DGA Awards 2026: Paul Thomas Anderson wins top honour for One Battle After Another 

The Directors Guild of America honoured the year’s most outstanding film and television directors at the 2026 DGA Awards, with Paul Thomas Anderson emerging as the night’s biggest winner for his work on One Battle After Another.

The ceremony, hosted by Kumail Nanjiani, took place at the Beverly Hilton and celebrated excellence across theatrical features, television, documentaries and commercials.

Heading into the event, Anderson was competing for the top prize alongside Ryan Coogler (Sinners), Guillermo del Toro (Frankenstein), Josh Safdie (Marty Supreme) and Chloé Zhao (Hamnet). The category is widely regarded as a strong predictor of the Oscar for best director, although at the Academy Awards, Joachim Trier replaced Del Toro among the nominees.

When Anderson was announced as the winner, he took the stage visibly moved and invited his directing team to join him.

“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,” he said, adding, “obviously we are up here minus one.” He went on to pay tribute to first director Adam Somner, who died of cancer in November 2024.

The evening also marked the first DGA Awards under the leadership of new president Christopher Nolan, who was elected in September. Nolan opened the ceremony with remarks on the challenges facing filmmakers, before Nanjiani took over and joked, “Thank you Chris Nolan for opening for me… it’s like a dream, inside a dream, inside a dream.” He added that directors are “the greatest communicators on the planet. You can take a complex idea and turn it into something an actor can understand.”

A distinctive feature of the DGA Awards is that each nominee in the theatrical feature category receives an honorary medallion and time on stage before the winner is revealed. Anderson was first to be presented, following remarks from his star Leonardo DiCaprio, who praised him for giving Los Angeles “a cinematic identity that feels almost forensic.”

Coogler was introduced by Michael B. Jordan, who said, “Ryan builds families, not film sets.” Jacob Elordi presented Del Toro, telling him, “You’re the greatest friend a monster could have,” while Del Toro joked about seeing Nolan in the audience and said he enjoyed saying “President Nolan.”

Timothée Chalamet introduced Safdie, teasing him for a recent talk-show appearance and calling him a “quadruple threat.” Safdie responded by showing his DGA card on stage and revealing that he reads every DGA magazine “front to back.”

The final presentation came from Steven Spielberg, who spoke on behalf of Zhao and said he would “follow her into a dark forest anytime.” Zhao joked that she wanted to turn the evening into a drinking game every time Spielberg was cited as an inspiration and thanked fellow filmmakers for their “creative fire.”

Beyond the feature film category, The Studio, The Pitt, Dying for Sex, SNL50, Mr. Scorsese and the documentary 2000 Meters to Andriivka also picked up awards. In the first-time feature category, Charlie Polinger won for The Plague in a surprise result, thanking collaborators who took a chance on him.

Special honours were presented to associate director and stage manager David Charles and assistant director Gregory McCollum. Female directors also made a strong showing, topping five categories over the course of the night.

With emotional speeches, industry-wide recognition and strong representation across film and television, the 2026 DGA Awards underscored a year marked by creative ambition and resilience among directors.

Check out the winners list 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 Guest
First Assistant Director: Jeremy Marks
Second Assistant Director: Zach Citarella
Second Second Assistant Director: Kailyn Dabkowski
Assistant Unit Production Manager: Max Samu, Suk Yi Mar, Samson Jacobson
Location Manager: Matthew Kania, Ross Brodar

Chloé Zhao, Hamnet (Focus Features)

Michael Apted First-Time Theatrical Feature Film

Hasan Hadi, The President’s Cake (Sony Pictures Classics)
Harry Lighton, Pillion (A24)
Charlie Polinger, The Plague (Independent Film Company) (WINNER)
Alex Russell, Lurker (MUBI)
Eva Victor, Sorry, Baby (A24)

Dramatic Series

Liza Johnson, The Diplomat, “Amagansett” (Netflix)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: John P. Fedynich
First Assistant Director: Adam Escott
Second Assistant Director: Tom Glick
Second Second Assistant Director: Rachel Sikora
Location Manager: Rob Coleman

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Amanda Marsalis, The Pitt, “6:00 p.m.” (HBO Max)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Michelle Lankwarden
First Assistant Director: Eric Tignini
Second Assistant Director: Kevin Zelman
Second Second Assistant Director: Nicole Jones, Rebecca Rogers, Chloe Huckins
Additional Second Assistant Director: Michelle Akeley (WINNER)

Janus Metz, Andor, “Who Are You?” (Disney+)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Karl Caffrey
First Assistant Director: Sean Guest 

Ben Stiller, Severance, “Cold Harbor” (Apple TV+)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Caroline Baron
First Assistant Director: Katie Pruitt
Second Assistant Director: Cat McFayden
Second Second Assistant Director: Forrest Viola
Additional Second Assistant Director: Erin Skelly
Assistant Unit Production Manager: Sean Fogel, Alexandra Vivas
Location Manager: Ryan Smith, Grace Kwon

John Wells, The Pitt, “7:00 a.m.” (HBO Max)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Michelle Lankwarden
First Assistant Director: Eric Tignini
Second Assistant Director: Kevin Zelman
Second Second Assistant Director: Nicole Jones, Rebecca Rogers
Additional Second Assistant Director: Chloe Huckins 

Comedy Series

Lucia Aniello, Hacks, “A Slippery Slope” (HBO Max)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Mark Rabinowitz
First Assistant Director: Jeff Rosenberg
Second Assistant Director: Kirisa Gavrin
Second Second Assistant Director: Alaina Neumann Rafdal
Additional Second Assistant Director: Amy Ergle 

Janicza Bravo, The Bear, “Worms” (FX on Hulu)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Carrie Holt de Lama, Tyson Bidner
First Assistant Director: Larissa Malarek
Second Assistant Director: Olivia Dame
Second Second Assistant Director: Sofía Blanco
Location Manager: Maria C. Roxas, Gilbert B. Morales
Assistant Location Manager: Oscar Roxas

Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg, The Studio, “The Oner” (Apple TV+)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Shawn Dyrdahl
First Assistant Director: Donald Murphy
Second Assistant Director: Peter Dress  (WINNER)

Christopher Storer, The Bear, “Bears” (FX on Hulu)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Carrie Holt de Lama, Tyson Bidner
First Assistant Director: Duccio Fabbri
Second Assistant Director: Larissa Malarek, Olivia Dame
Second Second Assistant Director: Sofía Blanco
Location Manager: Maria C. Roxas, Gilbert B. Morales
Assistant Location Manager: Oscar Roxas

Mike White, The White Lotus, “Denials” (HBO Max)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Regina Heyman, Mark Kamine
First Assistant Director: Justin Ritson
Second Assistant Director: Joe Landry
Assistant Unit Production Manager: Aidan Sleeper 

Limited and Anthology Series

Jason Bateman, Black Rabbit, “The Black Rabbits” (Netflix)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Becky Phillips, Erica Kay
First Assistant Director: John Silvestri
Second Assistant Director: Nick Notte
Second Second Assistant Director: Jimmy Rosario, Jilly Blundell
Location Manager: Paul Eskenazi 

Antonio Campos, The Beast in Me, “Sick Puppy” (Netflix)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Caroline Baron
First Assistant Director: Tomas Deckaj
Second Assistant Director: Scott Bowers
Second Second Assistant Director: Matt Merksamer, Sean Fogel
Location Manager: Grace Kwon

Lesli Linka Glatter, Zero Day, “Episode 6” (Netflix)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Amy Herman
First Assistant Director: Michael Lerman
Second Assistant Director: Scott Bowers
Second Second Assistant Director: Kaitlin Heins
Additional Second Assistant Director: Davis Woodall
Assistant Unit Production Manager: Mike Buonanno
Location Manager: Ronnie Kupferwasser

Shannon Murphy, Dying for Sex, “It’s Not That Serious” (FX on Hulu)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Francesca M. Mannix
First Assistant Director: Julie A. Bloom
Second Assistant Director: Findlay Ward Zotter
Second Second Assistant Director: Kristin Dombroski, Laura E. Rizer (WINNER)

Ally Pankiw, Black Mirror, “Common People” (Netflix)
Unit Production Manager: Shawn Williamson

Movies for Television

Jesse Armstrong, Mountainhead (HBO Max)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Jill Footlick
First Assistant Director: Christo Morse
Second Assistant Director: MarSchelle Walker
Location Manager: Paul Eskenazi

Stephen Chbosky, Nonnas (Netflix)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Pamela Hirsch, Kara Doherty
First Assistant Director: Chris Surgent
Second Assistant Director: Takahide Kawakami
Second Second Assistant Director: Cary Lee
Location Manager: Tatiana Forster (WINNER)

Scott Derrickson, The Gorge (Apple TV+)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Greg Goodman
First Assistant Director: Cliff Lanning
Second Assistant Director: Lee Tailor

Michael Morris, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (Peacock)

Kyle Newacheck, Happy Gilmore 2 (Netflix)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Brittany Sugarman, David Bausch
First Assistant Director: David M. Bernstein
Second Assistant Director: Ryan Robert Howard
Second Second Assistant Director: Kaitlin Heins
Additional Second Assistant Director: Mia Bruno
Location Manager: Louis Zuppardi
Assistant Location Manager: Scott Ferlisi

Variety

Yvonne Demare, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, “Julia Roberts; Sam Smith” (CBS)
Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Karen Yaeger
Stage Manager: Mark McKenna, Jeff Leib

Andy Fisher, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, “Stephen Colbert; Kumail Nanjiani; Reneé Rapp” (ABC)
Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Jeri-Ann Wong, Amy Stober, David Craig
Stage Manager: Alec Potter, Josh Wader, Christian Jensen, Peter Epstein 

Beth McCarthy Miller, SNL50: The Homecoming Concert (Peacock)
Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Susan Sullivan
Stage Manager: Lynn Finkel, Linda Carrizzo, Joey Despenzero, Phyllis Digilio-Kent, John Esposito, Andrew Feigin, Steve Hollander, Greg Kasoff, Alissa Levisohn Hoyo, Arthur Lewis, Jennifer Marquet, Cyndi Owgang, Jason Pacella, Tammy Raab, Elise Reaves, Cheryl Teetzel-Moore, Niclana Tolmasoff, Bret Warren, Ari Woog 

Liz Patrick, SNL50: The Anniversary Special (NBC)
Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Michael Mancini, Michael Poole, Laura Ouziel Mack, Janine DeVito, Amy Mancini, Dan Dome
Stage Manager: Gena Rositano, Chris Kelly, Eddie Valk, Peter Epstein, Karen Tasch Weiss, Steve Bautista, Joey Despenzero, Frank Fernandez, Doug Fogel, Jeffry Gitter, Cyndi Owgang, Elise Reaves, Niclana Tolmasoff, Leslie Williams (WINNER)

Paul Pennolino, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, “Public Media” (HBO Max)
Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Elliot Mendelson
Stage Manager: Jeff Leib, Mark McKenna, Craig Spinney

Sports

Matthew Gangl, 2025 World Series – Game 7 – Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Toronto Blue Jays (FOX Sports)
Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Larry Lancaster, Aaron Stojkov, Bryan Colucci
Stage Manager: Dominick Tringali, Dan Frank (WINNER)

Steve Milton, 2025 Masters Tournament – Augusta National Golf Club (CBS Sports)
Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Robert Matina, Chris Svendsen, Andy Freedman, Eric Spitzer, Ade Ellis, Tyler Jahn, Josh Weingardt, Brian Maher, Stuart Millstein, Katie Keane, Adam Cohen, Jack Kempner, George Wishart, Dan Obermuller
Stage Manager: Cory Fishman

Rich Russo, Super Bowl LIX – Philadelphia Eagles vs. Kansas City Chiefs (FOX Sports)
Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Rich Gross, Casey Garland

Reality / Quiz and Game

Lucinda M. Margolis, Jeopardy!, “Ep. 9341” (Syndicated)
Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Chloe Corwin
Stage Manager: James F. McGuire 

Adam Sandler, The Price is Right, “10,000th Episode” (CBS)
Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Jazmin Eckenberg
Stage Manager: Steven Hollander, Jason Galland, Alex Weston

Mike Sweeney, Conan O’Brien Must Go, “Austria” (HBO Max)
Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Jason Chillemi (WINNER)

Commercials

Kim Gehrig (Somesuch)

You Can’t Win. So Win. – Nike | Wieden+Kennedy
Directorial Team:
First Assistant Director: Peter Jackson, John Mattern
Second Assistant Director: Melina Greene
Second Second Assistant Director: Chelsea Meador

I’m Not Remarkable – Apple | Client Direct
First Assistant Director: Guy Forgaard
Second Assistant Director: Amanda Johnson
Second Second Assistant Director: Michael Dudley, Clyde Broom (WINNER)

Miles Jay (Smuggler)

Dish – ChatGPT | Isle of Any
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Yianni Papadopoulos
First Assistant Director: George Nessis
Second Assistant Director: Rachel Obering
Second Second Assistant Director: Reed Baum

Pull Up – ChatGPT | Isle of Any
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Yianni Papadopoulos
First Assistant Director: George Nessis
Second Assistant Director: Rachel Obering
Second Second Assistant Director: Reed Baum

Trip – ChatGPT | Isle of Any
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Yianni Papadopoulos
First Assistant Director: George Nessis
Second Assistant Director: Julia Blanford
Second Second Assistant Director: K.J. Walsh

Home for the Holidays – Meta | Droga5
Directorial Team:
First Assistant Director: David Webb

Secret Santa – Meta | Droga5
Directorial Team:
First Assistant Director: David Webb  

Spike Jonze (MJZ)

Someday – Apple Airpods 4 | TBWA\Media Arts Lab
Directorial Team:
First Assistant Director: Steve Danton, Kate Greenberg
Second Assistant Director: Matthew Dennis Smith
Second Second Assistant Director: Amy Hughes, Carly Sturgeon

Andreas Nilsson (Biscuit Filmworks)

Conquer the First School Poo – Andrex | FCB London

Garrett – Apple iPhone 16 Pro | Client Direct
Unit Production Manager: James Veal
First Assistant Director: George Nessis
Second Assistant Director: Reed Baum

Big Flex – Apple iPhone 16 Pro | Client Direct
Unit Production Manager: James Veal
First Assistant Director: George Nessis
Second Assistant Director: Reed Baum

Trunk Trucker – Virgin Media | VCCP London

Steve Rogers (Biscuit Filmworks)

Bring a Book to Life – Amazon | Droga5 London

A Tale as Old as Websites – Squarespace| Client Direct

Everything is Fine – Coinbase | Mother London

Documentary Film

Mstyslav Chernov, 2000 Meters to Andriivka (PBS) (WINNER)
Geeta Gandbhir, The Perfect Neighbor (Netflix)
Sara Khaki and Mohammadreza Eyni, Cutting Through Rocks (Assembly Releasing)
Elizabeth Lo, Mistress Dispeller (Oscilloscope Laboratories)
Laura Poitras and Mark Obenhaus, Cover-Up (Netflix)

Documentary Series / News

Marshall Curry, SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night, “Written By: A Week Inside the SNL Writers Room” (Peacock)
Susan Lacy and Jessica Levin, Billy Joel: And So It Goes, “Part Two” (HBO Max)
Rebecca Miller, Mr. Scorsese, “All This Filming Isn’t Healthy” (Apple TV+) (WINNER)
Alexandra Stapleton, Sean Combs: The Reckoning, “Official Girl” (Netflix)
Matt Wolf, Pee-Wee as Himself, “Part 1” (HBO Max)

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