Satellite Award for Best Motion Picture

The Satellite Award for Best Motion Picture is one of the annual awards given to motion pictures by the International Press Academy. The category was gone through several changes since its inception, specially related to the genre of the film awarded.

  • From 1996 to 2010, two categories based on genre were presented, Best Drama Film and Best Comedy or Musical Film
  • In 2011, the IPA pared down its Satellite Award nominations in the motion picture categories from 22 to 19 classifications; the change reflects the merger of drama and comedy under a general Best Picture heading, including the Best Actor/Actress headings and the Supporting headings.[1]
  • In 2016 and 2017, two winners were announced within the Best Motion Picture category, one for a major studio film and other for an independent film.
  • In 2018, a stand-alone category for independent film was presented.
Satellite Award for Best Film
Awarded forBest Dramatic Film
Best Comedy or Musical Film
CountryUnited States
Presented byInternational Press Academy
First awarded1996
Currently held byComedy or Musical:
The Holdovers (2023)
Drama:
Oppenheimer (2023)

Since 2018, the two categories based on genre are presented replacing the Best Motion Picture category for the Best Drama Film and Best Comedy or Musical Film categories previously presented.

Winners and nominees

Comedy or Musical (1996–2010, 2018–present)

YearFilmDirector(s)
1996
[2]
EvitaAlan Parker
Cold Comfort FarmJohn Schlesinger
Everyone Says I Love YouWoody Allen
Flirting with DisasterDavid O. Russell
SwingersDoug Liman
1997
[3]
As Good as It GetsJames L. Brooks
Deconstructing HarryWoody Allen
The Full MontyPeter Cattaneo
In & OutFrank Oz
My Best Friend's WeddingP. J. Hogan
1998
[4]
Shakespeare in LoveJohn Madden
Little VoiceMark Herman
PleasantvilleGary Ross
Waking NedKirk Jones
You've Got MailNora Ephron
1999
[5]
Being John MalkovichSpike Jonze
BowfingerMark Herman
DickAndrew Fleming
ElectionAlexander Payne
An Ideal HusbandOliver Parker
Notting HillRoger Michell
2000
[6]
Nurse BettyNeil LaBute
Almost FamousCameron Crowe
Best in ShowChristopher Guest
O Brother, Where Art Thou?Joel Coen
State and MainDavid Mamet
Wonder BoysCurtis Hanson
2001
[7][8]
Moulin Rouge!Baz Luhrmann
Bridget Jones's DiarySharon Maguire
Gosford ParkRobert Altman
Hedwig and the Angry InchJohn Cameron Mitchell
The Royal TenenbaumsWes Anderson
2002
[9]
My Big Fat Greek WeddingJoel Zwick
About a BoyPaul Weitz and Chris Weitz
Adaptation.Spike Jonze
Igby Goes DownBurr Steers
Punch-Drunk LovePaul Thomas Anderson
2003
[10]
Lost in TranslationSofia Coppola
American SplendorShari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini
Bad SantaTerry Zwigoff
Bend It Like BeckhamGurinder Chadha
A Mighty WindChristopher Guest
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black PearlGore Verbinski
2004
[11]
SidewaysAlexander Payne
The Life Aquatic with Steve ZissouWes Anderson
The Merchant of VeniceMichael Radford
Napoleon DynamiteJared Hess
The Phantom of the OperaJoel Schumacher
RayTaylor Hackford
2005
[12]
Walk the LineJames Mangold
Happy EndingsDon Roos
Hustle & FlowCraig Brewer
Kung Fu HustleStephen Chow
RentChris Columbus
ShopgirlAnand Tucker
2006
[13][14]
DreamgirlsBill Condon
The Devil Wears PradaDavid Frankel
Little Miss SunshineJonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris
Stranger than FictionMarc Forster
Thank You for SmokingJason Reitman
VenusRoger Michell
2007
[15][16]
JunoJason Reitman
HairsprayAdam Shankman
Knocked UpJudd Apatow
Lars and the Real GirlCraig Gillespie
Margot at the WeddingNoah Baumbach
Shoot 'Em UpMichael Davis
2008
[17]
Happy-Go-LuckyMike Leigh
ChokeClark Gregg
In BrugesMartin McDonagh
Nick & Norah's Infinite PlaylistPeter Sollett
Tropic ThunderBen Stiller
Vicky Cristina BarcelonaWoody Allen
2009
[18][19]
NineRob Marshall
The Informant!Steven Soderbergh
It's ComplicatedNancy Meyers
Julie & JuliaNora Ephron
A Serious ManJoel and Ethan Coen
Up in the AirJason Reitman
2010
[20]
Scott Pilgrim vs. the WorldEdgar Wright
CyrusJay Duplass and Mark Duplass
The Kids Are All RightLisa Cholodenko
Made in DagenhamNigel Cole
The Other GuysAdam McKay
Please GiveNicole Holofcener
RedRobert Schwentke
2018
[21]
A Star Is BornBradley Cooper
Crazy Rich AsiansJon M. Chu
The FavouriteYorgos Lanthimos
Green BookPeter Farrelly
Mary Poppins ReturnsRob Marshall
Nico, 1988Susanna Nicchiarelli
2019
[22]
Once Upon a Time in HollywoodQuentin Tarantino
The FarewellLulu Wang
HustlersLorene Scafaria
Knives OutRian Johnson
RocketmanDexter Fletcher
Uncut GemsJosh Safdie and Benny Safdie
2020
[23][24]
The Forty-Year-Old VersionRadha Blank
Borat Subsequent MoviefilmJason Woliner
HamiltonThomas Kail
On the RocksSofia Coppola
Palm SpringsMax Barbakow
The Personal History of David CopperfieldArmando Iannucci
2021
[25]
tick, tick... BOOM!Lin-Manuel Miranda
CyranoJoe Wright
The French DispatchWes Anderson
In the HeightsJon M. Chu
Licorice PizzaPaul Thomas Anderson
RespectLiesl Tommy
2022
Everything Everywhere All at OnceDaniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert
The Banshees of InisherinMartin McDonagh
ElvisBaz Luhrmann
Glass Onion: A Knives Out MysteryRian Johnson
RRRS. S. Rajamouli
Triangle of SadnessRuben Östlund
2023The HoldoversAlexander Payne
American FictionCord Jefferson
BarbieGreta Gerwig
Dream ScenarioKristoffer Borgli
Poor ThingsYorgos Lanthimos
ScrapperCharlotte Regan

Drama (1996–2010, 2018–present)

YearFilmDirector(s)
1996FargoJoel Coen
The English PatientAnthony Minghella
Lone StarJohn Sayles
Secrets & LiesMike Leigh
ShineScott Hicks
TrainspottingDanny Boyle
1997TitanicJames Cameron
AmistadSteven Spielberg
Boogie NightsPaul Thomas Anderson
Good Will HuntingGus Van Sant
L.A. ConfidentialCurtis Hanson
1998The Thin Red LineTerrence Malick
ElizabethShekhar Kapur
The GeneralJohn Boorman
Gods and MonstersBill Condon
Saving Private RyanSteven Spielberg
1999The InsiderMichael Mann
American BeautySam Mendes
Boys Don't CryKimberly Peirce
MagnoliaPaul Thomas Anderson
Snow Falling on CedarsScott Hicks
The Talented Mr. RipleyAnthony Minghella
2000TrafficSteven Soderbergh
Billy ElliotStephen Daldry
Dancer in the DarkLars von Trier
Erin BrockovichSteven Soderbergh
GladiatorRidley Scott
QuillsPhilip Kaufman
2001In the BedroomTodd Field
The Deep EndScott McGehee and David Siegel
MementoChristopher Nolan
The OthersAlejandro Amenábar
Sexy BeastJonathan Glazer
2002Far from HeavenTodd Haynes
Antwone FisherDenzel Washington
The HoursStephen Daldry
The Lord of the Rings: The Two TowersPeter Jackson
The Quiet AmericanPhillip Noyce
Road to PerditionSam Mendes
2003In AmericaJim Sheridan
The Last SamuraiEdward Zwick
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the KingPeter Jackson
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the WorldPeter Weir
Mystic RiverClint Eastwood
ThirteenCatherine Hardwicke
Whale RiderNiki Caro
2004Hotel RwandaTerry George
The AviatorMartin Scorsese
Kill Bill: Volume 2Quentin Tarantino
KinseyBill Condon
Maria Full of GraceJoshua Marston
Vera DrakeMike Leigh
2005Brokeback MountainAng Lee
A History of ViolenceDavid Cronenberg
CapoteBennett Miller
Cinderella ManRon Howard
Memoirs of a GeishaRob Marshall
The War WithinJoseph Castelo
2006The DepartedMartin Scorsese
BabelAlejandro González Iñárritu
Flags of Our FathersClint Eastwood
Half NelsonRyan Fleck
The Last King of ScotlandKevin Macdonald
Little ChildrenTodd Field
The QueenStephen Frears
2007No Country for Old MenJoel and Ethan Coen
3:10 to YumaJames Mangold
Away from HerSarah Polley
Before the Devil Knows You're DeadSidney Lumet
Eastern PromisesDavid Cronenberg
The LookoutScott Frank
2008Slumdog MillionaireDanny Boyle
Frost/NixonRon Howard
Frozen RiverCourtney Hunt
MilkGus Van Sant
The ReaderStephen Daldry
Revolutionary RoadSam Mendes
2009The Hurt LockerKathryn Bigelow
Bright StarJane Campion
An EducationLone Scherfig
The MessengerOren Moverman
PreciousLee Daniels
The Stoning of Soraya M.Cyrus Nowrasteh
2010The Social NetworkDavid Fincher
127 HoursDanny Boyle
Animal KingdomDavid Michôd
Blue ValentineDerek Cianfrance
Get LowAaron Schneider
The Ghost WriterRoman Polanski
InceptionChristopher Nolan
The King's SpeechTom Hooper
The TownBen Affleck
Winter's BoneDebra Granik
2018If Beale Street Could TalkBarry Jenkins
Black PantherRyan Coogler
First ManDamien Chazelle
HereditaryAri Aster
Mary Queen of ScotsJosie Rourke
WidowsSteve McQueen
2019Ford v FerrariJames Mangold
1917Sam Mendes
BombshellJay Roach
Burning CanePhillip Youmans
JokerTodd Phillips
The LighthouseRobert Eggers
Marriage StoryNoah Baumbach
The Two PopesFernando Meirelles
2020NomadlandChloé Zhao
The FatherFlorian Zeller
Ma Rainey's Black BottomGeorge C. Wolfe
MinariLee Isaac Chung
Miss JuneteenthChanning Godfrey Peoples
One Night in Miami...Regina King
Promising Young WomanEmerald Fennell
Sound of MetalDarius Marder
TenetChristopher Nolan
The Trial of the Chicago 7Aaron Sorkin
2021BelfastKenneth Branagh
CODASian Heder
DuneDenis Villeneuve
East of the MountainsSJ Chiro
King RichardReinaldo Marcus Green
The Lost DaughterMaggie Gyllenhaal
The Power of the DogJane Campion
SpencerPablo Larraín
2022
Top Gun: MaverickJoseph Kosinski
Avatar: The Way of WaterJames Cameron
Black Panther: Wakanda ForeverRyan Coogler
The FabelmansSteven Spielberg
LivingOliver Hermanus
TárTodd Field
TillChinonye Chukwu
Women TalkingSarah Polley
2023OppenheimerChristopher Nolan
FerrariMichael Mann
Killers of the Flower MoonMartin Scorsese
MaestroBradley Cooper
May DecemberTodd Haynes
Past LivesCeline Song

Motion Picture (2011–2015)

YearFilmDirector(s)
2011
[26][27]
The DescendantsAlexander Payne
The ArtistMichel Hazanavicius
DriveNicolas Winding Refn
The HelpTate Taylor
HugoMartin Scorsese
Midnight in ParisWoody Allen
MoneyballBennett Miller
ShameSteve McQueen
Tinker Tailor Soldier SpyTomas Alfredson
War HorseSteven Spielberg
2012
[28][29]
Silver Linings PlaybookDavid O. Russell
ArgoBen Affleck
Beasts of the Southern WildBenh Zeitlin
Les MisérablesTom Hooper
Life of PiAng Lee
LincolnSteven Spielberg
Moonrise KingdomWes Anderson
SkyfallSam Mendes
Zero Dark ThirtyKathryn Bigelow
2013
[30][31]
12 Years a SlaveSteve McQueen
All Is LostJ. C. Chandor
American HustleDavid O. Russell
Blue JasmineWoody Allen
Captain PhillipsPaul Greengrass
GravityAlfonso Cuarón
Inside Llewyn DavisJoel and Ethan Coen
PhilomenaStephen Frears
Saving Mr. BanksJohn Lee Hancock
The Wolf of Wall StreetMartin Scorsese
2014
[32][33]
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)Alejandro G. Iñárritu
BoyhoodRichard Linklater
Gone GirlDavid Fincher
The Grand Budapest HotelWes Anderson
The Imitation GameMorten Tyldum
Love Is StrangeIra Sachs
Mr. TurnerMike Leigh
SelmaAva DuVernay
The Theory of EverythingJames Marsh
WhiplashDamien Chazelle
2015
[34]
SpotlightTom McCarthy
The Big ShortAdam McKay
Black MassScott Cooper
Bridge of SpiesSteven Spielberg
BrooklynJohn Crowley
CarolTodd Haynes
The MartianRidley Scott
The RevenantAlejandro G. Iñárritu
RoomLenny Abrahamson
SicarioDenis Villeneuve

Motion Picture (Major / Independent) (2016–2017)

YearFilmDirector
2016
[35]
La La Land (Major)Damien Chazelle
Manchester by the Sea (Independent)Kenneth Lonergan
Captain FantasticMatt Ross
FencesDenzel Washington
Hacksaw RidgeMel Gibson
Hell or High WaterDavid Mackenzie
Hidden FiguresTheodore Melfi
JackiePablo Larraín
LionGarth Davis
LovingJeff Nichols
MoonlightBarry Jenkins
Nocturnal AnimalsTom Ford
2017
[36][37]
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (Major)Martin McDonagh
God's Own Country (Independent)Francis Lee
The Big SickMichael Showalter
Call Me by Your NameLuca Guadagnino
DunkirkChristopher Nolan
Get OutJordan Peele
I, TonyaCraig Gillespie
Lady BirdGreta Gerwig
MudboundDee Rees
The Shape of WaterGuillermo del Toro

Independent (2018)

YearFilmDirector
2018BlacKkKlansmanSpike Lee
Eighth GradeBo Burnham
First ReformedPaul Schrader
Leave No TraceDebra Granik
Private LifeTamara Jenkins
A Private WarMatthew Heineman

See also

References