Paul Thomas Anderson has cemented his position as a leading filmmaker, taking home the Directors Guild of America (DGA) Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film for “One Battle After Another.” The win, announced at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, is widely seen as a significant indicator of Oscar success, with the DGA Awards having predicted the Best Director Oscar winner in all but eight instances over its nearly eight-decade history. In the last five years, the DGA and Oscars have aligned every time.
This marks Anderson’s first DGA win after two previous nominations for “There Will Be Blood” in and “Licorice Pizza” in . Accepting the award from DGA president Christopher Nolan, Anderson’s speech was notably emotional, centering on a tribute to his longtime first assistant director, Adam Somner, who passed away in after a battle with thyroid cancer.
“Obviously we are up here, minus one,” Anderson said, pausing as the audience offered strong applause in recognition of Somner. He described Somner as someone who “took this work so seriously and he did not take himself seriously at all,” and emphasized the safety and positive experience Somner fostered on set. “He made us feel safe. You think about this work that we do, how dangerous it can be, really dangerous. And to get through a film and knowing it hurt, to be safe, have an amazing experience is because of a great AD and he was the best.”
The DGA Awards aren’t solely about recognizing the director; they also honor the entire directing unit, including unit production managers, assistant directors, and location managers. This aspect of the award resonated with Anderson, given his dedication to Somner and the collaborative nature of filmmaking. The award, in a sense, became a commemoration of that partnership and the ethos of recognizing the entire team.
Anderson’s speech also touched on a sense of cosmic purpose, referencing Steven Spielberg, who was in attendance. “It reminds me, being in this room, of ‘Close Encounters,’” he said. “We’re all brought here for a reason — some cosmic thing brought us to this room. It was that call to the mountain. It’s that feeling that we all love making s— and we need to do it.”
The DGA Awards ceremony itself has a unique tradition: each nominee for Theatrical Feature Film delivers an acceptance speech before the winner is announced. This allows for a broader recognition of the nominees and their teams. During these speeches, a common thread emerged: gratitude towards Sundance Institute Founding Senior Director Michelle Satter, who has mentored several of the nominees, including Anderson, Chloé Zhao, and Ryan Coogler.
Zhao, referencing Satter, called her “the great mother,” while Coogler echoed Anderson’s sentiment of once wanting Satter as his agent. The outpouring of appreciation highlighted Satter’s significant impact on the careers of these filmmakers.
Presenters for the nominees included Leonardo DiCaprio, who spoke passionately about Anderson’s connection to Los Angeles, stating that the director “doesn’t simply use this town as a backdrop. He interrogates it,” and praised the film as “a portrait of the country that hits the target exactly at the right moment.” Michael B. Jordan, Jacob Elordi, and Timothée Chalamet also presented for their respective directors.
Beyond the Theatrical Feature Film award, the DGA Awards also recognized achievements in other categories. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg won for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series for “The Studio,” and used their acceptance speech to fondly remember Catherine O’Hara, who appeared in the winning episode. Mstyslav Chernov, director of the documentary “2000 Meters to Andriivka,” used his platform to draw attention to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, a stark contrast to the lighter tone of the comedy awards.
The win for “One Battle After Another” at the DGA Awards further solidifies the film’s position as a frontrunner for the Academy Awards, both for Best Director and Best Picture. It also marks the first DGA Award presented under the leadership of new DGA president Christopher Nolan, who received playful acknowledgements throughout the evening.
