UPDATED with PGA win: Sean Baker won both the PGA Awards ‘ and DGA Awards ‘ top prizes for Neon’s Anora — on the same night. And if past statistics are a signifier of what’s to come, it is a major indicator for both the Oscars’ Best Director category as well as Best Picture.

Sean Baker scored the Directors Guild of America Award for Best Feature for "Anora" at a ceremony in Beverly Hills Saturday.

In what might be termed a mild surprise, Anora director Sean Baker took home the Feature Film Director prize at the 77th Annual Directors Guild of America Awards Saturday night, instantly thrusting him into the driver’s seat as the frontrunner for the Best Director trophy at the Academy Awards on March 2.