Paul Thomas Anderson wins Directors Guild Award for 'One Battle After Another'

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In a widely anticipated outcome that felt like a long-overdue coronation, Paul Thomas Anderson won the top honor at Saturday’s Directors Guild of America Awards for his Thomas Pynchon-inspired political thriller “One Battle After Another.” The ceremony was held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills.It was the director’s first DGA win after two prior nominations, in 2008 for “There Will Be Blood” and in 2022 for his San Fernando Valley reminiscence “Licorice Pizza.” Speaking at the podium after receiving the award from last year’s winner, “Anora” director Sean Baker, a humbled Anderson thanked the guild, mentioning recent EGOT winner Steven Spielberg, sitting in the audience right in front of him.“It reminds me, being in this room, of ‘Close Encounters,’” Anderson 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.”Anderson also devoted much of his speech to remembering his first-assistant director Adam Somner, who died from thyroid cancer in November 2024.“May you be blessed with the relationship I had with him,” the director said, “and if you have one already, hold them close and remind them that you love them.” Awards Our awards expert Glenn Whipp predicts the 2026 Oscar nominees for picture, director, actor, actress and more.True to tradition, the evening was both a celebration of achievements in directing and an occasion for much pro-guild testifying — from nominees, winners and Christopher Nolan, presiding over his first ceremony as DGA president.

“We are the best at what we do,” Nolan said, touching on last year’s 40% dip in DGA member employment with a note of solidarity and urgency.“We are the storytellers.

We are the people who have to innovate.”All five nominees for...