All films listed here are the best as rated by AMPAS-the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and is presented in recognition of "excellence in cinematic achievement". While there may be several other awards presented for the same movie, our discussion here will be limited to the oldest and most prestigious rating in the history of cinema as we know it: The Academy Awards.
Movies that won "Best Picture" are listed by year and the helming genius behind the lens, so if you think more than 80 years of best pictures will take out a huge chunk of your free time, then stick to the genres you like best. For your convenience, all movies listed are accompanied by its lead actors and the person who made it all possible, the director. As an added bonus all films listed are accompanied by the number of times it was nominated that year and total Oscars won, inclusive of "Best Picture".
As you will discover yourself, the films nominated most number of times in a given year are tied between All About Eve (1950) and you guessed it, Titanic (1997). Both films have been nominated 14 times out of a maximum and current 24 categories. The highest number of Oscars won out of all nominations is currently tied between Ben-Hur (1959), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King(2003) and once again, Titanic. Having won 11 Oscars each, the last two films enjoy individual distinctions in that Titanic is currently the highest grossing film of all time and The Return of the King won every Oscar it was nominated for, making it a 100% win (11/11). However, Gigi (1958) was the first film to have won Oscars for all nominated categories (9/9) and held this distinction for 45 years until The Return of the King scored two more Oscars.
"And now, ladies and gentlemen, the Oscar for Best Picture goes to... "
YR. |
TITLE |
DIRECTOR |
LEADS |
GENRE |
NOMS. |
WINS |
1927- |
Wings |
William A |
Clara Bow |
War/ |
2 |
2 |
1928- |
The Broadway |
Harry |
Charles King |
Musical/ |
3 |
1 |
1929- |
All Quiet |
Lewis |
Louis Wolheim |
War/Action |
4 |
2 |
1930- |
Cimarron- |
Wesley |
Richard Dix |
Western- |
7 |
3 |
1931- |
Grand Hotel- |
Edmund |
Greta Garbo |
Drama/ |
1 |
1 |
1932- |
Cavalcade- |
Frank Lloyd- |
Diana Wynyard |
Drama/ |
4 |
3 |
1934 |
It Happened |
Frank Capra- |
Clark gable, |
Romantic |
5 |
5 |
1935 |
Mutiny on the |
Frank Lloyd- |
Charles Laughton, |
Action/ |
8 |
1 |
1936 |
The Great |
Robert Z |
William Powell |
Drama/ |
7 |
3 |
1937 |
The Life of |
William |
Paul Muni, |
Biography- |
10 |
3 |
1938 |
You Can't Take |
Frank Capre |
Jean Arthur, |
Comedy |
7 |
2 |
1939 |
Gone With |
Victor |
Clark Gable, |
Drama/ |
13 |
8 |
1940 |
Rebecca- |
Alfred |
Laurence Oliver, |
Drama/ |
11 |
2 |
1941 |
How Green |
John Ford- |
Walter Pidgeon, |
Drama- |
10 |
5 |
1942 |
Mrs. Miniver- |
William |
Greer Garson, |
War/ |
12 |
6 |
1943 |
Casablanca- |
Michael Curtiz- |
Humphrey |
Drama/ |
8 |
3 |
1944 |
Going My Way- |
Leo McCarey |
Bing Crosby, |
Comedy/ |
10 |
7 |
1945 |
The Lost |
Billy Wilder |
Ray Milland, |
Drama/ |
7 |
4 |
1946 |
The Best Years |
William |
Myrna Loy, |
Drama/ |
8 |
7 |
1947 |
Gentleman's |
Elia Kazan- |
Gregory Peck, |
Drama/ |
8 |
3 |
1948 |
Hamlet- |
Laurence |
Laurence Oliver, |
Drama- |
7 |
4 |
1949 |
All the King's |
Robert Rossen |
Broderick |
Drama- |
7 |
3 |
1950 |
All About Eve- |
Joseph L |
Bette Davis, |
Drama- |
14 |
6 |
1951 |
An American |
Vincente |
Gene Kelly, |
Musical- |
8 |
6 |
1952 |
The Greatest |
Cecil B |
Betty Hutton, |
Drama/ |
5 |
2 |
1953 |
From Here to |
Fred |
Burt Lancaster, |
War/ |
13 |
8 |
1954 |
On the |
Elia Kazan- |
Marlon Brando, |
Crime/ |
12 |
8 |
1955 |
Marty- |
Delbert Mann |
Ernest Borgnine, |
Drama/ |
8 |
4 |
1956 |
Around the |
Michael |
David Niven, |
Fantasy/ |
8 |
5 |
1957 |
The Bridge on |
David Lean- |
William Holden, |
War/ |
8 |
7 |
1958 |
Gigi- |
Vincente |
Leslie Caron, |
Musical/ |
9 |
9 |
1959 |
Ben-Hur- |
William |
Charlton Heston, |
Action/ |
12 |
11 |
1960 |
The Apartment- |
Billy Wilder- |
Jack Lemmon, |
Romance/ |
10 |
5 |
1961 |
West Side |
Jerome |
Natalie Wood, |
Musical/ |
11 |
10 |
1962 |
Lawrence of |
David Lean- |
Peter O'Toole, |
Epic/ |
10 |
7 |
1963 |
Tom Jones- |
Tony |
Albert Finney, |
Comedy/ |
10 |
4 |
1964 |
My Fair Lady- |
George Cukor |
Audrey Hepburn, |
Musical/ |
12 |
8 |
1965 |
The Sound of |
Robert Wise |
Julie Andrews, |
Musical/ |
10 |
5 |
1966 |
A Man for |
Fred |
Paul Scofield, |
Biography |
8 |
6 |
1967 |
In the Heat of |
Norman |
Sidney Poitier, |
Crime/ |
7 |
5 |
1968 |
Oliver!- |
Carol Reed- |
Mark lester, |
Musical- |
11 |
5 |
1969 |
Midnight |
John |
Dustin Hoffman, |
Drama- |
7 |
3 |
1970 |
Patton- |
Franklin J. |
George C Scott, |
Biography |
10 |
7 |
1971 |
The French |
William |
Gene Hackman, |
Action/ |
8 |
5 |
1972 |
The Godfather- |
Francis Ford |
Marlon Brando, |
Crime/ |
11 |
3 |
1973 |
The Sting- |
George Roy |
Paul Newman, |
Crime/ |
10 |
7 |
1974 |
The |
Francis Ford |
Al Pacino, |
Crime/ |
11 |
6 |
1975 |
One Flew |
Milos Forman |
Jack Nicholson, |
Drama |
9 |
5 |
1976 |
Rocky-, |
John G |
Sylvster Stallone, |
Action/ |
10 |
3 |
1977 |
Annie Hall |
Woody Allen |
Woody Allen, |
Comedy/ |
5 |
4 |
1978 |
The Deer |
Michael |
Robert De Niro, |
Drama/ |
9 |
5 |
1979 |
Kramer vs. |
Robert |
Dustin Hoffman, |
Drama |
9 |
5 |
1980 |
Ordinary |
Robert |
Donald |
Drama |
6 |
4 |
1981 |
Chariots of |
Hugh Hudson |
Ben Cross, |
Drama |
7 |
4 |
1982 |
Gandhi- |
Richard |
Ben Kingsley, |
Biopic- |
11 |
8 |
1983 |
Terms of |
James L |
Shirley |
Comedy/ |
11 |
5 |
1984 |
Amadeus- |
Milos |
F. Murray |
Drama/ |
11 |
8 |
1985 |
Out of Africa |
Sydney |
Meryl Streep, |
Biography/ |
11 |
7 |
1986 |
Platoon |
Oliver Stone- |
Willem Dafoe, |
Action/War |
8 |
4 |
1987 |
The Last |
Bernado |
Peter O'Toole, |
Biography- |
9 |
9 |
1988 |
Rain Man- |
Barry |
Dustin Hoffman, |
Drama- |
8 |
4 |
1989 |
Driving Miss |
Bruce |
Jessica Tandy, |
Drama/ |
9 |
4 |
1990 |
Dances With |
Kevin |
Kevin Costner, |
Drama/ |
12 |
7 |
1991 |
The Silence of |
Jonathan |
Jodie Foster, |
Thriller- |
7 |
5 |
1992 |
Unforgiven- |
Clint |
Clint Eastwood, |
Drama/ |
9 |
4 |
1993 |
Schindler's |
Steven |
Liam Neeson, |
Biography- |
12 |
7 |
1994 |
Forrest Gump |
Robert |
Tom Hanks, |
Epic/ |
13 |
6 |
1995 |
Braveheart- |
Mel Gibson- |
Mel Gibson, |
Action/ |
10 |
5 |
1996 |
The English |
Anthony |
Ralph Fiennes, |
Drama/ |
12 |
9 |
1997 |
Titanic- |
James |
Leonardo |
Romance/ |
14 |
11 |
1998 |
Shakespeare |
John Madden- |
Joseph Fiennes, |
Drama/ |
13 |
7 |
1999 |
American |
Sam Mendes- |
Kevin Spacey, |
Drama/ |
8 |
5 |
2000 |
Gladiator- |
Ridley Scott- |
Russell Crowe, |
Action/ |
12 |
5 |
2001 |
A Beautiful |
Ron Howard- |
Russell Crowe, |
Drama |
8 |
4 |
2002 |
Chicago- |
Rob Marshall- |
Richard Gere, |
Musical- |
13 |
6 |
2003 |
The Lord of |
Peter Jackson |
Viggo Mortensen, |
Epic/ |
11 |
11 |
2004 |
Million Dollar |
Clint |
Clint Eastwood, |
Drama |
7 |
4 |
2005 |
Crash- |
Paul Haggis- |
Don Cheadle, |
Drama/ |
6 |
3 |
2006 |
The Departed- |
Martin |
Leonardo |
Crime/ |
5 |
4 |
2007 |
No Country |
Ethan & Joel |
Javier Bardem, |
Crime/ |
8 |
4 |
2008 |
Slumdog |
Danny Boyle |
Dev Patel, |
Drama/ |
10 |
8 |
2009 |
The Hurt Locker |
Kathryn Bigelow |
Jeremy Renner |
War |
9 |
6 |
2010 |
The King's Speech |
Tom Hooper |
Colin Firth, |
Drama |
12 |
4 |
2011 |
The Artist |
Michel Hazanavicius |
Jean Dujardin, Bérénice Bejo, |
Drama |
10 |
5 |
2012 |
Argo |
Ben Affleck |
Ben Affleck, John Goodman |
Drama |
7 |
3 |
2013 |