1998 - Steven Spielberg [1947-] - (Saving Private Ryan)
1997 - James Cameron [1954-] - (Titanic)
1996 - Anthony Minghella [1954-] - (The English Patient)
1995 - Mel Gibson [1956-] - (Braveheart)
1994 - Robert Zemeckis [1952-] - (Forrest Gump)
1993 - Steven Spielberg [1947-] - (Schindler's List)
1992 - Clint Eastwood [1930-] - (Unforgiven)
1991 - Jonathan Demme [1944-] - (Silence of the Lambs)
1990 - Kevin Costner [1955-] - (Dances with Wolves)
1989 - Oliver Stone [1946-] - (Born on the Fourth of July)
1988 - Barry Levinson [1942-] - (Rain Man)
1987 - Bernardo Bertolucci [1940-] - (The Last Emperor)
1986 - Oliver Stone [1946-] - (Platoon)
1985 - Sydney Pollack [1934-] - (Out of Africa)
1984 - Milos Forman [1932-] - (Amadeus)
1983 - James L. Brooks [1940-] - (Terms of Endearment)
1982 - Richard Attenborough [1923-] - (Gandhi)
1981 - Warren Beatty [1937-] - (Reds)
1980 - Robert Redford [1937-] - (Ordinary People)
1979 - Robert Benton [1932-] - (Kramer vs. Kramer)
1978 - Michael Cimino [1943-] - (The Deer Hunter)
1977 - Woody Allen [1935-] - (Annie Hall)
1976 - John G. Avildsen [1935-] - (Rocky)
1975 - Milos Forman [1932-] - (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest)
1974 - Francis Coppola [1939-] - (The Godfather: Part II)
1973 - George Roy Hill [1922-] - (The Sting)
1972 - Bob Fosse [1927-1987] - (Cabaret)
1971 - William Friedkin [1935-] - (The French Connection)
1970 - Franklin J. Schaffner [1920-1989] - (Patton)
1969 - John Schlesinger [1926-] - (Midnight Cowboy)
1968 - Carol Reed [1906-1976] - (Oliver!)
1967 - Mike Nichols [1931-] - (The Graduate)
1966 - Fred Zinnemann [1907-1997] - (A Man for All Seasons)
1965 - Robert Wise [1914-] - (The Sound of Music)
1964 - George Cukor [1899-1983] - (My Fair Lady)
1963 - Tony Richardson [1928-1991] - (Tom Jones)
1962 - David Lean [1908-1991] - (Lawrence of Arabia)
1961 - Robert Wise [1914-] & Jerome Robbins [1918-1998] - (West Side Story)
1960 - Billy Wilder [1906-] - (The Apartment)
1959 - William Wyler [1902-1981] - (Ben-Hur)
1958 - Vincente Minnelli [1903-1986] - (Gigi)
1957 - David Lean [1908-1991] - (The Bridge on the River Kwai)
1956 - George Stevens [1904-1975] - (Giant)
1955 - Delbert Mann [1920-] - (Marty)
1954 - Elia Kazan [1909-] - (On the Waterfront)
1953 - Fred Zinnemann [1907-1997] - (From Here to Eternity)
1952 - John Ford [1895-1973] - (The Quiet Man)
1951 - George Stevens [1904-1975] - (A Place in the Sun)
1950 - Joseph L. Mankiewicz [1909-1993] - (All About Eve)
1949 - Joseph L. Mankiewicz [1909-1993] - (A Letter to Three Wives)
1948 - John Huston [1906-1987] - (The Treasure of the Sierra Madre)
1947 - Elia Kazan [1909-] - (Gentleman's Agreement)
1946 - William Wyler [1902-1981] - (The Best Years of Our Lives)
1945 - Billy Wilder [1906-] - (The Lost Weekend)
1944 - Leo McCarey [1898-1969] - (Going My Way)
1943 - Michael Curtiz [1888-1962] - (Casablanca)
1942 - William Wyler [1902-1981] - (Mrs. Miniver)
1941 - John Ford [1895-1973] - (How Green Was My Valley)
1940 - John Ford [1895-1973] - (The Grapes of Wrath)
1939 - Victor Fleming [1883-1949] - (Gone with the Wind)
1938 - Frank Capra [1897-1991] - (You Can't Take It with You)
1937 - Leo McCarey [1898-1969] - (The Awful Truth)
1936 - Frank Capra [1897-1991] - (Mr. Deeds Goes to Town)
1935 - John Ford [1895-1973] - (The Informer)
1934 - Frank Capra [1897-1991] - (It Happened One Night)
1933 - Frank Lloyd [1888-1960] - (Cavalcade)
1932 - Frank Borzage [1893-1962] - (Bad Girl)
1931 - Norman Taurog [1899-1981] - (Skippy)
1930 - Lewis Milestone [1895-1980] - (All Quiet on the Western Front)
1929 - Frank Lloyd [1888-1960] - (The Divine Lady)
1928 - Lewis Milestone [1895-1980] - (Two Arabian Knights)
1928 - Frank Borzage [1893-1962] - (Seventh Heaven)