Which Oscar category did John Ford win a record four times?

Which Oscar category did John Ford win a record four times? John Ford won a record four Oscars for Best Director.

His victories came for The Informer in 1935, The Grapes of Wrath in 1940, How Green Was My Valley in 1941, and The Quiet Man in 1952. These wins established Ford as the Academy’s most frequently honored winner in the directing category. He remains especially notable because none of those four winning films was a Western, even though Westerns became central to his reputation.

Ford’s 1940 and 1941 victories were consecutive, making him the first director to win Best Director in back-to-back years. His directing career also included a nomination for Stagecoach, the 1939 Western that helped make John Wayne a major star.

Best Director should not be confused with Best Picture. How Green Was My Valley also won Best Picture, but Ford’s record refers specifically to directing awards. His wartime documentaries won Oscars in documentary categories, yet those do not add to his Best Director total.