Critics' Choice Awards, Best Director - TheTVDB.com

2025

Jacques Audiard / Emilia Pérez

Brady Corbet / The Brutalist

Coralie Fargeat / The Substance

RaMell Ross / Nickel Boys

Denis Villeneuve / Dune: Part Two

Jon M. Chu / Wicked

Sean Baker / Anora

Edward Berger / Conclave

2024

Bradley Cooper / Maestro

Martin Scorsese / Killers of the Flower Moon

Yorgos Lanthimos / Poor Things

Christopher Nolan / Oppenheimer

Greta Gerwig / Barbie

Alexander Payne / The Holdovers

2023

Daniel Kwan / Everything Everywhere All at Once

Daniel Scheinert / Everything Everywhere All at Once

Steven Spielberg / The Fabelmans

James Cameron / Avatar: The Way of Water

S.S. Rajamouli / ఆర్ఆర్ఆర్

Baz Luhrmann / Elvis

Damien Chazelle / Babylon

Martin McDonagh / The Banshees of Inisherin

Gina Prince-Bythewood / The Woman King

Sarah Polley / Women Talking

Todd Field / TÁR

2022

Steven Spielberg / West Side Story

Kenneth Branagh / Belfast

Paul Thomas Anderson / Licorice Pizza

Guillermo del Toro / Nightmare Alley

Jane Campion / The Power of the Dog

Denis Villeneuve / Dune: Part One

2021

Lee Isaac Chung / Minari

Regina King / One Night in Miami...

David Fincher / Mank

Aaron Sorkin / The Trial of the Chicago 7

Chloé Zhao / Nomadland

Emerald Fennell / Promising Young Woman

2020

Benny Safdie / Uncut Gems

Josh Safdie / Uncut Gems

2019

BlacKkKlansman

2018

Greta Gerwig / Lady Bird

Luca Guadagnino / Call Me by Your Name

2017

Damien Chazelle / La La Land

Kenneth Lonergan / Manchester by the Sea

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

James Cameron / Avatar

Jason Reitman / Up in the Air

Clint Eastwood / Invictus

2009

David Fincher / The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Danny Boyle / Slumdog Millionaire

Gus Van Sant / Milk

2008

Joel Coen / No Country for Old Men

Ethan Coen / No Country for Old Men

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

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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