Christopher Nolan at the 2024 Golden Globes on Jan. 7, 2024.Photo:CBS

CBS
The 2024Golden Globeshave selected their winner for best director of a motion picture:Christopher NolanforOppenheimer.
Also in the running were filmmakersBradley CooperforMaestro,Greta GerwigforBarbie,Yorgos LanthimosforPoor Things,Martin ScorseseforKillers of the Flower MoonandCeline SongforPast Lives.
In his acceptance speech, Nolan, 53, recalled of the year his 2008 filmThe Dark Knightwas up for awards, “The only time I’ve ever been on this stage before was accepting one of these on behalf of our dear friend, [the late]Heath Ledger, and that was complicated and challenging for me.”
“And in the middle of speaking, I looked down atRobert Downey Jr., [who] caught my eye and gave me a look of support. The same look [he’s] giving me now — the same love and support he showed so many people in your community over the years,” added Nolan.
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Cillian Murphy inOppenheimer(2023).Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal Pictures

Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal Pictures
Nolan blasted his way into this year’s Globes with his fifth and sixth overall nominations for directingOppenheimerand adapting its screenplay from Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin’sJ. Robert OppenheimerbiographyAmerican Prometheus.
Now thehighest-grossing biopicof all time,Oppenheimerhas made Globe-winning cast members Downey Jr., 58, andCillian Murphy, plus nomineeEmily Blunt, shoo-ins for acting honors this awards season.
Without adjusting for inflation, the film is Nolan’s most lucrative global release since 2012’sThe Dark Knight Rises, which surpassed the global $1 billion threshold.
Bradley Cooper as Leonard Bernstein inMaestro(2023).Jason McDonald/Netflix

Jason McDonald/Netflix
Just like with 2019’sLady Gaga-starringA Star Is Born, Cooper, 49, notched Globe nods for both directing and acting inMaestro(a feat that, withA Star Is Born, he repeated at the subsequent Oscars).
He also co-wrote the script with Josh Singer, produced the film alongside Scorsese,Steven Spielbergand more and trained extensively to capture Bernstein’s magnetic composing skills.
Greta Gerwig in London on July 13, 2023.Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images for Warner Bros.

Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images for Warner Bros.
Barbiehelmer Gerwig, 40, didn’t just come into this year’s Golden Globes strong — envisioning 2023’sbiggest box office hit, riding the biggest buzz of her Hollywood career and nabbing nominations for both directing and co-writing with husbandNoah Baumbach.
She also bears the rare distinction of a behind-the-camera Globe nominee who has also been recognized for acting; in 2014 the filmmaker earned her first of four nods for leadingFrances Ha.
Gerwig and producer-starMargot Robbieare poised to continue their winning streak all the way to theAcademy Awards. Plus, amongBarbie’s tally of nine Golden Globe nods is a brand-new category in 2024: cinematic and box office achievement.
Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone on the set ofPoor Things(2023).Searchlight Pictures

Searchlight Pictures
Lanthimos, 50, continues to bring his oddball sensibilities to Hollywood with the awe-inspiringPoor Things, a Frankenstein’s monster-esque tale about a revivified woman (Globe winnerEmma Stone) discovering the world’s pleasures.
Though this marks his first Globe nod, Lanthimos has made it onto countless awards shortlists forThe LobsterandThe Favourite,and has notched three Oscar nominations so far.
Lily Gladstone and Martin Scorsese on the set ofKillers of the Flower Moon(2023).Paramount Pictures

Paramount Pictures
Scorsese leads his fellow writing and directing Golden Globe nominees in recognition from the awards body. The 81-year-old’s Globe tally, which stretches back to 1981 forRaging Bull, now includes 12 nods, three directing wins and a special Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2010.
He’s also directed a remarkable amount of performances that have earned Hollywood’s top awards, especially fromRobert De NiroandLeonardo DiCaprio.
Both star inKillers of the Flower Moon, Scorsese’s brutal retelling of a dark chapter in American history: the serial killings of members of the Osage Nation in 1920s Oklahoma.
Celine Song in Los Angeles on Nov. 30, 2023.Jon Kopaloff/Getty

Jon Kopaloff/Getty
SeePEOPLE’s full coverageof the 81st annual Golden Globes as they’re broadcasting live from The Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles on CBS and Paramount+.
source: people.com