Paul Thomas Anderson at the 78th annual Directors Guild of America Awards at The Beverly Hilton on Feb. 7. **Kevin Winter/Getty Images for DGA**

Paul Thomas Anderson’s DGA win positions ‘One Battle After Another’ as a major Oscars bellwether, capping a night that celebrated bold theatrical vision and TV’s strongest directing voices.

The Directors Guild of America crowned Paul Thomas Anderson the year’s top filmmaker at the 78th annual DGA Awards, awarding him Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film for One Battle After Another. The ceremony, held Saturday night at the Beverly Hilton and hosted by Kumail Nanjiani, once again reinforced the DGA’s reputation as one of the most reliable predictors in the Oscar race.

Anderson’s win came in a competitive field that included Ryan Coogler (Sinners), Guillermo del Toro (Frankenstein), Josh Safdie (Marty Supreme), and Chloé Zhao (Hamnet). With the DGA’s long history of aligning with the Academy’s Best Director outcome, Anderson’s victory significantly strengthens his awards-season momentum.

Taking the stage, Anderson accepted the honor with visible emotion, inviting his directing team to join him. He dedicated the moment to first assistant director Adam Somner, who passed away from cancer in late 2024, noting that the win was bittersweet without him present. The tribute underscored the collaborative ethos the DGA emphasizes — and the behind-the-scenes labor that often defines great filmmaking.

DGA President Christopher Nolan speaks onstage during the 78th Annual Directors Guild Of America Awards at The Beverly Hilton on February 07, 2026 in Beverly Hills, California. **KEVIN WINTER/GETTY IMAGES FOR DGA**

The evening marked several notable milestones beyond Anderson’s win. It was the first DGA Awards ceremony presided over by newly elected DGA president Christopher Nolan, who opened the night with remarks acknowledging the challenging landscape facing filmmakers today. Nanjiani followed with a characteristically sharp monologue, joking that directors are “the greatest communicators on the planet” for their ability to translate complex ideas into something actors can understand.

One of the DGA Awards’ signature traditions — granting each theatrical nominee a moment on stage before the winner is announced — led to a series of memorable tributes. Leonardo DiCaprio introduced Anderson, praising his ability to give Los Angeles “a cinematic identity that feels almost forensic.” Michael B. Jordan spoke warmly about Coogler, describing his sets as families rather than productions. Jacob Elordi presented for del Toro, calling him “the greatest friend a monster could have,” while del Toro jokingly embraced Nolan’s new title as DGA president. Timothée Chalamet ribbed Safdie for his recent late-night appearances, and Steven Spielberg delivered an impassioned tribute to Zhao, saying he would “follow her into a dark forest anytime.”

Beyond the theatrical prize, the DGA Awards highlighted the year’s strongest television directing. The Pitt earned recognition in the dramatic series category, while The Studio scored a comedy win for Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s direction. Limited series honors went to Dying for Sex, further solidifying its awards-season profile. Variety and live television were also celebrated, with SNL50: The Anniversary Special emerging as a standout.

The ceremony also made room for emerging voices. In the Michael Apted First-Time Theatrical Feature Film category, Charlie Polinger surprised many by winning for The Plague, a reminder that the DGA continues to spotlight new filmmakers alongside industry veterans. Female directors made a particularly strong showing across categories, taking home wins in five races throughout the night — a reflection of the Guild’s evolving membership and the industry’s slow but tangible progress.

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Historically, the DGA’s top theatrical winner goes on to secure the Academy Award for Best Director the vast majority of the time. With One Battle After Another already regarded as a prestige-heavy contender, Anderson’s DGA triumph places him squarely at the front of the Oscars conversation, even as competition remains fierce in a year crowded with auteur-driven projects.

As the awards season enters its final stretch, the DGA Awards served less as a surprise and more as a confirmation: Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest has landed not only with critics and audiences, but with his peers — the very directors who understand better than anyone what it takes to command a film at the highest level.

complete list of The DGA winners

Theatrical Feature Film

Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Will Weiske
First Assistant Director: Adam Somner
Second Assistant Director: Trevor Tavares, Ian Stone
Second Second Assistant Director: Dominic Pacitti, Rafael Sanz-Jimenez
Additional Second Assistant Director: Nuekellar Hardy, Chunning Chang, Kit Conners, Kasia Trojak, Tyler Young (WINNER)

Ryan Coogler, Sinners (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Will Greenfield, Kenneth Yu
First Assistant Director: Marvin Williams
Second Assistant Director: Amir R. Khan
Additional Second Assistant Director: Gregg Carr, Desiree Stevenson

Guillermo Del Toro, Frankenstein (Netflix)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: J. Miles Dale
First Assistant Director: Walter Gasparovic
Second Assistant Director: Chad Belair

Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme (A24)
Unit Production Manager: Anthony Katagas, Joe Guest
First Assistant Director: Jeremy Marks
Second Assistant Director: Zach Citarella
Second Second Assistant Director: Kailyn Dabkowski
Assistant Unit Production Manager: Max Samu, Suk Yi Mar, Samson Jacobson
Location Manager: Matthew Kania, Ross Brodar

Chloé Zhao, Hamnet (Focus Features)

Michael Apted First-Time Theatrical Feature Film

Hasan Hadi, The President’s Cake (Sony Pictures Classics)
Harry Lighton, Pillion (A24)
Charlie Polinger, The Plague (Independent Film Company) (WINNER)
Alex Russell, Lurker (MUBI)
Eva Victor, Sorry, Baby (A24)

Dramatic Series

Liza Johnson, The Diplomat, “Amagansett” (Netflix)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: John P. Fedynich
First Assistant Director: Adam Escott
Second Assistant Director: Tom Glick
Second Second Assistant Director: Rachel Sikora
Location Manager: Rob Coleman

Amanda Marsalis, The Pitt, “6:00 p.m.” (HBO Max)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Michelle Lankwarden
First Assistant Director: Eric Tignini
Second Assistant Director: Kevin Zelman
Second Second Assistant Director: Nicole Jones, Rebecca Rogers, Chloe Huckins
Additional Second Assistant Director: Michelle Akeley (WINNER)

Janus Metz, Andor, “Who Are You?” (Disney+)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Karl Caffrey
First Assistant Director: Sean Guest

Ben Stiller, Severance, “Cold Harbor” (Apple TV+)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Caroline Baron
First Assistant Director: Katie Pruitt
Second Assistant Director: Cat McFayden
Second Second Assistant Director: Forrest Viola
Additional Second Assistant Director: Erin Skelly
Assistant Unit Production Manager: Sean Fogel, Alexandra Vivas
Location Manager: Ryan Smith, Grace Kwon

John Wells, The Pitt, “7:00 a.m.” (HBO Max)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Michelle Lankwarden
First Assistant Director: Eric Tignini
Second Assistant Director: Kevin Zelman
Second Second Assistant Director: Nicole Jones, Rebecca Rogers
Additional Second Assistant Director: Chloe Huckins

Comedy Series

Lucia Aniello, Hacks, “A Slippery Slope” (HBO Max)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Mark Rabinowitz
First Assistant Director: Jeff Rosenberg
Second Assistant Director: Kirisa Gavrin
Second Second Assistant Director: Alaina Neumann Rafdal
Additional Second Assistant Director: Amy Ergle

Janicza Bravo, The Bear, “Worms” (FX on Hulu)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Carrie Holt de Lama, Tyson Bidner
First Assistant Director: Larissa Malarek
Second Assistant Director: Olivia Dame
Second Second Assistant Director: Sofía Blanco
Location Manager: Maria C. Roxas, Gilbert B. Morales
Assistant Location Manager: Oscar Roxas

Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg, The Studio, “The Oner” (Apple TV+)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Shawn Dyrdahl
First Assistant Director: Donald Murphy
Second Assistant Director: Peter Dress (WINNER)

Christopher Storer, The Bear, “Bears” (FX on Hulu)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Carrie Holt de Lama, Tyson Bidner
First Assistant Director: Duccio Fabbri
Second Assistant Director: Larissa Malarek, Olivia Dame
Second Second Assistant Director: Sofía Blanco
Location Manager: Maria C. Roxas, Gilbert B. Morales
Assistant Location Manager: Oscar Roxas

Mike White, The White Lotus, “Denials” (HBO Max)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Regina Heyman, Mark Kamine
First Assistant Director: Justin Ritson
Second Assistant Director: Joe Landry
Assistant Unit Production Manager: Aidan Sleeper

Limited and Anthology Series

Jason Bateman, Black Rabbit, “The Black Rabbits” (Netflix)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Becky Phillips, Erica Kay
First Assistant Director: John Silvestri
Second Assistant Director: Nick Notte
Second Second Assistant Director: Jimmy Rosario, Jilly Blundell
Location Manager: Paul Eskenazi

Antonio Campos, The Beast in Me, “Sick Puppy” (Netflix)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Caroline Baron
First Assistant Director: Tomas Deckaj
Second Assistant Director: Scott Bowers
Second Second Assistant Director: Matt Merksamer, Sean Fogel
Location Manager: Grace Kwon

Lesli Linka Glatter, Zero Day, “Episode 6” (Netflix)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Amy Herman
First Assistant Director: Michael Lerman
Second Assistant Director: Scott Bowers
Second Second Assistant Director: Kaitlin Heins
Additional Second Assistant Director: Davis Woodall
Assistant Unit Production Manager: Mike Buonanno
Location Manager: Ronnie Kupferwasser

Shannon Murphy, Dying for Sex, “It’s Not That Serious” (FX on Hulu)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Francesca M. Mannix
First Assistant Director: Julie A. Bloom
Second Assistant Director: Findlay Ward Zotter
Second Second Assistant Director: Kristin Dombroski, Laura E. Rizer (WINNER)

Ally Pankiw, Black Mirror, “Common People” (Netflix)
Unit Production Manager: Shawn Williamson

Movies for Television

Jesse Armstrong, Mountainhead (HBO Max)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Jill Footlick
First Assistant Director: Christo Morse
Second Assistant Director: MarSchelle Walker
Location Manager: Paul Eskenazi

Stephen Chbosky, Nonnas (Netflix)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Pamela Hirsch, Kara Doherty
First Assistant Director: Chris Surgent
Second Assistant Director: Takahide Kawakami
Second Second Assistant Director: Cary Lee
Location Manager: Tatiana Forster (WINNER)

Scott Derrickson, The Gorge (Apple TV+)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Greg Goodman
First Assistant Director: Cliff Lanning
Second Assistant Director: Lee Tailor

Michael Morris, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (Peacock)

Kyle Newacheck, Happy Gilmore 2 (Netflix)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Brittany Sugarman, David Bausch
First Assistant Director: David M. Bernstein
Second Assistant Director: Ryan Robert Howard
Second Second Assistant Director: Kaitlin Heins
Additional Second Assistant Director: Mia Bruno
Location Manager: Louis Zuppardi
Assistant Location Manager: Scott Ferlisi

Variety

Yvonne Demare, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, “Julia Roberts; Sam Smith” (CBS)
Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Karen Yaeger
Stage Manager: Mark McKenna, Jeff Leib

Andy Fisher, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, “Stephen Colbert; Kumail Nanjiani; Reneé Rapp” (ABC)
Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Jeri-Ann Wong, Amy Stober, David Craig
Stage Manager: Alec Potter, Josh Wader, Christian Jensen, Peter Epstein

Beth McCarthy Miller, SNL50: The Homecoming Concert (Peacock)
Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Susan Sullivan
Stage Manager: Lynn Finkel, Linda Carrizzo, Joey Despenzero, Phyllis Digilio-Kent, John Esposito, Andrew Feigin, Steve Hollander, Greg Kasoff, Alissa Levisohn Hoyo, Arthur Lewis, Jennifer Marquet, Cyndi Owgang, Jason Pacella, Tammy Raab, Elise Reaves, Cheryl Teetzel-Moore, Niclana Tolmasoff, Bret Warren, Ari Woog

Liz Patrick, SNL50: The Anniversary Special (NBC)
Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Michael Mancini, Michael Poole, Laura Ouziel Mack, Janine DeVito, Amy Mancini, Dan Dome
Stage Manager: 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 (WINNER)

Paul Pennolino, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, “Public Media” (HBO Max)
Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Elliot Mendelson
Stage Manager: Jeff Leib, Mark McKenna, Craig Spinney

Sports

Matthew Gangl, 2025 World Series – Game 7 – Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Toronto Blue Jays (FOX Sports)
Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Larry Lancaster, Aaron Stojkov, Bryan Colucci
Stage Manager: Dominick Tringali, Dan Frank (WINNER)

Steve Milton, 2025 Masters Tournament – Augusta National Golf Club (CBS Sports)
Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Robert Matina, Chris Svendsen, Andy Freedman, Eric Spitzer, Ade Ellis, Tyler Jahn, Josh Weingardt, Brian Maher, Stuart Millstein, Katie Keane, Adam Cohen, Jack Kempner, George Wishart, Dan Obermuller
Stage Manager: Cory Fishman

Rich Russo, Super Bowl LIX – Philadelphia Eagles vs. Kansas City Chiefs (FOX Sports)
Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Rich Gross, Casey Garland

Reality / Quiz and Game

Lucinda M. Margolis, Jeopardy!, “Ep. 9341” (Syndicated)
Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Chloe Corwin
Stage Manager: James F. McGuire

Adam Sandler, The Price is Right, “10,000th Episode” (CBS)
Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Jazmin Eckenberg
Stage Manager: Steven Hollander, Jason Galland, Alex Weston

Mike Sweeney, Conan O’Brien Must Go, “Austria” (HBO Max)
Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Jason Chillemi (WINNER)

Commercials

Kim Gehrig (Somesuch)

You Can’t Win. So Win. – Nike | Wieden+Kennedy
Directorial Team:
First Assistant Director: 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 Director: Michael Dudley, Clyde Broom (WINNER)

Miles Jay (Smuggler)

Dish – ChatGPT | Isle of Any
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Yianni Papadopoulos
First Assistant Director: George Nessis
Second Assistant Director: Rachel Obering
Second Second Assistant Director: Reed Baum

Pull Up – ChatGPT | Isle of Any
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Yianni Papadopoulos
First Assistant Director: George Nessis
Second Assistant Director: Rachel Obering
Second Second Assistant Director: Reed Baum

Trip – ChatGPT | Isle of Any
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Yianni Papadopoulos
First Assistant Director: George Nessis
Second Assistant Director: Julia Blanford
Second Second Assistant Director: K.J. Walsh

Home for the Holidays – Meta | Droga5
Directorial Team:
First Assistant Director: David Webb

Secret Santa – Meta | Droga5
Directorial Team:
First Assistant Director: David Webb

Spike Jonze (MJZ)

Someday – Apple Airpods 4 | TBWA\Media Arts Lab
Directorial Team:
First Assistant Director: Steve Danton, Kate Greenberg
Second Assistant Director: Matthew Dennis Smith
Second Second Assistant Director: Amy Hughes, Carly Sturgeon

Andreas Nilsson (Biscuit Filmworks)

Conquer the First School Poo – Andrex | FCB London

Garrett – Apple iPhone 16 Pro | Client Direct
Unit Production Manager: James Veal
First Assistant Director: George Nessis
Second Assistant Director: Reed Baum

Big Flex – Apple iPhone 16 Pro | Client Direct
Unit Production Manager: James Veal
First Assistant Director: George Nessis
Second Assistant Director: Reed Baum

Trunk Trucker – Virgin Media | VCCP London

Steve Rogers (Biscuit Filmworks)

Bring a Book to Life – Amazon | Droga5 London

A Tale as Old as Websites – Squarespace| Client Direct

Everything is Fine – Coinbase | Mother London