It’s quite obvious what the significance of cinematography is to anyone. It’s the visual signature of the film and the Director of Photography is second in command to a director and is a major contributor to the film’s overall aesthetic. Listed below you will see those who I feel not only created the best and prettiest images but also those who encapsulated their film the best and expressed it in visual terms. There are some repeat winners and some in foreign films but all treated each project uniquely and expressed their tale universally.

2023 Linus Sandgren Saltburn

2022 Charlie Sarroff Smile

2021 Greig Fraser Dune

2020 Roger Deakins 1917

2019 Roger Deakins The Goldfinch

2018 Martin Gslacht Alpha

2017 Roger A. Deakins Bladerunner 2049

2016 The Revenant Emmanuel Lubezki

2015 Mad Max: Fury Road John Seale 

2014 The Strange Color of Your Body’s Tears Manuel Dacosse

2013 The Old Man Murat Aliyev

2012 Skyfall Roger Deakins

2011 Hugo Robert Richardson

2010 The White Ribbon (Das Weisse Band) Christian Berger

2009 Before Tomorrow (Le Jour avant le lendemain) Norman Cohn and Félix Lajeunesse

2008 The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Le scaphandre et le papillon) Janusz Kaminski

2007 The Seeker: The Dark is Rising Joel Ransome

2006 Fateless (Sorstalanság) Gyula Pados

2005 War of the Worlds Janusz Kaminski

2004 Kill Bill: Vol. 2 Robert Richardson

2003 Peter Pan Donald McAlpine

2002 Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones David Tattersall

2001 Artificial Intelligence: A.I. Janusz Kaminski

2000 Unbreakable Eduardo Serra

1999 Sleepy Hollow Emmanuel Lubezki

1998 Saving Private Ryan Janusz Kaminski

1997 Mother Night Tom Richmond

1996 Romeo + Juliet Donald McAlpine