Oscar best picture winners list: Here’s every movie to win top prize at the Academy Awards

los angeles — In the 100-year history of the Academy Awards, the Academy has nominated 621 films for the Best Picture award.

Some of the winners, such as the comedy-drama “Forrest Gump” (1994), are considered classics. While other films, such as the psychological horror film The Silence of the Lambs (1991), are considered pioneers in their genres.

Oscars 2026: See the complete list of nominees for the 98th Academy Awards

Ryan Coogler’s vampire epic “Sinners” led all films with 16 nominations this year, setting a record for the most nominations in Oscar history.

This breaks the 14 nominations mark set by “All About Eve” (1950) and “Titanic” (1997). “La La Land” (2016) also received 14 nominations, but did not win best picture, even if Warren Beatty’s famous gaffe briefly made millions of ceremony viewers think it did.

“Titanic” is also one of three films to win 11 awards, a record number, joined by “Ben-Hur” (1959) and “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” (2003). However, the latter takes the cake for being the film most likely to win in each nominated category.

Gone with the Wind (1939) was the pioneer of color films, while Midnight Cowboy (1969) is the only X-rated film to ever win Best Picture.

Only a handful of sequels were nominated for Best Picture, and only two won: “The Godfather Part II” (1974) and “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” (2003).

When “Parasite” (2019) won Best Picture, it became the first non-English language film to receive the Academy’s highest honor. All Quiet on the Western Front (2022) in Germany became a number two hit shortly afterwards.

Only three Best Picture winners were directed by women: Kathryn Bigelow’s “The Hurt Locker” (2010), Chloe Zhao’s “Nomadland” (2021), and Sian Heder’s “CODA” (2022). Films directed by women made it to the nominations list only 16 times, including “Women Talking” by Sarah Polley.

As movie buffs know, winning multiple awards in other categories does not guarantee best picture success. “Cabaret” (1972) won in eight categories but lost to “The Godfather” for the grand prize.

Here are the 97 Academy Award winners for Best Picture listed in reverse chronological order.

Please note that the accompanying year refers to the film’s release date, not its Oscar winning date:

2020: Best Photo Winners

• “Anora” (2024)




• “Oppenheimer” (2023)




• “Everything Everywhere at Once” (2022)




• “Cuda” (2021)




• “The Bedouin” (2020)

2010: Best Picture Winners

• “Parasite” (2019)




• “Green Book” (2018)




• “The Shape of Water” (2017)




• “Moonlight” (2016)




• “Spotlight” (2015)




• “Birdman” (2014)




• “12 Years a Slave” (2013)




• “Argo” (2012)




• “The Artist” (2011)




• “The King’s Speech” (2010)

2000s: Best Picture Winners

• “The Hurt Locker” (2009)




• “Slumdog Millionaire” (2008)




• “No Country for Old Men” (2007)




• “The Departed” (2006)




• “Crash” (2005)




• “Million Dollar Baby” (2004)




• “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” (2003)




• “Chicago” (2002)




• “A Beautiful Mind” (2001)




• “Gladiator” (2000)

1990s: Best Picture Winners

• “American Beauty” (1999)




• “Shakespeare in Love” (1998)




• “Titanic” (1997)




• “The English Patient” (1996)




• “Braveheart” (1995)




• “Forrest Gump” (1994)




• “Schindler’s List” (1993)




• “Unforgiven” (1992)




• “The Silence of the Lambs” (1991)




• “Dances with Wolves” (1990)

1980s: Best Picture Winners

• “Driving Miss Daisy” (1989)




• “Rain Man” (1988)




• “The Last Emperor” (1987)




• “Platoon” (1986)




• “Out of Africa” ​​(1985)




• “Amadeus” (1984)




• “Terms of Endearment” (1983)




• “Gandhi” (1982)




• “Chariots of Fire” (1981)




• “Ordinary People” (1980)

The 1970s: Best Picture Winners

• “Kramer v. Kramer” (1979)




• “The Deer Hunter” (1978)




• “Annie Hall” (1977)




• “Rocky” (1976)




• “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1975)




• “The Godfather Part II” (1974)




• “The Sting” (1973)




• “The Godfather” (1972)




• “The French Connection” (1971)




• “Patton” (1970)

The 1960s: Best Picture Winners

• “Midnight Cowboy” (1969)




• “Oliver!” (1968)




• “In the Heat of the Night” (1967)




• “A Man for All Seasons” (1966)




• “The Sound of Music” (1965)




• “My Fair Lady” (1964)




• “Tom Jones” (1963)




• “Lawrence of Arabia” (1962)




• “West Side Story” (1961)




• “The Apartment” (1960)

The 1950s: Best Picture Winners

• “Ben-Hur” (1959)




• “Gigi” (1958)




• “The Bridge on the River Kwai” (1957)




• “Around the world in 80 days” (1956)




• “Marty” (1955)




• “On the Waterfront” (1954)




• “From Here to Eternity” (1953)




• “The Greatest Show on Earth” (1952)




• “An American in Paris” (1951)




• “All About Eve” (1950)

The 1940s: Best Picture Winners

• “All the King’s Men” (1949)




• “Hamlet” (1948)




• “Gentleman’s Agreement” (1947)




• “The Best Years of Our Lives” (1946)




• “Lost Weekend” (1945)




• “Going on my way” (1944)




• “Casablanca” (1943)




• “Mrs. Miniver” (1942)




• “How Green Was My Valley” (1941)




• “Rebecca” (1940)

1930s: Best Picture Winners

• “Gone with the Wind” (1939)




• “You Can’t Take It with You” (1938)




• “The Life of Emile Zola” (1937)




• The Great Ziegfeld (1936)




• “Rebellion against the Bounty” (1935)




• “It Happened One Night” (1934)




• “The Procession” (1933)




• “The Grand Hotel” (1932)




• Cimarron (1931)




• “All Quiet on the Western Front” (1930)

1920s: Best Picture Winners

• “Broadway Melody” (1929)




• “Wings” (1927)

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Watch the 98th Academy Awards, hosted by Conan O’Brien, on March 15 at 7pm ET/4pm PT on ABC and Hulu, followed by “The Bachelorette: Before the First Rose.”

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