Adam McKay is nominated for The Big Short:

McKay’s directorial debut was 2004’s Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgandy. I’m guessing Anchorman is just like The Big Short 60% of the time.

George Miller is nominated for Mad Max: Fury Road:

Miller has, as we know, come full circle, since his full-length directorial debut was 1979’s Mad Max. The man has kept the insanity turned to 11, that’s for sure.

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu is nominated for The Revenant:

Inarritu’s first full-length directing job was for 2000’s Amores Perros, which follows the intersection of lives thanks to a car accident.

Lenny Abrahamson is nominated for Room:

Abrahamson first directed 2004’s Adam & Paul, a film about Irish drug addicts.

Tom McCarthy is nominated for Spotlight:

McCarthy’s directorial debut was 2003’s The Station Agent. We adore this movie and thank it endlessly for being the introduction (for many of us) to the glory that is Peter Dinklage.

Jodi Smith is a Senior Reporter, Film & Television at Pajiba. You can email her or follow her on Twitter.