Academy Awards: The winners of "Best Picture" from 2010 to 2024

The Academy Awards are just around the corner: on March 2, Hollywood will once again come together to celebrate the most important and most famous award in the film world. The award in the "Best Picture" category in particular is likely to be eagerly awaited once again. Reason enough for a brief look back at the previous winners of the main award from 2010 to 2024.

The "Best Picture" category is the most prestigious award at the Academy Awards. It is considered the highlight of the annual ceremony and recognizes the film that is considered artistically and technically outstanding. While the other categories focus on specific achievements such as directing, acting or screenplay, the award for the best film evaluates the overall work.

2010: The Hurt Locker

Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Starring: Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty

An intense war drama that shows the life of a US bomb disposal team in Iraq. The film sheds light on the psychological stress of the soldiers and their addiction to adrenaline. Kathryn Bigelow was the first woman to win the Oscar for Best Director.

2011: The King's Speech

Director: Tom Hooper
Starring: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter

A historical drama about King George VI, who overcomes his stammering problems with the help of a speech therapist to lead Britain during the Second World War. Colin Firth also won an Oscar for his brilliant portrayal of the king.

2012: The Artist

Director: Michel Hazanavicius
Starring: Jean Dujardin, Bérénice Bejo, John Goodman

A silent film in black and white about the transition from silent to sound film in the 1920s. Jean Dujardin was awarded an Oscar for his role as a silent film actor falling from fame.

2013: Argo

Director: Ben Affleck
Starring: Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin

A gripping thriller based on the true story of a rescue mission in which six US diplomats are rescued from Tehran during the Iranian Revolution in 1979. The film combines suspense with political commentary.

2014: 12 Years a Slave

Director: Steve McQueen
Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Lupita Nyong'o, Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt

The biographical drama is based on the memoirs of Solomon Northup, a free African American who is kidnapped and sold into slavery for twelve years. Lupita Nyong'o also won an Oscar for her poignant supporting role.

2015: Birdman

Director: Alejandro G. Iñárritu
Starring: Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, Emma Stone

A black comedy about an ageing actor who once rose to fame playing a superhero and is now trying to prove himself as a serious artist on Broadway. The film impressed with its seemingly seamless camera work.

2016: Spotlight

Director: Tom McCarthy
Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams

The film tells the true story of the Boston Globe team that uncovered systematic child abuse in the Catholic Church and its cover-up. A sober but powerful drama about journalism and justice.

2017: Moonlight

Director: Barry Jenkins
Starring: Mahershala Ali, Trevante Rhodes, Naomie Harris

A poetic coming-of-age drama in three acts about the life of a young African-American discovering his sexuality and identity in a difficult environment. Mahershala Ali won an award for his sensitive supporting role.

2018: The Shape of Water

Director: Guillermo del Toro
Starring: Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Octavia Spencer

A fairytale drama about a mute woman who forms an emotional bond with an amphibious creature during the Cold War. Guillermo del Toro combined fantasy with social criticism and also won the Oscar for Best Director.

2019: Green Book

Director: Peter Farrelly
Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali, Linda Cardellini

A heartwarming story about the friendship between a black pianist and his white driver on a concert tour through the racist South of the USA in the 1960s. Mahershala Ali won his second Oscar.

2020: Parasite

Director: Bong Joon-ho
Starring: Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Yeo-jeong

A South Korean satire that tells the story of a poor family that insinuates itself into the life of a rich family. The film made history by becoming the first non-English language film to win the Oscar for Best Picture.

2021: Nomadland

Director: Chloé Zhao
Starring: Frances McDormand, David Strathairn, Linda May

A quiet drama about a woman who loses everything after the economic collapse and struggles through life as a modern nomad in the west of the USA. Frances McDormand won her third Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role.

2022: Coda

Director: Siân Heder
Starring: Emilia Jones, Troy Kotsur, Marlee Matlin

A moving drama about Ruby, a hearing girl in a deaf family who pursues her dream of becoming a singer. Troy Kotsur was the first deaf male actor to win an Oscar.

2023: Everything Everywhere All at Once

Director: Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert
Starring: Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, Jamie Lee Curtis

An innovative mix of genres about a laundromat owner who travels through different parallel universes to save her family and the world. Michelle Yeoh was the first Asian actress to win the award for Best Actress in a Leading Role.

2024: Oppenheimer

Director: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr, Matt Damon, Florence Pugh

A biographical drama about J. Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb. The film sheds light on the moral conflicts of a scientist who is confronted with the consequences of his creation.