Christopher Nolan has taken home the Academy Award for Best Director for his three-hour blockbuster epic Oppenheimer. The Inception director took the win over Martin Scorsese, Johnathan Glazer, Justine Triet and Yorgos Lanthimos.
Surprisingly, this Oscar is Nolan’s first win following eight nominations over the years and his gratitude shined through the lines of his acceptance speech.
“I can’t say enough about the incredible crew that we got together on this film,” he expressed to the crowd of adoring film industry members.
He also dedicated the award to his wife, Emma Thomas, whom he referred to as “the producer of all [their] films and all [their] children.”
This is Nolan’s first Oscar. He’s been nominated five times previously, with his first nomination being for Best Original Screenplay for Memento, which he lost to Julian Fellowes for Gosford Park.
In 2011, he picked up another two nominations for Inception, for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay, and in 2018 he was nominated for Best Director and Best Picture for Dunkirk.
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Christopher Nolan’s Road to the Oscar
Christopher Nolan has been one of Hollywood’s most successful directors for decades. Known for his innovative, often mind-bending approach to filmmaking, Nolan was widely acclaimed for his Dark Knight trilogy, which saw Heath Ledger awarded a posthumous Oscar for his role as the Joker in The Dark Knight.
Over the years, Nolan has consistently delivered films that receive both critical acclaim and box office triumph. His films — such as Inception, Interstellar, and Dunkirk — have all earned praise for their creativity, technical brilliance, and emotional depth, and there is perhaps no greater example of Nolan’s skills at work than in Oppenheimer.
The Oscar marks the end of an incredibly successful award season for Nolan and Oppenheimer. Both Nolan and the film have been sweeping award season, with the “Oppenhomies” picking up trophies wherever they go.
Over the season, Oppenheimer has been awarded Best Motion Picture — Drama at the Golden Globes, Best Picture at the Critics Choice Awards, Best Ensemble at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, and Best Film at the BAFTAs.
Christopher Nolan has picked up a Golden Globe, a Critics Choice Award, a BAFTA, and a Directors Guild Award for his efforts, and the film’s lead and supporting actors — Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr, respectively — have also picked up numerous awards along the way.
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