Christopher Nolan wins Best Director at the 2024 Oscars

Cillian Murphy and Christopher Nolan on the set of Oppenheimer
(Image credit: Universal Pictures)

The winner of Best Director at this year's Oscars has been announced and, despite some stiff competition, it's Oppenheimer director Christopher Nolan who is taking home the award.

As expected, Nolan's work helming the biopic of Robert J. Oppenheimer (played by Cillian Murphy) was enough to tip the scales in his favor.

"We don't know where this incredible journey is going from here, but to know that you think I'm a meaningful part of it means the world to me," Nolan said of film history in his acceptance speech. 

This year's Best Director category was arguably its most packed in years. Those nominated alongside Nolan include Justine Triet (Anatomy of a Fall), Martin Scorsese (Killers of the Flower Moon), Yorgos Lanthimos (Poor Things), and Jonathan Glazer (The Zone of Interest).

Remarkably, this is Nolan's first win for Best Director. He was previously nominated in the category for Dunkirk in 2018 (which was also nominated for Best Picture that year) but his work as a director has largely been ignored by the Academy.

Oppenheimer, starring Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr., and Emily Blunt, also proved a hit with audiences, raking in over $950 million at the box office. It also formed one half of the 'Barbenheimer' summer craze, alongside the release of Greta Gerwig's Barbie.

At this year's Oscars, Oppenheimer has also been nominated for Best Costume, Best Production Design, Best Film Editing, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Original Score, Best Sound, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best Picture. Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr. are up for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor respectively, while Emily Blunt gets a first Oscar nomination in the Best Supporting Actress category.

For more on this year's Academy Awards, stay up to date with our Oscars 2024 live blog. Then see what's coming soon to cinemas with our guide to upcoming movies and the movie release dates calendar.

Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.

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