List of best actor Oscar winners and nominees they beat
Arts criticism for those who appreciate landmark films, again and again
List of best actor Oscar winners
and other Academy Award nominees
         Updated: February 2016
Who beat who for best actor Oscar: Year indicates year/period for which films were judged, not year of ceremony. Sources: Oscar.com, Internet Movie Database, Wikipedia
2015: Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant) — beat Eddie Redmayne (The Danish Girl), Bryan Cranston (Trumbo), Matt Damon (The Martian), Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs)
2014: Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything) — beat Michael Keaton (Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)), Bradley Cooper (American Sniper), Steve Carell (Foxcatcher), Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game)
2013: Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club) — beat Bruce Dern (Nebraska), Christian Bale (American Hustle), Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave), Leonardo DiCaprio (The Wolf of Wall Street)
2012: Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln) — beat Hugh Jackman (Les Misérables), Denzel Washington (Flight), Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook), Joaquin Phoenix (The Master)
2011: Jean Dujardin (The Artist) — beat George Clooney (The Descendants), Brad Pitt (Moneyball), Demián Bichir (A Better Life), Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy)
2010: Colin Firth (The King’s Speech) — beat Jeff Bridges (True Grit), James Franco (127 Hours), Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network),  Javier Bardem (Biutiful)
2009: Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart) — beat George Clooney (Up in the Air), Morgan Freeman (Invictus), Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker), Colin Firth (A Single Man)
2008: Sean Penn (Milk) — beat Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler), Brad Pitt (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), Frank Langella (Frost/Nixon), Richard Jenkins (The Visitor)
2007: Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will Be Blood) — beat George Clooney (Michael Clayton), Johnny Depp (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street), Tommy Lee Jones (In the Valley of Elah), Viggo Mortensen (Eastern Promises)
2006: Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland) — beat Leonardo DiCaprio (Blood Diamond), Peter O'Toole (Venus), Ryan Gosling (Half Nelson), Will Smith (The Pursuit of Happyness)
2005: Philip Seymour Hoffman (Capote) — beat Heath Ledger (Brokeback Mountain), Terrence Howard (Hustle & Flow), Joaquin Phoenix (Walk the Line), David Strathairn, (Good Night, and Good Luck)
2004: Jamie Foxx (Ray) — beat Clint Eastwood (Million Dollar Baby), Leonardo DiCaprio (The Aviator), Johnny Depp (Finding Neverland), Don Cheadle (Hotel Rwanda)
2003: Sean Penn (Mystic River) — beat Bill Murray (Lost in Translation), Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl), Ben Kingsley (House of Sand and Fog), Jude Law (Cold Mountain)
2002: Adrien Brody (The Pianist) — beat Jack Nicholson (About Schmidt), Daniel Day-Lewis (Gangs of New York), Michael Caine (The Quiet American), Nicolas Cage (Adaptation)
2001: Denzel Washington (Training Day) — beat Russell Crowe (A Beautiful Mind), Sean Penn (I Am Sam), Will Smith (Ali), Tom Wilkinson (In the Bedroom)
2000: Russell Crowe (Gladiator) — beat Tom Hanks (Cast Away), Ed Harris (Pollock), Javier Bardem (Before Night Falls), Geoffrey Rush (Quills)
1999: Kevin Spacey (American Beauty) — beat Denzel Washington (The Hurricane), Russell Crowe (The Insider), Sean Penn (Sweet and Lowdown), Richard Farnsworth (The Straight Story)
1998: Roberto Benigni (Life is Beautiful) — beat Tom Hanks (Saving Private Ryan), Edward Norton (American History X), Nick Nolte (Affliction), Ian McKellen (Gods and Monsters)
1997: Jack Nicholson (As Good as It Gets) — beat Matt Damon (Good Will Hunting), Dustin Hoffman (Wag the Dog), Robert Duvall (The Apostle), Peter Fonda (Ulee's Gold)
1996: Geoffrey Rush (Shine) — beat Tom Cruise (Jerry Maguire), Billy Bob Thornton (Sling Blade), Ralph Fiennes (The English Patient), Woody Harrelson (The People Vs. Larry Flynt)
1995: Nicolas Cage (Leaving Las Vegas) — beat Sean Penn (Dead Man Walking), Anthony Hopkins (Nixon), Richard Dreyfuss (Mr. Holland's Opus), Massimo Troisi (The Postman)
1994: Tom Hanks (Forrest Gump) — beat John Travolta (Pulp Fiction), Morgan Freeman (The Shawshank Redemption), Paul Newman (Nobody's Fool), Nigel Hawthorne (The Madness of King George)
1993: Tom Hanks (Philadelphia) — beat Anthony Hopkins (The Remains of the Day), Daniel Day-Lewis (In the Name of the Father), Liam Neeson (Schindler's List), Laurence Fishburne (What's Love Got to Do with It)
1992: Al Pacino (Scent of a Woman) — beat Clint Eastwood (Unforgiven), Denzel Washington (Malcolm X), Robert Downey Jr. (Chaplin), Stephen Rea (The Crying Game)
1991: Anthony Hopkins (The Silence of the Lambs) — beat Warren Beatty (Bugsy), Robert De Niro (Cape Fear), Nick Nolte (The Prince of Tides), Robin Williams (The Fisher King)
1990: Jeremy Irons (Reversal of Fortune) — beat Kevin Costner (Dances With Wolves), Robert De Niro (Awakenings), Richard Harris (The Field), Gerard Depardieu (Cyrano de Bergerac)
1989: Daniel Day-Lewis (My Left Foot) — beat Tom Cruise (Born on the Fourth of July), Morgan Freeman (Driving Miss Daisy), Robin Williams (Dead Poets Society), Kenneth Branagh (Henry V)
1988: Dustin Hoffman (Rain Man) — beat Tom Hanks (Big), Gene Hackman (Mississippi Burning), Edward James Olmos (Stand and Deliver), Max von Sydow (Pelle the Conqueror)
1987: Michael Douglas (Wall Street) — beat Jack Nicholson (Ironweed), William Hurt (Broadcast News), Robin Williams (Good Morning, Vietnam), Marcello Mastroianni (Dark Eyes)
1986: Paul Newman (The Color of Money) — beat William Hurt (Children of a Lesser God), James Woods (Salvador), Bob Hoskins (Mona Lisa), Dexter Gordon (Round Midnight)
1985: William Hurt (Kiss of the Spider Woman) — beat Jack Nicholson (Prizzi’s Honor), Harrison Ford (Witness), Jon Voight (Runaway Train), James Garner (Murphy’s Romance)
1984: F. Murray Abraham (Amadeus) — beat Tom Hulce (Amadeus), Jeff Bridges (Starman), Albert Finney (Under the Volcano), Sam Waterston (The Killing Fields)
1983: Robert Duvall (Tender Mercies) — beat Michael Caine (Educating Rita), Albert Finney (The Dresser), Tom Courtenay (The Dresser), Tom Conti (Reuben, Reuben)
1982: Ben Kingsley (Gandhi) — beat Dustin Hoffman (Tootsie), Paul Newman (The Verdict), Jack Lemmon (Missing), Peter O’Toole (My Favorite Year)
1981: Henry Fonda (On Golden Pond) — beat Warren Beatty (Reds), Dudley Moore (Arthur), Paul Newman (Absence of Malice), Burt Lancaster (Atlantic City)
1980: Robert De Niro (Raging Bull) — beat Robert Duvall (The Great Santini), Jack Lemmon (Tribute), Peter O’Toole (The Stunt Man), John Hurt (The Elephant Man)
1979: Dustin Hoffman (Kramer vs. Kramer) — beat Al Pacino (And Justice for All), Jack Lemmon (The China Syndrome), Roy Scheider (All That Jazz), Peter Sellers (Being There)
1978: Jon Voight (Coming Home) — beat Robert De Niro (The Deer Hunter), Warren Beatty (Heaven Can Wait), Laurence Olivier (The Boys from Brazil), Gary Busey (The Buddy Holly Story)
1977: Richard Dreyfuss (The Goodbye Girl) — beat John Travolta (Saturday Night Fever), Woody Allen (Annie Hall), Richard Burton (Equus), Marcello Mastroianni (A Special Day)
1976: Peter Finch (Network) — beat Sylvester Stallone (Rocky), Robert De Niro (Taxi Driver), William Holden (Network), Giancarlo Giannini (Seven Beauties)
1975: Jack Nicholson (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest) — beat Al Pacino (Dog Day Afternoon), Maximilian Schell (The Man in the Glass Booth), Walter Matthau (The Sunshine Boys), James Whitmore (Give ’em Hell, Harry!)
1974: Art Carney (Harry and Tonto) — beat Al Pacino (The Godfather, Part II), Jack Nicholson (Chinatown), Dustin Hoffman (Lenny), Albert Finney (Murder on the Orient Express)
1973: Jack Lemmon (Save the Tiger) — beat Al Pacino (Serpico), Marlon Brando (Last Tango in Paris), Jack Nicholson (The Last Detail), Robert Redford (The Sting)
1972: Marlon Brando (The Godfather) — beat Laurence Olivier (Sleuth), Michael Caine (Sleuth), Peter O’Toole (The Ruling Class), Paul Winfield (Sounder)
1971: Gene Hackman (The French Connection) — beat George C. Scott (The Hospital), Peter Finch (Sunday Bloody Sunday), Walter Matthau (Kotch), Topol (Fiddler on the Roof)
1970: George C. Scott (Patton) — beat Jack Nicholson (Five Easy Pieces), James Earl Jones (The Great White Hope), Ryan O’Neal (Love Story), Melvyn Douglas (I Never Sang for My Father)
1969: John Wayne (True Grit) — beat Jon Voight (Midnight Cowboy), Dustin Hoffman (Midnight Cowboy), Peter O’Toole (Goodbye, Mr. Chips), Richard Burton (Anne of the Thousand Days)
1968: Cliff Robertson (Charly) — beat Peter O’Toole (The Lion in Winter), Alan Arkin (The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter), Alan Bates (The Fixer), Ron Moody (Oliver!)
1967: Rod Steiger (In the Heat of the Night) — beat Dustin Hoffman (The Graduate), Paul Newman (Cool Hand Luke), Warren Beatty (Bonnie and Clyde), Spencer Tracy (Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner)
1966: Paul Scofield (A Man for All Seasons) — beat Steve McQueen (The Sand Pebbles), Michael Caine (Alfie), Alan Arkin (The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming), Richard Burton (Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?)
1965: Lee Marvin (Cat Ballou) — beat Laurence Olivier (Othello), Rod Steiger (Pawnbroker), Richard Burton (The Spy Who Came In from the Cold), Oskar Werner (Ship of Fools)
1964: Rex Harrison (My Fair Lady) — beat Peter Sellers (Dr. Strangelove), Peter O'Toole (Becket), Richard Burton (Becket), Anthony Quinn (Zorba the Greek)
1963: Sidney Poitier (Lilies of the Field) — beat Paul Newman (Hud), Albert Finney (Tom Jones), Rex Harrison (Cleopatra), Richard Harris (This Sporting Life)
1962: Gregory Peck (To Kill a Mockingbird) — beat Peter O’Toole (Lawrence of Arabia), Burt Lancaster (Birdman of Alcatraz), Jack Lemmon (Days of Wine and Roses), Marcello Mastroianni (Divorce — Italian Style)
1961: Maximilian Schell (Judgment at Nuremberg) — beat Spencer Tracy (Judgment at Nuremberg), Paul Newman (The Hustler), Charles Boyer (Fanny), Stuart Whitman (The Mark)
1960: Burt Lancaster (Elmer Gantry) — beat Jack Lemmon (The Apartment), Laurence Olivier (The Entertainer), Spencer Tracy (Inherit the Wind), Trevor Howard (Sons and Lovers)
1959: Charlton Heston (Ben-Hur) — beat Jack Lemmon (Some Like It Hot), James Stewart (Anatomy of a Murder), Laurence Harvey (Room at the Top), Paul Muni (The Last Angry Man)
1958: David Niven (Separate Tables) — beat Paul Newman (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof), Sidney Poitier (The Defiant Ones), Tony Curtis (The Defiant Ones), Spencer Tracy (The Old Man and the Sea)
1957: Alec Guinness (The Bridge on the River Kwai) — beat Marlon Brando (Sayonara), Anthony Quinn (Wild Is the Wind), Charles Laughton (Witness for the Prosecution), Anthony Franciosa (A Hatful of Rain)
1956: Yul Brynner (The King and I) — beat James Dean (Giant), Rock Hudson (Giant), Laurence Olivier (Richard III), Kirk Douglas (Lust for Life)
1955: Ernest Borgnine (Marty) — beat James Dean (East of Eden), Frank Sinatra (The Man with the Golden Arm), James Cagney (Love Me or Leave Me), Spencer Tracy (Bad Day at Black Rock)
1954: Marlon Brando (On the Waterfront) — beat Humphrey Bogart (The Caine Mutiny), Bing Crosby (The Country Girl), James Mason (A Star Is Born), Dan O’Herlihy (Adventures of Robinson Crusoe)
1953: William Holden (Stalag 17) — beat Marlon Brando (Julius Caesar), Burt Lancaster (From Here to Eternity), Montgomery Clift (From Here to Eternity), Richard Burton (The Robe)
1952: Gary Cooper (High Noon) — beat Marlon Brando (Viva Zapata!), Kirk Douglas (The Bad and the Beautiful), Alec Guinness (The Lavender Hill Mob), José Ferrer (Moulin Rouge)
1951: Humphrey Bogart (The African Queen) — beat Marlon Brando (A Streetcar Named Desire), Montgomery Clift (A Place in the Sun), Fredric March (Death of a Salesman), Arthur Kennedy (Bright Victory)
1950: José Ferrer (Cyrano de Bergerac) — beat William Holden (Sunset Blvd.), Spencer Tracy (Father of the Bride), James Stewart (Harvey), Louis Calhern (The Magnificent Yankee)
1949: Broderick Crawford (All the King’s Men) — beat John Wayne (Sands of Iwo Jima), Kirk Douglas (Champion), Gregory Peck (Twelve O’Clock High), Richard Todd (The Hasty Heart)
1948: Laurence Olivier (Hamlet) — beat Montgomery Clift (The Search), Lew Ayres (Johnny Belinda), Dan Dailey (When My Baby Smiles at Me), Clifton Webb (Sitting Pretty)
1947: Ronald Colman (A Double Life) — beat Gregory Peck (Gentleman’s Agreement), John Garfield (Body and Soul), William Powell (Life with Father), Michael Redgrave (Mourning Becomes Electra)
1946: Fredric March (The Best Years of Our Lives) — beat James Stewart (It’s a Wonderful Life), Laurence Olivier (Henry V), Gregory Peck (The Yearling), Larry Parks (The Jolson Story)
1945: Ray Milland (The Lost Weekend) — beat Gregory Peck (The Keys of the Kingdom), Gene Kelly (Anchors Aweigh), Bing Crosby (The Bells of St. Mary’s), Cornel Wilde (A Song to Remember)
1944: Bing Crosby (Going My Way) — beat Cary Grant (None but the Lonely Heart), Charles Boyer (Gaslight), Barry Fitzgerald (Going My Way), Alexander Knox (Wilson)
1943: Paul Lukas (Watch on the Rhine) — beat Humphrey Bogart (Casablanca), Gary Cooper (For Whom the Bell Tolls), Mickey Rooney (The Human Comedy), Walter Pidgeon (Madame Curie)
1942: James Cagney (Yankee Doodle Dandy) — beat Gary Cooper (The Pride of the Yankees), Walter Pidgeon (Mrs. Miniver), Ronald Colman (Random Harvest), Monty Woolley (The Pied Piper)
1941: Gary Cooper (Sergeant York) — beat Orson Welles (Citizen Kane), Cary Grant (Penny Serenade), Walter Huston (All That Money Can Buy), Robert Montgomery (Here Comes Mr. Jordan)
1940: James Stewart (The Philadelphia Story) — beat Charlie Chaplin (The Great Dictator), Laurence Olivier (Rebecca), Henry Fonda (The Grapes of Wrath), Raymond Massey (Abe Lincoln in Illinois)
1939: Robert Donat (Goodbye, Mr. Chips) — beat Clark Gable (Gone With the Wind), Laurence Olivier (Wuthering Heights), James Stewart (Mr. Smith Goes to Washington), Mickey Rooney (Babes in Arms)
1938: Spencer Tracy (Boys Town) — beat James Cagney (Angels with Dirty Faces), Leslie Howard (Pygmalion), Robert Donat (The Citadel), Charles Boyer (Algiers)
1937: Spencer Tracy (Captains Courageous) — beat Fredric March (A Star Is Born), Paul Muni (The Life of Emile Zola), Charles Boyer (Conquest), Robert Montgomery (Night Must Fall)
1936: Paul Muni (The Story of Louis Pasteur) — beat Gary Cooper (Mr. Deeds Goes to Town), Walter Huston (Dodsworth), Spencer Tracy (San Francisco), William Powell (My Man Godfrey)
1935: Victor McLaglen (The Informer) — beat Clark Gable (Mutiny on the Bounty), Charles Laughton (Mutiny on the Bounty), Franchot Tone (Mutiny on the Bounty), Paul Muni (Black Fury)
1934: Clark Gable (It Happened One Night) — beat William Powell (The Thin Man), Frank Morgan (The Affairs of Cellini)
1932-33: Charles Laughton (The Private Life of Henry VIII) — beat Leslie Howard (Berkeley Square), Paul Muni (I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang)
1931-32: Fredric March (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde) and Wallace Beery (The Champ) — beat Alfred Lunt (The Guardsman)
1930-31: Lionel Barrymore (A Free Soul) — beat Fredric March (The Royal Family of Broadway), Richard Dix (Cimarron), Jackie Cooper (Skippy), Adolphe Menjou (The Front Page)
1929-30: George Arliss (Disraeli) — beat George Arliss (The Green Goddess), Wallace Beery (The Big House), Maurice Chevalier (The Big Pond) (The Love Parade), Ronald Colman (Bulldog Drummond) (Condemned), Lawrence Tibbett (The Rogue Song)
1928-29: Warner Baxter (In Old Arizona) — beat Paul Muni (The Valiant), Lewis Stone (The Patriot), George Bancroft (Thunderbolt), Chester Morris (Alibi)
1927-28: Emil Jannings (The Last Command) (The Way of All Flesh) — beat Richard Barthelmess (The Noose) (The Patent Leather Kid)