| Year | Movie | Award | Category |
| 2006 | Letters from Iwo Jima | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie | Best Picture |
| 2006 | Munich | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie | Best Picture |
| 2005 | Munich | Golden Globe | Best Director |
| 2005 | Munich | Directors Guild of America | Best Director |
| 2005 | Munich | Online Film Critics Association | Best Director |
| 2005 | Munich | Chicago Film Critics Association | Best Director |
| 2005 | Munich | Broadcast Film Critics Association | Best Director |
| 2005 | Munich | Kansas City Film Critics Association | Best Director |
| 2005 | Munich | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie | Best Director |
| 2003 | Minority Report | Broadcast Film Critics Association | Best Director |
| 2003 | Catch Me If You Can | Broadcast Film Critics Association | Best Director |
| 2002 | Minority Report | Broadcast Film Critics Association | Best Director |
| 2002 | Catch Me If You Can | Broadcast Film Critics Association | Best Director |
| 2001 | A.I.: Artificial Intelligence | Golden Globe | Best Director |
| 2001 | A.I.: Artificial Intelligence | Venice International Film Festival | Future Film Festival Digital Award |
| 1998 | Saving Private Ryan | Golden Globe | Best Director |
| 1998 | Saving Private Ryan | Directors Guild of America | Best Director |
| 1998 | Saving Private Ryan | Toronto Film Critics Association | Best Director |
| 1998 | Saving Private Ryan | Broadcast Film Critics Association | Best Director |
| 1998 | Saving Private Ryan | Los Angeles Film Critics Association | Best Director |
| 1998 | Saving Private Ryan | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie | Best Picture |
| 1998 | Saving Private Ryan | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie | Best Director |
| 1997 | Amistad | Golden Globe | Best Director |
| 1997 | Amistad | Directors Guild of America | Best Director |
| 1994 | Schindler's List | British Academy of Film and Television | Best Director |
| 1993 | Schindler's List | Golden Globe | Best Director |
| 1993 | Schindler's List | Directors Guild of America | Best Director |
| 1993 | Schindler's List | National Society of Film Critics | Best Director |
| 1993 | Schindler's List | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie | Best Picture |
| 1993 | Schindler's List | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie | Best Director |
| 1993 | Schindler's List | British Academy of Film and Television | David Lean Award |
| 1987 | Empire of the Sun | National Board of Review | Best Director |
| 1987 | Empire of the Sun | Directors Guild of America | Best Director |
| 1985 | The Color Purple | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie | Best Picture |
| 1982 | E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial | Golden Globe | Best Director |
| 1982 | E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial | Directors Guild of America | Best Director |
| 1982 | E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial | Los Angeles Film Critics Association | Best Director |
| 1982 | E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie | Best Picture |
| 1982 | E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie | Best Director |
| 1981 | Raiders of the Lost Ark | Golden Globe | Best Director |
| 1981 | Raiders of the Lost Ark | Directors Guild of America | Best Director |
| 1981 | Raiders of the Lost Ark | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie | Best Director |
| 1978 | Close Encounters of the Third Kind | British Academy of Film and Television | Best Picture |
| 1977 | Close Encounters of the Third Kind | Golden Globe | Best Director |
| 1977 | Close Encounters of the Third Kind | Golden Globe | Best Screenplay |
| 1977 | Close Encounters of the Third Kind | Directors Guild of America | Best Director |
| 1977 | Close Encounters of the Third Kind | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie | Best Director |
| 1975 | Jaws | Golden Globe | Best Director |
| 1975 | Jaws | Directors Guild of America | Best Director |
| 1975 | Jaws | British Academy of Film and Television | Best Picture |
