1929 – Emil Jannings, A Última Ordem – The Last Command e Tentação da Carne – The Way of All Flesh
1930 – Warner Baxter, No Velho Arizona – In Old Arizona
1931 – George Arliss, Disraeli – Disraeli
1932 – Lionel Barrymore, Uma Alma Livre – A Free Soul
1933 – Fredric March, O Médico e o Monstro – Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde e Wallace Beery, O Campeão – The Champ
1934 – Charles Laughton, Os amores de Henrique VIII – The Private Life of Henry VIII
1935 – Clark Gable, Aconteceu Naquela Noite
1936 – Victor McLagen, O Delator – The Informer
1937 – Paul Muni, A Vida de Louis Pasteur – The Life of Louis Pasteur
1938 – Spencer Tracy, Marujo Intrépido – Captain Corageous
1939 – Spencer Tracy, Com os Braços Abertos – Boys Town
1940 – Robert Donat, Adeus, Mr. Chips – Goodbye, Mr. Chips
1941 – James Stewart, Núpcias de Escândalo – Philadelphia Story
1942 – Gary Cooper, Sargento York – Seargent York
1943 – James Cagney, A Canção da Vitória – Yankee Doodle Dandy
1944 – Paul Lukas, Horas de Tormenta – Watch on the Rhine
1945 – Bing Crosby, O Bom Pastor – Going My Way
1946 – Ray Milland, Farrapo Humano – Lost Weekend
1947 – Fredric March, Os Melhores Anos de Nossas Vidas – The Best Years of Our Lives
1948 – Ronald Colman, Fatalidade – A Double Life
1949 – Laurence Olivier, Hamlet – Hamlet
1950 – Broderick Crawford, A Grande Ilusão – All The King’s Men
1951 – Jose Ferrer, Cyrano de Bergerac
1952 – Humphrey Bogart, Uma Aventura na África – The African Queen
1953 – Gary Cooper, Matar ou Morrer – High Noon
1954 – William Holden, Inferno 17 – Stalag 17
1955 – Marlon Brando, Sindicato de Ladrões – On The Waterfront
1956 – Ernest Borgnine, Marty – Marty
1957 – Yul Brynner, O Rei e Eu – The King and I
1958 – Alec Guinness, A Ponte do Rio Kwai – The Bridge on the River Kwai
1959 – David Niven, Vidas Separadas – Separate Tables
1960 – Charlton Heston, Ben-Hur – Ben-Hur
1961 – Burt Lancaster, Entre Deus e o Pecado – Elmer Gantry
1962 – Maximilian Schell, Julgamento em Nuremberg – Judgement at Nuremberg
1963 – Gregory Peck, O Sol é Para Todos – To Kill a Mockingbird
1964 – Sidney Poitier, Uma Voz nas Sombras – The Lilies of the Field
1965 – Rex Harrison, Minha Bela Dama – My Fair Lady
1966 – Lee Marvin – Dívida de Sangue – Cat Ballou
1967 – Paul Scofield, O Homem Que Não Vendeu Sua Alma – A Man for All Seasons
1968 – Rod Steiger, No Calor da Noite – In the Heat of the Night
1969 – Cliff Robertson, Os Dois Mundos de Charly – Charly
1970 – John Wayne, Bravura Indômita – True Grit
1971 – George C. Scott, Patton, Rebelde ou Herói? – Patton
1972 – Gene Hackman, Operação França – The French Connection
1973 – Marlon Brando, O Poderoso Chefão – The Godfather
1974 – Jack Lemmon, Sonhos do Passado – Save the Tiger
1975 – Art Carney, Harry, o Amigo de Tonto – Harry and Tonto
1976 – Jack Nicholson, Um Estranho no Ninho – One Flew Over the Cukoo’s Nest
1977 – Peter Finch – póstumo, Rede de Intrigas – Network
1978 – Richard Dreyfuss, A Garota do Adeus – The Goodbye Girl
1979 – John Voight, Amargo Regresso – Coming Home
1980 – Dustin Hoffman, Kramer vs. Kramer – Kramer vs. Kramer
1981 – Robert De Niro, O Touro Indomável – The Raging Bull
1982 – Henry Fonda, Num Lago Dourado – On Golden Pond
1983 – Ben Kingsley, Gandhi – Gandhi
1984 – Robert Duvall, A Força do Carinho – Tender Mercies
1985 – F. Murray Abraham, Amadeus – Amadeus
1986 – William Hurt, O Beijo da Mulher Aranha – Kiss of The Spider Woman
1987 – Paul Newman, A Cor do Dinheiro – The Color of Money
1988 – Michael Douglas, Wall Street, Poder e Cobiça – Wall Street
1989 – Dustin Hoffman, Rain Man – Rain Man
1990 – Daniel Day-Lewis, Meu Pé Esquerdo – My Left Foot
1991 – Jeremy Irons, O Reverso da Fortuna – Reversal of Fortune
1992 – Anthony Hopkins, O Silêncio dos Inocentes – The Silence of the Lambs
1993 – Al Pacino, Perfume de Mulher – Scent of a Woman
1994 – Tom Hanks, Filadélfia – Philadelphia – Philadelphia
1995 – Tom Hanks, Forrest Gump, O Contador de Histórias – Forrest Gump
1996 – Nicholas Cage, Despedida em Las Vegas
1997 – Geoffrey Rush, brilhante – Shine
1998 – Jack Nicholson, Melhor é Impossível – As good as it gets
1999 – Roberto Benigni, A Vida é Bela – La Vitta è Bela
2000 – Kevin Spacey, Beleza Americana – American Beauty
2001 – Russell Crowe, Gladiador – Gladiator
2002 – Denzel Washington, Dia de Treinamento – Training Day
2003 – Adrien Brody, O Pianista – The Pianist
2004 – Sean Penn, Sobre Meninos e Lobos – Mystic River
2005 – Jamie Foxx, Ray – Ray
2006 – Philip Seymour, Capote – Capote
2007 – Forrest Whitaker, O Último Rei da Escócia – The Last King of Scotland
2008 – Daniel Day-Lewis, Sangue Negro – There Will Be Blood
2009 – Sean Penn, Milk – A Voz da Igualdade – Milk
2010 – Jeff Bridges, Coração Louco – Crazy Heart
2011 – Colin Firth, O Discurso do Rei – The King’s Speech
2012 – Jean Dujardin, O Artista – The Artist
2013 – Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln – Lincoln
2014 – Matthew McConaughey, Clube de Compras Dallas – Dallas Buyers Club
2015 – Eddie Redmayne, A Teoria de Tudo – The Theory of Everything
2016 – Leonardo DiCaprio, O Regresso – The Revenant
2017 – Casey Affleck, Manchester à Beira Mar – Manchester by the Sea
2018 – Gary Oldman, O Destino de Uma Nação – Darkest Hour