6 Directors You Won’t Believe Have Never Won An Oscar!

Guy Ritchie

In 2000, Guy Ritchie took the world by storm with his directorial debut Snatch, starring Brad Pitt and Benicio Del Toro. The film set a new standard in filmmaking, but it was just too daring for Academy voters, who chose to honor the stodgy Gladiator instead of this fast-paced crime drama. He would go on to revitalize the Sherlock Holmes brand, casting Iron Man himself Robert Downey, Jr. in the title role. Still no love from Oscar. Here’s hoping that his visionary reimagining of Disney’s classic 90s cartoon Aladdin will put him over the top and get him the award he deserves. 

Roland Emmerich

“Today we celebrate our Independence Day!” We sure did! Roland Emmerich’s classic 1996 science fiction epic was celebrated by critics and audiences alike. But, unfortunately, like the alien invaders did to the White House, the Academy blew up his chances to win Best Director by not even nominating him! Since then, he inspired us with The Patriot, warned us with The Day After Tomorrow, and scared us with 2012. Even his revisiting to the Independence Day universe was snubbed. I guess some directors are just cursed to be forever ignored by the Hollywood gatekeepers. 

John Madden

There are some directors that blatantly pursue an Oscar, making period pieces, thoughtful dramas, and artsy experiments. John Madden is one of these, but apparently the director of Shakespeare in Love just can’t win an Oscar! No matter how hard he tries, even making crowd-pleasers like The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, and The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Madden can’t catch a break. He was nominated in 1998, but Oscar gold eluded him. And, frankly, we can’t even remember who beat him. That’s the way the Oscars are, though: ignoring the true artists in favor of some forgettable flavor-of-the-month.

Steven Spielberg

It may be hard to believe, but iconic director Steven Spielberg (Hook) has never won an Oscar. This is the man who gave us such classic movies as Ready Player One, Jurassic Park, and The Adventures of Tintin. With so many hits under his belt, it’s surprising that the Academy has never recognized him. I guess he’ll just have to settle for the forbidden idol in Indiana Jones until he can replace it with the coveted Oscar statuette!

Penny Marshall

Big! A League of Their Own! Riding in Cars with Boys! The hits just keep on coming with this amazing director. Alas, she has never received an Academy Award. Ironically, she has directed numerous actors to win Oscars themselves, such as Tom Hanks, Robin Williams, and Danny DeVito. Whether there is a Best Director award in her future remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure: We can’t wait to see what she does next!

Fritz Lang

The man who defined cinematic science fiction with his groundbreaking Metropolis and disturbed audiences with the harrowing thriller M, Fritz Lang would immigrate to the United States, where he would craft some of the best films noir ever made, such as Scarlet Street and Fury. It is perhaps the Academy’s trademark fear of genre that kept him from ever being honored, but his legacy has been well-established and will live on. Wherever people talk about movies, they will talk about Fritz Lang.