Sean Baker's film Anora took home the prestigious Best Film award at the Directors Guild of America (DGA) Awards on Saturday, February 8. The 53-year-old director triumphed over strong contenders, including Jacques Audiard (Emilia Perez), Edward Berger (Conclave), Brady Corbet (The Brutalist), and James Mangold (A Complete Unknown), securing the Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film for his comedy-drama.

Accepting the award at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, Baker admitted, “My imposter syndrome is skyrocketing right now, as well as my cortisol levels. It’s such an honor to be recognized by my peers.” He expressed gratitude to his directing team, cast, crew, and producers, humorously apologizing for putting them through a challenging shoot.

Baker highlighted the difficulties of making a $6 million film on actual film stock in New York City in 2023, calling it "almost an impossibility." He also praised his cast, particularly lead actress Mikey Madison, saying her dedication and creativity transformed his approach to directing. “Working with [Mikey] has changed the way I will be directing actors in the future,” he noted, predicting a bright future for her.

With the DGA award often seen as a strong indicator of success at the Academy Awards—19 of the past 22 winners have gone on to win Best Director at the Oscars—Baker is now a major contender for that prize. The night also saw RaMell Ross win the Michael Apted First-Time Theatrical Feature Film award for Nickel Boys, while Brendan Bellomo and Slava Leontyev took home the Documentary award for Porcelain War.

On the television front, Shogun director Frederick E.O. Toye won for his Crimson Sky episode in the Dramatic Series category. Lucia Aniello claimed the Comedy Series award for directing the Bulletproof episode of Hacks, despite The Bear earning three nominations in the category. Meanwhile, Steven Zaillian's work on Ripley won in the Movies for Television/Limited Series category, edging out The Penguin, which had three nominations.

A special moment in the evening was Michelle Yeoh presenting the Lifetime Achievement Award to acclaimed director Ang Lee. Reflecting on his career, Lee remarked, “I hope that my whole career can be a never-ending film school.” The ceremony was hosted for the sixth time by Judd Apatow, who humorously contrasted his own work with Lee’s. “In 2005, Ang Lee made Brokeback Mountain, a groundbreaking film. That same year, I made The 40-Year-Old Virgin, which featured two guys joking about being gay for five minutes. That’s why he’s being honored, and I’m hosting for the sixth time,” he quipped, bringing the night to a lighthearted close.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from Instagram/Sean Baker