Martin Scorsese and the Academy Awards: A Comprehensive History of Nominations and Wins

Martin Scorsese is the most-nominated living director in Academy Awards history, holding a record that cements his status as a titan of American cinema. Despite ten nominations for Best Director, he has won the award once, for the 2006 crime drama The Departed, a statistic that often sparks debate regarding the Academy's recognition of auteur-driven filmmaking.

The relationship between Martin Scorsese and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) is one of the most storied and analyzed narratives in Hollywood history. For over five decades, Scorsese has represented the bridge between the "New Hollywood" revolution of the 1970s and the modern era of prestige filmmaking. While his peers like Steven Spielberg and Francis Ford Coppola found early Oscar success, Scorsese’s journey toward the golden statuette was marked by decades of "snubs," critical acclaim, and a final, cathartic victory that many viewed as a career achievement award as much as a win for a single film.

As of 2026, looking back at a career that has spanned more than sixty years, the "Scorsese and the Oscar" narrative is no longer just about wins and losses; it is about how a filmmaker’s uncompromising vision eventually forced the industry to adapt to him, rather than the other way around.

The Early Years: Redefining Cinema Without the Gold

Scorsese’s interaction with the Academy began in earnest during the mid-1970s. While he had already directed Mean Streets (1973), it was Taxi Driver (1976) that forced the Academy to take notice of his gritty, hyper-realistic, and deeply psychological style.

The Taxi Driver Phenomenon (1976)

Taxi Driver received four nominations, including Best Picture, but Scorsese himself was surprisingly omitted from the Best Director category. The film’s dark exploration of urban decay and vigilante justice was perhaps too jarring for the Academy’s traditional tastes at the time. The Best Picture award that year went to Rocky, a traditional "underdog" story that stood in stark contrast to the nihilism of Travis Bickle. This set a precedent for Scorsese: his films often pushed the boundaries of what the Academy considered "palatable."

The Raging Bull Controversy (1980)

Often cited as one of the greatest "snubs" in Oscar history, the 53rd Academy Awards saw Scorsese nominated for Best Director for Raging Bull. The film is now widely regarded as a masterpiece of cinematography and editing. However, both the Best Picture and Best Director awards went to Robert Redford and his directorial debut, Ordinary People. While Ordinary People was a well-crafted domestic drama, the loss for Raging Bull is frequently used by film historians to illustrate the Academy's historical preference for safe, emotional narratives over visceral, technically revolutionary art.

The Middle Period: Masterpieces and Missed Opportunities

The 1980s and 1990s saw Scorsese solidify his reputation as a master craftsman, yet the elusive Best Director trophy continued to evade him.

Goodfellas and the 1990 Turning Point

If Raging Bull was a shock, the 1990 loss for Goodfellas was a seismic event in the industry. Goodfellas redefined the gangster genre, utilizing rapid-fire editing, a non-linear soundtrack, and breaking the "fourth wall." It was the front-runner in the eyes of critics, yet it lost Best Picture and Best Director to Kevin Costner’s Dances with Wolves.

The narrative at the time suggested that the Academy favored the sweeping, epic traditionalism of a Western over the violent, frenetic energy of Scorsese’s mob world. This loss began the "overdue" narrative that would follow Scorsese for the next sixteen years.

Diversification in the 90s

Throughout the 1990s, Scorsese proved his versatility, earning nominations for films that stepped outside his traditional crime milieu.

• The Age of Innocence (1993): A lush period piece that earned five nominations, winning for Best Costume Design.
• Casino (1995): While not a Best Director nominee for Scorsese, it earned Sharon Stone a Best Actress nomination and reinforced Scorsese’s dominance over the crime genre.
• Kundun (1997): A biographical film about the Dalai Lama that showcased Scorsese’s spiritual interests and visual grandeur, earning four craft-related nominations.

The "Overdue" Era: The Collaboration with Leonardo DiCaprio

The turn of the millennium marked a new chapter in Scorsese’s career, characterized by his partnership with Leonardo DiCaprio. This era saw Scorsese making larger-scale, more commercially accessible films that seemed designed to finally bridge the gap between his artistic sensibilities and the Academy’s preferences.

Gangs of New York (2002)

This massive historical epic was Scorsese’s most blatant "Oscar play" to date. It received ten nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director. However, it went 0 for 10 on Oscar night. The film’s production was famously troubled, and the loss signaled that Scorsese’s path to the podium was still blocked by stiff competition—in this case, the musical Chicago and director Roman Polanski.

The Aviator (2004)

Two years later, Scorsese returned with The Aviator, a biopic of Howard Hughes. It led the field with eleven nominations and won five (mostly in technical categories). Scorsese again lost Best Director, this time to Clint Eastwood for Million Dollar Baby. At this point, the media coverage of the Academy Awards began to focus heavily on the "Scorsese Curse."

The Breakthrough: The Departed (2006)

The 79th Academy Awards, held in 2007, finally broke the streak. The Departed, a remake of the Hong Kong thriller Infernal Affairs, was not necessarily considered Scorsese’s "greatest" work by critics compared to Raging Bull or Goodfellas, but it was a masterclass in tension and pacing.

When Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola, and George Lucas—Scorsese's contemporaries—walked onto the stage to present the Best Director award, the industry knew a historic moment was coming. Scorsese won, and the standing ovation lasted for several minutes. The Departed also won Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Film Editing.

This victory was seen by many as a "career achievement" win. It validated Scorsese's place in the pantheon and removed the "un-awarded" stigma that had hung over his filmography for decades.

Late-Career Dominance and Record-Breaking Nominations

Following his win for The Departed, Scorsese did not slow down. If anything, he became more experimental, leading to a string of nominations that saw him surpass his peers in total career nods.

Hugo (2011) and the Technical Sweep

Hugo was a love letter to early cinema and a foray into 3D technology. It was an Academy favorite, receiving eleven nominations and winning five. While Scorsese lost Best Director to Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist), the film proved that Scorsese remained at the cutting edge of cinematic technology.

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

This film proved that even in his 70s, Scorsese could out-edge younger directors. A chaotic, high-energy exploration of corporate greed, it earned five nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director. It became a cultural phenomenon, though its controversial content (drugs, nudity, and profanity) likely hindered its chances with the more conservative wing of the Academy.

The Irishman (2019) and the Netflix Era

With The Irishman, Scorsese embraced the streaming era through Netflix. The film was a somber, reflective "spiritual sequel" to his previous mob films. It received ten nominations but, in a repeat of the Gangs of New York outcome, walked away with zero wins. This outcome highlighted the ongoing friction between traditional theatrical releases and streaming services within the Academy voting ranks.

Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)

As of 2026, the 2024 ceremony remains a high point for Scorsese’s late-career recognition. Killers of the Flower Moon earned ten nominations. At the age of 81, Scorsese became the oldest person ever nominated for Best Director. While the film did not dominate the win column, the nomination itself solidified his record as the living director with the most nominations (10), surpassing Steven Spielberg (9).

Scorsese's Academy Award Statistics (Key Films)

The following table outlines the major Academy Award milestones for films directed by Martin Scorsese, focusing on Best Picture and Best Director categories.

Why the Disparity Between Nominations and Wins?

The high volume of nominations compared to the single win is a frequent point of discussion among cinephiles. Several factors contribute to this disparity:

1. Challenging Subject Matter: Scorsese frequently explores moral ambiguity, violence, and unlikable protagonists. The Academy traditionally favors "uplifting" or "important" social dramas (e.g., Ordinary People over Raging Bull, Dances with Wolves over Goodfellas).
2. Timing and Competition: Scorsese has often released his best work in years with heavy competition. Losing to films like Schindler’s List (for The Age of Innocence) or Million Dollar Baby (for The Aviator) reflects the strength of the field rather than a failure of the film.
3. The "Auteur" vs. The "Industry": For much of his career, Scorsese was seen as a New York-based outsider. While he is now the establishment, his earlier work was often viewed as too "radical" for the Hollywood mainstream.
4. Editing and Technical Focus: Scorsese’s films often win for Film Editing (Thelma Schoonmaker has three wins for his films). The Academy often recognizes the "craft" of his films while withholding the "top" prizes for more traditional narratives.

FAQs: Martin Scorsese and the Academy Awards

How many Oscars has Martin Scorsese won?

Martin Scorsese has won one Academy Award. He won Best Director in 2007 for The Departed. Despite being one of the most celebrated directors in history, he has only taken home the trophy once out of ten nominations in that specific category.

Who is the most nominated director in Oscar history?

The most nominated director in history is William Wyler, who earned 12 nominations. Martin Scorsese holds the record for the most nominations of any living director with 10, followed by Steven Spielberg with 9.

Did Goodfellas win Best Picture?

No, Goodfellas did not win Best Picture. It lost to Dances with Wolves at the 63rd Academy Awards in 1991. Joe Pesci was the only one from the film to win an Oscar that year, taking home Best Supporting Actor.

Why did it take so long for Scorsese to win an Oscar?

There is no single reason, but industry analysts point to the Academy's preference for traditional storytelling and Scorsese's penchant for gritty, violent, and non-linear films. Additionally, he often faced stiff competition during his peak years. His 2007 win was widely seen as a recognition of his entire body of work as much as it was for The Departed.

What is Scorsese’s relationship with the Academy today?

In 2026, Scorsese is viewed as a "Dean of American Cinema." While he continues to receive numerous nominations, he has largely moved beyond the need for Oscar validation, focusing on film preservation through The Film Foundation and continuing to work with major budgets from streaming platforms like Apple and Netflix.

Expert Recommendation for Further Exploration

To truly understand the "Scorsese and the Oscar" dynamic, one should look beyond the Best Director category and study the work of Thelma Schoonmaker, Scorsese’s long-time editor. Her three Academy Award wins (Raging Bull, The Aviator, The Departed) are essential to his success. Watching the "Making Of" documentaries for Raging Bull or The Departed provides deep insight into the technical precision that the Academy frequently nominates but sometimes struggles to reward with the top prize.

For those tracking the current status of his legacy in 2026, his continued advocacy for the "cinema as art" vs. "content" debate remains his most significant contribution to the industry, regardless of how many more statues he adds to his shelf.