Winners were chosen by the readers of Empire magazine.
Christopher Nolan and Peter Jackson were nominated on seven occasions, more than any other director.
Kathryn Bigelow and Patty Jenkins are the only female directors to be nominated for the award.
Rian Johnson was the most recent winner in this category for his direction of Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
appears in parentheses after the awards year, linked to the article (if any) on that ceremony.