One Battle After Another Beats Out Sinners, Ryan Coogler For Best Director and Best Picture

Paul Thomas Anderson beat out Ryan Coogler and others on Sunday night for the Best Picture and Best Director Academy Awards in races that most critics agreed were between the two films.

Sinners managed to walk away with a handful of technical awards and several major ones on Sunday, but when the Best Director category came up, One Battle After Another director Anderson walked away with the prize. The film also later won Best Picture.

Michael B. Jordan took home the Best Actor Academy Award for his dual role in Sinners. He was up against Leonardo DiCaprio in Battle. Sinners director Ryan Coogler also took home the prize for Best Original Screenplay. Sinners was nominated for 16 nominations, an all-time record for the Academy Awards, while One Battle was nominated for 13.

Anderson said after winning Best Director:

Thank you, very, very much, you make a guy work hard for one of these. I really appreciate it. I share this with a friend of mine on the other side of the shadows… I want to thank the Academy for finding my work worthy of this highest honor. And my classmates, Chloe, Ryan, Joachim, and Josh. I couldn’t ask for a better class. It’s an honor to be counted amongst you guys. There will always be some doubt in your heart that you deserve it, but there is no question at the pleasure of having it for myself. I’m here because of people’s faith in me, that give me their faith and their time. And that’s the best part about being on a film crew, is being with people. We need each other. This is a wonderful gift and I’m so happy to call the movies home. This is really terrific. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I love it.

Watch above via ABC.

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