“‘One Battle After Another’ Wins Top Award”
Paul Thomas Anderson’s film, One Battle After Another, achieved a significant milestone at the 78th Directors Guild of America (DGA) Awards. The film, distributed by Warner Bros., was honored with the top award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film.
Notable Wins at the DGA Awards
This year’s DGA Awards showcased competitive nominees. Anderson was among four directors nominated for the prestigious prize:
- Ryan Coogler for Sinners
- Josh Safdie for Marty Supreme
- Chloé Zhao for Hamnet
Guillermo del Toro was another nominee for Frankenstein, but he did not make the Oscars shortlist. The DGA winner has correctly predicted the Oscar for Best Director for the past five years.
Key Trends and Past Winners
Last year, Sean Baker won the DGA award with Anora, then secured the Oscars’ Best Director alongside Best Picture. Similarly, Christopher Nolan triumphed at the DGA two years ago before winning both Best Director and Best Picture for Oppenheimer.
Nolan now serves as the president of the DGA, which is engaging in labor contract negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
Television Achievements
The DGA Awards also celebrated outstanding contributions in television. Key award recipients included:
- Amanda Marsalis for The Pitt on HBO Max, winning in the Dramatic Series category after securing five Emmy wins.
- Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg for The Studio on Apple TV+, repeating their earlier Emmy triumph.
- Shannon Murphy for Dying for Sex on FX on Hulu in the Limited Series category.
- Liz Patrick for SNL50: The Anniversary Special on NBC in the Variety category.
Emerging Directors and Special Awards
In an exciting category, Charlie Polinger won the Michael Apted First-Time Theatrical Feature Film award for The Plague. Other nominees included:
- Ava Victor for Sorry, Baby
- Hasan Hadi for The President’s Cake
- Harry Lighton for Pillion
- Alex Russell for Lurker
Mstyslav Chernov was awarded for his documentary 2000 Meters to Andriivka.
Honorary Recognitions
The ceremony, hosted by Kumail Nanjiani, also acknowledged outstanding individuals in the industry:
- David Charles received the Franklin J. Schaffner Achievement Award.
- Gregory G. McCollum was honored with the Frank Capra Achievement Award.
The complete list of winners highlights the excellence in filmmaking and directing celebrated at the DGA Awards this year. The triumph of One Battle After Another reinforces Paul Thomas Anderson’s status as a leading figure in contemporary cinema.
