OSCAR HISTORY: Best Cinematography

The cinematographer, or Director of Photography (D.P.), is the primary technician who sets the visual mood of the film through the choices they make in lighting, camera moves, and lenses. They help the director to envision the shots, make them the richest they can be, and if they're good enough and memorable enough, they go on to win the Oscar for Best Cinematography of the year.


2023: OPPENHEIMER by Hoyte Van Hoytema     (View Cinematography Featurette)
2022: ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT by James Friend     (View Cinematography Featurette)
2021: DUNE by Greig Fraser     (View Compositions Feature)
2020: MANK by Erik Messerschmidt     (View BTS Featurette)
2019: 1917 by Roger Deakins     (View BTS Featurette)
2018: ROMA by Alfonso Cuarón     (View Cinematographer Featurette)
2017: BLADERUNNER 2049 by Roger Deakins     (View Cinematography Featurette)
2016: LA LA LAND by Linus Sandgren     (View Cinematography Featurette)
2015: THE REVENANT by Emmanuel Lubezki     (View Cinematographer Featurette)
2014: BIRDMAN OR (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE) by Emmanuel Lubezki     (View Cinematography Featurette)
2013: GRAVITY by Emmanuel Lubezki     (View Montage)
2012: LIFE OF PI by Claudio Miranda     (View Cinematographer Featurette)
2011: HUGO by Robert Richardson     (View Film Clip)
2010: INCEPTION by Wally Pfister     (View Montage)
2009: AVATAR by Mauro Fiore     (View Clip Montage)
2008: SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE by Anthony Dod Mantle     (View Film Clip)
2007: THERE WILL BE BLOOD by Robert Elswit     (View Film Clips)
2006: PANS LABYRINTH by Guillermo Navarro     (View Film Trailer)
2005: MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA by Dion Beebe     (View Film Clip)
2004: THE AVIATOR by Robert Richardson     (View Film Clip)
2003: MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD by Russell Boyd     (View Film Clip)
2002: ROAD TO PERDITION by Conrad L. Hall     (View Film Clip)
2001: THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING by Andrew Lesnie     (View Film Clip)
2000: CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON by Peter Pau     (View Film Clip)
1999: AMERICAN BEAUTY by Conrad L. Hall     (View Film Clips Montage)
1998: SAVING PRIVATE RYAN by Janusz Kamiński     (View Film Clip)
1997: TITANIC by Russell Carpenter     (View Film Clip)
1996: THE ENGLISH PATIENT by John Seale     (View Film Clip)
1995: BRAVEHEART by John Toll     (View Film Clip)
1994: LEGENDS OF THE FALL by John Toll     (View Film Clip)
1993: SCHINDLERS LIST by Janusz Kamiński     (View Film Clip)
1992: A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT by Philippe Rousselot     (View Film Clip)
1991: JFK by Robert Richardson     (View Film Clip)
1990: DANCES WITH WOLVES by Dean Semler     (View Cinematographer Featurette)
1989: GLORY by Freddie Francis     (View Film Clip)
1988: MISSISSIPPI BURNING by Peter Biziou     (View Film Clip)
1987: THE LAST EMPEROR by Vittorio Storaro     (View Film Trailer)
1986: THE MISSION by Chris Menges     (View Film Clip)
1985: OUT OF AFRICA by David Watkin     (View Film Clip)
1984: THE KILLING FIELDS by Chris Menges     (View Film Trailer)
1983: FANNY & ALEXANDER by Sven Nykvist     (View Film Trailer)
1982: GANDHI by Billy Williams & Ronnie Taylor     (View Film Clip)
1981: REDS by Vittorio Storaro     (View Film Clip)
1980: TESS by Geoffrey Unsworth & Ghislain Cloquet     (View Film Clip)
1979: APOCALYPSE NOW by Vittorio Storaro     (View Film Trailer)
1978: DAYS OF HEAVEN by Néstor Almendros     (View Film Trailer)
1977: CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND by Vilmos Zsigmond     (View Film Clip)
1976: BOUND FOR GLORY by Haskell Wexler     (View Film Trailer)
1975: BARRY LYNDON by John Alcott     (View Film Clips Montage)
1974: THE TOWERING INFERNO by Fred J. Koenekamp & Joseph Biroc     (View Film Clip)
1973: CRIES AND WHISPERS by Sven Nykvist     (View Film Trailer)
1972: CABARET by Geoffrey Unsworth     (View Film Clip)
1971: FIDDLER ON THE ROOF by Oswald Morris     (View Film Clip)
1970: RYANS DAUGHTER by Freddie Young     (View Film Clip)
1969: BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID by Conrad Hall     (View Film Clip)
1968: ROMEO AND JULIET by Pasqualino De Santis     (View Film Clip)
1967: BONNIE AND CLYDE by Burnett Guffey     (View Film Trailer)
1966: (B&W) WHOS AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? by Haskell Wexler / (COLOR) A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS by Ted Moore     (View Film Trailer)
1965: (B&W) SHIP OF FOOLS by Ernest Laszlo / (COLOR) DOCTOR ZHIVAGO by Freddie Young     (View Film Clip)
1964: (B&W) ZORBA THE GREEK by Walter Lassally / (COLOR) MY FAIR LADY by Harry Stradling     (View Film Trailer)
1963: (B&W) HUD by James Wong Howe / (COLOR) CLEOPATRA by Leon Shamroy     (View Film Clip)
1962: (B&W) THE LONGEST DAY by Jean Bourgoin & Walter Wottitz/ (COLOR) LAWRENCE OF ARABIA by Freddie Young     (View Film Clips Montage)
1961: (B&W) THE HUSTLER by Eugen Schüfftan / (COLOR) WEST SIDE STORY by Daniel L. Fapp     (View Film Clip)
1960: (B&W) SONS AND LOVERS by Freddie Francis / (COLOR) SPARTACUS by Russell Metty     (View Film Clip)
1959: (B&W) THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK by William C. Mellor / (COLOR) BEN-HUR by Robert Surtees     (View Film Clip)
1958: (B&W) THE DEFIANT ONES by Sam Leavitt / (COLOR) GIGI by Joseph Ruttenberg     (View Film Trailer)
1957: THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI by Jack Hildyard     (View Film Clip)
1956: (B&W) SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES ME by Joseph Ruttenberg / (COLOR) AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS by Lionel Lindon     (View Film Trailer)
1955: (B&W) THE ROSE TATTOO by James Wong Howe / (COLOR) TO CATCH A THIEF by Robert Burks     (View Film Trailer)
1954: (B&W) ON THE WATERFRONT by Boris Kaufman / (COLOR) THREE COINS IN THE FOUNTAIN by Milton Krasner     (View Film Trailer)
1953: (B&W) FROM HERE TO ETERNITY by Burnett Guffey / (COLOR) SHANE by Loyal Griggs     (View Film Clip)
1952: (B&W) THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL by Robert Surtees / (COLOR) THE QUIET MAN by Winton C. Hoch & Archie Stout     (View Film Trailer)
1951: (B&W) A PLACE IN THE SUN by William C. Mellor / (COLOR) AN AMERICAN IN PARIS by Alfred Gilks & John Alton     (View Film Clip)
1950: (B&W) THE THIRD MAN by Robert Krasker / (COLOR) KING SOLOMONS MINES by Robert Surtees     (View Film Trailer)
1949: (B&W) BATTLEGROUND by Paul C. Vogel / (COLOR) SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON by Winton C. Hoch     (View Film Trailer)
1948: (B&W) THE NAKED CITY by William Daniels / (COLOR) JOAN OF ARC by Joseph Valentine, William V. Skall, & Winton C. Hoch     (View Film Trailer)
1947: (B&W) GREAT EXPECTATIONS by Guy Green / (COLOR) BLACK NARCISSUS & Jack Cardiff     (View Film Trailer)
1946: (B&W) ANNA AND THE KING OF SIAM by Arthur C. Miller / (COLOR) THE YEARLING by Charles Rosher, Leonard Smith, & Arthur Arling     (View Film Trailer)
1945: (B&W) THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY by Harry Stradling / (COLOR) LEAVE HER TO HEAVEN by Leon Shamroy     (View Film Trailer)
1944: (B&W) LAURA by Joseph LaShelle / (COLOR) WILSON by Leon Shamroy     (View Film Trailer)
1943: (B&W) THE SONG OF BERNADETTE by Arthur C. Miller / (COLOR) PHANTOM OF THE OPERA by Hal Mohr & W. Howard Greene     (View Film Trailer)
1942: (B&W) MRS. MINIVER by Joseph Ruttenberg / (COLOR) THE BLACK SWAN by Leon Shamroy     (View Film Clip)
1941: (B&W) HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY by Arthur C. Miller / (COLOR) BLOOD AND SAND by Ernest Palmer & Ray Rennahan     (View Film Clip)
1940: (B&W) REBECCA by George Barnes / (COLOR) THE THIEF OF BAGHDAD by Georges Perinal     (View Film Trailer)
1939: (B&W) WUTHERING HEIGHTS by Gregg Toland / (COLOR) GONE WITH THE WIND by Ernest Haller & Ray Rennahan     (View Film Clip)
1938: THE GREAT WALTZ by Joseph Ruttenberg     (View Film Trailer)
1937: THE GOOD EARTH by Karl Freund     (View Film Trailer)
1936: ANTHONY ADVERSE by Tony Gaudio     (View Film Trailer)
1935: A MIDSUMMER NIGHTS DREAM by Hal Mohr     (View Film Clip)
1934: CLEOPATRA by Victor Milner     (View Film Trailer)
1932 / 33: A FAREWELL TO ARMS by Charles Lang     (View Film Trailer)
1931 / 32: SHANGHAI EXPRESS by Lee Garmes     (View Film Trailer)
1930 / 31: TABU: A STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS by Floyd Crosby     (View Film Trailer)
1929 / 30: WITH BYRD AT THE SOUTH POLE by Joseph T. Rucker & Willard Van der Veer     (View Film Trailer)
1928 / 29: WHITE SHADOWS IN THE SOUTH SEAS by Clyde De Vinna     (View Stills Video)
1927 / 28: SUNRISE: A SONG OF TWO HUMANS by Charles Rosher & Karl Struss     (View 5 Frames Analysis)