Christopher Nolan won the main prize from the American directors union (DGA) Nine times out of ten, the guild winner wins the Oscar for best director. Oppenheimer is his first victory at the DGA Awards in five nominations.
The influx of new members at the Oscars is increasingly leading the Academy to diverge from the guilds, considered precursors. The last time there was disagreement was in 2020. The DGA favored Sam Mendes for 1917, the Oscars Bong Joon Ho for the Palme d'Or Parasite.