| Golden Rooster Awards for Best Director | |
| Awarded For: | Best Director of the year |
| Country: | China |
| Year: | 1981 |
| Year2: | 2023 |
| Holder Label: | Winner (2023) |
| Holder: | Cheng Er for Hidden Blade |
| Website: | Golden Rooster Awards |
| Previous: | 35th |
| Main: | 36th Golden Rooster Awards |
| Next: | 37th |
Golden Rooster Award for Best Director (中国电影金鸡奖最佳导演) is the main category of Competition of Golden Rooster Awards, awarding to director who have outstanding achievement in direction for motion pictures.
| Year | Winner and nominees (English) | Winner and nominees (Chinese) | English title | Original title | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Li Qiankuan/Xiao Guiyun | 李前宽、肖桂云 | Founding Ceremony | 开国大典 | ||||
| Xie Tieli/Zhao Yuan | 谢铁骊、赵元 | A Dream of the Red Mansions | 红楼梦 | |||||
| Chen Jialin | 陈家林 | Bai Se Qi Yi | 百色起义 | |||||
| 1991 | N/A | |||||||
| Huang Jianzhong/Li Ziyu | 黄健中、李子羽 | Dragon Year Cops | 龙年警官 | |||||
| Sai Fu/Mai Lisi | 赛夫、麦丽丝 | Qi Shi Feng Yun | 骑士风云 | |||||
| Xia Gang | 夏钢 | Zao Yu Ji Qing | 遭遇激情 | |||||
| 1992 | Sun Zhou | 孙周 | Xin Xiang | 心香 | ||||
| Ensable Directors | 导演创作集体 | 大决战 | ||||||
| Huang Jianzhong | 黄健中 | Spring Festival | 过年 | |||||
| Li Qiankuan/Xiao Guiyun | 李前宽、肖桂云 | Jue Zhan Zhi Hou | 决战之后 | |||||
| Li Xiepu | 李歇浦 | Kai Tian Pi Di | 开天辟地 | |||||
| Xu Geng | 徐耿 | Feng Yu Gu Yuan | 风雨故园 | |||||
| 1993 | Xia Gang | 夏钢 | After Separation | 大撒把 | ||||
| Zhang Jianya | 张建亚 | San Mao Joins the Army | 三毛从军记 | |||||
| Zhang Yimou | 张艺谋 | The Story of Qiu Ju | 秋菊打官司 | |||||
| 1994 | He Ping | 何平 | Red Firecracker, Green Firecracker | 炮打双灯 | ||||
| Sai Fu/Mai Lisi | 赛夫、麦丽丝 | To the East of Heroes | 东归英雄传 | |||||
| 1995 | Huang Jianxin/Yang Yazhou | 黄建新、杨亚洲 | Back to Back, Face to Face | 背靠背，脸对脸 | ||||
| Zhou Xiaowen | 周晓文 | Ermo | 二嫫 | |||||
| 1996 | Wu Tianming | 吴天明 | The King of Masks | 变脸 | ||||
| Chen Guoxing/Wang Ping | 陈国星、王坪 | Kong Fansen | 孔繁森 | |||||
| Ning Ying | 宁瀛 | Police Story | 民警故事 | |||||
| Ye Daying | 叶大鹰 | Red Cherry | 红樱桃 | |||||
| 1997 | Wei Lian | 韦廉 | Da Zhuan Zhe | 大转折 | ||||
| Huang Shuqin | 黄蜀芹 | I Have a Dad | 我也有爸爸 | |||||
| Xie Jin | 谢晋 | The Opium War | 鸦片战争 | |||||
| 1998 | Hu Bingliu | 胡炳榴 | Settlement | 安居 | ||||
| Sai Fu/Mai Lisi | 赛夫、麦丽丝 | Genghis Khan | 一代天骄成吉思汗 | |||||
| Yang Guangyuan | 杨光远 | The Liberation of Southwest China | 大进军——席卷大西南 | |||||
| Yang Yazhou | 杨亚洲 | A Tree in House | 没事偷着乐 | |||||
| 1999 | Zhang Yimou | 张艺谋 | Not One Less | 一个都不能少 | ||||
| Huo Jianqi | 霍建起 | Postmen in the Mountains | 那山那人那狗 | |||||
| Teng Wenji | 滕文骥 | Spring Rhapsody | 春天的狂想 | |||||
| Year | Winner and nominees (English) | Winner and nominees (Chinese) | English title | Original title | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Chen Guoxing | 陈国星 | Heng Kong Chu Shi | 横空出世 | |
| Zhang Yimou | 张艺谋 | The Road Home | 我的父亲母亲 | ||
| 2001 | Huo Jianqi | 霍建起 | Love of Blueness | 蓝色爱情 | |
| Ding Yinnan | 丁荫楠 | Together Forever | 相伴永远 | ||
| Huang Jianxin | 黄建新 | Who Cares? | 谁说我不在乎 | ||
| 2002 | Chen Kaige | 陈凯歌 | Together | 和你在一起 | |
| Yang Yazhou | 杨亚洲 | Pretty Big Feet | 美丽的大脚 | ||
| Sai Fu/Mai Lisi | 赛夫、麦丽丝 | Heavenly Grassland | 天上草原 | ||
| 2003 | Zhang Yimou | 张艺谋 | Hero | 英雄 | |
| Huo Jianqi | 霍建起 | Nuan | 暖 | ||
| Zhai Junjie | 翟俊杰 | Jing Tao Hai Lang | 惊涛骇浪 | ||
| Zheng Dongtian | 郑洞天 | Once Upon a Time in Taiwan | 台湾往事 | ||
| 2004 | Peng Xiaolian | 彭小莲 | Shanghai Story | 美丽上海 | |
| Zhang Yimou | 张艺谋 | House of Flying Daggers | 十面埋伏 | ||
| 2005 | Ma Liwen | 马俪文 | You and Me | 我们俩 | |
| Lu Chuan | 陆川 | 可可西里 | |||
| Lian Weilian/Shen Dong/Chen Jian | 连威廉、沈东、陈健 | On the Mountain of Tai Hang | 太行山上 | ||
| Yin Li | 尹力 | Zhang Side | 张思德 | ||
| 2006-2007 | Qi Jian | 戚健 | The Forest Ranger | 天狗 | |
| Yin Li | 尹力 | The Knot | 云水谣 | ||
| Gao Qunshu | 高群书 | Tokyo Trail | 东京审判 | ||
| Jacob Cheung | 张之亮 | A Battle of Wits | 墨攻 | ||
| Yu Zhong | 俞钟 | A Postman OF Paradise | 香巴拉信使 | ||
| 2008-2009 | Feng Xiaogang | 冯小刚 | Assembly | 集结号 | |
| Cao Baoping | 曹保平 | The Equation of Love and Death | 李米的猜想 | ||
| Chen Kaige | 陈凯歌 | Forever Enthralled | 梅兰芳 | ||
| Gordon Chan | 陈嘉上 | Painted Skin | 画皮 | ||
| Ning Hao | 宁浩 | Crazy Racer | 疯狂的赛车 | ||
| Year | Winner and nominees (English) | Winner and nominees (Chinese) | English title | Original title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-2011 | Chen Li | 陈力 | Love in the Lounge Bridges | 爱在廊桥 |
| An Zhanjun | 安战军 | Through Stunning Storms | 惊沙 | |
| Feng Xiaogang | 冯小刚 | Aftershock | 唐山大地震 | |
| Gao Feng | 高峰 | The Old Village | 老寨 | |
| Ning Cai | 宁才 | Mother | 额吉 | |
| Zhang Meng | 张猛 | The Piano in a Factory | 钢的琴 | |
| 2012-2013[1] | Peter Chan | 陈可辛 | American Dreams in China | 中国合伙人 |
| Wang Jing | 王竞 | Feng Shui | 万箭穿心 | |
| Wong Kar-wai | 王家卫 | The Grandmaster | 一代宗师 | |
| Feng Xiaogang | 冯小刚 | Back to 1942 | 一九四二 | |
| 2014-2015[2] | Tsui Hark | 徐克 | The Taking of Tiger Mountain | 智取威虎山 |
| Ba Yin | 巴音 | Norjmaa | 诺日吉玛 | |
| Ann Hui | 许鞍华 | The Golden Era | 黄金时代 | |
| Liang Ming | 梁明 | Flag | 旗 | |
| Fu Dongyu | 傅东育 | The Sky of Tibet | 西藏天空 | |
| 2016-2017 | Feng Xiaogang | 冯小刚 | I Am Not Madame Bovary | 我不是潘金莲 |
| Zheng Dasheng | 郑大圣 | Bangzi Melody | 村戏 | |
| 曹保平 | The Dead End | 烈日灼心 | ||
| Cheng Er | 程耳 | The Wasted Times | 罗曼蒂克消亡史 | |
| 管虎 | Mr. Six | 老炮儿 | ||
| 2018-2019 | Dante Lam | 林超贤 | Operation Red Sea | 红海行动 |
| 郭帆 | The Wandering Earth | 流浪地球 | ||
| Huo Meng | 霍猛 | Crossing The Border-Zhaoguan | 过昭关 | |
| 王小帅 | So Long, My Son | 地久天长 | ||
| 董越 | The Looming Storm | 暴雪将至 | ||
| 吕乐 | Lost, Found | 找到你 | ||
| Year | Winner and nominees | English title | Original title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Wang Rui | Chaogtu with Sarula | 白云之下 |
| Yang Lina | Spring Tide | 春潮 | |
| Peter Chan | Leap | 夺冠 | |
| Chen Kaige, Zhang Yibai, Guan Hu, Xue Xiaolu, Xu Zheng, Ning Hao, Wen Muye | My People, My Country | 我和我的祖国 | |
| Zhou Shen, Liu Lu | Almost a Comedy | 半个喜剧 | |
| Derek Tsang | Better Days | 少年的你 | |
| 2021 | Zhang Yimou | Cliff Walkers | 悬崖之上 |
| Huang Jianxin Zheng Dasheng | 1921 | 1921 | |
| Han Yan | A Little Red Flower | 送你一朵小红花 | |
| Lu Yang | A Writer's Odyssey | 刺杀小说家 | |
| Yin Li | A Hustle Bustle New Year | 没有过不去的年 | |
| 2022 | Chen Kaige Tsui Hark Dante Lam | The Battle at Lake Changjin | 长津湖 |
| Longman Leung | Anita | 梅艷芳 | |
| Wen Muye | Nice View | 奇迹·笨小孩 | |
| Xue Xiaolu | Embrace Again | 穿过寒冬拥抱你 | |
| Sniper | 狙击手 | ||
| 2023 | Deng Chao Yu Baimei | 中国乒乓之绝地反击 | |
| Wuershan | 封神第一部：朝歌风云 | ||
| Chen Guoxing Lahuajia | Back to Tibet | ||
| Er Cheng | Hidden Blade | 无名 | |
| Wei Shujun | Yong'an Town Story Collection | ||