Oscars Best Picture Winners List: Every Year’s Oscar-Winning Film

The Academy Award for Best Picture is the most prestigious award given out at the Oscars. It honors the film that is judged by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to be the best of the year.

This guide gives you interesting facts and the complete list of winners from the very first ceremony in 1929 to the most recent one in 2025.

Interesting Facts about the Best Picture Award

• Most Oscar nominations ever: “Sinners” (2025) broke all records with 16 nominations at the 98th Academy Awards in 2026. This beat the old record of 14 that “All About Eve” (1950), “Titanic” (1997), and “La La Land” (2016) shared.
• Most wins by one film: Three films share the top spot with 11 Oscar wins each. “Ben-Hur” (1959), “Titanic” (1997), and “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” (2003) hold this record together.
• First non-English winner: “Parasite” (2019) made history as the first non-English language film to win Best Picture.
• Female directors: Only two women have directed films that won Best Picture. Kathryn Bigelow won for “The Hurt Locker” in 2010. Chloé Zhao won for “Nomadland” in 2021. Three women total have won Best Director: Bigelow, Zhao, and Jane Campion (for “The Power of the Dog” in 2022, though that film did not win Best Picture). Just nine women total have received Best Director nominations in Oscar history.
• Sequels that won: Only two sequels ever won Best Picture. “The Godfather Part II” (1974) and “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” (2003) are the only ones.
• Sean Baker’s historic night: Baker became just the second person in Oscar history to win four awards in one night. He won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Film Editing for “Anora” in 2025. Walt Disney was the only other person to do this back in 1954.

The Complete List of Best Picture Winners

The list starts with the most recent winners and goes back to 1927.

Note: The year shows when the film was released.

2020s: Best Picture Winners

• “Anora” (2024): This screwball comedy from Sean Baker tells the story of a Brooklyn exotic dancer who marries a Russian oligarch’s son. The film won five Oscars at the 97th Academy Awards on March 2, 2025. Baker made history with his four wins in one night. Mikey Madison won Best Actress for her role.
• “Oppenheimer” (2023): Christopher Nolan’s epic about J. Robert Oppenheimer and the atomic bomb won seven Oscars at the 96th Academy Awards on March 10, 2024. This was Nolan’s first Best Picture and Best Director win. Cillian Murphy won Best Actor and Robert Downey Jr. won Best Supporting Actor. The film had 13 nominations total.
• “Everything Everywhere All At Once” (2022): This sci-fi family drama won seven Oscars at the 95th Academy Awards.
• “CODA” (2021): This story about a deaf family and their hearing daughter became the first streaming film to win Best Picture. Apple TV+ released the film.
• “Nomadland” (2020): Chloé Zhao directed this film about life in America. She became the second woman and first woman of color to win Best Director.

Also Check: Oscars 2025: Complete Winners list

2010s: Best Picture Winners

• “Parasite” (2019): This Korean film about class struggle made history twice. It became the first non-English language film to win Best Picture and the first to win both Best Picture and Best International Feature.
• “Green Book” (2018): A road trip story set in the 1960s American South.
• “The Shape of Water” (2017): A love story between a mute woman and a mysterious creature.
• “Moonlight” (2016): This film won after the most dramatic Best Picture announcement ever. Presenters first announced “La La Land” by mistake.
• “Spotlight” (2015): Journalists uncover a massive scandal in this true story.
• “Birdman” (2014): A dark comedy about an actor trying to stay relevant.
• “12 Years a Slave” (2013): A powerful story of survival and resistance.
• “Argo” (2012): A thriller about a covert operation in Iran.
• “The Artist” (2011): A silent film that honored early Hollywood.
• “The King’s Speech” (2010): King George VI works to overcome his stutter.

2000s: Best Picture Winners

• “The Hurt Locker” (2009): Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to win Best Director with this war drama about bomb disposal experts.
• “Slumdog Millionaire” (2008): A story of love and destiny in India.
• “No Country for Old Men” (2007): A chase for stolen money in Texas.
• “The Departed” (2006): Crime and undercover operations collide.
• “Crash” (2005): Stories of race and loss in Los Angeles.
• “Million Dollar Baby” (2004): A determined female boxer’s story.
• “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” (2003): This fantasy epic won all 11 categories where it got nominated. That clean sweep set an Oscar record.
• “Chicago” (2002): A musical set in the 1920s jazz era.
• “A Beautiful Mind” (2001): A mathematician struggles with schizophrenia.
• “Gladiator” (2000): A historical epic about revenge and honor.

1990s: Best Picture Winners

• “American Beauty” (1999): A satirical look at suburban life.
• “Shakespeare in Love” (1998): A romantic fantasy about the young William Shakespeare.
• “Titanic” (1997): A tragic love story aboard the ill-fated ocean liner. Tied for the most Oscar nominations ever (14) and won 11 awards, tying the record for most wins by a single film.
• “The English Patient” (1996): A tale of love and loss during World War II.
• “Braveheart” (1995): The legendary story of Scottish hero William Wallace.
• “Forrest Gump” (1994): The extraordinary life of a simple man.
• “Schindler’s List” (1993): A businessman’s rescue of Jewish refugees during the Holocaust.
• “Unforgiven” (1992): A retired gunslinger’s final showdown.
• “The Silence of the Lambs” (1991): A chilling duel of wits between a young FBI agent and a brilliant psychopath.
• “Dances with Wolves” (1990): An American soldier’s experience with the Lakota people.

1980s: Best Picture Winners

• “Driving Miss Daisy” (1989): A touching story of friendship and social change in the South.
• “Rain Man” (1988): An emotional journey between two brothers, one of whom is autistic.
• “The Last Emperor” (1987): The life story of the last Emperor of China.
• “Platoon” (1986): A gritty, realistic portrayal of the Vietnam War.
• “Out of Africa” (1985): A memoir of love and loss in colonial Kenya.
• “Amadeus” (1984): The dramatic rivalry between composers Mozart and Salieri.
• “Terms of Endearment” (1983): A story of the complex bond between a mother and daughter.
• “Gandhi” (1982): The biography of Mahatma Gandhi, a leader of nonviolent resistance.
• “Chariots of Fire” (1981): The inspiring true story of two British track athletes.
• “Ordinary People” (1980): A family’s struggle to cope with loss and guilt.

1970s: Best Picture Winners

• “Kramer vs. Kramer” (1979): A nuanced exploration of divorce and its impact on a family.
• “The Deer Hunter” (1978): The effects of the Vietnam War on a group of friends.
• “Annie Hall” (1977): A witty and introspective look at a romantic relationship.
• “Rocky” (1976): The underdog story of a struggling boxer.
• “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1975): A man’s battle against an oppressive mental institution.
• “The Godfather Part II” (1974): The continuation and backstory of the Corleone family saga. The only sequel to a Best Picture winner to itself win Best Picture (until “The Return of the King”).
• “The Sting” (1973): Con men plot to swindle a mob boss.
• “The Godfather” (1972): The epic tale of a powerful crime family.
• “The French Connection” (1971): A gritty, fast-paced tale of police pursuit.
• “Patton” (1970): The complex character study of General George S. Patton.

1960s: Best Picture Winners

• “Midnight Cowboy” (1969): The unlikely friendship between two hustlers in New York City.
• “Oliver!” (1968): The musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist.
• “In the Heat of the Night” (1967): A black detective and a white sheriff solve a murder in the South.
• “A Man for All Seasons” (1966): The story of Sir Thomas More’s conflict with King Henry VIII.
• “The Sound of Music” (1965): A musical about a governess who brings music to a widowed naval officer’s family.
• “My Fair Lady” (1964): The transformation of a Cockney flower girl into a society lady.
• “Tom Jones” (1963): The bawdy adventures of a young charmer.
• “Lawrence of Arabia” (1962): The life of British officer T.E. Lawrence.
• “West Side Story” (1961): A modern-day Romeo and Juliet set in New York City.
• “The Apartment” (1960): A corporate clerk lends out his apartment for executives’ affairs.

1950s: Best Picture Winners

• “Ben-Hur” (1959): A Jewish prince seeks revenge against his Roman friend who betrayed him. Won a record-tying 11 Oscars.
• “Gigi” (1958): A Parisian girl is groomed to be a courtesan, but longs for true love.
• “The Bridge on the River Kwai” (1957): POWs in Burma are forced to build a bridge for their Japanese captors.
• “Around the World in 80 Days” (1956): An adventurous journey based on Jules Verne’s novel.
• “Marty” (1955): A simple butcher finds love, challenging societal expectations.
• “On the Waterfront” (1954): A former boxer stands up against corrupt union bosses.
• “From Here to Eternity” (1953): Lives intertwine at a Hawaiian military base before Pearl Harbor.
• “The Greatest Show on Earth” (1952): The lives of circus performers.
• “An American in Paris” (1951): A love story between an American painter and a French dancer.
• “All About Eve” (1950): An aging Broadway star deals with a manipulative young fan. Tied for the most Oscar nominations in history (14).

1940s: Best Picture Winners

• “All the King’s Men” (1949): The rise and fall of a corrupt politician.
• “Hamlet” (1948): Shakespeare’s tragic tale of the Prince of Denmark.
• “Gentleman’s Agreement” (1947): An exposé of anti-Semitism in postwar America.
• “The Best Years of Our Lives” (1946): The challenges faced by three returning veterans.
• “The Lost Weekend” (1945): A writer’s battle with alcoholism.
• “Going My Way” (1944): A young priest revitalizes a parish and bonds with an older priest.
• “Casablanca” (1943): A love triangle set against the backdrop of World War II.
• “Mrs. Miniver” (1942): The experiences of an English family during World War II.
• “How Green Was My Valley” (1941): The life of a Welsh mining family.
• “Rebecca” (1940): A young bride is haunted by her husband’s first wife’s memory.

1930s: Best Picture Winners

• “Gone with the Wind” (1939): The epic romance set during the American Civil War.
• “You Can’t Take It with You” (1938): A man from a family of rich snobs becomes engaged to a woman from a good-natured but decidedly eccentric family.
• “The Life of Emile Zola” (1937): The biography of the French writer who defended Alfred Dreyfus.
• “The Great Ziegfeld” (1936): The rise and fall of a Broadway showman.
• “Mutiny on the Bounty” (1935): The true story of the HMS Bounty’s mutiny.
• “It Happened One Night” (1934): A runaway heiress and a reporter engage in a cross-country romance.
• “Cavalcade” (1933): The lives of two families are traced from the Boer War to the 1920s.
• “Grand Hotel” (1932): Various lives intersect in a luxurious Berlin hotel.
• “Cimarron” (1931): The story of the Oklahoma land rush and its effects on one family.
• “All Quiet on the Western Front” (1930): The harrowing experience of World War I from a German soldier’s perspective.

1920s: Best Picture Winners

• “The Broadway Melody” (1929): A behind-the-scenes look at the Broadway theater. The first sound film to win Best Picture.
• “Wings” (1927): A silent film about World War I fighter pilots, notable for its aerial combat scenes. The very first Best Picture winner.

The 97th Academy Awards (2025): Anora’s Historic Night

The 97th Academy Awards took place on March 2, 2025 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. Conan O’Brien hosted for the first time. ABC aired the show live and Hulu streamed it.

“Anora” won five Oscars that night. Sean Baker’s four individual wins made history. Only Walt Disney had done this before in 1954.

The Los Angeles wildfires affected the ceremony’s timeline. The Academy extended the voting period. They delayed the nominations announcement to January 23, 2025. They also cancelled the nominees luncheon.

Major winners included Adrien Brody for Best Actor in “The Brutalist.” Kieran Culkin won Best Supporting Actor for “A Real Pain.” Zoe Saldaña made history as the first American of Dominican descent to win an Oscar. She won Best Supporting Actress for “Emilia Pérez.”

“I’m Still Here” gave Brazil its first Oscar win in Best International Feature. “Flow” earned Latvia its first Oscar for Best Animated Feature.

“Emilia Pérez” led all films with 13 nominations. This set a record for non-English language films. “The Brutalist” and “Wicked” each got 10 nominations.

The 98th Academy Awards (2026): Breaking Records

The 98th Academy Awards are scheduled for March 15, 2026. “Sinners” from director Ryan Coogler already made history. The film received 16 nominations. This beats every film in Oscar history.

The Academy rarely recognizes horror films in major categories. “Sinners” broke that pattern. Ryan Coogler got his first Best Director nomination. Michael B. Jordan received his first Oscar nomination for Best Actor. The film also got nominations for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay.

“One Battle After Another” received 13 nominations. “Frankenstein” got 9 nominations. The ceremony will celebrate diverse storytelling and genre recognition.

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