Alan Parker*The Commitments*
Kevin Costner †Dances with Wolves
Jonathan Demme †The Silence of the Lambs
Ridley ScottThelma & Louise
Robert Altman*The Player*
Clint Eastwood †Unforgiven
James IvoryHowards End
Neil JordanThe Crying Game
Steven Spielberg*Schindler's List*
Richard AttenboroughShadowlands
Jane CampionThe Piano
James IvoryThe Remains of the Day
Mike Newell*Four Weddings and a Funeral*
Krzysztof KieślowskiThree Colours: Red
Quentin TarantinoPulp Fiction
Robert Zemeckis †Forrest Gump
Michael Radford*Il Postino: The Postman*
Mel Gibson †Braveheart
Nicholas HytnerThe Madness of King George
Ang LeeSense and Sensibility
Joel Coen*Fargo*
Scott HicksShine
Mike LeighSecrets & Lies
Anthony Minghella †The English Patient
Baz Luhrmann*Romeo + Juliet*
James Cameron †Titanic
Peter CattaneoThe Full Monty
Curtis HansonL.A. Confidential
Peter Weir*The Truman Show*
Shekhar KapurElizabeth
John MaddenShakespeare in Love
Steven Spielberg †Saving Private Ryan
1999
(53rd)Pedro Almodóvar*All About My Mother*
Neil JordanThe End of the Affair
Sam Mendes †American Beauty
Anthony MinghellaThe Talented Mr. Ripley
M. Night ShyamalanThe Sixth Sense

2000s

YearDirector(s)FilmRef.
2000
(54th)Ang Lee*Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon*
Stephen DaldryBilly Elliot
Ridley ScottGladiator
Steven Soderbergh †Erin Brockovich
Traffic
2001
(55th)Peter Jackson*The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring*
Robert AltmanGosford Park
Ron Howard †A Beautiful Mind
Jean-Pierre JeunetAmélie
Baz LuhrmannMoulin Rouge!
2002
(56th)Roman Polanski*The Pianist*
Stephen DaldryThe Hours
Peter JacksonThe Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Rob MarshallChicago
Martin ScorseseGangs of New York
2003
(57th)Peter Weir*Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World*
Tim BurtonBig Fish
Sofia CoppolaLost in Translation
Peter Jackson †The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Anthony MinghellaCold Mountain
2004
(58th)Mike Leigh*Vera Drake*
Marc ForsterFinding Neverland
Michel GondryEternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Michael MannCollateral
Martin ScorseseThe Aviator
2005
(59th)Ang Lee*Brokeback Mountain*
George ClooneyGood Night, and Good Luck
Paul HaggisCrash
Fernando MeirellesThe Constant Gardener
Bennett MillerCapote
2006
(60th)Paul Greengrass*United 93*
Jonathan Dayton and Valerie FarisLittle Miss Sunshine
Stephen FrearsThe Queen
Alejandro González IñárrituBabel
Martin Scorsese †The Departed
2007
(61st)Joel Coen and Ethan Coen*No Country for Old Men*
Paul Thomas AndersonThere Will Be Blood
Paul GreengrassThe Bourne Ultimatum
Florian Henckel von DonnersmarckThe Lives of Others
Joe WrightAtonement
2008
(62nd)Danny Boyle*Slumdog Millionaire*
Stephen DaldryThe Reader
Clint EastwoodChangeling
David FincherThe Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron HowardFrost/Nixon
2009
(63rd)Kathryn Bigelow*The Hurt Locker*
Neill BlomkampDistrict 9
James CameronAvatar
Lone ScherfigAn Education
Quentin TarantinoInglourious Basterds

2010s

YearDirector(s)FilmRef.
2010
(64th)David Fincher*The Social Network*
Darren AronofskyBlack Swan
Danny Boyle127 Hours
Tom Hooper †The King's Speech
Christopher NolanInception
2011
(65th)Michel Hazanavicius*The Artist*
Tomas AlfredsonTinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Lynne RamsayWe Need to Talk About Kevin
Nicolas Winding RefnDrive
Martin ScorseseHugo
2012
(66th)Ben Affleck*Argo*
Kathryn BigelowZero Dark Thirty
Michael HanekeAmour
Ang Lee †Life of Pi
Quentin TarantinoDjango Unchained
2013
(67th)Alfonso Cuarón*Gravity*
Paul GreengrassCaptain Phillips
Steve McQueen12 Years a Slave
David O. RussellAmerican Hustle
Martin ScorseseThe Wolf of Wall Street
2014
(68th)Richard Linklater*Boyhood*
Wes AndersonThe Grand Budapest Hotel
Damien ChazelleWhiplash
Alejandro G. Iñárritu †Birdman
James MarshThe Theory of Everything
2015
(69th)Alejandro G. Iñárritu*The Revenant*
Todd HaynesCarol
Adam McKayThe Big Short
Ridley ScottThe Martian
Steven SpielbergBridge of Spies
2016
(70th)Damien Chazelle*La La Land*
Tom FordNocturnal Animals
Ken LoachI, Daniel Blake
Kenneth LonerganManchester by the Sea
Denis VilleneuveArrival
2017
(71st)Guillermo del Toro*The Shape of Water*
Luca GuadagninoCall Me by Your Name
Martin McDonaghThree Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Christopher NolanDunkirk
Denis VilleneuveBlade Runner 2049
2018
(72nd)Alfonso Cuarón*Roma*
Bradley CooperA Star Is Born
Yorgos LanthimosThe Favourite
Spike LeeBlacKkKlansman
Paweł PawlikowskiCold War
2019
(73rd)Sam Mendes*1917*
Bong Joon-ho †Parasite
Todd PhillipsJoker
Martin ScorseseThe Irishman
Quentin TarantinoOnce Upon a Time in Hollywood

2020s

YearDirector(s)FilmRef.
2020
(74th)Chloé Zhao*Nomadland*
Lee Isaac ChungMinari
Sarah GavronRocks
Shannon MurphyBabyteeth
Thomas VinterbergAnother Round
Jasmila ŽbanićQuo Vadis, Aida?
2021
(75th)Jane Campion*The Power of the Dog*
Paul Thomas AndersonLicorice Pizza
Audrey DiwanHappening
Julia DucournauTitane
Ryusuke HamaguchiDrive My Car
Aleem KhanAfter Love
2022
(76th)Edward Berger*All Quiet on the Western Front*
Park Chan-wookDecision to Leave
Todd FieldTár
Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert †Everything Everywhere All at Once
Martin McDonaghThe Banshees of Inisherin
Gina Prince-BythewoodThe Woman King
2023
(77th)Christopher Nolan*Oppenheimer*
Bradley CooperMaestro
Jonathan GlazerThe Zone of Interest
Andrew HaighAll of Us Strangers
Alexander PayneThe Holdovers
Justine TrietAnatomy of a Fall
2024
(78th)Brady Corbet*The Brutalist*
Jacques AudiardEmilia Pérez
Sean Baker †Anora
Edward BergerConclave
Coralie FargeatThe Substance
Denis VilleneuveDune: Part Two
2025
(78th)Paul Thomas AndersonOne Battle After Another
Ryan CooglerSinners
Yorgos LanthimosBugonia
Josh SafdieMarty Supreme
Joachim TrierSentimental Value
Chloé ZhaoHamnet

Multiple wins and nominations

Multiple nominations

;10 nominations

  • Martin Scorsese

;6 nominations

  • Steven Spielberg

;5 nominations

  • Richard Attenborough
  • Alan Parker

;4 nominations

  • Woody Allen
  • Robert Altman
  • Paul Thomas Anderson
  • James Ivory
  • Ang Lee
  • Quentin Tarantino ;3 nominations
  • Stephen Daldry
  • Alejandro González Iñárritu
  • Paul Greengrass
  • Peter Jackson
  • Neil Jordan
  • Yorgos Lanthimos
  • Sidney Lumet
  • Louis Malle
  • Anthony Minghella
  • Christopher Nolan
  • John Schlesinger
  • Ridley Scott
  • Denis Villeneuve
  • Peter Weir
  • Chloe Zhao

;2 nominations

  • Edward Berger
  • Kathryn Bigelow
  • Danny Boyle
  • James Cameron
  • Jane Campion
  • Damien Chazelle
  • Joel Coen
  • Bradley Cooper
  • Francis Ford Coppola
  • Alfonso Cuarón
  • Clint Eastwood
  • David Fincher
  • Miloš Forman
  • Bill Forsyth
  • Stephen Frears
  • Ron Howard
  • Roland Joffé
  • Stanley Kubrick
  • Mike Leigh
  • Ken Loach
  • Baz Luhrmann
  • Martin McDonagh
  • Sam Mendes
  • Roman Polanski
  • Steven Soderbergh
  • Peter Yates
  • Fred Zinnemann

Multiple wins

;2 wins

  • Woody Allen
  • Joel Coen
  • Alfonso Cuarón
  • Ang Lee
  • Louis Malle
  • Alan Parker
  • Roman Polanski
  • John Schlesinger
  • Peter Weir

Notes

:A: According to the BAFTAs database, Sidney Lumet received a single joint nomination for two different films.

References

References

  1. "Awards Database: Search our record of winners & nominees, Year of Presentation: 1986, Award: Film". [[British Academy of Film and Television Arts]].
  2. (9 April 2000). "American Beauty shines at Baftas". [[BBC News]].
  3. (31 January 2001). "Gladiator, Crouching Tiger do battle in Bafta nominations". [[The Guardian]].
  4. (25 February 2001). "Gladiator conquers the Baftas". [[BBC News]].
  5. (22 February 2002). "'Lord of the Rings' dominates BAFTAs, wins best film award". [[The Irish Times]].
  6. Hernandez, Eugene. (24 February 2003). "Top BAFTA Awards For "The Pianist"". [[Indiewire]].
  7. (16 February 2004). "Rings rule at Bafta film awards". [[BBC News]].
  8. (13 February 2005). "Aviator flies off with Bafta for Best Film". [[The Scotsman]].
  9. Hernandez, Eugene. (20 February 2006). ""Brokeback Mountain" Wins 4 BAFTA Awards, Including Best Picture". [[Indiewire]].
  10. (11 February 2007). "Baftas 2007: The winners". [[BBC News]].
  11. Dawtrey, Adam. (10 February 2008). "'Atonement' tops BAFTA Awards". [[Variety (magazine).
  12. Turner, Mimi. (8 February 2009). "'Slumdog Millionaire' wins 7 BAFTA nods". [[The Hollywood Reporter]].
  13. King, Susan. (21 February 2010). "'Hurt Locker' wins big at BAFTA Awards". [[Los Angeles Times]].
  14. Brown, Mark. (14 February 2011). "Baftas 2011: The King's Speech sweeps the board". [[The Guardian]].
  15. Reynolds, Simon. (12 February 2012). "Orange BAFTA Film Awards 2012 winners list – in full". [[Digital Spy]].
  16. Brooks, Xan. (11 February 2013). "Baftas 2013 – as it happened". [[The Guardian]].
  17. (17 February 2014). "Baftas: Gravity and 12 Years a Slave share glory". [[BBC News]].
  18. Brown, Mark. (8 February 2015). "Baftas 2015: Boyhood wins top honours but Grand Budapest Hotel checks out with most". [[The Guardian]].
  19. "BAFTA Award Winners 2015 —— Full List Of BAFTA Awards Winners — Deadline".
  20. Lodderhose, Diana. (14 February 2016). "'The Revenant,' Leonardo DiCaprio Dominate BAFTA Awards". [[Variety (magazine).
  21. "BAFTA Award Winners 2016: Full List – Variety".
  22. Grater, Tom. "Baftas 2017: 'La La Land' scoops five as 'Moonlight', 'Nocturnal Animals' are shutout". [[Screen International.
  23. "Baftas 2017: full list of winners{{!}}Film{{!}}The Guardian".
  24. (19 February 2018). "Bafta Film Awards 2018: Three Billboards wins top prizes". [[BBC]].
  25. "BAFTA 2018: Full Winners List – Variety".
  26. Nordine, Michael. (10 February 2019). "BAFTA Awards 2019: 'Roma' Wins Best Film as 'The Favourite' Takes Home the Most Prizes". [[Indiewire]].
  27. "The full list of winners at the 2019 Bafta film awards{{!}}Film{{!}}The Guardian".
  28. (2 February 2020). "Baftas 2020: Sam Mendes film 1917 dominates awards". [[BBC]].
  29. "Baftas 2020: Sam Mendes film 1917 dominates awards – BBC News".
  30. Shoard, Catherine. (12 April 2021). "Baftas 2021: Nomadland wins big as Promising Young Woman and Anthony Hopkins surprise". [[The Guardian]].
  31. (11 January 2022). "2022 EE British Academy Film Awards: Nominations".
  32. (19 January 2023). "2023 BAFTA Film Awards: The Nominations".
  33. (18 January 2024). "'Oppenheimer' & 'Poor Things' Lead 2024 BAFTA Nominations — The Complete List".
  34. (15 January 2025). "BAFTA Film Awards Nominations: 'Conclave' and 'Emilia Pérez' Lead While 'Wicked' Shut Out of Best Film".
  35. Wiseman, Andreas. (27 January 2026). "BAFTA Nominations Snubs & Suprises: Chase Infiniti, Odessa A’zion & Brit Indie ‘I Swear’ Feel The Love But ‘Wicked’s Tough Awards Run Continues". [[Deadline Hollywood.
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