On this page are names of filmmakers who should win or should have won (or possibly tied) Oscars for specific films, nominations if they weren't given, and/or filmmakers who should win an Oscar in general because of their immense talent. List does not always regard actual nominees. Last updated 03.04.09.

• Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight, 2008 (Best Director)
• Roger Deakins, Revolutionary Road, 2008 (Best Cinematography)
• Sean Penn, Into the Wild, 2007 (Best Director)
• Eddie Vedder, Into the Wild, 2007 (Best Original Song)
• Hal Holbrook, Into the Wild, 2007 (Best Supporting Actor)
• Marc Turtletaub et. al., Little Miss Sunshine, 2006 (Best Picture)
• Emmanuel Lubezki, Children of Men, 2006 (Best Cinematography)
• Alfonso Cuarón et. al., Children of Men, 2006 (Best Adapted Screenplay)
• Alfonso Cuarón, Children of Men, 2006 (Best Director) (tie)
• Paul Greengrass, United 93, 2006 (Best Director) (tie)
• Thomas Newman, The Good German, 2006 (Best Original Score)
• Joan Allen, The Upside of Anger, 2005 (Best Actress)
• Thandie Newton, Crash, 2005 (Best Supporting Actress)
• Rodrigo Prieto, Brokeback Mountain, 2005 (Best Cinematography) (tie)
• Janusz Kaminski, Munich, 2005 (Best Cinematography) (tie)
• Martin Scorsese, The Aviator, 2004 (Best Director)
• Paul Giamatti, Sideways, 2004 (Best Actor)
• Rölfe Kent, Sideways, 2004 (Best Original Score)
• Virginia Madsen, Sideways, 2004 (Best Supporting Actress)
• Sofia Coppola, Lost in Translation, 2003 (Best Director)
• Scarlett Johansson, Lost in Translation, 2003 (Best Supporting Actress)
• Eugene Levy, A Mighty Wind, 2003 (Best Supporting Actor)
• Bill Murray, Lost in Translation, 2003 (Best Actor)
• Julianne Moore, The Hours, 2002 (Best Supporting Actress) (tie)
• Lois Smith, Minority Report, 2002 (Best Supporting Actress) (tie)
• Steve Buscemi, Ghost World, 2001 (Best Supporting Actor)
• Roger Deakins, The Man Who Wasn't There, 2001 (Best Cinematography)
• Christopher Nolan, Memento, 2001 (Best Original Screenplay)
• Edward Zwick, Marshall Herskovitz, & Laura Bickford, Traffic, 2000 (Best Picture)
• Charlie Kaufman, Being John Malkovich, 1999 (Best Original Screenplay - tie with Alan Ball)
• Randy Newman, Toy Story 2, 1999 (Best Original Song)
• Thomas Newman, American Beauty, 1999 (Best Original Score)
• Haley Joel Osment, The Sixth Sense, 1999 (Best Supporting Actor)
• Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth, 1998 (Best Actress)
• Burkhard Dallwitz, The Truman Show, 1998 (Best Original Score)
• Andrew Niccol, The Truman Show, 1998 (Best Original Screenplay)
• William H. Macy, Fargo, 1996 (Best Supporting Actor)
• Samuel L. Jackon, Pulp Fiction, 1994 (Best Supporting Actor - tie with Martin Landau)
• Robert Altman, The Player, 1992 (Best Director)
• Oprah Winfrey, The Color Purple, 1985 (Best Supporting Actress)
• Angela Bassett
• Maria Bello
• Annette Bening
• Gael García Bernal
• Thora Birch
• Sandra Bullock
• Steve Carell
• Patricia Clarkson
• Toni Collete
• Joan Cusack
• Jeff Daniels
• Loretta Devine
• Brendan Gleeson
• Li Gong
• Christopher Guest
• Maggie Gyllenhaal
• Ed Harris
• Naomie Harris
• Philip Seymour Hoffman
• Djimon Honsou
• Allison Janney
• Catherine Keener
• Regina King
• Greg Kinnear
• David Mamet
• Cillian Murphy
• Rebecca Pidgeon
• Natalie Portman
• Sam Rockwell
• Winona Ryder
• Gary Sinise
• Julia Stiles
• Lili Taylor
• Naomi Watts
• Peter Weir
• Gene Wilder
• Kate Winslet
• Alfre Woodard
• Jeffrey Wright
• Ziyi Zhang