Whether you love it, hate it, or are maintaining a neutral stance on the La La Land culture war, you’ve got to admit Damien Chazelle pulled off something pretty fantastic with his modern day ode to classic musicals. From the choreography to the film’s stunning color palette, it’s hard to deny that the filmmaker crafted one beautiful movie. With that in mind, plus the Academy’s penchant for honoring movies about Hollywood, it makes sense that Chazelle won the Oscar for Best Director on Sunday night.

The filmmaker previously scooped up Best Director wins this season at the Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Critics’ Choice Awards. Chazelle beat out Barry Jenkins for Moonlight, Kenneth Lonergan for Manchester By the Sea, Denis Villeneuve for Arrival, and Mel Gibson for Hacksaw Ridge and become the youngest filmmaker to win the award.

La La Land, which stars Oscar nominees Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone as couple struggling to make their dreams manifest in Los Angeles, was nominated for a record-tying 14 nominations. The film also won for Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Score, Best Sound Editing, and Best Song for “City of Stars.”

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