For 'Lincoln' Steven Spielberg Is Named America's Oscar Winner

The man who many regard as possibly America's favourite director, Steven Spielberg, has once again proved his popularity, as Americans want to see the 'Lincoln' film maker named as The Academy's best helmsman.

A Reuters poll showed Spielberg, who's won the Best Director Award twice, for 'Schindler's List' and 'Saving Private Ryan', as the runaway favourite to grab the gong, with 41% naming him as the man who should win the Oscar.

The poll by respected pollster Ipsos for Reuters, asked 1,614 Americans who they thought should win the Best Director statuette, as well as who they thought would win, with 38% saying that they thought Spielberg would win for his US Civil War drama.

However Oscar watchers' eyes will be on the Directors Guild Awards this weekend to indicate who'll win, where the Best Feature Film Award has only six times not gone on to be named Best Director at the Oscars since 1948.

This year's nominations do however present a conundrum in the category – as a number of films whose directors would've been expected to challenge weren't named, despite being among the favourites for Best Picture.

America's desired Oscar winner? Steven Spielberg (Photo: Nikki Nelson/WENN)

'Argo' in particular stands out, with the film sweeping the Awards board elsewhere, but with its director Ben Affleck not even in the running for Best Director, it can't fully capitalise on that momentum and shake up the race as much as it might've done.

Other big names shunned include 'Zero Dark Thirty's' Kathryn Bigelow and 'Les Miserables' director Tom Hooper.

In fact some expect a rare split Best Picture/Director result, with Rupert Adams from bookies William Hill, telling Reuters: "Our theory is that Spielberg will win best director but not best film," adding: "If you listen to what people are saying it is that 'Lincoln' is a brilliant film in terms of direction but it is not that exciting to watch unlike 'Argo.'"

Ang Lee ('Life of Pi') ranked second in the poll, gaining 10%, with David O. Russell ('Silver Linings Playbook') in third. Surprise contenders Benh Zeitlin ('Beasts of the Southern Wild') and Michael Haneke ('Amour') were in fourth and fifth.

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