Winning a Best Director Oscar is a career-defining achievement, but securing a second, third, or even fourth statuette elevates a filmmaker into the realm of the immortal. In the nearly 100-year history of the Academy Awards, only a handful of directors have managed to repeat this feat. These “multiple winners” represent the architects of cinema, ranging from the Western pioneers of the 1930s to the visionaries of today’s digital landscape. As we approach the 98th Academy Awards this Sunday, March 15, 2026 we celebrate the ten titans who have already conquered the mountain multiple times.
1. John Ford (4 Wins)
John Ford remains the undisputed king of this category, holding the record for the most Best Director wins in history. Interestingly, he never won for his most famous Western, The Searchers. Instead, his four trophies came for The Informer (1935), The Grapes of Wrath (1940), How Green Was My Valley (1941), and The Quiet Man (1952). His back-to-back wins in 1940 and 1941 established a level of dominance that wouldn’t be matched for over sixty years.
2. William Wyler (3 Wins)
Known as a meticulous “perfectionist” who famously demanded dozens of takes, William Wyler secured three Best Director Oscars throughout his storied career. His wins for Mrs. Miniver (1942), The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), and the epic Ben-Hur (1959) all accompanied Best Picture victories. Wyler also holds the record for the most nominations in this category with twelve, proving his remarkable consistency across five decades of filmmaking.
3. Frank Capra (3 Wins)
Frank Capra was the definitive voice of American optimism during the Great Depression, and the Academy rewarded him handsomely for it. He took home the Best Director trophy three times in just five years for It Happened One Night (1934), Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936), and You Can’t Take It with You (1938). While he is best remembered today for the holiday classic It’s a Wonderful Life, it was his 1930s output that made him an Oscar legend.
4. Steven Spielberg (2 Wins)
Steven Spielberg, who was recently named the world’s richest celebrity with a $7.1 billion net worth, has two Best Director statues on his mantel. After years of being viewed as a “popcorn” filmmaker, he earned his first win for the Holocaust drama Schindler’s List (1993) and a second for the visceral World War II epic Saving Private Ryan (1998). As of 2026, he remains one of the Academy’s most respected elder statesmen and a frequent nominee.
5. Clint Eastwood (2 Wins)
Clint Eastwood successfully transitioned from a Western icon to a prestige director, winning Best Director twice for Unforgiven (1992) and Million Dollar Baby (2004). At age 74, his win for the latter made him the oldest person to ever win the award—a record he still holds as he celebrates his 95th year in 2026. Eastwood is one of the few directors on this list who also received Best Picture trophies as a producer for the same films.
6. Alejandro G. Iñárritu (2 Wins)
Alejandro González Iñárritu made history in 2016 by becoming only the third director to win back-to-back Oscars. Following his win for the experimental, “one-shot” Birdman (2014), he secured a second consecutive trophy for the grueling frontier survival epic The Revenant (2015). This feat had not been achieved since Joseph L. Mankiewicz in the early 1950s, solidifying Iñárritu as a leader of the modern “Mexican Wave” in Hollywood.
7. Ang Lee (2 Wins)
Ang Lee is celebrated for his incredible versatility, winning two Best Director Oscars for films that couldn’t be more different in tone and scale. His first win came for the groundbreaking romantic Western Brokeback Mountain (2005), followed by a second for the visually spectacular 3D survival story Life of Pi (2012). Lee is notably the only director to win twice without either of his films also taking home the Best Picture prize.
8. Billy Wilder (2 Wins)
One of the most versatile writer-directors in history, Billy Wilder won the Best Director Oscar for the noir classic The Lost Weekend (1945) and the cynical corporate comedy The Apartment (1960). Wilder’s ability to jump between dark drama and sophisticated satire made him a favorite of the Academy, earning him a staggering 21 nominations across his career as both a director and a screenwriter.
9. Alfonso Cuarón (2 Wins)
Alfonso Cuarón has twice dominated the directing category with films that pushed the boundaries of cinematography and intimate storytelling. He won his first Oscar for the high-tension space thriller Gravity (2013) and a second for his semi-autobiographical, black-and-white masterpiece Roma (2018). For Roma, he also made history by winning the Best Cinematography Oscar for his own film, proving his mastery over every frame.
10. Oliver Stone (2 Wins)
Oliver Stone established himself as the definitive chronicler of American political and social conflict during the 1980s. He secured his first Best Director win for the Vietnam War drama Platoon (1986) and a second just three years later for Born on the Fourth of July (1989). Stone’s aggressive, immersive style made him a powerhouse during his peak, proving that the Academy was willing to reward bold, controversial filmmaking.