MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction
Year Winner ( s ) Nominees
1984 Tim Newman - Sharp Dressed Man by ZZ Top All of the Good Ones Are Taken - Martin Kahan ( performed by Ian Hunter ) Dancing with Myself - Tobe Hooper ( performed by Billy Idol ) Every Breath You Take - Godley & Creme ( performed by The Police ) Gim me All Your Lovin ' - Tim Newman ( performed by ZZ Top ) I Want a New Drug - David Rathod ( performed by Huey Lewis and the News ) Numbers with Wings - Juliano Waldman ( performed by The Bongos ) Time After Time - Edd Griles ( performed by Cyndi Lauper )
1985 Jean-Baptiste Mondino - The Boys of Summer by Don Henley Dancin ' - Mary Lambert ( performed by Chris Isaak ) Do n't Come Around Here No More - Jeff Stein ( performed by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers ) Do n't You ( Forget About Me ) - Daniel Kleinman ( performed by Simple Minds ) Run to You - Steven Barron ( performed by Bryan Adams ) Stranger in Town - Steven Barron ( performed by Toto ) The Wild Boys - Russell Mulcahy ( performed by Duran Duran )
1986 Steven Barron - Take On Me by a-ha Burning House of Love - Daniel Kleinman ( performed by X ) Money for Nothing - Steven Barron ( performed by Dire Straits ) Rough Boy - Steven Barron ( performed by ZZ Top ) Sex as a Weapon - Daniel Kleinman ( performed by Pat Benatar )
1987 Stephen R. Johnson - Sledgehammer by Peter Gabriel Do n't Dream It 's Over - Alex Proyas ( performed by Crowded House ) Higher Love - Peter Kagan and Paula Greif ( performed by Steve Winwood ) Land of Confusion - Jim Yukich and John Lloyd ( performed by Genesis ) With or Without You - Meiert Avis ( performed by U2 )
1988 Andy Morahan and George Michael - Father Figure by George Michael Dear God - Nicholas Brandt ( performed by XTC ) Learning to Fly - Storm Thorgerson ( performed by Pink Floyd ) The One I Love - Robert Longo ( performed by R.E.M . ) You Have Placed a Chill in My Heart - Sophie Muller ( performed by Eurythmics )
1989 David Fincher - Express Yourself by Madonna Finish What Ya Started - Andy Morahan ( performed by Van Halen ) Parents Just Do n't Understand - Scott Kalvert ( performed by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince ) Real Love - David Fincher ( performed by Jody Watley ) Roll with It - David Fincher ( performed by Steve Winwood )
1990 David Fincher - Vogue by Madonna The End of the Innocence - David Fincher ( performed by Don Henley ) Janie 's Got a Gun - David Fincher ( performed by Aerosmith ) Opposites Attract - Michael Patterson and Candace Reckinger ( performed by Paula Abdul )
1991 Tarsem - Losing My Religion by R.E.M Freedom ! '90 - David Fincher ( performed by George Michael ) Silent Lucidity - Matt Mahurin ( performed by Queensrÿche ) Wicked Game ( Concept ) - Herb Ritts ( performed by Chris Isaak )
1992 Mark Fenske - Right Now by Van Halen Baby Got Back - Adam Bernstein ( performed by Sir Mix-a-Lot ) Give It Away - Stéphane Sednaoui ( performed by Red Hot Chili Peppers ) My Lovin ' ( You 're Never Gon na Get It ) - Matthew Rolston ( performed by En Vogue )
1993 Mark Pellington - Jeremy by Pearl Jam Free Your Mind - Mark Romanek ( performed by En Vogue ) Kiko and the Lavender Moon - Ondrej Rudavsky ( performed by Los Lobos ) Man on the Moon - Peter Care ( performed by R.E.M . )
1994 Jake Scott - Everybody Hurts by R.E.M Amazing - Marty Callner ( performed by Aerosmith ) Sabotage - Spike Jonze ( performed by Beastie Boys ) Sweet Lullaby - Tarsem ( performed by Deep Forest )
1995 Spike Jonze - Buddy Holly by Weezer Basket Case - Mark Kohr ( performed by Green Day ) Scream - Mark Romanek ( performed by Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson ) Waterfalls - F. Gary Gray ( performed by TLC )
1996 Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris - Tonight , Tonight by The Smashing Pumpkins Big Me - Jesse Peretz ( performed by Foo Fighters ) Ironic - Stéphane Sednaoui ( performed by Alanis Morissette ) It 's Oh So Quiet - Spike Jonze ( performed by Björk )
1997 Beck - The New Pollution by Beck The End Is the Beginning Is the End - Joel Schumacher , Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris ( performed by The Smashing Pumpkins ) The Perfect Drug - Mark Romanek ( performed by Nine Inch Nails ) The Rain ( Supa Dupa Fly ) - Hype Williams ( performed by Missy Elliott ) Virtual Insanity - Jonathan Glazer ( performed by Jamiroquai )
1998 Jonas Åkerlund - Ray of Light by Madonna Gone Till November - Francis Lawrence ( performed by Wyclef Jean ) Karma Police - Jonathan Glazer ( performed by Radiohead ) Push It - Andrea Giacobbe ( performed by Garbage ) Smack My Bitch Up - Jonas Åkerlund ( performed by The Prodigy )
1999 Torrance Community Dance Group - Praise You by Fatboy Slim Freak on a Leash - Todd McFarlane , Graham Morris , Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris ( performed by Korn ) My Name Is - Dr. Dre and Phillip Atwell ( performed by Eminem ) No Scrubs - Hype Williams ( performed by TLC ) What 's It Gon na Be ? ! - Hype Williams and Busta Rhymes ( performed by Busta Rhymes featuring Janet Jackson )
2000 Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris - Californication by Red Hot Chili Peppers Everything is Everything - Sanji ( performed by Lauryn Hill ) Learn to Fly - Jesse Peretz ( performed by Foo Fighters ) The Real Slim Shady - Dr. Dre and Phillip Atwell ( performed by Eminem ) Untitled ( How Does It Feel ) - Paul Hunter and Dominique Trenier ( performed by D'Angelo )
2001 Spike Jonze - Weapon of Choice by Fatboy Slim Imitation of Life - Garth Jennings ( performed by R.E.M . ) Crawling - Brothers Strause ( performed by Linkin Park ) Ms. Jackson - F. Gary Gray ( performed by OutKast ) Stan - Dr. Dre and Phillip Atwell ( performed by Eminem featuring Dido )
2002 Joseph Kahn - Without Me by Eminem Alive - Francis Lawrence ( performed by P.O.D . ) By the Way - Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris ( performed by Red Hot Chili Peppers ) One Minute Man - Dave Meyers ( performed by Missy Elliott featuring Ludacris and Trina ) This Train Do n't Stop There Anymore - David LaChapelle ( performed by Elton John )
2003 Jamie Thraves - The Scientist by Coldplay Cry Me a River - Francis Lawrence ( performed by Justin Timberlake ) The Hell Song - Marc Klasfeld ( performed by Sum 41 ) Hurt - Mark Romanek ( performed by Johnny Cash ) Work It - Dave Meyers and Missy Elliott ( performed by Missy Elliott )
Recipients
The MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction is a craft award given to the artist, the artist's manager, and the director of the music video. From 1984 to 2006, the full name of the award was Best Direction in a Video, and in 2007, it was briefly renamed Best Director. The category acquired its current name starting with the 2008 awards. The biggest winners are Spike Jonze and David Fincher with three wins each, although one of Jonze's wins is credited as the Torrance Community Dance Group. The most nominated director is David Fincher with eight nominations. Remarkably, seven of Fincher's nominations were achieved in a three-year span (1989-1991), as he was nominated a record three times in both 1989 and 1990. Fincher's latest nomination (and win) occurred over twenty years later in 2013 for his work on Justin Timberlake's Suit & Tie. Closely following them is Francis Lawrence with six nominations. Hype Williams is the director with most nominations and no wins at five. The performer whose videos have won the most awards is Madonna, whose videos have garnered three direction Moonmen. However, Eminem's videos have received the most nominations with seven. Four performers have won a Moonman in this category for their work directing/co-directing their videos: George Michael (Father Figure), Beck (The New Pollution), Erykah Badu (Honey), and Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys (Make Some Noise).