The Directors Guild of America Awards are easily the most respected celebrations of the craft of filmmaking. It is a rare evening where directors gather among their peers to reflect on the creative accomplishments and challenges of the past year while honoring the most accomplished achievements in film and television direction.
Awards Buzz covered the red carpet this year, where a wide range of talent turned out to present some of the evening’s top honors. Among those in attendance were Taylor Dearden, Patrick Ball, Jacob Elordi, Timothée Chalamet, Michael Keaton, Adam Scott, Rhea Seehorn, Olivia Wilde, and many others. The ceremony was hosted by Kumail Nanjiani and highlighted several Oscar hopefuls, including Guillermo del Toro, Ryan Coogler and Josh Safdie.
During the 2-hour and 15-minute ceremony, 12 categories were presented, with several surprise wins taking place throughout the night. The most notable surprise came in the First-Time Feature Film category, where Sorry, Baby’s Eva Victor was widely seen as the frontrunner but ultimately lost to Charlie Polinger for The Plague. While The Plague is a remarkable film, I think many expected Sorry, Baby to walk away with the top prize since it has been championed by so many within the industry.
Below is the complete list of winners in each of the categories presented:
Theatrical Feature Film – Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros. Pictures)
This was Anderson’s third DGA Award nomination. Anderson was previously nominated in this category in 2007 for There Will Be Blood and in 2021 for Licorice Pizza.
OBAA Directorial Team:
- Unit Production Manager: Will Weiske
- First Assistant Director: Adam Somner
- Second Assistant Directors: Trevor Tavares, Ian Stone
- Second Second Assistant Directors: Dominic Pacitti, Rafael Sanz-Jimenez
- Additional Second Assistant Directors: Nuekellar Hardy, Chunning Chang, Kit Conners, Kasia Trojak, Tyler Young
Michael Apted Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in First-Time Theatrical Feature Film – Charlie Polinger – The Plague (Independent Film Company)
Dramatic Series – Amanda Marsalis – The Pitt, Episode “6:00pm” (HBO Max)
The Pitt Directorial Team:
- Unit Production Manager: Michelle Lankwarden
- First Assistant Director: Eric Tignini
- Second Assistant Director: Kevin Zelman
- Second Second Assistant Directors: Nicole Jones, Rebecca Rogers, Chloe Huckins
- Additional Second Assistant Director: Michelle Akeley
Comedy Series – Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg – The Studio, Episode “The Oner” (Apple TV)
The Studio Directorial Team:
- Unit Production Manager: Shawn Dyrdahl
- First Assistant Director: Donald Murphy
- Second Assistant Director: Peter Dress
- Second Second Assistant Director: Denise Anderson Poore
- Additional Second Assistant Director: Abran Trujillo
Limited & Anthology Series – Shannon Murphy – Dying for Sex, Episode “It’s Not That Serious” (FX on Hulu)
Dying for Sex Directorial Team:
- Unit Production Manager: Francesca M. Mannix
- First Assistant Director: Julie A. Bloom
- Second Assistant Director: Findlay Ward Zotter
- Second Second Assistant Directors: Kristin Dombroski, Laura E. Rizer
Movies for Television – Stephen Chbosky – Nonnas (Netflix)
Nonnas Directorial Team:
- Unit Production Managers: Pamela Hirsch, Kara Doherty
- First Assistant Director: Chris Surgent
- Second Assistant Director: Takahide Kawakami
- Second Second Assistant Director: Cary Lee
- Location Manager: Tatiana Forster
Variety – Liz Patrick – SNL50: The Anniversary Special (NBC)
This was Liz Patrick’s fourth DGA Award nomination. Liz won the Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Regularly Scheduled Programming awards for Saturday Night Live episodes “Jack Harlow” (2022), “John Mulaney/Chappell Roan” (2024) and with Michael Mancini for “Pedro Pascal/Coldplay” (2023).
SNL50: The Anniversary Special Directorial Team:
- Associate Directors: Michael Mancini, Michael Poole, Laura Ouziel Mack, Janine DeVito, Amy Mancini, Dan Dome
- Stage Managers: 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
Sports – Matthew Gangl – 2025 World Series – Game 7 – Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Toronto Blue Jays (FOX Sports)
2025 World Series – Game 7 – Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Toronto Blue Jays Directorial Team:
- Associate Directors: Larry Lancaster, Aaron Stojkov, Bryan Colucci
- Stage Managers: Dominick Tringali, Dan Frank
Reality / Quiz & Game – Mike Sweeney – Conan O’Brien Must Go, Episode “Austria” (HBO Max)
Directorial Team:
- Associate Director: Jason Chillemi
Commercials – Kim Gehrig (Somesuch) – You Can’t Win. So Win. – Nike | Wieden+Kennedy
This was Gehrig’s fourth DGA Award nomination. Gehrig previously won in this category in 2022 for The Greatest (Apple) and Run Baby Run (Apple iPhone 13); in 2023 forRun This Town (Apple) and The Travelers (Expedia); and was nominated in 2024 for A Life in Sound (SiriusXM), Am I a Bad Person? (Nike) and Find Your Friends (Apple).
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
Directorial Team:
- First Assistant Director: Guy Forgaard
- Second Assistant Director: Amanda Johnson
- Second Second Assistant Director: Michael Dudley, Clyde Broom
Documentary Film – Mstyslav Chernov – 2000 Meters to Andriivka (PBS)
This was Chernov’s second DGA Award nomination. Chernov previously won in this category in 2023 for 20 Days in Mariupol.
Documentary Series / News – Rebecca Miller – Mr. Scorsese, “All This Filming Isn’t Healthy” (Apple TV)
