Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama — Every Winner and Nominee

Every film recognised in the Golden Globes Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama category in CineRoll's records: 348 films across 73 years, 74 of them winners.

The most recent winner is Elvis (2023); the earliest on record is Cyrano de Bergerac (1951).

The last three winners were Elvis (2023), King Richard (2022) and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2021).

The list is newest first. Each year shows the winner at the top, then the other nominees; a year with enough nominees links to its own page.

Last updated August 12, 2026

2023

Elvis(2022)
Austin Butler
Winner
Living(2022)
Bill Nighy
The Inspection(2022)
Jeremy Pope
The Son(2022)
Hugh Jackman
The Whale(2022)

2022

King Richard(2021)
Will Smith
Winner
Being the Ricardos(2021)
Javier Bardem
Swan Song(2021)
Mahershala Ali
The Power of the Dog(2021)
The Tragedy of Macbeth(2021)

2021

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom(2020)
Chadwick Boseman
Winner
Mank(2020)
Gary Oldman
Sound of Metal(2020)
Riz Ahmed
The Father(2020)
The Mauritanian(2020)
Tahar Rahim

2020

Joker(2019)
Joaquin Phoenix
Winner
Ford v Ferrari(2019)
Christian Bale
Marriage Story(2019)
Adam Driver
Pain and Glory(2019)
Antonio Banderas
The Two Popes(2019)

2019

Bohemian Rhapsody(2018)
Rami Malek
Winner
A Star Is Born(2018)
At Eternity's Gate(2018)
Willem Dafoe
BlacKkKlansman(2018)
John David Washington
Boy Erased(2018)
Lucas Hedges

2018

Darkest Hour(2017)
Gary Oldman
Winner
Call Me by Your Name(2017)
Timothée Chalamet
Phantom Thread(2017)
Daniel Day-Lewis
Roman J. Israel, Esq.(2017)
Denzel Washington
The Post(2017)
Tom Hanks

2017

Manchester by the Sea(2016)
Casey Affleck
Winner
Captain Fantastic(2016)
Viggo Mortensen
Fences(2016)
Denzel Washington
Hacksaw Ridge(2016)
Andrew Garfield
Loving(2016)
Joel Edgerton

2016

The Revenant(2015)
Leonardo DiCaprio
Winner
Concussion(2015)
Will Smith
Steve Jobs(2015)
Michael Fassbender
The Danish Girl(2015)
Eddie Redmayne
Trumbo(2015)
Bryan Cranston

2015

The Theory of Everything(2014)
Eddie Redmayne
Winner
Foxcatcher(2014)
Steve Carell
Nightcrawler(2014)
Jake Gyllenhaal
Selma(2014)
David Oyelowo
The Imitation Game(2014)
Benedict Cumberbatch

2014

Dallas Buyers Club(2013)
Matthew McConaughey
Winner
12 Years a Slave(2013)
Chiwetel Ejiofor
All Is Lost(2013)
Robert Redford
Captain Phillips(2013)
Tom Hanks
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom(2013)
Idris Elba

2013

Lincoln(2012)
Daniel Day-Lewis
Winner
Arbitrage(2012)
Richard Gere
Flight(2012)
Denzel Washington
The Master(2012)
The Sessions(2012)

2012

The Descendants(2011)
Winner
J. Edgar(2011)
Leonardo DiCaprio
Moneyball(2011)
Brad Pitt
Shame(2011)
Michael Fassbender
The Ides of March(2011)

2011

The King's Speech(2010)
Colin Firth
Winner
127 Hours(2010)
James Franco
Blue Valentine(2010)
Ryan Gosling
The Fighter(2010)
The Social Network(2010)
Jesse Eisenberg

2010

Crazy Heart(2009)
Jeff Bridges
Winner
A Single Man(2009)
Colin Firth
Brothers(2009)
Tobey Maguire
Invictus(2009)
Morgan Freeman
Up in the Air(2009)
George Clooney

2009

The Wrestler(2008)
Mickey Rourke
Winner
Frost/Nixon(2008)
Frank Langella
Milk(2008)
Sean Penn
Revolutionary Road(2008)
Leonardo DiCaprio
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button(2008)
Brad Pitt

2008

There Will Be Blood(2007)
Daniel Day-Lewis
Winner
American Gangster(2007)
Denzel Washington
Atonement(2007)
James McAvoy
Eastern Promises(2007)
Viggo Mortensen
Michael Clayton(2007)
George Clooney

2007

The Last King of Scotland(2006)
Winner
Blood Diamond(2006)
Leonardo DiCaprio
The Departed(2006)
The Pursuit of Happyness(2006)
Will Smith
Venus(2006)
Peter O’Toole

2006

Capote(2005)
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Winner
Brokeback Mountain(2005)
Heath Ledger
Cinderella Man(2005)
Russell Crowe
Good Night, and Good Luck.(2005)
David Strathairn
Hustle & Flow(2005)
Terrence Howard

2005

The Aviator(2004)
Leonardo DiCaprio
Winner
Finding Neverland(2004)
Johnny Depp
Hotel Rwanda(2004)
Don Cheadle
Kinsey(2004)
Liam Neeson
The Sea Inside(2004)
Javier Bardem

2004

Mystic River(2003)
Sean Penn
Winner
Cold Mountain(2003)
Jude Law
House of Sand and Fog(2003)
Ben Kingsley
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World(2003)
Russell Crowe
The Last Samurai(2003)
Tom Cruise

2003

About Schmidt(2002)
Jack Nicholson
Winner
Catch Me If You Can(2002)
Leonardo DiCaprio
Gangs of New York(2002)
Daniel Day-Lewis
The Pianist(2002)
Adrien Brody
The Quiet American(2002)
Michael Caine

2002

A Beautiful Mind(2001)
Russell Crowe
Winner
Ali(2001)
Will Smith
The Man Who Wasn't There(2001)
Billy Bob Thornton
The Shipping News(2001)
Kevin Spacey
Training Day(2001)
Denzel Washington

2001

Cast Away(2000)
Tom Hanks
Winner
Before Night Falls(2000)
Javier Bardem
Gladiator(2000)
Russell Crowe
Quills(2000)
Geoffrey Rush
Wonder Boys(2000)
Michael Douglas

2000

The Hurricane(1999)
Denzel Washington
Winner
American Beauty(1999)
Kevin Spacey
The Insider(1999)
Russell Crowe
The Straight Story(1999)
Richard Farnsworth
The Talented Mr. Ripley(1999)
Matt Damon

1999

The Truman Show(1998)
Jim Carrey
Winner
Affliction(1998)
Nick Nolte
Gods and Monsters(1998)
Ian McKellen
Saving Private Ryan(1998)
Tom Hanks
Wilde(1997)
Stephen Fry

1998

Ulee's Gold(1997)
Peter Fonda
Winner
Amistad(1997)
Djimon Hounsou
Good Will Hunting(1997)
Matt Damon
The Boxer(1997)
Daniel Day-Lewis
Titanic(1997)
Leonardo DiCaprio

1997

Shine(1996)
Geoffrey Rush
Winner
Michael Collins(1996)
Liam Neeson
Ransom(1996)
Mel Gibson
The English Patient(1996)
Ralph Fiennes
The People vs. Larry Flynt(1996)
Woody Harrelson

1996

Leaving Las Vegas(1995)
Nicolas Cage
Winner
Dead Man Walking(1995)
Sean Penn
Mr. Holland's Opus(1995)
Richard Dreyfuss
Nixon(1995)
Anthony Hopkins
Richard III(1995)
Ian McKellen

1995

Forrest Gump(1994)
Tom Hanks
Winner
Legends of the Fall(1994)
Brad Pitt
Nobody's Fool(1994)
Paul Newman
Pulp Fiction(1994)
John Travolta
The Shawshank Redemption(1994)
Morgan Freeman

1994

Philadelphia(1993)
Tom Hanks
Winner
In the Name of the Father(1993)
Daniel Day-Lewis
Schindler's List(1993)
Liam Neeson
The Fugitive(1993)
Harrison Ford
The Remains of the Day(1993)
Anthony Hopkins

1993

Scent of a Woman(1992)
Al Pacino
Winner
A Few Good Men(1992)
Tom Cruise
Chaplin(1992)
Robert Downey Jr.
Hoffa(1992)
Jack Nicholson
Malcolm X(1992)
Denzel Washington

1992

The Prince of Tides(1991)
Nick Nolte
Winner
Bugsy(1991)
Warren Beatty
Cape Fear(1991)
Robert De Niro
JFK(1991)
Kevin Costner
The Silence of the Lambs(1991)
Anthony Hopkins

1991

Reversal of Fortune(1990)
Jeremy Irons
Winner
Awakenings(1990)
Robin Williams
Dances with Wolves(1990)
Kevin Costner
The Field(1990)
Richard Harris
The Godfather Part III(1990)
Al Pacino

1990

Born on the Fourth of July(1989)
Tom Cruise
Winner
Dad(1989)
Jack Lemmon
Dead Poets Society(1989)
Robin Williams
My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown(1989)
Daniel Day-Lewis
Sea of Love(1989)
Al Pacino

1989

Rain Man(1988)
Dustin Hoffman
Winner
Bird(1988)
Forest Whitaker
Dominick and Eugene(1988)
Tom Hulce
Mississippi Burning(1988)
Gene Hackman
Stand and Deliver(1988)
Edward James Olmos

1988

Wall Street(1987)
Michael Douglas
Winner
Cry Freedom(1987)
Denzel Washington
Ironweed(1987)
Jack Nicholson
The Last Emperor(1987)
John Lone
Weeds(1987)
Nick Nolte

1987

Mona Lisa(1986)
Bob Hoskins
Winner
'Round Midnight(1986)
Dexter Gordon
Children of a Lesser God(1986)
William Hurt
The Color of Money(1986)
Paul Newman
The Mission(1986)
Jeremy Irons
The Mosquito Coast(1986)
Harrison Ford

1986

Runaway Train(1985)
Jon Voight
Winner
Kiss of the Spider Woman(1985)
William Hurt
Kiss of the Spider Woman(1985)
Raul Julia
Twice in a Lifetime(1985)
Gene Hackman
Witness(1985)
Harrison Ford

1985

Amadeus(1984)
F. Murray Abraham
Winner
Amadeus(1984)
Tom Hulce
Starman (John Carpenter's Starman)(1984)
Jeff Bridges
The Killing Fields(1984)
Sam Waterston
Under the Volcano(1984)
Albert Finney

1984

Tender Mercies(1983)
Robert Duvall
Winner
The Dresser(1983)
Tom Courtenay
Winner
Reuben, Reuben(1983)
Tom Conti
Scarface(1983)
Al Pacino
Star 80(1983)
Eric Roberts
The Dresser(1983)
Albert Finney
The Grey Fox(1982)
Richard Farnsworth

1983

Gandhi(1982)
Ben Kingsley
Winner
An Officer and a Gentleman(1982)
Richard Gere
Missing(1982)
Jack Lemmon
Shoot the Moon(1982)
Albert Finney
The Verdict(1982)
Paul Newman

1982

On Golden Pond(1981)
Henry Fonda
Winner
Atlantic City(1980)
Burt Lancaster
Prince of the City(1981)
Treat Williams
Reds(1981)
Warren Beatty
Taps(1981)
Timothy Hutton

1981

Raging Bull(1980)
Robert De Niro
Winner
Ordinary People(1980)
Donald Sutherland
The Elephant Man(1980)
The Stunt Man(1980)
Peter O’Toole
Tribute(1980)
Jack Lemmon

1980

Kramer vs. Kramer(1979)
Dustin Hoffman
Winner
...And Justice for All(1979)
Al Pacino
The Champ(1979)
The China Syndrome(1979)
The Onion Field(1979)
James Woods

1979

Coming Home(1978)
Jon Voight
Winner
Magic(1978)
Anthony Hopkins
Midnight Express(1978)
Brad Davis
The Boys from Brazil(1978)
The Deer Hunter(1978)

1978

Equus(1977)
Richard Burton
Winner
A Special Day(1977)
Bobby Deerfield(1977)
Al Pacino
Heroes(1977)
Henry Winkler
MacArthur(1977)
Gregory Peck

1977

Network(1976)
Peter Finch
Winner
Bound for Glory(1976)
David Carradine
Marathon Man(1976)
Dustin Hoffman
Rocky(1976)
Sylvester Stallone
Taxi Driver(1976)
Robert De Niro

1976

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest(1975)
Jack Nicholson
Winner
Dog Day Afternoon(1975)
Al Pacino
French Connection II(1975)
Gene Hackman
Give 'em Hell, Harry!(1975)
James Whitmore
The Man in the Glass Booth(1975)
Maximilian Schell

1975

Chinatown(1974)
Jack Nicholson
Winner
Lenny(1974)
Dustin Hoffman
The Conversation(1974)
Gene Hackman
The Gambler (Gambler, The)(1974)
James Caan
The Godfather Part II(1974)
Al Pacino

1974

Serpico(1973)
Al Pacino
Winner
Electra Glide in Blue(1973)
Robert Blake
Papillon(1973)
Steve McQueen
Save the Tiger(1973)
Jack Lemmon
The Last Detail(1973)

1973

The Godfather(1972)
Winner
Deliverance(1972)
Jon Voight
Sleuth(1972)
Laurence Olivier
Sleuth(1972)
Michael Caine
The Godfather(1972)

1972

The French Connection(1971)
Gene Hackman
Winner
A Clockwork Orange(1971)
Malcolm McDowell
Carnal Knowledge(1971)
Jack Nicholson
Sunday Bloody Sunday(1971)
Peter Finch
The Hospital(1971)
George C. Scott

1971

Patton(1970)
George C. Scott
Winner
Five Easy Pieces(1970)
Jack Nicholson
I Never Sang for My Father(1970)
Melvyn Douglas
Love Story(1970)
Ryan O’Neal
The Great White Hope(1970)
James Earl Jones

1970

True Grit(1969)
John Wayne
Winner
Anne of the Thousand Days(1969)
Richard Burton
Midnight Cowboy(1969)
Dustin Hoffman
Midnight Cowboy(1969)
Jon Voight
Popi(1969)
Alan Arkin

1969

The Lion in Winter(1968)
Peter O’Toole
Winner
Charly(1968)
Cliff Robertson
The Boston Strangler(1968)
Tony Curtis
The Fixer(1968)
Alan Bates
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter(1968)
Alan Arkin

1968

In the Heat of the Night(1967)
Rod Steiger
Winner
Bonnie and Clyde(1967)
Warren Beatty
Cool Hand Luke(1967)
Paul Newman
Far from the Madding Crowd(1967)
Alan Bates
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner(1967)
Spencer Tracy
In the Heat of the Night(1967)
Sidney Poitier

1967

A Man for All Seasons(1966)
Paul Scofield
Winner
Alfie(1966)
Michael Caine
Hawaii(1966)
Max von Sydow
The Sand Pebbles(1966)
Steve McQueen
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?(1966)
Richard Burton

1966

Doctor Zhivago(1965)
Omar Sharif
Winner
A Patch of Blue(1965)
Sidney Poitier
Ship of Fools(1965)
Oskar Werner
The Agony and the Ecstasy(1965)
Rex Harrison
The Pawnbroker(1964)
Rod Steiger

1965

Becket(1964)
Peter O’Toole
Winner
Becket(1964)
Richard Burton
Rio Conchos(1964)
Anthony Franciosa
Seven Days in May(1964)
Fredric March
Zorba the Greek(1964)
Anthony Quinn

1964

Lilies of the Field(1963)
Sidney Poitier
Winner
America America(1963)
Stathis Giallelis
Captain Newman, M.D.(1963)
Gregory Peck
Cleopatra(1963)
Rex Harrison
Hud(1963)
Paul Newman
Love with the Proper Stranger(1963)
Steve McQueen
The Cardinal(1963)
Tom Tryon
The Ugly American(1963)
Marlon Brando

1963

To Kill a Mockingbird(1962)
Gregory Peck
Winner
Birdman of Alcatraz(1962)
Burt Lancaster
Days of Wine and Roses(1962)
Jack Lemmon
Gigot(1962)
Jackie Gleason
Lawrence of Arabia(1962)
Peter O’Toole
Lawrence of Arabia(1962)
Anthony Quinn
Lolita(1962)
James Mason
Pressure Point(1962)
Walden Cassotto
Sweet Bird of Youth(1962)
Paul Newman
The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm(1962)
Laurence Harvey

1962

Judgment at Nuremberg(1961)
Maximilian Schell
Winner
A Raisin in the Sun(1961)
Sidney Poitier
Fanny(1961)
Maurice Chevalier
Splendor in the Grass(1961)
Warren Beatty
The Hustler(1961)
Paul Newman

1961

Elmer Gantry(1960)
Burt Lancaster
Winner
Inherit the Wind(1960)
Spencer Tracy
Sons and Lovers(1960)
Dean Stockwell
Sons and Lovers(1960)
Trevor Howard
Spartacus(1960)
Laurence Olivier

1960

Career(1959)
Anthony Franciosa
Winner
Ben-Hur(1959)
Charlton Heston
Look Back in Anger(1959)
Richard Burton
Middle of the Night(1959)
Fredric March
The Diary of Anne Frank(1959)
Joseph Schildkraut

1959

Separate Tables(1958)
David Niven
Winner
The Defiant Ones(1958)
Sidney Poitier
The Defiant Ones(1958)
Tony Curtis
The Inn of the Sixth Happiness(1958)
Robert Donat
The Old Man and the Sea(1958)
Spencer Tracy

1958

The Bridge on the River Kwai(1957)
Alec Guinness
Winner
12 Angry Men(1957)
Henry Fonda
A Hatful of Rain(1957)
Anthony Franciosa
Sayonara(1957)
Marlon Brando
Witness for the Prosecution(1957)
Charles Laughton

1957

Lust for Life(1956)
Kirk Douglas
Winner
Baby Doll(1956)
Karl Malden
Friendly Persuasion(1956)
Gary Cooper
The Rainmaker(1956)
Burt Lancaster
The Ten Commandments(1956)
Charlton Heston

1956

Marty(1955)
Ernest Borgnine
Winner

1955

On the Waterfront(1954)
Marlon Brando
Winner

1954

The Actress(1953)
Spencer Tracy
Winner

1953

High Noon(1952)
Gary Cooper
Winner
The Happy Time(1952)
Charles Boyer
The Thief(1952)
Ray Milland

1952

Death of a Salesman(1951)
Fredric March
Winner
Bright Victory(1951)
Arthur Kennedy
Detective Story(1951)
Kirk Douglas

1951

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