'La La Land' continues dance to the Oscars with DGA win

The evening also took on a more somber, urgent note as many directors and presenters also grappled with President Donald Trump's refugee and immigration ban.

At 32-years-old, Chazelle, a first-time nominee, is the youngest ever recipient of the DGA feature film award which all but guarantees an eventual Oscar win on Feb. 26.

While singing his accolades, like the fact that he shot the musical in 40 days using 35mm film, 93 locations and 1600 extras, Gosling also joked that Chazelle "directed his own birth in a single take."

The Directors Guild also recognizes excellence in directing in documentaries, live, scripted and reality television and commercials.

Sir Ridley Scott was also given the 35th Directors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by Christopher Nolan, Billy Crudup and Michael Fassbender.

Chazelle praised Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi, an Oscar-nominee for his film "The Salesman" who said he will not attend this year's Academy Awards because of a travel ban imposed by Trump.

Falling in line with statements from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Writers Guild of America, DGA President Paris Barclay said that "transcending borders is kind of what we live for."