Who Won Best Actor Academy Awards?

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Academy Award: Best Actor

From Emil Jannings in 1929 to Cillian Murphy in 2024, the Academy Awards have recognized great performances by leading actors throughout the years. Multiple winners have included Daniel Day-Lewis, Tom Hanks, Jack Nicholson, Dustin Hoffman, Spencer Tracy, Marlon Brando and Anthony Hopkins.

2024 (96th)
Cillian MurphyOppenheimer
Oppenheimer
Other Nominees: Bradley Cooper (Maestro); Colman Domingo (Rustin); Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers); Jeffrey Wright (American Fiction)
2023 (95th)
Brendan FraserThe Whale
The Whale
Other Nominees: Austin Butler (Elvis); Colin Farrell (The Banshees Of Inisherin); Paul Mescal (Aftersun); Bill Nighy (Living)
2022 (94th)
Will SmithKing Richard
King Richard
Other Nominees: Javier Bardem (Being the Ricardos); Benedict Cumberbatch (The Power of the Dog); Andrew Garfield (Tick, Tick... Boom!); Denzel Washington (The Tragedy of Macbeth)
2021 (93rd)
Anthony HopkinsThe Father
The Father
Other Nominees: Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal); Chadwick Boseman (Ma Rainey's Black Bottom); Gary Oldman (Mank); Steven Yeun (Minari)
2020 (92nd)
Joaquin PhoenixJoker
Joker
Other Nominees: Antonio Banderas (Pain and Glory); Leonardo DiCaprio (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood); Adam Driver (Marriage Story); Jonathan Pryce (The Two Popes)
2019 (91st)
Remi MalekBohemian Rhapsody
Bohemian Rhapsody
Other Nominees: Christian Bale (Vice); Bradley Cooper (A Star Is Born); Willem Dafoe (At Eternity's Gate); Viggo Mortensen (Green Book)
2018 (90th)
Gary OldmanDarkest Hour
Darkest Hour
Other Nominees: Timothée Chalamet (Call Me by Your Name); Daniel Day-Lewis (Phantom Thread); Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out); Denzel Washington (Roman J. Israel, Esq.)
2017 (89th)
Casey AffleckManchester By The Sea
Manchester By The Sea
Other Nominees: Andrew Garfield (Hacksaw Ridge); Ryan Gosling (La La Land); Viggo Mortensen (Captain Fantastic); Denzel Washington (Fences)
2016 (88th)
Leonardo DiCaprioThe Revenant
The Revenant
Other Nominees: Bryan Cranston (Trumbo); Matt Damon (The Martian); Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs); Eddie Redmayne (The Danish Girl)
2015 (87th)
Eddie RedmayneThe Theory Of Everything
The Theory Of Everything
Other Nominees: Steve Carell (Foxcatcher); Bradley Cooper (American Sniper); Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game); Michael Keaton (Birdman)
2014 (86th)
Matthew McConaugheyDallas Buyers Club
Dallas Buyers Club
Other Nominees: Christian Bale (American Hustle); Bruce Dern (Nebraska); Leonardo DiCaprio (The Wolf of Wall Street); Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave)
2013 (85th)
Daniel Day-LewisLincoln
Lincoln
Other Nominees: Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook); Hugh Jackman (Les Misérables); Joaquin Phoenix (The Master); Denzel Washington (Flight)
2012 (84th)
Jean DujardinThe Artist
The Artist
Other Nominees: Demián Bichir (A Better Life); George Clooney (The Descendants); Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy); Brad Pitt (Moneyball)
2011 (83rd)
Colin FirthThe King's Speech
The King's Speech
Other Nominees: Javier Bardem (Biutiful); Jeff Bridges (True Grit); Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network); James Franco (127 Hours)
2010 (82nd)
Jeff BridgesCrazy Heart
Crazy Heart
Other Nominees: George Clooney (Up in the Air); Colin Firth (A Single Man); Morgan Freeman (Invictus); Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker)
2009 (81st)
Sean PennMilk
Milk
Other Nominees: Richard Jenkins (The Visitor); Frank Langella (Frost/Nixon); Brad Pitt (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button); Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)
2008 (80th)
Daniel Day-LewisThere Will Be Blood
There Will Be Blood
Other Nominees: 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)
2007 (79th)
Forest WhitakerThe Last King Of Scotland
The Last King Of Scotland
Other Nominees: Leonardo DiCaprio (Blood Diamond); Ryan Gosling (Half Nelson); Peter O'Toole (Venus); Will Smith (The Pursuit of Happyness)
2006 (78th)
Philip Seymour HoffmanCapote
Capote
Other Nominees: Terrence Howard (Hustle & Flow); Heath Ledger (Brokeback Mountain); Joaquin Phoenix (Walk the Line); David Strathairn (Good Night, and Good Luck)
2005 (77th)
Jamie FoxxRay
Ray
Other Nominees: Don Cheadle (Hotel Rwanda); Johnny Depp (Finding Neverland); Leonardo DiCaprio (The Aviator); Clint Eastwood (Million Dollar Baby)
2004 (76th)
Sean PennMystic River
Mystic River
Other Nominees: Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl); Ben Kingsley (House of Sand and Fog); Jude Law (Cold Mountain); Bill Murray (Lost in Translation)
2003 (75th)
Adrien BrodyThe Pianist
The Pianist
Other Nominees: Nicolas Cage (Adaptation); Michael Caine (The Quiet American); Daniel Day-Lewis (Gangs of New York); Jack Nicholson (About Schmidt)
2002 (74th)
Denzel WashingtonTraining Day
Training Day
Other Nominees: Russell Crowe (A Beautiful Mind); Sean Penn (I Am Sam); Will Smith (Ali); Tom Wilkinson (In the Bedroom)
2001 (73rd)
Russell CroweGladiator
Gladiator
Other Nominees: Javier Bardem (Before Night Falls); Tom Hanks (Cast Away); Ed Harris (Pollock); Geoffrey Rush (Quills)
2000 (72nd)
Kevin SpaceyAmerican Beauty
American Beauty
Other Nominees: Russell Crowe (The Insider); Richard Farnsworth (The Straight Story); Sean Penn (Sweet and Lowdown); Denzel Washington (The Hurricane)
1999 Roberto Benigni (Life Is Beautiful) Life Is Beautiful  
1998 Jack Nicholson (As Good As It Gets) As Good As It Gets  
1997 Geoffrey Rush (Shine) Shine  
1996 Nicolas Cage (Leaving Las Vegas) Leaving Las Vegas  
1995 Tom Hanks (Forrest Gump) Forrest Gump  
1994 Tom Hanks (Philadelphia) Philadelphia  
1993 Al Pacino (Scent Of A Woman) Scent Of A Woman  
1992 Anthony Hopkins (The Silence Of The Lambs) The Silence Of The Lambs  
1991 Jeremy Irons (Reversal Of Fortune) Reversal Of Fortune  
1990 Daniel Day-Lewis (My Left Foot) My Left Foot  
1989 Dustin Hoffman (Rain Man) Rain Man  
1988 Michael Douglas (Wall Street) Wall Street  
1987 Paul Newman (The Color Of Money) The Color Of Money  
1986 William Hurt (Kiss Of The Spider Woman) Kiss Of The Spider Woman  
1985 F. Murray Abraham (Amadeus) Amadeus  
1984 Robert Duvall (Tender Mercies) Tender Mercies  
1983 Ben Kingsley (Gandhi) Gandhi  
1982 Henry Fonda (On Golden Pond) On Golden Pond  
1981 Robert De Niro (Raging Bull) Raging Bull  
1980 Dustin Hoffman (Kramer vs. Kramer) Kramer vs. Kramer  
1979 Jon Voight (Coming Home) Coming Home  
1978 Richard Dreyfuss (The Goodbye Girl) The Goodbye Girl  
1977 Peter Finch (Network) Network  
1976 Jack Nicholson (One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest) One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest  
1975 Art Carney (Harry & Tonto) Harry & Tonto  
1974 Jack Lemmon (Save The Tiger) Save The Tiger  
1973 Marlon Brando (The Godfather) The Godfather  
1972 Gene Hackman (The French Connection) The French Connection  
1971 George C. Scott (Patton) Patton  
1970 John Wayne (True Grit) True Grit  
1969 Cliff Robertson (Charly) Charly  
1968 Rod Steiger (In The Heat Of The Night) In The Heat Of The Night  
1967 Paul Scofield (A Man For All Seasons) A Man For All Seasons  
1966 Lee Marvin (Cat Ballou) Cat Ballou  
1965 Rex Harrison (My Fair Lady) My Fair Lady  
1964 Sidney Poitier (Lillies Of The Field) Lillies Of The Field  
1963 Gregory Peck (To Kill A Mockingbird) To Kill A Mockingbird  
1962 Maximillian Schell (Judgment At Nuremberg) Judgment At Nuremberg  
1961 Burt Lancaster (Elmer Gantry) Elmer Gantry  
1960 Charlton Heston (Ben-Hur) Ben-Hur  
1959 David Niven (Separate Tables) Separate Tables  
1958 Alec Guinness (The Bridge On The River Kwai) The Bridge On The River Kwai  
1957 Yul Brynner (The King And I) The King And I  
1956 Ernest Borgnine (Marty) Marty  
1955 Marlon Brando (On The Waterfront) On The Waterfront  
1954 William Holden (Stalag 17) Stalag 17  
1953 Gary Cooper (High Noon) High Noon  
1952 Humphrey Bogart (The African Queen) The African Queen  
1951 Jose Ferrer (Cyrano de Bergerac) Cyrano de Bergerac  
1950 Broderick Crawford (All The King's Men) All the King's Men  
1949 Laurence Olivier (Hamlet) Hamlet  
1948 Ronald Colman (A Double Life) A Double Life  
1947 Fredric March (The Best Years Of Our Lives) The Best Years Of Our Lives  
1946 Ray Milland (The Lost Weekend) The Lost Weekend  
1945 Bing Crosby (Going My Way) Going My Way  
1944 Paul Lukas (Watch On The Rhine) Watch On The Rhine  
1943 James Cagney (Yankee Doodle Dandy) Yankee Doodle Dandy  
1942 Gary Cooper (Sergeant York) Sergeant York  
1941 James Stewart (The Philadelphia Story) The Philadelphia Story  
1940 Robert Donat (Goodbye, Mr. Chips) Goodbye, Mr. Chips  
1939 Spencer Tracy (Boys Town) Boys Town  
1938 Spencer Tracy (Captains Courageous) Captains Courageous  
1937 Paul Muni (The Story Of Louis Pasteur) The Story Of Louis Pasteur  
1936 Victor McLaglen (The Informer) The Informer  
1935 Clark Gable (It Happened One Night) It Happened One Night  
1934 Charles Laughton (The Private Life Of Henry VIII) The Private Life Of Henry VIII  
1932 Wallace Beery & Fredric March (The Champ & Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde) Dr Jekyll & The Champ  
1931 Lionel Barrymore (A Free Soul) A Free Soul  
1930 George Arliss (Disraeli) Disraeli  
1930 Warner Baxter (In Old Arizona) In Old Arizona  
1929 Emil Jannings (The Way Of All Flesh & The Last Command) The Way Of All Flesh