Golden Globe Award for bedste skuespiller – drama blev første gang uddelt i 1951 af Hollywood Foreign Press Association som en adskilt kategori. Tidligere var der kun en enkelt pris for "Bedste Skuespiller" men opdelingne med "Bedste skuespiller – komedie/musical" gjorde det lettere.
Prisens formelle titel har varieret en del. I 2005 var det officielle navn "Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture-Drama". Pr. 2021 er navnet blevet lavet om til "Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama".Vindere & nominerede 2021 - Golden Globes - https://www.goldenglobes.com/winners-nominees
Prisen gives til mandlige skuespillere. Kvindelige skuespillere modtager prisen Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama.
Bemærkning: "†" indikerer at skuespilleren også vandt en Academy Award.
Vindere og nominerede 1940'erne 1943: Paul Lukas – Watch on the Rhine 1944: Alexander Knox – Wilson 1945: Ray Milland – Forspildte dage 1946: Gregory Peck – Hjortekalven 1947: Ronald Colman – Jalousi 1948: Laurence Olivier – Hamlet 1949: Broderick Crawford – Alle kongens mænd
1950'erne 1950: José Ferrer – Cyrano de Bergerac 1951 Fredric March – Death of a Salesman 1952 Gary Cooper – High Noon 1953 Spencer Tracy – The Actress 1954 Marlon Brando – On the Waterfront 1955 Ernest Borgnine – Marty 1956 Kirk Douglas – Lust for Life 1957 Alec Guinness – The Bridge on the River Kwai1958: David Niven – Separate Tables Tony Curtis – The Defiant Ones Robert Donat – The Inn of the Sixth Happiness Sidney Poitier – The Defiant Ones Spencer Tracy – The Old Man and the Sea
1959: Anthony Franciosa – Career Richard Burton – Look Back in Anger Charlton Heston – Ben-Hur † Fredric March – Middle of the Night Joseph Schildkraut – The Diary of Anne Frank as Otto Frank
1960'erne 1960: Burt Lancaster – Elmer Gantry † Trevor Howard – Sons and Lovers Laurence Olivier – Spartacus Dean Stockwell – Sons and Lovers Spencer Tracy – Inherit the Wind
1961: Maximilian Schell – Judgment at Nuremberg † Warren Beatty – Splendor in the Grass Maurice Chevalier – Fanny Paul Newman – The Hustler Sidney Poitier – A Raisin in the Sun
1962: Gregory Peck – To Kill a Mockingbird † Bobby Darin – Pressure Point Laurence Harvey – The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm Jackie Gleason – Gigot Burt Lancaster – Birdman of Alcatraz Jack Lemmon – Days of Wine and Roses James Mason – Lolita Paul Newman – Sweet Bird of Youth Peter O'Toole – Lawrence of Arabia Anthony Quinn – Lawrence of Arabia
1963: Sidney Poitier – Lilies of the Field † Marlon Brando – The Ugly American Stathis Giallelis – America, America Rex Harrison – Cleopatra Steve McQueen – Love with the Proper Stranger Paul Newman – Hud Gregory Peck – Captain Newman, M.D. Tom Tryon – The Cardinal
1964: Peter O'Toole – Becket Richard Burton – Becket Anthony Franciosa – Rio Conchos Fredric March – 7 dage i maj Anthony Quinn – Alexis Zorbas1965: Omar Sharif – Doktor Zhivago Rex Harrison – The Agony and the Ecstasy Sidney Poitier – A Patch of Blue Rod Steiger – The Pawnbroker Oskar Werner – Ship of Fools1966: Paul Scofield – A Man for All Seasons † Richard Burton – Hvem er bange for Virginia Woolf? Michael Caine – Alfie Steve McQueen – The Sand Pebbles Max von Sydow – Hawaii1967: Rod Steiger – In the Heat of the Night † Alan Bates – Far from the Madding Crowd Warren Beatty – Bonnie and Clyde Paul Newman – Cool Hand Luke Sidney Poitier – In the Heat of the Night Spencer Tracy – Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (posthumous)1968: Peter O'Toole – The Lion in Winter Alan Arkin – The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter Alan Bates – The Fixer Tony Curtis – The Boston Strangler Cliff Robertson – Charly †
1969: John Wayne – De frygtløse † Alan Arkin – Popi Richard Burton – Anne of the Thousand Days Dustin Hoffman – Midnight Cowboy Jon Voight – Midnight Cowboy
1970'erne 1970: George C. Scott – Patton som George S. Patton † Melvyn Douglas – I Never Sang for My Father James Earl Jones – The Great White Hope Jack Nicholson – Five Easy Pieces Ryan O'Neal – Love Story
1971: Gene Hackman – The French Connection † Peter Finch – Sunday Bloody Sunday Malcolm McDowell – A Clockwork Orange Jack Nicholson – Carnal Knowledge George C. Scott – The Hospital
1972: Marlon Brando – The Godfather † Michael Caine – Sleuth Laurence Olivier – Sleuth Al Pacino – The Godfather Jon Voight – Deliverance
1973: Al Pacino – Serpico Robert Blake – Electra Glide in Blue Jack Lemmon – Save the Tiger † Steve McQueen – Papillon Jack Nicholson – The Last Detail1974: Jack Nicholson – Chinatown James Caan – The Gambler Gene Hackman – The Conversation Dustin Hoffman – Lenny Al Pacino – The Godfather: Part II
1975: Jack Nicholson – Gøgereden † Gene Hackman – French Connection II Al Pacino – Dog Day Afternoon Maximilian Schell – The Man in the Glass Booth James Whitmore – Give 'em Hell, Harry!
1976: Peter Finch – Network as Howard Beale (posthumous) † David Carradine – Bound for Glory Robert De Niro – Taxi Driver Dustin Hoffman – Marathon Man Sylvester Stallone – Rocky
1977: Richard Burton – Equus Marcello Mastroianni – A Special Day (Una giornata particolare) Al Pacino – Bobby Deerfield Gregory Peck – MacArthur Henry Winkler – Heroes1978: Jon Voight – Coming Home † Brad Davis – Midnight Express Robert De Niro – The Deer Hunter Anthony Hopkins – Magic Gregory Peck – The Boys from Brazil1979: Dustin Hoffman – Kramer vs. Kramer † Jack Lemmon – Kinasyndromet Al Pacino – ...And Justice for All Jon Voight – The Champ James Woods – The Onion Field
1980'erne 1980: Robert De Niro – Raging Bull † John Hurt – The Elephant Man Jack Lemmon – Tribute Peter O'Toole – The Stunt Man Donald Sutherland – Ordinary People
1981: Henry Fonda – On Golden Pond † Warren Beatty – Reds Timothy Hutton – Taps Burt Lancaster – Atlantic City Treat Williams – Prince of the City1982: Ben Kingsley – Gandhi † Albert Finney – Shoot the Moon Richard Gere – An Officer and a Gentleman Jack Lemmon – Missing Paul Newman – The Verdict
1983: Robert Duvall – Tender Mercies † Tom Courtenay – The Dresser Tom Conti – Reuben, Reuben Richard Farnsworth – The Grey Fox Albert Finney – The Dresser Al Pacino – Scarface Eric Roberts – Star 801984: F. Murray Abraham – Amadeus † Jeff Bridges – Starman Albert Finney – Under the Volcano Tom Hulce – Amadeus Sam Waterston – The Killing Fields
1985: Jon Voight – Runaway Train Harrison Ford – Witness Gene Hackman – Twice in a Lifetime William Hurt – Kiss of the Spider Woman † Raúl Juliá – Kiss of the Spider Woman1986: Bob Hoskins – Mona Lisa Harrison Ford – The Mosquito Coast Dexter Gordon – Round Midnight William Hurt – Children of a Lesser God Jeremy Irons – The Mission Paul Newman – The Color of Money †
1987: Michael Douglas – Wall Street † John Lone – The Last Emperor Jack Nicholson – Ironweed Nick Nolte – Weeds Denzel Washington – Cry Freedom1988: Dustin Hoffman – Rain Man † Gene Hackman – Mississippi Burning Tom Hulce – Dominick and Eugene Edward James Olmos – Stand and Deliver Forest Whitaker – Bird
1989: Tom Cruise – Born on the Fourth of July Daniel Day-Lewis – My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown † Jack Lemmon – Dad Al Pacino – Sea of Love Robin Williams – Dead Poets Society
1990'erne 1990: Jeremy Irons – Reversal of Fortune † Kevin Costner – Dances With Wolves Richard Harris – The Field Al Pacino – The Godfather: Part III Robin Williams – Awakenings
1991: Nick Nolte – The Prince of Tides Warren Beatty – Bugsy Kevin Costner – JFK Robert De Niro – Cape Fear Anthony Hopkins – The Silence of the Lambs †1992: Al Pacino – Scent of a Woman † Tom Cruise – A Few Good Men Robert Downey Jr. – Chaplin Jack Nicholson – Hoffa Denzel Washington – Malcolm X
1993: Tom Hanks – Philadelphia † Daniel Day-Lewis – In the Name of the Father Harrison Ford – Flygtningen Anthony Hopkins – The Remains of the Day Liam Neeson – Schindler's List1994: Tom Hanks – Forrest Gump † Morgan Freeman – The Shawshank Redemption Paul Newman – Nobody's Fool Brad Pitt – Legends of the Fall John Travolta – Pulp Fiction
1995: Nicolas Cage – Leaving Las Vegas † Richard Dreyfuss – Mr. Holland's Opus Anthony Hopkins – Nixon Ian McKellen – Richard III Sean Penn – Dead Man Walking1996: Geoffrey Rush – Shine † Ralph Fiennes – Den engelske patient (film) Mel Gibson – Ransom Woody Harrelson – Folket mod Larry Flynt Liam Neeson – Michael Collins
1997: Peter Fonda – Ulee's Gold Matt Damon – Good Will Hunting Daniel Day-Lewis – The Boxer Leonardo DiCaprio – Titanic Djimon Hounsou – Amistad1998: Jim Carrey – The Truman Show Stephen Fry – Wilde Tom Hanks – Saving Private Ryan Ian McKellen – Gods and Monsters Nick Nolte – Affliction
1999: Denzel Washington – The Hurricane Russell Crowe – The Insider Matt Damon – The Talented Mr. Ripley Richard Farnsworth – The Straight Story Kevin Spacey – American Beauty †
2000'erne 2000: Russell Crowe – Gladiator † Javier Bardem – Before Night Falls Tom Hanks – Cast Away Michael Douglas – Wonder Boys Geoffrey Rush – Quills
2001: Russell Crowe – A Beautiful Mind Will Smith – Ali Kevin Spacey – The Shipping News Billy Bob Thornton – The Man Who Wasn't There Denzel Washington – Training Day †2002: Jack Nicholson – About Schmidt Adrien Brody – The Pianist † Michael Caine – The Quiet American Daniel Day-Lewis – Gangs of New York Leonardo DiCaprio – Catch Me If You Can
2003: Sean Penn – Mystic River † Russell Crowe – Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World Tom Cruise – The Last Samurai Ben Kingsley – House of Sand and Fog Jude Law – Cold Mountain
2004: Leonardo DiCaprio – The Aviator Javier Bardem – The Sea Inside (Mar adentro) Don Cheadle – Hotel Rwanda Johnny Depp – Finding Neverland Liam Neeson – Kinsey2005: Philip Seymour Hoffman – Capote † Russell Crowe – Cinderella Man Terrence Howard – Hustle & Flow Heath Ledger – Brokeback Mountain David Strathairn – Good Night, and Good Luck2006: Forest Whitaker – The Last King of Scotland † Leonardo DiCaprio – Blood Diamond Leonardo DiCaprio – The Departed Peter O'Toole – Venus Will Smith – The Pursuit of Happyness2007: Daniel Day-Lewis – There Will Be Blood † George Clooney – Michael Clayton James McAvoy – Atonement Viggo Mortensen – Eastern Promises Denzel Washington – American Gangster2008: Mickey Rourke – The Wrestler Leonardo DiCaprio – Revolutionary Road Frank Langella – Frost/Nixon Sean Penn – Milk † Brad Pitt – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
2009: Jeff Bridges - Crazy Heart † George Clooney - Up in the Air Colin Firth - A Single Man Morgan Freeman - Invictus Tobey Maguire - Brothers
2010'erne 2010: Colin Firth - Kongens store tale †
Jesse Eisenberg - The Social Network James Franco - 127 Hours Ryan Gosling - Blue Valentine Mark Wahlberg - The Fighter
2011: George Clooney - The Descendants
Leonardo DiCaprio - J. Edgar Michael Fassbender - Shame Ryan Gosling - The Ides of March Brad Pitt - Moneyball
2012: Daniel Day-Lewis - Lincoln (film) †
Richard Gere - Arbitrage John Hawkes - The Sessions Joaquin Phoenix - The Master Denzel Washington - Flight
2013 - Matthew McConaughey - Dallas Buyers Club †
Chiwetel Ejiofor - 12 Years a Slave Idris Elba - Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom Tom Hanks - Captain Phillips Robert Redford - All is Lost
2014 - Eddie Redmayne - Teorien om alting (film fra 2014) †
Steve Carell - Foxcather Benedict Cumberbatch - The Imitation Game Jake Gyllenhaal - Nightcrawler (film) David Oyelowo - Selma (film)
2015 - Leonardo DiCaprio - The Revenant †
Bryan Cranston - Trumbo Michael Fassbender - Steve Jobs Eddie Redmayne - The Danish Girl Will Smith - Concussion
2016 - Casey Affleck - Manchester by the Sea †
Joel Edgerton - Loving Andrew Garfield - Hacksaw Ridge Viggo Mortensen - Captain Fantastic - en ualmindelig far Denzel Washington - Fences
2017 - Gary Oldman - Darkest Hour (film) †