There was some drama and tension at the 2026 DGA Awards, but there was little regarding the top prize. As expected, Paul Thomas Anderson won Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film for “One Battle After Another.” The honor was presented to him by last year’s winner, Sean Baker.
READ MORE: ‘Sinners’ Tops ‘One Battle After Another’ With Record 16 Oscars Nominations [Complete List]
This was Anderson’s first DGA win. He was previously nominated in 2008 for “There Will Be Blood” and in 2022 for “Licorice Pizza.” He’s already received the equivalent honor for “One Battle” from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, New York Film Critics Circle, National Board of Review, National Society of Film Critics, the Golden Globes, and Critics Choice Awards. He is nominated for the Best Director Oscar and the BAFTA Award.
In the closely watched First-Time Theatrical Feature Film category, determined by a select jury of DGA members, the award went to Charlie Polinger for “The Plague.” Poligner beat out stiff competition from Eva Victor, Harry Lighton, and Hasan Hadi.
The Documentary Feature went to Mstyslav Chernov for “2000 Meters to Andriivka.” “Meters” was snubbed by the Academy in the Feature Documentary Oscar category last month.
The television categories were slightly more intriguing. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldeberg won the Comedy Series honor for “The Studio,” “The Oner.” Amanda Marsalis won the Drama Series DGA for “The Pitt,” “6:00 P.M.” Shannon Murphy took the Limited & Anthology Series category for “Dying for Sex,” “It’s Not That Serious.” Stephen Chbosky won the Movies for Television award for “Nonnas.”
Liz Berger won the Variety award for “SNL50: The Anniversary Special.“ The eye-browraisingly broad Reality/Quiz and Game honor went to Mike Sweeney and his team for “Conan O’Brien Must Go,” “Austria.” The Documentary Series/News winner was Rebecca Miller for “Mr. Scorsese,” “All This Filming Isn’t Healthy.”
Note, the final winners in each category are determined by select “blue ribbon” panels, except for feature film. That is the only category all members vote on.
The complete list of this year’s nominees and winners is as follows:
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film
Paul Thomas Anderson – ***WINNER***
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
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)
Directorial Team:
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 Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in First-Time Theatrical Feature Film
Hasan Hadi
The President’s Cake
(Sony Pictures Classics)
Harry Lighton
Pillion
(A24)
Charlie Polinger – ***WINNER***
The Plague
(Independent Film Company)
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
AMANDA MARSALIS – ***WINNER***
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
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 – ***WINNER***
The Studio, “The Oner”
(Apple TV+)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Shawn Dyrdahl
First Assistant Director: Donald Murphy
Second Assistant Director: Peter Dress
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 & 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 – ***WINNER***
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
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 – ***WINNER***
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
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 DE MARE
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 – ***WINNER***
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
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 – ***WINNER***
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
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 – ***WINNER***
Conan O’Brien Must Go, “Austria”
(HBO Max)
Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Jason Chillemi
COMMERCIALS
KIM GEHRIG – ***WINNER***
(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
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 – ***WINNER***
2000 Meters to Andriivka
(PBS)
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 – ***WINNER***
Mr. Scorsese, “All This Filming Isn’t Healthy”
(Apple TV)
Alexandria Stapleton
Sean Combs: The Reckoning, “Official Girl”
(Netflix)
Matt Wolf
Pee-Wee as Himself, “Part 1”
(HBO Max)
