Christopher Nolan, Celine Song, AP’s Mstyslav Chernov win at Directors Guild Awards
Christopher Nolan, Celine Song, AP’s Mstyslav Chernov win at Directors Guild Awards
“Oppenheimer” director Christopher Nolan took the top prize at the Directors Guild of America Awards in Beverly Hills, with Greta Gerwig, Martin Scorsese and Celine Song also receiving honors. (Feb. 11)
Christopher Nolan, director of the film “Oppenheimer,” poses with his DGA Award for Theatrical Feature Film backstage at the 76th DGA Awards, Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Christopher Nolan, director of the film “Oppenheimer,” poses backstage after winning the DGA Award for Theatrical Feature Film at the 76th DGA Awards, Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Christopher Nolan, left, director of “Oppenheimer,” holds his DGA Awards Feature Film Medallion alongside cast member Cillian Murphy backstage at the 76th DGA Awards, Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Celine Song, director of the film “Past Lives,” poses with the Michael Apted First-Time Theatrical Feature Film Director Award at the 76th DGA Awards at the Beverly Hilton, Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Mstyslav Chernov, director of the documentary film “20 Days in Mariupol,” holds his DGA Award for Documentary backstage at the 76th DGA Awards, Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Mstyslav Chernov, right, director of the documentary film “20 Days in Mariupol,” holds his DGA Award for Documentary alongside presenter Jeffrey Wright backstage at the 76th DGA Awards, Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Christopher Storer, left, holds his DGA Award for Comedy Series for the “Fishes” episode of the series “The Bear” alongside presenter Rashida Jones at the 76th DGA Awards, Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Martin Scorsese, director of the film “Killers of the Flower Moon,” poses backstage at the 76th DGA Awards, Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Greta Gerwig, director of the film “Barbie,” poses at the 76th DGA Awards at the Beverly Hilton, Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Directors Daniel Scheinert, left, and Daniel Kwan arrive at the 76th DGA Awards at the Beverly Hilton, Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
“Oppenheimer” director Christopher Nolan took the top prize at the Directors Guild of America Awards in Beverly Hills, with Greta Gerwig, Martin Scorsese and Celine Song also receiving honors. (Feb. 11)
Christopher Nolan, director of the film “Oppenheimer,” poses with his DGA Award for Theatrical Feature Film backstage at the 76th DGA Awards, Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Christopher Nolan, director of the film “Oppenheimer,” poses with his DGA Award for Theatrical Feature Film backstage at the 76th DGA Awards, Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Christopher Nolan, director of the film “Oppenheimer,” poses backstage after winning the DGA Award for Theatrical Feature Film at the 76th DGA Awards, Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Christopher Nolan, director of the film “Oppenheimer,” poses backstage after winning the DGA Award for Theatrical Feature Film at the 76th DGA Awards, Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Christopher Nolan, left, director of “Oppenheimer,” holds his DGA Awards Feature Film Medallion alongside cast member Cillian Murphy backstage at the 76th DGA Awards, Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Christopher Nolan, left, director of “Oppenheimer,” holds his DGA Awards Feature Film Medallion alongside cast member Cillian Murphy backstage at the 76th DGA Awards, Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Celine Song, director of the film “Past Lives,” poses with the Michael Apted First-Time Theatrical Feature Film Director Award at the 76th DGA Awards at the Beverly Hilton, Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Celine Song, director of the film “Past Lives,” poses with the Michael Apted First-Time Theatrical Feature Film Director Award at the 76th DGA Awards at the Beverly Hilton, Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Mstyslav Chernov, director of the documentary film “20 Days in Mariupol,” holds his DGA Award for Documentary backstage at the 76th DGA Awards, Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Mstyslav Chernov, director of the documentary film “20 Days in Mariupol,” holds his DGA Award for Documentary backstage at the 76th DGA Awards, Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Mstyslav Chernov, right, director of the documentary film “20 Days in Mariupol,” holds his DGA Award for Documentary alongside presenter Jeffrey Wright backstage at the 76th DGA Awards, Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Mstyslav Chernov, right, director of the documentary film “20 Days in Mariupol,” holds his DGA Award for Documentary alongside presenter Jeffrey Wright backstage at the 76th DGA Awards, Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Christopher Storer, left, holds his DGA Award for Comedy Series for the “Fishes” episode of the series “The Bear” alongside presenter Rashida Jones at the 76th DGA Awards, Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Christopher Storer, left, holds his DGA Award for Comedy Series for the “Fishes” episode of the series “The Bear” alongside presenter Rashida Jones at the 76th DGA Awards, Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Martin Scorsese, director of the film “Killers of the Flower Moon,” poses backstage at the 76th DGA Awards, Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Greta Gerwig, director of the film “Barbie,” poses at the 76th DGA Awards at the Beverly Hilton, Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Directors Daniel Scheinert, left, and Daniel Kwan arrive at the 76th DGA Awards at the Beverly Hilton, Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Christopher Nolan was awarded the top prize at the Directors Guild Awards for “Oppenheimer” Saturday, solidifying his front-runner status for next month’s Oscars.
Other winners at the untelevised ceremony in Los Angeles included Celine Song, for first time directorial achievement for her romantic drama “Past Lives,” and Mstyslav Chernov for the documentary “ 20 Days in Mariupol, ” a joint project between The Associated Press and PBS “Frontline.”
The Directors Guild of America also recognizes achievements in scripted and nonscripted television, with the drama series prize going to Peter Hoar for “The Last of Us” episode “Long, Long Time,” and the comedy trophy for Christopher Storer for the “Fishes” episode of “The Bear.”
The DGA award is a first for Nolan who had been nominated for the same award four times previously, for “Memento,” “The Dark Knight,” “Inception” and “Dunkirk.” This year, Nolan was up against some formidable competition in Martin Scorsese for “Killers of the Flower Moon,” Yorgos Lanthimos for “Poor Things,” Alexander Payne for “The Holdovers” and Greta Gerwig for “Barbie,” who some pundits thought might have been capable of an upset win in response to her snub in the same category at the Oscars.
The guild’s voting body consists of over 19,000 members, which is nearly double the entire membership of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. But even with different voter makeups, only eight times in 75 years has the DGA winner not also gone on to take the directing Oscar. The most recent divergence was in 2019, when Sam Mendes won the DGA for “1917” and the Oscar went to Bong Joon-ho for “Parasite.” Last year, Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert won both for “Everything Everywhere All At Once.”
At the Oscars on March 10, Nolan’s fellow best director nominees include Scorsese, Lanthimos, Jonathan Glazer for “The Zone of Interest” and Justine Triet for “Anatomy of a Fall.” Final Oscar voting begins on Feb. 22.