Paul Thomas Anderson just claimed one of Hollywood’s most coveted honors—and it might have sealed his Oscar fate.
The acclaimed director took home the Directors Guild of America’s Outstanding Directorial Achievement award for One Battle After Another Saturday night at the Beverly Hilton.
History suggests Anderson is now the frontrunner for Best Director at the Academy Awards.
Since 1948, the DGA winner has matched the Oscar winner in all but eight instances—and for the past five consecutive years, they’ve aligned perfectly.
A Moment of Triumph Mixed With Grief
Anderson opened his acceptance speech with characteristic humor, addressing DGA president Christopher Nolan:
It’s an honor, President Nolan.
Laughter rippled through the audience as Anderson acknowledged the surreal nature of Nolan—himself an Oscar-winning director—presiding over the ceremony.
But the speech quickly turned introspective. Anderson invoked Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind, drawing a parallel between that film’s mysterious mountain and filmmakers’ inexplicable drive to create:
It’s like we’re all here for a reason, some cosmic thing brought us to this room, and it was that call to the mountain. It’s that feeling that we all love making sh*t and we need to do it. We need to do it or it’s an addiction, I’m not quite sure.
An Emotional Tribute to Adam Somner
Anderson’s tone shifted as he honored his late friend and longtime first assistant director, Adam Somner, who died in 2024 from thyroid cancer.
Obviously we are up here, minus one. A lot of people in this room know our hero, our man, Adam Somner. Steven [Spielberg] knows him. His wife Carmen [Ruiz de Huidobro] is here.
Somner’s impact on filmmaking went beyond technical expertise. Anderson described how his friend balanced profound dedication with levity—a rare combination in high-pressure film productions.
He took this work so seriously, and did not take himself seriously at all. And that was a great gift… He made us feel safe. Think about this work that we do, how dangerous it can be, really dangerous. And to be to get through a film and no one get hurt, be safe, have an amazing experience is because of a great AD, and he was the best.
Visibly emotional, Anderson concluded with a message for the room full of directors and crew members:
I wish everyone in this room the love that I had with him, may you be blessed with a relationship that I had with him, and if you have one already, hold them close, remind them that you love them. He would love this. He’d be so f*cking happy.
Anderson’s DGA History
This victory represents Anderson’s third DGA nomination. He previously earned nods for Licorice Pizza in 2021 and There Will Be Blood in 2007.
Despite his consistent critical acclaim and multiple Academy Award nominations throughout his career, this marks his first DGA win—a significant milestone that positions him as the Oscar favorite.
Recent DGA Winners Who Went On to Oscar Glory
Last year, Sean Baker won the DGA award for Anora before capturing both Best Director and Best Picture at the Oscars.
Two years ago, Christopher Nolan followed his DGA win with Best Director and Best Picture Oscars for Oppenheimer.
That predictive pattern makes Anderson’s win particularly meaningful as Oscar voting enters its final stretch.
Who Anderson Beat
Anderson competed against four other acclaimed filmmakers:
- Ryan Coogler for Sinners (only the fifth Black director ever nominated in this category)
- Chloé Zhao for Hamnet (her second DGA nomination after winning in 2021 for Nomadland)
- Guillermo del Toro for Frankenstein (who won this award in 2018 for The Shape of Water)
- Josh Safdie for Marty Supreme (his first DGA nomination)
Breaking Barriers—And Persistent Gaps
Coogler’s nomination highlights both progress and ongoing challenges in Hollywood. While he became only the fifth Black director recognized in this DGA category since 1948, no Black filmmaker has ever won the top DGA prize.
Spike Lee earned the last nomination for a Black director in 2018 for BlacKkKlansman.
Meanwhile, Zhao’s second nomination places her in rarefied company. She joins Kathryn Bigelow, Jane Campion, and Greta Gerwig as the only women with multiple DGA nominations in this category.
What This Means for Oscar Night
With Academy voters still casting ballots, Anderson’s DGA win functions as a powerful signal.
Directors Guild members—who work alongside filmmakers daily—are uniquely positioned to evaluate directorial craft. Their judgment carries enormous weight with Oscar voters, many of whom share DGA membership.
If history holds, Paul Thomas Anderson will finally hear his name called on Oscar night—a recognition many believe is long overdue for one of cinema’s most distinctive voices.