Paul Thomas Anderson earned his inaugural Directors Guild of America award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a theatrical feature film for One Battle After Another during the 78th annual DGA Awards. This milestone, marking Anderson’s third nomination following his work on There Will Be Blood (2007) and Licorice Pizza (2021), comes amid a heated awards season filled with anticipation surrounding his potential first Oscar victory.
Anderson’s triumph at the DGA ceremony, held recently at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, underscores the significance of the guild’s top honor in forecasting the Academy Award for Best Director. The filmmaker prevailed over a distinguished slate of nominees, including Guillermo del Toro for Frankenstein, Chloé Zhao for Hamnet, Josh Safdie for Marty Supreme, and Ryan Coogler for Sinners. Among these contenders, all except del Toro received Best Director Oscar nominations, with additional Academy recognition extended to Joachim Trier for Sentimental Value. Historically, the DGA winner has matched the Oscar winner in this category 90% of the time over the past two decades, heightening the stakes of Anderson’s DGA win.
Recognizing a Dedicated Team and Honoring a Late Colleague
In his acceptance speech, Anderson honored a central figure behind the scenes—his late assistant director, Adam Somner, who passed away in 2024. The Directors Guild uniquely awards the director’s entire production team, including key roles such as assistant directors and production managers, acknowledging the collaborative nature of filmmaking. Somner was posthumously recognized alongside other vital contributors, including Unit Production Manager Will Weiske, First Assistant Directors, and several Second Assistant Directors; their collective efforts were highlighted as integral to the success of One Battle After Another.
This gesture reflects the guild’s commitment to spotlighting the range of creative and logistical roles that shape film projects, reinforcing the importance of every team member in realizing a director’s vision.
Ceremony and Commentary from Hosts and DGA Leadership
The event’s host, comedian and actor Kumail Nanjiani, made his debut in this role with sharp wit, commenting on the peculiarities of the awards season and the industry’s frequent shooting locations. Nanjiani joked,
“Hollywood’s biggest night — Excuse me, Vancouver, Budapest and sometimes Atlanta,”
lampooning the common practice of filming outside Hollywood. He further noted the overwhelming presence of directors and their support teams, quipping,
“It’s like if a movie was just the credits.”
Christopher Nolan, newly inaugurated as DGA president, addressed the audience amid troubling statistics about guild member employment, which has declined by 40%. Nolan emphasized resilience in his speech, asserting,
“We are the best at what we do. We are the storytellers. We are the people who have to innovate.”
His remarks underscored the ongoing challenges facing directors and their teams, while highlighting the critical role creativity plays during uncertain times.
The Impact of a DGA Win on Oscar Predictions
The alignment between the DGA Award winners and the Best Director Oscar has been striking over the guild’s nearly eight-decade history. Only eight times has the DGA nominee failed to secure the Oscar. When discrepancies occurred, several involved the DGA winner’s films winning the Oscar for Best Picture even if their directors lost the directing prize. For instance, The Godfather, Chicago, and Argo followed this pattern, while only Oliver! and Parasite are noted exceptions where the Best Picture winner took the award without the DGA winner prevailing as Best Director.
Historic exceptions include Anthony Harvey’s The Lion in Winter losing to Carol Reed’s Oliver! in 1968, and Sam Mendes’ 1917, which lost to Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite in 2019. Other notable years included instances where the DGA winner was not even nominated for the Oscar, such as Steven Spielberg’s The Color Purple and Ron Howard’s Apollo 13. These examples illustrate that while the guild’s award is a strong predictor, the Oscars maintain their own distinct outcomes.
First-Time Directors and Television Honorees
Charlie Polinger received the Michael Apted Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a First-Time Feature for his drama-horror film The Plague, which explores themes of bullying and torment among young boys. This win surprised some insiders as Eva Victor, director of Sorry, Baby, had previously garnered significant critical acclaim for first-time directors heading into the awards night.
In the television categories, Amanda Marsalis won Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Drama Series for the 6:00 P.M. episode of The Pitt on HBO Max. This result raised eyebrows by surpassing the show’s pilot episode, directed by seasoned showrunner John Wells. The ceremony also recognized excellence across comedy, limited series, movies for television, variety, sports, reality, documentary, and commercials directing, reflecting the broad spectrum of storytelling honored by the guild.
Honoring Distinguished Service within the Guild
The Franklin J. Schaffner Achievement Award was bestowed on David Charles, a DGA member since 2000 known for extensive service within the guild’s councils and committees. Charles held multiple leadership roles on the Western AD/SM/PA Council and contributed to negotiation efforts relating to reality television, signaling his longstanding dedication to the guild’s governance and advocacy.
Gregory G. McCollum received the Frank Capra Achievement Award, marking him as only the third commercial director to earn this distinction. Having joined the guild in 1985, McCollum’s consistent committee participation and leadership through multiple negotiation cycles highlights his commitment to representing and advancing commercial directors’ interests.
Comprehensive List of 78th DGA Award Winners
Film
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film: Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another
Associated Team:
- Unit Production Manager: Will Weiske
- First Assistant Director: Adam Somner (posthumous)
- Second Assistant Directors: Trevor Tavares, Ian Stone
- Second Second Assistant Directors: Dominic Pacitti, Rafael Sanz-Jimenez
- Additional Second Assistant Directors: Nuekellar Hardy, Chunning Chang, Kit Conners, Kasia Trojak, Tyler Young
Michael Apted Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in First-Time Feature: Charlie Polinger, The Plague
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary Feature: Mstyslav Chernov, 2000 Meters to Andriivka (PBS)
Television
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Drama Series: Amanda Marsalis, The Pitt (HBO Max) — 6:00 P.M.
Unit Production Manager: Michelle Lankwarden
First Assistant Director: Eric Tignini
Second Assistant Director: Kevin Zelman
Second Second Assistant Directors: Nicole Jones, Rebecca Rogers, Chloe Huckins
Additional Second Assistant Director: Michelle Akeley
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series: Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, The Studio (AppleTV+) — The Oner
Unit Production Manager: Shawn Dyrdahl
First Assistant Director: Donald Murphy
Second Assistant Director: Peter Dress
Second Second Assistant Director: Denise Anderson Poore
Additional Second Assistant Director: Abran Trujillo
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Limited or Anthology Series: Shannon Murphy, Dying for Sex (FX on Hulu) — It’s Not That Serious
Unit Production Manager: Francesca M. Mannix
First Assistant Director: Julie A. Bloom
Second Assistant Director: Findlay Ward Zotter
Second Second Assistant Directors: Kristin Dombroski, Laura E. Rizer
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television: Stephen Chbosky, Nonnas (Netflix)
Unit Production Managers: Pamela Hirsch, Kara Doherty
First Assistant Director: Chris Surgent
Second Assistant Director: Takahide Kawakami
Second Second Assistant Director: Cary Lee
Location Manager: Tatiana Forster
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Variety Series: Liz Patrick, SNL50: The Anniversary Special (NBC)
Associate Directors: Michael Mancini, Michael Poole, Laura Ouziel Mack, Janine DeVito, Amy Mancini, Dan Dome
Stage Managers: Gena Rositano, Chris Kelly, Eddie Valk, Peter Epstein, Karen Tasch Weiss, Steve Bautista, Joey Despenzero, Frank Fernandez, Doug Fogel, Jeffry Gitter, Cyndi Owgang, Elise Reaves, Niclana Tolmasoff, Leslie Williams
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Sports: Matthew Gangl, 2025 World Series — Game 7 (Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Toronto Blue Jays) (Fox Sports)
Associate Directors: Larry Lancaster, Aaron Stojkov, Bryan Colucci
Stage Managers: Dominick Tringali, Dan Frank
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Reality, Quiz or Game: Mike Sweeney, Conan O’Brien Must Go (HBO Max) — Austria
Associate Director: Jason Chillemi
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary Series or News: Rebecca Miller, Mr. Scorsese (Apple TV+) — All This Filming Isn’t Healthy
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials: Kim Gehrig
You Can’t Win. So Win. – Nike | Wieden+Kennedy
First Assistant Directors: Peter Jackson, John Mattern
Second Assistant Director: Melina Greene
Second Second Assistant Director: Chelsea Meador
I’m Not Remarkable – Apple | Client Direct
First Assistant Director: Guy Forgaard
Second Assistant Director: Amanda Johnson
Second Second Assistant Directors: Michael Dudley, Clyde Broom
Looking Ahead: The Path from the DGA Award to the Oscars
Paul Thomas Anderson’s DGA win for One Battle After Another represents a powerful step forward amid an awards season charged with anticipation and uncertainty. Given the guild’s strong track record of predicting the Best Director Oscar, Anderson’s recognition positions him as a leading contender for the Academy Award. With this newfound momentum from his Critics Choice and Golden Globe successes, he is now closer than ever to claiming the Oscar.
The ceremony also highlighted the profound collaboration involved in filmmaking, honoring late collaborators and recognizing the dedication of crew members across film and television. As the industry faces ongoing challenges, including employment declines within the guild, such recognition continues to reinforce the essential role of directors and their teams as storytellers who innovate and adapt.
This year’s DGA Awards showcased a spectrum of talent from emerging directors to veteran contributors, reflecting the evolving landscape of storytelling across formats. The outcomes here will no doubt influence conversations and predictions as the Oscars approach, maintaining the DGA ceremony’s pivotal role on Hollywood’s awards calendar.
