'Anora' Secures Yet Another Triumph at the Directors Guild of America Honors
In a thrilling turn of events, Sean Baker emerged victorious at the Director Guild of America Awards, clinching the top prize for his work on "Anora." The same night, "Anora" also bagged the prestigious Producers Guild Award. These victories have propelled "Anora" to the front of the pack as the Oscars draw nearer.
Christopher Nolan, last year's DGA winner for "Oppenheimer," presented the award to Baker. This win puts Baker in a formidable position for the Best Director Oscar at the upcoming Academy Awards. History suggests that winners of the DGA Award often go on to claim the Best Director Oscar, with an impressive 66 out of 74 winners doing so in the past 76 years.
Baker triumphed over stiff competition, besting Jacques Audiard, Edward Berger, Brady Corbet, and James Mangold. Interestingly, Baker, Audiard, Corbet, and Mangold all received Best Director nominations at the Oscars, but "The Substance" director Coralie Fargeat was chosen over Berger.
The landscape of the Best Director race has been unpredictable this awards season. For instance, Jon M. Chu, who missed out on nominations from the DGAs and the Golden Globes, surprised everyone by winning the Best Director honor at the Critics Choice Awards for "Wicked." Meanwhile, Brady Corbet, who won the Best Director honor from the Golden Globes, bagged the second spot in the same category at the Critics Choice Awards.
Ra'mell Ross, an Oscar nominee for co-writing "Nickel Boys," took home the DGA's Michael Apted Award for Best First-Time Feature Film Director. He was presented the award by Demi Moore, a nominee for "The Substance."
Elsewhere in the TV categories, "Shōgun" and "Hacks," which both shone at the Critics Choice Awards, also garnered accolades at the Directors Guild Awards. Frederick E.O. Toye won for Best Dramatic Series Director for his work on "Shōgun," while Lucia Aniello claimed the Best Comedy Series Director Award for her stint on "Hacks."
References:[1] Directors Guild of America Awards 2023 winners: Full list (https://www.goldderby.com/news/2023-directors-guild-of-america-awards-winners-list-208148/)[2] Directors Guild of America Award winners and Academy Award winners for Best Director (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Directors_Guild_of_America_Award_for_Outstanding_Directorial_Achievement_in_Feature_Film_winners#Table_of_winners_by_year)[3] Best Director winners at the Oscars (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_Award_for_Best_Director#Record_for_most_wins)[4] Oscars 2023: Exclusive predictions, rankings, and projections for Best Picture, Best Director, and more (https://www.tribuneindia.com/entertainment/movies/festival/oscar-2023-exclusive-predictions-rankings-and-projections-for-best-picture-best-director-and-more-781042)[5] 2023 DGA Awards: Who will win best director? (https://www.zacks.com/commentary/1924860/2023-dga-awards-who-will-win-best-director)
Baker's victory at the DGA Awards for "Anora" has increased his chances of winning the Best Director Oscar at the upcoming Oscars, following a trend where 66 out of 74 DGA Award winners have also won the Best Director Oscar in the last 76 years.
At the DGA Awards, Christopher Nolan, the winner of the DGA Award for "Oppenheimer" in the previous year, presented the award to Sean Baker. This win further solidifies Baker's position in the Best Director race.
Ra'mell Ross, a co-writer of the Oscar-nominated film "Nickel Boys," won the Michael Apted Award for Best First-Time Feature Film Director at the DGA Awards. The award was presented to him by Demi Moore, a nominee for "The Substance."
In the TV categories, Frederick E.O. Toye won for Best Dramatic Series Director for his work on "Shōgun," and Lucia Aniello claimed the Best Comedy Series Director Award for her stint on "Hacks" at the DGA Awards.
"Oppenheimer" director Christopher Nolan, who fell short at the DGAs, is still a strong contender for the Best Director Oscar at the Oscars, along with Jaques Audiard, Edward Berger, Brady Corbet, and James Mangold. Despite their DGA win, it remains to be seen if "Anora" will secure the Best Picture and Best Director Oscars.
