While everyone has been trying to pinpoint who will win Best Lead Actor and Actress at the 2026 Academy Awards, some fans have been more focused on the race for Best Director. The award itself is rich in history, and there have been some incredible wins in recent years, such as Christopher Nolan finally winning for his work on Oppenheimer. He could even be in line for another nomination and maybe another win for his work directing The Odyssey this summer. There have been some shocking wins and losses in the Best Director category over the years, including John Madden winning for Shakespeare in Love in 1999, in a year when many felt Steven Spielberg should have claimed gold for Saving Private Ryan. Even Kathryn Bigelow winning for The Hurt Locker came as a surprise, especially considering that James Cameron’s Avatar came out the same year.
This year’s roster of talent competing for Best Director is as strong as it’s ever been, with Ryan Coogler earning his first nomination for his work directing the critically acclaimed vampire horror hit, Sinners. Previous winner of the award, Chloé Zhao, has also been recognized for her work directing Hamnet, the historical epic starring Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley. Josh Safdie has earned his first nomination for directing Marty Supreme, the Timothée Chalamet-starring ping pong biopic brought to the big screen by A24. Paul Thomas Anderson has earned his fourth Best Directing Oscar for helming One Battle After Another, and Joachim Trier has been recognized for directing Sentimental Value. The Academy decided to give the award to Paul Thomas Anderson for directing One Battle After Another, which surprisingly marks the legendary filmmaker’s first-ever Academy Award for Best Director, and his second Oscar ever after winning Best Adapted Screenplay earlier in the night.
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Who Will Be Nominated for Best Director in 2027?
It’s too early to know who will be nominated for Best Director in 2027, but there are a few favorites who are likely to be recognized. Early word is that Phil Lord and Christopher Miller will earn a nomination for their work directing Project Hail Mary, and Steven Spielberg could easily earn a nod for his return to sci-fi with Disclosure Day. Denis Villeneuve will also likely be recognized for directing the third Dune movie later this year. Other potential nominees will become clearer throughout the year as more films are released.
Stay tuned to Collider for more updates and coverage of the 2026 Oscars.
- Release Date
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April 18, 2025
- Runtime
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138 minutes
- Director
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Ryan Coogler
- Writers
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Ryan Coogler
- Producers
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Sev Ohanian, Zinzi Coogler, Ryan Coogler

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