Christopher Nolan’s win of the top prize at the Directors Guild of America awards for his film Oppenheimer on Saturday solidifies his strong chances of winning the best director Oscar.
Nolan faced competition from other directors for the prestigious award, which is voted on by members of the top guild for film and TV directors in the US. His rivals included Martin Scorsese for his film Killers of the Flower Moon and Yorgos Lanthimos for Poor Things. Greta Gerwig was also a contender for her film Barbie, after not receiving an Oscar nomination. However, Nolan was considered the frontrunner, having already won multiple best director awards this year, such as at the Golden Globes and the American and Canadian Critics Choice awards.
The DGA award is highly regarded as a strong predictor of the Academy Awards due to its large number of members who also vote for the Oscars. In the past decade, nine out of ten DGA winners have gone on to win at the Oscars. The only recent deviation was in 2020 when Sam Mendes won the DGA award for 1917, but Bong Joon-ho won the Academy Award for Parasite instead.
Celine Song won the inaugural feature award for Past Lives, which was named the top film of 2023 by the Guardian’s film critics. However, similar to Gerwig, she did not receive an Oscar nomination for best director. The Ukrainian war documentary 20 Days in Mariupol also put up a strong fight for the best documentary Oscar, with director Mstyslav Chernov topping the DGA poll. This was a surprise victory over Davis Guggenheim’s Still: A Michael J Fox Movie.
At the DGA’s TV division, The Bear and The Last of Us were honored with awards for best comedy and dramatic series. Christopher Storer, who won for The Bear, also received an Emmy for his work. Peter Hoar, director of The Last of Us, beat out Mark Mylod, who had won the Emmy for Succession.
Complete list of individuals who have won.
The top cinematic production by Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer.
Celine Song’s Past Lives is the standout debut film in the world of theatre.
The top-rated documentary “20 Days in Mariupol” by Mstyslav Chernov.
The Last of Us, directed by Peter Hoar, has been acclaimed as one of the best dramatic series. The episode “Long, Long Time” has received high praise from viewers and critics alike.
The top comedy series is “The Bear,” directed by Christopher Storer, with the episode titled “Fishes.”
Top television and limited series films directed by Sarah Adina Smith, Lessons in Chemistry, (episode: Her and Him)
Top selection of discussions, updates, updates, and sporting events – consistently planned broadcasts featuring Michael Mancini and Liz Patrick, Saturday Night Live, (episode: Pedro Pascal/Coldplay)
Top selection/conversation/information/athletics – exclusive features by Paul Miller, Carol Burnett: Celebrating 90 Years of Humor and Affection
Top reality shows featuring Niharika Desai, Rainn Wilson, and “Geography of Bliss” episode titled “Happiness is a Bottle of Cod Liver Oil.”
Top-rated kids’ shows like Amy Schatz’s Stand Up & Shout: Songs from a Philadelphia High School.
Top advertisements created by Kim Gehrig – “Run This Town” for Apple Music and “The Travelers” for Expedia.
Source: theguardian.com
