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Laurence Olivier Awards · Direction

Best Director

Plays and musicals compete together in this category. Plays are marked and not linked to the show archive.

2026
  1. ★ Winner
    Luke Sheppard
    Paddington
  2. Jordan Fein
    Into the Woods
  3. Ed Stambollouian
    KenrexPlay
  4. Lyndsey Turner
    1536Play
  5. Ivo van Hove
    All My SonsPlay
2025
  1. ★ Winner
    Eline Arbo
    The YearsPlay
  2. Jordan Fein
    Fiddler on the Roof
  3. Nicholas Hytner
    GiantPlay
  4. Robert Icke
    OedipusPlay
2024
  1. ★ Winner
    Jamie Lloyd
    Sunset Boulevard
  2. Stephen Daldry & Justin Martin
    Stranger Things: The First ShadowPlay
  3. Rupert Goold
    Dear EnglandPlay
  4. Sam Mendes
    The Motive and the CuePlay
2023
  1. ★ Winner
    Phelim McDermott
    My Neighbour TotoroPlay
  2. Rebecca Frecknall
    A Streetcar Named DesirePlay
  3. Robert Hastie
    Standing at the Sky's Edge
  4. Justin Martin
    Prima FaciePlay
  5. Bartlett Sher
    To Kill a MockingbirdPlay
2022
  1. ★ Winner
    Rebecca Frecknall
    Cabaret
  2. Michael Longhurst
    ConstellationsPlay
  3. Kathleen Marshall
    Anything Goes
  4. Max Webster
    Life of PiPlay
2020
  1. ★ Winner
    Miranda Cromwell & Marianne Elliott
    Death of a SalesmanPlay
  2. Jamie Lloyd
    Cyrano de BergeracPlay
  3. Trevor Nunn
    Fiddler on the Roof
  4. Ian Rickson
    Uncle VanyaPlay
2019
  1. ★ Winner
    Stephen Daldry
    The InheritancePlay
  2. Christopher Ashley
    Come from Away
  3. Marianne Elliott
    Company
  4. Rebecca Frecknall
    Summer and SmokePlay
  5. Sam Mendes
    The Lehman TrilogyPlay
2018
  1. ★ Winner
    Sam Mendes
    The FerrymanPlay
  2. Dominic Cooke
    Follies
  3. Marianne Elliott
    Angels in AmericaPlay
  4. Rupert Goold
    InkPlay
  5. Thomas Kail
    Hamilton
2017
  1. ★ Winner
    John Tiffany
    Harry Potter and the Cursed ChildPlay
  2. Simon Stone
    YermaPlay
  3. John Tiffany
    The Glass MenageriePlay
  4. Matthew Warchus
    Groundhog Day
2016
  1. ★ Winner
    Robert Icke
    OresteiaPlay
  2. Rob Ashford & Kenneth Branagh
    The Winter's TalePlay
  3. Matthew Dunster
    HangmenPlay
  4. Jonathan Kent
    Gypsy

Compiled from each award's announced results and Wikipedia, with a source for every ceremony. Spotted a mistake? Please tell us.