Menu

Best Picture Oscar Winners by Year (Academy Awards) Quiz

Best Picture Oscar Winners by Year (Academy Awards) Quiz

Think you know your Oscar history? From the golden age of Hollywood to modern masterpieces, the Academy Award for Best Picture has crowned a new champion every year since 1929. Test your knowledge and see if you can match these iconic films to the year they took home the biggest prize in cinema.

Time limit: 20:00 · 98 to name

A Brief History of the Best Picture Oscar

The Academy Award for Best Picture is the most prestigious honor in filmmaking, first awarded at a private dinner in 1929 when Wings took the inaugural prize. Over nearly a century, the award has reflected shifting tastes, cultural movements, and the evolving art of cinema itself. From sweeping epics like Ben-Hur and Lawrence of Arabia to intimate character studies like Moonlight and Nomadland, the winners form a fascinating timeline of what Hollywood — and the world — valued at any given moment.

Memorable Wins and Surprising Upsets

Some Best Picture victories feel inevitable in hindsight. The Godfather, Schindler’s List, and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King were all frontrunners that delivered on expectations. But the category is equally famous for its shockers. Crash beating Brokeback Mountain in 2006 remains one of the most debated outcomes in Oscar history, while Shakespeare in Love edging out Saving Private Ryan still raises eyebrows decades later. The infamous envelope mix-up at the 2017 ceremony, when La La Land was mistakenly announced before Moonlight was revealed as the true winner, gave the awards their most dramatic moment ever.

What Makes a Best Picture Winner?

Patterns emerge when you study the full list of winners. War films, biopics, and period dramas have historically dominated, though recent years have seen greater diversity in genre and storytelling. The expansion of the nominee pool to up to ten films starting in 2010 opened the door for animated features, horror, and international co-productions to compete more seriously. Studios still mount expensive campaigns to court voters, and the politics of the race remain as fascinating as the films themselves. Whether you are a casual moviegoer or a dedicated cinephile, matching Best Picture winners to their year is a satisfying test of film knowledge that spans generations of storytelling.

See all 98 answers Spoilers
  1. 1927/28 — Wings First-ever Best Picture winner, a WWI aviation epic starring Clara Bow.
  2. 1928/29 — The Broadway Melody First sound film to win Best Picture and the first musical to win.
  3. 1929/30 — All Quiet on the Western Front Lewis Milestone's WWI antiwar classic, based on Erich Maria Remarque's novel.
  4. 1930/31 — Cimarron First Western to win Best Picture; RKO's most expensive film at the time.
  5. 1931/32 — Grand Hotel Star-studded MGM drama; the only Best Picture winner never nominated in any other category.
  6. 1932/33 — Cavalcade Fox's adaptation of the Noël Coward play spanning 30 years of British life.
  7. 1934 — It Happened One Night First film to sweep all five major Oscars (Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, Screenplay).
  8. 1935 — Mutiny on the Bounty Clark Gable and Charles Laughton starred; all three leads were nominated for Best Actor.
  9. 1936 — The Great Ziegfeld Lavish MGM biopic of Broadway impresario Florenz Ziegfeld Jr.
  10. 1937 — The Life of Emile Zola Paul Muni starred in this biopic centred on the Dreyfus affair.
  11. 1938 — You Can't Take It with You Frank Capra comedy adapted from the Kaufman and Hart play.
  12. 1939 — Gone with the Wind Held the record for most Oscar wins (8 competitive) for 20 years. Hattie McDaniel became the first African American Oscar winner.
  13. 1940 — Rebecca Alfred Hitchcock's only Best Picture winner; his first American film.
  14. 1941 — How Green Was My Valley John Ford's Welsh mining drama famously beat Citizen Kane.
  15. 1942 — Mrs. Miniver Wartime drama credited by Churchill with aiding the Allied cause more than a flotilla of destroyers.
  16. 1943 — Casablanca Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman in the iconic WWII romance set in Morocco.
  17. 1944 — Going My Way Bing Crosby won Best Actor as a young priest; the film won seven Oscars.
  18. 1945 — The Lost Weekend Billy Wilder's unflinching portrait of alcoholism starring Ray Milland.
  19. 1946 — The Best Years of Our Lives William Wyler's drama about WWII veterans returning home; won seven Oscars including a special award for Harold Russell.
  20. 1947 — Gentleman's Agreement Elia Kazan drama about antisemitism starring Gregory Peck.
  21. 1948 — Hamlet Laurence Olivier directed and starred; first non-American film to win Best Picture.
  22. 1949 — All the King's Men Political drama loosely based on the life of Louisiana governor Huey Long.
  23. 1950 — All About Eve Bette Davis backstage drama; held the record for most nominations (14) for 47 years.
  24. 1951 — An American in Paris Gene Kelly musical inspired by Gershwin's orchestral composition; won six Oscars.
  25. 1952 — The Greatest Show on Earth Cecil B. DeMille circus epic often cited as one of the weakest Best Picture winners.
  26. 1953 — From Here to Eternity Won eight Oscars including Picture; set at Pearl Harbor in the days before the attack.
  27. 1954 — On the Waterfront Marlon Brando's 'I coulda been a contender' classic directed by Elia Kazan; won eight Oscars.
  28. 1955 — Marty Smallest-budgeted Best Picture winner at the time; Ernest Borgnine won Best Actor.
  29. 1956 — Around the World in 80 Days Mike Todd's epic travelogue featuring over 40 cameo appearances.
  30. 1957 — The Bridge on the River Kwai David Lean's WWI POW epic; Alec Guinness won Best Actor.
  31. 1958 — Gigi Vincente Minnelli musical that won all nine of its nominations, a record at the time.
  32. 1959 — Ben-Hur Won a record 11 Oscars, a mark unmatched for 38 years. Famous for its chariot race.
  33. 1960 — The Apartment Billy Wilder comedy-drama; the last black-and-white film to win Best Picture until The Artist (2011).
  34. 1961 — West Side Story Musical retelling of Romeo and Juliet; won 10 Oscars including Picture.
  35. 1962 — Lawrence of Arabia David Lean's desert epic launched Peter O'Toole to stardom; won seven Oscars.
  36. 1963 — Tom Jones Bawdy British comedy starring Albert Finney; second British film to win Best Picture.
  37. 1964 — My Fair Lady Audrey Hepburn starred but was controversially not nominated; Rex Harrison won Best Actor.
  38. 1965 — The Sound of Music Julie Andrews musical that became the highest-grossing film of its era.
  39. 1966 — A Man for All Seasons Paul Scofield won Best Actor as Sir Thomas More in Fred Zinnemann's historical drama.
  40. 1967 — In the Heat of the Night Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger in a racial-tension thriller set in Mississippi.
  41. 1968 — Oliver! Musical adaptation of Dickens; last G-rated film to win Best Picture.
  42. 1969 — Midnight Cowboy Only X-rated film ever to win Best Picture; later re-rated to R.
  43. 1970 — Patton George C. Scott won Best Actor but famously refused the Oscar.
  44. 1971 — The French Connection Gene Hackman's gritty New York crime thriller directed by William Friedkin.
  45. 1972 — The Godfather Francis Ford Coppola's Mafia epic; Marlon Brando refused his Best Actor Oscar.
  46. 1973 — The Sting Newman and Redford reteamed in George Roy Hill's con-artist caper; won seven Oscars.
  47. 1974 — The Godfather Part II First sequel to win Best Picture; Robert De Niro won Best Supporting Actor.
  48. 1975 — One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Second film to sweep all five major Oscars; Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher starred.
  49. 1976 — Rocky Sylvester Stallone wrote and starred in the underdog boxing classic on a tiny budget.
  50. 1977 — Annie Hall Woody Allen's romantic comedy beat Star Wars for Best Picture.
  51. 1978 — The Deer Hunter Michael Cimino's Vietnam War drama; Christopher Walken won Best Supporting Actor.
  52. 1979 — Kramer vs. Kramer Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep in a custody-battle drama that won five Oscars.
  53. 1980 — Ordinary People Robert Redford's directorial debut controversially beat Raging Bull.
  54. 1981 — Chariots of Fire British running drama famous for its Vangelis synthesiser score.
  55. 1982 — Gandhi Richard Attenborough's biopic with Ben Kingsley; won eight Oscars.
  56. 1983 — Terms of Endearment James L. Brooks' mother-daughter drama swept Picture, Director, Actress, and Supporting Actor.
  57. 1984 — Amadeus Miloš Forman's Mozart biopic won eight Oscars including Picture and Director.
  58. 1985 — Out of Africa Sydney Pollack's romantic epic set in Kenya starring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford.
  59. 1986 — Platoon Oliver Stone's semi-autobiographical Vietnam War film; Stone won Best Director.
  60. 1987 — The Last Emperor Bernardo Bertolucci's epic swept all nine of its nominations.
  61. 1988 — Rain Man Dustin Hoffman won Best Actor as an autistic savant opposite Tom Cruise.
  62. 1989 — Driving Miss Daisy Won Best Picture without a Best Director nomination — only the third film to do so.
  63. 1990 — Dances with Wolves Kevin Costner's directorial debut; a Civil War–era Western that won seven Oscars.
  64. 1991 — The Silence of the Lambs Third film to sweep all five major Oscars; Anthony Hopkins' Hannibal Lecter had roughly 16 minutes of screen time.
  65. 1992 — Unforgiven Clint Eastwood's revisionist Western; won Picture, Director, Supporting Actor, and Editing.
  66. 1993 — Schindler's List Steven Spielberg's Holocaust drama won seven Oscars and earned him his first Best Director.
  67. 1994 — Forrest Gump Tom Hanks won back-to-back Best Actor Oscars; the film won six awards total.
  68. 1995 — Braveheart Mel Gibson directed and starred as William Wallace; won five Oscars.
  69. 1996 — The English Patient Anthony Minghella's WWII romance won nine Oscars, the most that year.
  70. 1997 — Titanic James Cameron's epic tied Ben-Hur's record with 11 Oscar wins.
  71. 1998 — Shakespeare in Love Upset winner over Saving Private Ryan; Gwyneth Paltrow won Best Actress.
  72. 1999 — American Beauty Sam Mendes' feature debut about suburban disillusionment; won five Oscars.
  73. 2000 — Gladiator Ridley Scott's Roman epic revived the sword-and-sandal genre; Russell Crowe won Best Actor.
  74. 2001 — A Beautiful Mind Ron Howard biopic of mathematician John Nash; Russell Crowe starred.
  75. 2002 — Chicago First musical to win Best Picture since Oliver! in 1968.
  76. 2003 — The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Swept all 11 of its nominations, tying the all-time wins record.
  77. 2004 — Million Dollar Baby Clint Eastwood directed; Hilary Swank won her second Best Actress Oscar.
  78. 2005 — Crash Surprise upset over Brokeback Mountain; one of the most debated Best Picture choices.
  79. 2006 — The Departed Martin Scorsese finally won Best Director after decades of near-misses; a remake of Infernal Affairs.
  80. 2007 — No Country for Old Men Coen Brothers' adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's novel; Javier Bardem won Best Supporting Actor.
  81. 2008 — Slumdog Millionaire Danny Boyle's Mumbai-set drama won eight Oscars from ten nominations.
  82. 2009 — The Hurt Locker Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to win Best Director; beat ex-husband James Cameron's Avatar.
  83. 2010 — The King's Speech Colin Firth won Best Actor as King George VI overcoming a stammer.
  84. 2011 — The Artist Black-and-white silent film — the first mostly silent film to win since Wings in 1929.
  85. 2012 — Argo Ben Affleck directed this thriller about the CIA's fake-movie rescue during the Iran hostage crisis.
  86. 2013 — 12 Years a Slave Steve McQueen became the first Black director of a Best Picture winner.
  87. 2014 — Birdman Alejandro González Iñárritu's film appeared to be shot in one continuous take.
  88. 2015 — Spotlight True story of the Boston Globe's investigation into Catholic Church abuse cover-ups.
  89. 2016 — Moonlight First LGBTQ+ film and first all-Black cast to win Best Picture; famously announced after La La Land was mistakenly read.
  90. 2017 — The Shape of Water Guillermo del Toro's fantasy romance set during the Cold War; won four Oscars.
  91. 2018 — Green Book Controversial road-trip dramedy about pianist Don Shirley and his driver Tony Lip.
  92. 2019 — Parasite Bong Joon-ho's thriller became the first non-English-language film to win Best Picture.
  93. 2020 — Nomadland Chloé Zhao became the second woman and first woman of colour to win Best Director.
  94. 2021 — CODA First film from a streaming service (Apple TV+) to win Best Picture; Troy Kotsur won Best Supporting Actor.
  95. 2022 — Everything Everywhere All at Once A24's multiverse comedy swept seven awards; Michelle Yeoh became the first Asian Best Actress winner.
  96. 2023 — Oppenheimer Christopher Nolan's epic won seven Oscars; Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr. both won acting awards.
  97. 2024 — Anora Sean Baker's Palme d'Or winner about a Brighton Beach sex worker who marries a Russian oligarch's son.
  98. 2025 — One Battle After Another Paul Thomas Anderson's film won a leading six awards at the 98th Academy Awards including Best Picture.