DGA Awards 2026: Paul Thomas Anderson wins Directors Guild for 'One Battle After Another'

DGA AWARDS 2026 paul thomas Anderson wins the directors union's highest award

He Directors Guild of America (Directors Guild Awards; DGA) delivered the DGA Award 2026for the best of the year 2025, during the weekend, recognizing film, television and commercial director categories, in a ceremony led by Kumail Nanjiani from the Beverly Hilton.

The category of Outstanding Achievement as a Motion Picture Director was debated between Paul Thomas Anderson by One Battle After Another, Chloe Zhao by Hamnet, Guillermo del Toro by Frankenstein, Josh Safdie by Marty Supreme y Ryan Coogler by Sinners.

This is a key ceremony for the best director category at the Oscars. However, Joachim Trier Sentimental Valueis nominated instead of Guillermo del Toro for the Academy Award.

The edition 78 of the DGA Award chose Anderson as the winnerwhich was his third nomination and first win in the Directors Guild (he was previously nominated for There Will Be Blood y Licorice Pizza).

Anderson went on stage to receive the award, visibly moved, saying:

“This is an incredible honor. We will receive it with the love that has been bestowed upon us and the appreciation of all of our peers in this room. Obviously, we are up here except one.”

He then paid tribute to first assistant director Adam Somner, who died of cancer in November 2024.

In the television sector, The Studio, The Pitt, Dying for Sex, SNL50, Mr. Scorsese and the documentary 2000 Meters to Andriivka They also won victories, while the filmmaker of The Plague, Charlie Polingerwon a surprise victory in the debut feature category, thanking the collaborators who were willing to bet on it. The directors caused a sensation at the gala, topping five categories throughout the night.

See the full list of this year's DGA winners below.

BEST DIRECTION IN FILM FEATURE FILMS

Paul Thomas Anderson by One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.) – WINNER
Ryan Coogler by Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Guillermo del Toro for Frankenstein (Netflix)
Josh Safdie by Marty Supreme (A24)
Chloé Zhao by Hamnet (Focus Features)

FIRST FILM IN CINEMA

Hasan Hadi por The President’s Cake (Sony Pictures Classics)
Harry Lighton by Pillion (A24)
Charlie Polinger by The Plague (IFC) – WINNER
Alex Russell by Lurker (bad)
Eva Victor by Sorry, Baby (A24)

SERIE DRAMA

Liza Johnson por The Diplomat, “Amagansett”
Amanda Marsalis for The Pitt “6:00 pm” – WINNER
Janus Metz por Andor, “Who Are You?”
Ben Stiller por Severance, “Cold Harbor”
John Wells por The Pitt “7:00 a.m.”

COMEDY SERIES

Lucía Aniello for Hacks, “A Slippery Slope”
Janicza Bravo por The Bear, “Worms”
Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg por The Studio, “The Oner” – GANADORES
Christopher Storer por The Bear, “Bears”
Mike White por The White Lotus “Denials”

LIMITED AND ANTHOLOGY SERIES

Jason Bateman por Black Rabbit, “The Black Rabbits”
Antonio Campos por The Beast in Me, “Sick Puppy”
Lesli Linka Glatter por Zero Day, “Episode 6”
Shannon Murphy por Dying for Sex, “It’s Not That Serious” – GANADORA
Ally Pankiw por Black Mirror, “Common People”

TV FILMS

Jesse Armstrong por Mountainhead
Stephen Chbosky for Nonnas – WINNER
Scott Derrickson for The Gorge
Michael Morris por Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy
Kyle Newacheck por Happy Gilmore 2