Daijiworld Media Network
Los Angeles, Mar 16: Acclaimed filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson won the Best Director award at the Academy Awards for his political drama One Battle After Another, marking his first-ever Oscar win in the directing category.
The film also earned Anderson the award for Best Adapted Screenplay and went on to win Best Picture, making it one of the biggest winners of the night.
Accepting the award, Anderson joked about the long wait for recognition. “They make a guy work hard for these,” he said while glancing at the trophy. He added that he wrote the film as a message for his children. “I wrote this movie for my kids to say sorry for the housekeeping mess that we left in this world we’re handing off to them.”
The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio and follows a group of political activists navigating shifting alliances and generational power struggles. The movie reflects Anderson’s trademark storytelling style, combining detailed character studies with broader political themes.
During his speech, Anderson dedicated the award to his late collaborator Adam Somner, who died in 2024 after battling cancer.
“He’s in a really big bar up in the sky right now,” Anderson said. “He’s having a gin and tonic, and he is so happy.”
He also praised fellow nominees in the category including Ryan Coogler for Sinners, Chloé Zhao for Hamnet, Joachim Trier for Sentimental Value and Josh Safdie for Marty Supreme, calling them his “classmates”.
Anderson first gained prominence with the 1997 film Boogie Nights, which established him as a bold new voice in American cinema. He later directed critically acclaimed films such as Magnolia, Punch-Drunk Love and the oil-industry epic There Will Be Blood, widely regarded as one of the defining films of the 21st century.
His later works including The Master, Phantom Thread and Licorice Pizza further cemented his reputation as one of the most respected filmmakers in contemporary cinema.
After multiple nominations over the years, Anderson’s win for One Battle After Another finally secures his place among the most celebrated directors recognised by the Academy.