15 Directors with most Golden Globe awards, ranked

The glamor of the Golden Globes! For decades, this prestigious award ceremony has been dedicating itself to awarding the most wonderful achievements in film and television. Behind all the renowned films and shows is a visionary director who evokes the story. In this list, we highlight the greatest minds that have accumulated the most Golden Globe awards. From legendary filmmakers to present-day revolutionary forces, these directors somehow crafted new boundaries in storytelling, unforgettably insinuated in the domain of entertainment.

Here's a list of 15 directors who have won the most Golden Globes Awards, showcasing their craft to the audience through celluloid.

15. Fred Zinnemann

Fred Zinnemann was among the best in filmmaking, with the magic of real storytelling and interest in presenting complex characters. He has won two Golden Globe Awards as the best director. The award he received in the year 1954 for his work From Here to Eternity would put his name on the map as a bold and daring director. Thirteen years down the line, the director received his second Golden Globe thanks to A Man for All Seasons, a historical drama that was all grandeur and intimacy.

14. Billy Wilder

With two Golden Globe wins for Best Director, Wilder's impressive legacy is a testament to his innovative storytelling and masterful direction. He won his first Best Director in 1946 for The Lost Weekend, breaking with unflinching honesty by utilizing a taboo subject-addiction. Just five years later, he bagged his second for Sunset Blvd., one that could be described, in general terms, as a dark comedy dealing with the ups and downs experienced in Hollywood from the Golden Age.

13. William Friedkin

In the year 1972, Friedkin received a Golden Globe award for The French Connection, the first of which signified his full arrival in the field of crime drama. Next, in 1974, Friedkin picked up his second Golden Globe, the recipient of which was for The Exorcist, a horror classic that virtually still haunts the screen audience today. Both trophies are monuments to Friedkin, who is indeed considered a fearless director, a great tension maker, and an influential shadow upon the art form itself.

12. Ang Lee

The Life of Pi director Ang Lee has won two Golden Globes for Best Direction. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon won Lee his first Golden Globe in 2001, breaking all mold with the breathtaking beauty of the ancient art of Chinese martial arts. Five years later, he won his second Golden Globe for Brokeback Mountain, a powerful and poignant story of love that broke all barriers and touched the hearts of millions.

11. Sam Mendes

Two Golden Globe wins for Best Director testify to Mendes' innovative storytelling and masterful direction legacy. The first came for American Beauty in 2000, marking the director's first Golden Globe win. It took another twenty years after Mendes' first Golden Globe recognition for his second Golden Globe, for 1917, a beautiful and heart-stopping war epic that broke new ground in the art of cinematic storytelling. Both are indicative of the versatility, creativity, and imagination Mendes can build across unforgettable cinematic experiences.

10. Francis Ford Coppola

With two Golden Globe wins for Best Director, Coppola's impressive legacy is a testament to his innovative storytelling, masterful direction, and boundless creativity. His 1973 win for The Godfather marked a triumphant moment in his career. Seven years later, Coppola took home his second Golden Globe for Apocalypse Now. Both wins showcase Coppola's fearless approach to filmmaking, his ability to balance epic scope with intimate emotion, and his enduring influence on the world of cinema.

9. Alfonso Cuarón

Having won Golden Globe Best Director two times, Cuarón has a great legacy of an innovative approach to making films. It was in 2014 that he won for Gravity; the entire life experience of a person surviving in space was made compelling and fantastic by scientific cinematography and pulse-pounding tension. Four years later, Cuarón took home his second Golden Globe for Roma, a personal and profound tribute to his childhood in Mexico City.

8. James Cameron

James Cameron has won two Golden Globes for Best Director, making a testimony of his artistic innovations. In 1998, he won his first Golden Globes Award for Titanic, a film in which he presented the world with the most tragic and timeless tale of star-crossed lovers, sweeping romance, and heart-wrenching drama. In 2011, Cameron won his second Golden Globe for Avatar, a groundbreaking and awe-inspiring journey to an otherworldly destination stripped out of the fantasy world of Pandora.

7. Miloš Forman

Miloš Forman has won three Golden Globes awards. His 1976 win for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest marked a triumphant moment in his career, as he brought Ken Kesey's iconic novel to life with wit, compassion, and a deep understanding of the human condition. Forman's subsequent wins for Amadeus (1985) and The People vs. Larry Flynt (1997) showcased his versatility and range, as he tackled subjects as diverse as Mozart's genius and Larry Flynt's provocative legacy.

6. David Lean

With three Golden Globe wins for Best Director, David Lean's impressive legacy is a testament to his innovative storytelling and masterful direction. His 1958 win for The Bridge On The River Kwai marked a triumphant moment in his career, as he brought the complex and thought-provoking tale of war and honor to life with precision and clarity. Lean's subsequent wins for Lawrence of Arabia (1963) and Doctor Zhivago (1966) solidified his reputation as a cinematic giant capable of crafting unforgettable films that continue to captivate audiences to this day.

5. Oliver Stone

The three awards from the Golden Globe for Best Director reflect the historical legacy and bold vision of Oliver Stone, an impressive legacy in masterful storytelling. Film Platoon in 1987 won him the Golden Globe and marked a triumphant moment in his career when war converged into the senses through the lens of gritty intensity. Stone's subsequent wins were Born on the Fourth of July (1990) and JFK (1992), sealing him into engrained public consciousness as a fearless and uncompromising filmmaker.

4. Clint Eastwood

Cinematic legend Clint Eastwood has won three Golden Globe awards for best directing, which is the hallmark of his illustrious legacy and sheer ability in storytelling and direction. In 1989, he won his first Golden Globe Award for Bird. This was truly a watershed moment in Eastwood's career, as he brought to life one of the most moving yet powerful stories about Charlie Parker, told with nuance and sensitivity. His subsequent awards for Unforgiven (1993) and Million Dollar Baby (2005) brought evidence of a wider repertoire, with themes ranging from the American West to that of boxing.

3. Steven Spielberg

Steven Spielberg is the directing genius of all time. Three Golden Globe prizes for Best Director are marks of his impressive and impeccable legacy. His win in 1994 with Schindler's List was for a triumph in using art to exalt and dignify one of the most horrible tales from history: The Holocaust. He again, later, with Saving Private Ryan in 1999 and The Fabelmans in 2023. This solidified his reputation as a cinematic giant as he is capable of crafting magic with celluloid-from action movies to dramas that will always haunt the conscience of audiences

2. Martin Scorsese

Martin Scorsese has won three Golden Globes for Best Director and built an impressive legacy that speaks of innovative storytelling and masterful direction. His win in 2003 with Gangs of New York made a difference in his career, and it's because of the visceral energy he applied to recreate the gritty and intense world of New York during the 19th century. Then, Scorsese bagged his awards for The Departed and Hugo in 2007 and 2012, respectively, proving to be a man of talent in an array of subjects, from crime drama to family-friendly adventures.

1. Elia Kazan

Elia Kazan managed to win four Golden Globe awards as Best Director. His 1948 award for Gentleman's Agreement marked a high point in his career, recreating the heartbreaking and powerful tale of anti-Semitism with a great deal of nuance and sensitivity. On the Waterfront (1955), Baby Doll (1957), and America, America (1964) were the awards collected by Kazan that completed his stature as an indomitable and uncompromisingly honest filmmaker who would take on the most difficult and challenging subjects.