Oscar Best Picture Winners, Year by Year
Every Academy Award Best Picture winner in our library, year by year, with nominees and each film's composite canon score.
Award results are facts and are listed in full. The score chip is our composite canon score.
Best Picture by ceremony year
Wings1927 · William A. Wellman, Harry d'Abbadie d'Arrast3.61
2 nominees in our library
- Seventh Heaven (1927)
- The Racket (1928)
All Quiet on the Western Front1930 · Lewis Milestone4.49
The Broadway Melody1929 · Harry Beaumont3.00
8 nominees in our library
- The Love Parade (1929)
- In Old Arizona (1928)
- The Patriot (1928)
- Alibi (1929)
- Disraeli (1929)
- The Hollywood Revue of 1929 (1929)
- The Big House (1930)
- The Divorcee (1930)
Cimarron1931 · Wesley Ruggles3.00
4 nominees in our library
- The Front Page (1931)
- East Lynne (1931)
- Skippy (1931)
- Trader Horn (1931)
Grand Hotel1932 · Edmund Goulding3.53
7 nominees in our library
- The Smiling Lieutenant (1931)
- Shanghai Express (1932)
- Arrowsmith (1931)
- Bad Girl (1931)
- Five Star Final (1931)
- The Champ (1931)
- One Hour with You (1932)
Cavalcade1933 · Frank Lloyd3.00
9 nominees in our library
- I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932)
- A Farewell to Arms (1932)
- 42nd Street (1933)
- She Done Him Wrong (1933)
- State Fair (1933)
- Little Women (1933)
- Smilin' Through (1932)
- Lady for a Day (1933)
- The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933)
It Happened One Night1934 · Frank Capra4.43
11 nominees in our library
- The Thin Man (1934)
- Imitation of Life (1934)
- Cleopatra (1934)
- Flirtation Walk (1934)
- Here Comes the Navy (1934)
- One Night of Love (1934)
- The Barretts of Wimpole Street (1934)
- The Gay Divorcee (1934)
- The House of Rothschild (1934)
- The White Parade (1934)
- Viva Villa! (1934)
Mutiny on the Bounty1935 · Frank Lloyd3.23
11 nominees in our library
- The Informer (1935)
- Ruggles of Red Gap (1935)
- Top Hat (1935)
- Naughty Marietta (1935)
- Captain Blood (1935)
- A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935)
- Alice Adams (1935)
- Broadway Melody of 1936 (1935)
- David Copperfield (1935)
- Les Misérables (1935)
- The Lives of a Bengal Lancer (1935)
The Great Ziegfeld1936 · Robert Z. Leonard3.00
9 nominees in our library
- Dodsworth (1936)
- Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936)
- The Story of Louis Pasteur (1936)
- A Tale of Two Cities (1935)
- Anthony Adverse (1936)
- Libeled Lady (1936)
- Romeo and Juliet (1936)
- San Francisco (1936)
- Three Smart Girls (1936)
The Life of Emile Zola1937 · William Dieterle3.23
9 nominees in our library
- The Awful Truth (1937)
- One Hundred Men and a Girl (1937)
- A Star Is Born (1937)
- Dead End (1937)
- The Good Earth (1937)
- Lost Horizon (1937)
- Captains Courageous (1937)
- In Old Chicago (1937)
- Stage Door (1937)
You Can't Take It With You1938 · Frank Capra3.43
9 nominees in our library
- La Grande Illusion (1937)
- The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
- Jezebel (1938)
- Pygmalion (1938)
- Alexander's Ragtime Band (1938)
- Boys Town (1938)
- Four Daughters (1938)
- Test Pilot (1938)
- The Citadel (1938)
Gone with the Wind1939 · Victor Fleming, George Cukor, Sam Wood4.72
9 nominees in our library
- The Wizard of Oz (1939)
- Stagecoach (1939)
- Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
- Wuthering Heights (1939)
- Ninotchka (1939)
- Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939)
- Love Affair (1939)
- Dark Victory (1939)
- Of Mice and Men (1939)
Rebecca1940 · Alfred Hitchcock3.39
9 nominees in our library
- The Great Dictator (1940)
- The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
- The Philadelphia Story (1940)
- Foreign Correspondent (1940)
- All This, and Heaven Too (1940)
- Kitty Foyle (1940)
- Our Town (1940)
- The Letter (1940)
- The Long Voyage Home (1940)
How Green Was My Valley1941 · John Ford3.73
9 nominees in our library
- Citizen Kane (1941)
- The Maltese Falcon (1941)
- Suspicion (1941)
- The Little Foxes (1941)
- Sergeant York (1941)
- Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941)
- Blossoms in the Dust (1941)
- Hold Back the Dawn (1941)
- One Foot in Heaven (1941)
Mrs. Miniver1942 · William Wyler3.23
9 nominees in our library
- Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
- The Magnificent Ambersons (1942)
- Random Harvest (1942)
- The Pride of the Yankees (1942)
- 49th Parallel (1941)
- Kings Row (1942)
- The Pied Piper (1942)
- The Talk of the Town (1942)
- Wake Island (1942)
Casablanca1942 · Michael Curtiz6.00
9 nominees in our library
- The Human Comedy (1943)
- In Which We Serve (1942)
- The Ox-Bow Incident (1943)
- Heaven Can Wait (1943)
- For Whom the Bell Tolls (1942)
- Madame Curie (1943)
- The More the Merrier (1943)
- The Song of Bernadette (1943)
- Watch on the Rhine (1943)
Going My Way1944 · Leo McCarey4.23
4 nominees in our library
- Double Indemnity (1944)
- Gaslight (1944)
- Since You Went Away (1944)
- Wilson (1944)
The Lost Weekend1945 · Billy Wilder3.54
4 nominees in our library
- Mildred Pierce (1945)
- Spellbound (1945)
- Anchors Aweigh (1945)
- The Bells of St. Mary's (1945)
The Best Years of Our Lives1946 · William Wyler6.85
4 nominees in our library
- It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
- Henry V (1944)
- The Yearling (1946)
- The Razor's Edge (1946)
Gentleman's Agreement1947 · Elia Kazan3.23
4 nominees in our library
- Great Expectations (1946)
- Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
- Crossfire (1947)
- The Bishop's Wife (1947)
Hamlet1948 · Laurence Olivier3.84
4 nominees in our library
- The Red Shoes (1948)
- The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
- Johnny Belinda (1948)
- The Snake Pit (1948)
All the King's Men1950 · Robert Rossen3.23
4 nominees in our library
- The Heiress (1949)
- A Letter to Three Wives (1949)
- Twelve O'Clock High (1949)
- Battleground (1950)
All About Eve1950 · Joseph L. Mankiewicz6.30
4 nominees in our library
- Sunset Boulevard (1950)
- Born Yesterday (1950)
- Father of the Bride (1950)
- King Solomon's Mines (1950)
An American in Paris1951 · Vincente Minnelli3.47
4 nominees in our library
- A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
- A Place in the Sun (1951)
- Decision Before Dawn (1951)
- Quo Vadis (1951)
The Greatest Show on Earth1952 · Cecil B. DeMille3.00
4 nominees in our library
- High Noon (1952)
- The Quiet Man (1952)
- Ivanhoe (1952)
- Moulin Rouge (1952)
From Here to Eternity1953 · Fred Zinnemann3.49
4 nominees in our library
- Shane (1953)
- Roman Holiday (1953)
- Julius Caesar (1953)
- The Robe (1953)
On the Waterfront1954 · Elia Kazan5.11
4 nominees in our library
- Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954)
- The Caine Mutiny (1954)
- The Country Girl (1954)
- Three Coins in the Fountain (1954)
Marty1955 · Delbert Mann6.56
4 nominees in our library
- Picnic (1955)
- The Rose Tattoo (1955)
- Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955)
- Mister Roberts (1955)
Around the World in 80 Days1956 · Michael Anderson, John Farrow3.00
4 nominees in our library
- Friendly Persuasion (1956)
- Giant (1956)
- The Ten Commandments (1956)
- The King and I (1956)
The Bridge on the River Kwai1957 · David Lean5.13
4 nominees in our library
- 12 Angry Men (1957)
- Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
- Peyton Place (1957)
- Sayonara (1957)
Gigi1958 · Vincente Minnelli, Charles Walters3.23
4 nominees in our library
- The Defiant Ones (1958)
- Auntie Mame (1958)
- Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)
- Separate Tables (1958)
Ben-Hur1959 · William Wyler4.16
4 nominees in our library
- Room at the Top (1959)
- Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
- The Diary of Anne Frank (1959)
- The Nun's Story (1959)
The Apartment1960 · Billy Wilder4.70
4 nominees in our library
- Elmer Gantry (1960)
- Sons and Lovers (1960)
- The Alamo (1960)
- The Sundowners (1960)
West Side Story1961 · Robert Wise, Jerome Robbins4.42
4 nominees in our library
- The Hustler (1961)
- Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
- Fanny (1961)
- The Guns of Navarone (1961)
Lawrence of Arabia1962 · David Lean7.71
4 nominees in our library
- To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
- The Music Man (1962)
- Mutiny on the Bounty (1962)
- The Longest Day (1962)
Tom Jones1963 · Tony Richardson3.74
4 nominees in our library
- America America (1963)
- How the West Was Won (1962)
- Lilies of the Field (1963)
- Cleopatra (1963)
My Fair Lady1964 · George Cukor3.59
4 nominees in our library
- Dr. Strangelove (1964)
- Mary Poppins (1964)
- Zorba the Greek (1964)
- Becket (1964)
The Sound of Music1965 · Robert Wise4.35
4 nominees in our library
- Doctor Zhivago (1965)
- Darling (1965)
- A Thousand Clowns (1965)
- Ship of Fools (1965)
A Man for All Seasons1966 · Fred Zinnemann3.92
4 nominees in our library
- Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
- Alfie (1966)
- The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming (1966)
- The Sand Pebbles (1966)
In the Heat of the Night1967 · Norman Jewison4.20
4 nominees in our library
- Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
- The Graduate (1967)
- Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967)
- Doctor Dolittle (1967)
Oliver!1968 · Carol Reed3.24
4 nominees in our library
- Romeo and Juliet (1968)
- Funny Girl (1968)
- The Lion in Winter (1968)
- Rachel, Rachel (1968)
Midnight Cowboy1969 · John Schlesinger4.85
4 nominees in our library
- Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
- Z (1969)
- Anne of the Thousand Days (1969)
- Hello, Dolly! (1969)
Patton1970 · Franklin J. Schaffner3.59
4 nominees in our library
- MASH (1970)
- Five Easy Pieces (1970)
- Airport (1970)
- Love Story (1970)
The French Connection1971 · William Friedkin4.24
4 nominees in our library
- The Last Picture Show (1971)
- A Clockwork Orange (1971)
- Fiddler on the Roof (1971)
- Nicholas and Alexandra (1971)
The Godfather1972 · Francis Ford Coppola8.37
4 nominees in our library
- Cabaret (1972)
- Deliverance (1972)
- Sounder (1972)
- The Emigrants (1971)
The Sting1973 · George Roy Hill3.66
4 nominees in our library
- Cries and Whispers (1972)
- American Graffiti (1973)
- The Exorcist (1973)
- A Touch of Class (1973)
The Godfather Part II1974 · Francis Ford Coppola6.10
4 nominees in our library
- The Conversation (1974)
- Chinatown (1974)
- Lenny (1974)
- The Towering Inferno (1974)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest1975 · Miloš Forman7.13
4 nominees in our library
- Barry Lyndon (1975)
- Jaws (1975)
- Nashville (1975)
- Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
Rocky1976 · John G. Avildsen4.81
4 nominees in our library
- Taxi Driver (1976)
- Network (1976)
- All the President's Men (1976)
- Bound for Glory (1976)
Annie Hall1977 · Woody Allen4.89
4 nominees in our library
- Julia (1977)
- Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977)
- The Goodbye Girl (1977)
- The Turning Point (1977)
The Deer Hunter1978 · Michael Cimino4.70
4 nominees in our library
- An Unmarried Woman (1978)
- Coming Home (1978)
- Heaven Can Wait (1978)
- Midnight Express (1978)
Kramer vs. Kramer1979 · Robert Benton4.00
4 nominees in our library
- Apocalypse Now (1979)
- All That Jazz (1979)
- Norma Rae (1979)
- Breaking Away (1979)
Ordinary People1980 · Robert Redford3.50
4 nominees in our library
- Raging Bull (1980)
- The Elephant Man (1980)
- Tess (1979)
- Coal Miner's Daughter (1980)
Chariots of Fire1981 · Hugh Hudson4.07
4 nominees in our library
- Atlantic City (1980)
- Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
- On Golden Pond (1982)
- Reds (1981)
Gandhi1982 · Richard Attenborough4.01
4 nominees in our library
- Missing (1982)
- E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
- Tootsie (1982)
- The Verdict (1982)
Terms of Endearment1983 · James L. Brooks3.43
4 nominees in our library
- The Right Stuff (1983)
- The Big Chill (1983)
- The Dresser (1983)
- Tender Mercies (1983)
Amadeus1984 · Miloš Forman4.84
4 nominees in our library
- The Killing Fields (1984)
- A Passage to India (1984)
- A Soldier's Story (1984)
- Places in the Heart (1984)
Out of Africa1985 · Sydney Pollack3.00
4 nominees in our library
- Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985)
- Witness (1985)
- The Color Purple (1985)
- Prizzi's Honor (1985)
Platoon1986 · Oliver Stone4.40
4 nominees in our library
- The Mission (1986)
- A Room with a View (1986)
- Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
- Children of a Lesser God (1986)
The Last Emperor1987 · Bernardo Bertolucci4.55
4 nominees in our library
- Moonstruck (1987)
- Broadcast News (1987)
- Hope and Glory (1987)
- Fatal Attraction (1987)
Rain Man1988 · Barry Levinson5.43
4 nominees in our library
- The Accidental Tourist (1988)
- Dangerous Liaisons (1988)
- Mississippi Burning (1988)
- Working Girl (1988)
Driving Miss Daisy1989 · Bruce Beresford3.32
4 nominees in our library
- Dead Poets Society (1989)
- Field of Dreams (1989)
- My Left Foot (1979)
- Born on the Fourth of July (1989)
Dances with Wolves1990 · Kevin Costner4.47
4 nominees in our library
- Goodfellas (1990)
- The Godfather Part III (1990)
- Awakenings (1990)
- Ghost (1990)
The Silence of the Lambs1991 · Jonathan Demme4.94
4 nominees in our library
- JFK (1991)
- Beauty and the Beast (1991)
- The Prince of Tides (1991)
- Bugsy (1991)
Unforgiven1992 · Clint Eastwood6.51
4 nominees in our library
- The Crying Game (1992)
- Howards End (1992)
- A Few Good Men (1992)
- Scent of a Woman (1992)
Schindler's List1993 · Steven Spielberg7.42
4 nominees in our library
- The Piano (1993)
- In the Name of the Father (1993)
- The Remains of the Day (1993)
- The Fugitive (1993)
Forrest Gump1994 · Robert Zemeckis4.22
4 nominees in our library
- Pulp Fiction (1994)
- Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)
- The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
- Quiz Show (1994)
Braveheart1995 · Mel Gibson3.00
4 nominees in our library
- Sense and Sensibility (1995)
- Il Postino: The Postman (1994)
- Apollo 13 (1995)
- Babe (1995)
The English Patient1996 · Anthony Minghella5.65
4 nominees in our library
- Secrets & Lies (1996)
- Fargo (1996)
- Shine (1996)
- Jerry Maguire (1996)
Titanic1997 · James Cameron4.26
4 nominees in our library
- L.A. Confidential (1997)
- The Full Monty (1997)
- Good Will Hunting (1997)
- As Good as It Gets (1997)
Shakespeare in Love1998 · John Madden4.27
4 nominees in our library
- The Thin Red Line (1998)
- Life Is Beautiful (1997)
- Saving Private Ryan (1998)
- Elizabeth (1998)
American Beauty1999 · Sam Mendes5.36
4 nominees in our library
- The Sixth Sense (1999)
- The Green Mile (1999)
- The Cider House Rules (1999)
- The Insider (1999)
Gladiator2000 · Ridley Scott5.32
4 nominees in our library
- Traffic (2000)
- Chocolat (2000)
- Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
- Erin Brockovich (2000)
A Beautiful Mind2001 · Ron Howard3.00
4 nominees in our library
- The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
- Gosford Park (2001)
- In the Bedroom (2001)
- Moulin Rouge! (2001)
Chicago2002 · Rob Marshall3.32
4 nominees in our library
- The Pianist (2002)
- The Hours (2002)
- The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
- Gangs of New York (2002)
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King2003 · Peter Jackson3.81
4 nominees in our library
- Mystic River (2003)
- Lost in Translation (2003)
- Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)
- Seabiscuit (2003)
Million Dollar Baby2004 · Clint Eastwood4.00
4 nominees in our library
- Finding Neverland (2004)
- Ray (2004)
- Sideways (2004)
- The Aviator (2004)
Crash2004 · Paul Haggis3.32
4 nominees in our library
- Brokeback Mountain (2005)
- Capote (2005)
- Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005)
- Munich (2005)
The Departed2006 · Martin Scorsese3.52
3 nominees in our library
- The Queen (2006)
- Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)
- Babel (2006)
No Country for Old Men2007 · Ethan Coen, Joel Coen5.03
4 nominees in our library
- There Will Be Blood (2007)
- Atonement (2007)
- Juno (2007)
- Michael Clayton (2007)
Slumdog Millionaire2008 · Danny Boyle, Loveleen Tandan5.32
4 nominees in our library
- The Reader (2008)
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
- Frost/Nixon (2008)
- Milk (2008)
The Hurt Locker2008 · Kathryn Bigelow5.95
9 nominees in our library
- Inglourious Basterds (2009)
- District 9 (2009)
- A Serious Man (2009)
- An Education (2009)
- Avatar (2009)
- Precious (2009)
- The Blind Side (2009)
- Up (2009)
- Up in the Air (2009)
The King's Speech2010 · Tom Hooper5.50
9 nominees in our library
- The Social Network (2010)
- Inception (2010)
- Toy Story 3 (2010)
- Black Swan (2010)
- True Grit (2010)
- 127 Hours (2010)
- The Fighter (2010)
- The Kids Are All Right (2010)
- Winter's Bone (2010)
The Artist2011 · Michel Hazanavicius3.00
8 nominees in our library
- The Tree of Life (2011)
- Hugo (2011)
- Midnight in Paris (2011)
- Moneyball (2011)
- War Horse (2011)
- Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2011)
- The Descendants (2011)
- The Help (2011)
Argo2012 · Ben Affleck5.36
8 nominees in our library
- Amour (2012)
- Lincoln (2012)
- Life of Pi (2012)
- Django Unchained (2012)
- Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012)
- Les Misérables (2012)
- Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
- Zero Dark Thirty (2012)
12 Years a Slave2013 · Steve McQueen5.23
8 nominees in our library
- Gravity (2013)
- The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
- American Hustle (2013)
- Captain Phillips (2013)
- Dallas Buyers Club (2013)
- Her (2013)
- Nebraska (2013)
- Philomena (2013)
Birdman2014 · Alejandro González Iñárritu3.43
7 nominees in our library
- Boyhood (2014)
- American Sniper (2014)
- Whiplash (2014)
- The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
- Selma (2014)
- The Imitation Game (2014)
- The Theory of Everything (2014)
Spotlight2015 · Tom McCarthy3.33
7 nominees in our library
- The Revenant (2015)
- Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
- Bridge of Spies (2015)
- Brooklyn (2015)
- Room (2015)
- The Big Short (2015)
- The Martian (2015)
Moonlight2016 · Barry Jenkins4.26
8 nominees in our library
- Manchester by the Sea (2016)
- Hidden Figures (2016)
- La La Land (2016)
- Lion (2015)
- Arrival (2016)
- Fences (2016)
- Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
- Hell or High Water (2016)
The Shape of Water2017 · Guillermo del Toro5.66
8 nominees in our library
- Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)
- The Post (2017)
- Phantom Thread (2017)
- Get Out (2017)
- Dunkirk (2017)
- Call Me by Your Name (2017)
- Darkest Hour (2017)
- Lady Bird (2017)
Green Book2018 · Peter Farrelly3.39
7 nominees in our library
- Roma (2018)
- Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
- A Star Is Born (2018)
- BlacKkKlansman (2018)
- Black Panther (2018)
- The Favourite (2018)
- Vice (2018)
Parasite2019 · Bong Joon-ho9.70
8 nominees in our library
- Joker (2019)
- The Irishman (2019)
- Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
- Little Women (2019)
- Ford v Ferrari (2019)
- 1917 (2019)
- Marriage Story (2019)
- Jojo Rabbit (2019)
Nomadland2020 · Chloé Zhao6.00
7 nominees in our library
- The Father (2020)
- Promising Young Woman (2020)
- Sound of Metal (2019)
- Mank (2020)
- Minari (2020)
- The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)
- Judas and the Black Messiah (2021)
CODA2021 · Siân Héder3.36
9 nominees in our library
- Licorice Pizza (2021)
- Drive My Car (2021)
- The Power of the Dog (2021)
- Belfast (2021)
- West Side Story (2021)
- Nightmare Alley (2021)
- Don't Look Up (2021)
- Dune (2021)
- King Richard (2021)
Everything Everywhere All at Once2022 · Dan Kwan, Daniel Scheinert3.49
9 nominees in our library
- Triangle of Sadness (2022)
- All Quiet on the Western Front (2022)
- Tár (2022)
- The Fabelmans (2022)
- Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
- The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)
- Women Talking (2022)
- Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
- Elvis (2022)
Oppenheimer2023 · Christopher Nolan6.00
5 nominees in our library
- Anatomy of a Fall (2023)
- Poor Things (2023)
- The Zone of Interest (2023)
- Barbie (2023)
- Past Lives (2023)
Anora2024 · Sean Baker6.79
5 nominees in our library
- I'm Still Here (2024)
- The Substance (2024)
- Emilia Pérez (2024)
- Nickel Boys (2024)
- The Brutalist (2024)
One Battle After Another2025 · Paul Thomas Anderson4.63
1 nominee in our library
- The Secret Agent (2025)
What Best Picture actually measures
The Academy Award for Best Picture is the most famous prize in film, and the most systematically misread. It is not a critics' award: it is a vote of several thousand industry professionals about their own field, taken months after release, under campaign conditions. That makes it an irreplaceable historical record — what Hollywood believed about itself, year by year, since 1929 — and an unreliable predictor of canonical standing. Both properties are visible in the table on this page, where each winner carries our composite score: some years the industry and the eventual canon agree perfectly (Casablanca, The Godfather, Parasite); other years the score column quietly registers a famous mistake.
The mistakes have patterns. The Academy has historically over-rewarded scale and consensus respectability, and under-rewarded genre, comedy and formal risk — which is how Citizen Kane lost 1941 to How Green Was My Valley, Vertigo wasn't even nominated, and Goodfellas lost 1990 to Dances with Wolves while going on to outrank it on nearly every retrospective list. Voting mechanics matter too: since 2009 the category uses a preferential ballot across an expanded field, which favors broadly acceptable films over polarizing ones — a structural fact worth remembering when reading recent winners.
The record is still the spine
For all its noise, the Best Picture line is the single most complete institutional dataset in film history — an unbroken annual measurement by the industry's own electorate, spanning nearly a century of taste, politics and self-image. Its inflection points are real history: the first sound-era winners consolidating the studio system; the 1970s run (The Godfather twice, Cuckoo's Nest's big-five sweep) marking New Hollywood's institutional capture; The Silence of the Lambs (1992) proving genre could sweep; and the 2017–2024 stretch — Moonlight, The Shape of Water, Parasite, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Oppenheimer — recording the Academy's deliberate internationalization and generational turnover after #OscarsSoWhite forced a membership overhaul. In our composite score, a win contributes at full source weight and a nomination at a fraction; the full arithmetic is on the methodology page.