Director Paul Thomas Anderson won the top honor at the 2026 Directors Guild of America Awards for his critically acclaimed film One Battle After Another, starring Leonardo DiCaprio
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Filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson took home the top honor at the 2026 Directors Guild of America (DGA) Awards for his critically acclaimed film One Battle After Another. The ceremony, hosted by Kumail Nanjiani at the Beverly Hilton, recognised the best directors in film, television, and commercials over the past year, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Anderson, competing against Ryan Coogler (Sinners), Guillermo Del Toro (Frankenstein), Josh Safdie (Marty Supreme), and Chloe Zhao (Hamnet), emotionally called his directing team on stage and paid tribute to first director Adam Somner, who passed away in November 2024. "This is an incredible, incredible honor. We're going to take it with the love that it's given and the appreciation of all our comrades in this room," the filmmaker said, but noting "obviously we are up here minus one."
The evening marked the first show presided over by new DGA president Christopher Nolan, who opened the ceremony highlighting the challenges filmmakers currently face. Nanjiani joked about directors' communication skills, saying they can "take a complex idea and turn it into something an actor can understand," as per the outlet.
The DGA's unique format allows each theatrical feature nominee a stage moment before the winner is announced. Leonardo DiCaprio praised Anderson for giving Los Angeles "a cinematic identity that feels almost forensic." Michael B. Jordan celebrated Coogler's collaborative spirit, while Jacob Elordi joked with Del Toro, "You're the greatest friend a monster could have." Timothee Chalamet teased Safdie about his self-styling, and Steven Spielberg presented Zhao's award, commending her for bringing Hamnet to life. Zhao humorously suggested a drinking game for every mention of Spielberg throughout the night.
Additional wins included The Studio, The Pitt, Dying for Sex, SNL50, Mr. Scorsese, and 2000 Meters to Andriivka. First-time feature director Charlie Polinger (The Plague) thanked his collaborators, while female directors notably topped five categories, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The 2026 DGA Awards underscored the artistry, collaboration, and diversity defining the past year in film and television direction. Check out a complete list of this year's DGA winners below.
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 GuestFirst Assistant Director: Jeremy MarksSecond Assistant Director: Zach CitarellaSecond Second Assistant Director: Kailyn DabkowskiAssistant Unit Production Manager: Max Samu, Suk Yi Mar, Samson JacobsonLocation Manager: Matthew Kania, Ross Brodar.
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