It was a wonderful night for female filmmakers as five women took prizes at the 2021 DGA Awards. From film to television to commercials, these directors proved that the Director’s Guild of America may be the most progressive guild of them all (already expecting pushback from the WGA members in my life). Leading the way in the top category was Chloe Zhao for “Nomadland.”
This is “Nomadland’s” second major guild win after taking the PGA Award last month. Zhao becomes the first woman of color to take the honor and only the second female winner following “The Hurt Locker’s” Kathryn Bigelow in 2010. Both she and the film are the clear frontrunners to win Best Director and Best Picture at the Oscars later this month.
Showing the industry’s increasing love for “Sound of Metal,” Darius Marder won the First Time Feature Film award over some very stiff competition. On the documentary side, Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw won for the Oscar-snubbed “The Truffle Hunters.”
In the Comedy Series category, Susanna Fogel won for “The Flight Attendant.” Thomas Schlamme was a surprise recipient of the Achievement in Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Specials category. “Saturday Night Live’s” Don Roy King won his sixth DGA award in the Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Regularly Scheduled Programming field. Joseph Guidry gave HBO Max its second DGA honor of the night in the Reality category for “Full Bloom.”
In a minor surprise, “Homeland’s” Lesli Linka Glatter won for Dramatic Series but it’s her second for this show and she’s been nominated for it six times. Much more expected was Scott Frank taking the Limited Series win for “The Queen’s Gambit.”
Melina Matsoukas won her first DGA on her third nomination in the Commercial category for “You Love Me, Beats by Dre.” Amy Schatz won in the Children’s field for “We Are the Dream: The Kids of the Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest.”
The complete list of this year’s nominees and winners are as follows.
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for 2020
Lee Isaac Chung
Minari
(A24)
Emerald Fennell
Promising Young Woman
(Focus Features)
David Fincher
Mank
(Netflix)
Aaron Sorkin
The Trial of the Chicago 7
(Netflix; DreamWorks Pictures)
Chloé Zhao
Nomadland
(Searchlight Pictures)
Outstanding Directorial Achievement of a First-Time Feature Film Director for 2020
Radha Blank
The Forty-Year-Old Version
(Netflix)
Fernando Frías de la Parra
I’m No Longer Here
(Netflix)
Regina King
One Night in Miami
(Amazon Studios)
Darius Marder – ***WINNER***
Sound of Metal
(Amazon Studios)
Florian Zeller
The Father
(Sony Pictures Classics)
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series
JASON BATEMAN
Ozark, “Wartime”
(Netflix)
Unit Production Manager: Matthew Spiegel
First Assistant Director: Peter Thorell
Second Assistant Director: Townson Wells
Second Second Assistant Director: Sarah Gorczyk
JON FAVREAU
The Mandalorian, “Chapter 9: The Marshal”
(Disney+)
Unit Production Manager: Colin Wilson
First Assistant Director: Kim Richards
Second Assistant Director: Heather Wagner-Wang
Second Second Assistant Director: Heather Kehayas
Additional Second Assistant Director: David Buchwald
INCE GILLIGAN
Better Call Saul, “Bagman”
(AMC)
Unit Production Manager: James Paul Hapsas
First Assistant Director: Efrain Cortes
Second Assistant Director: Louis Lanni
Second Second Assistant Director: KiKi Levine
LESLI LINKA GLATTER – ***WINNER***
Homeland, “Prisoners of War”
(Showtime)
Unit Production Managers: Michael Klick, Philippa Naughten
First Assistant Director: Sunday Stevens
Second Assistant Director: Wendy Bledsoe
JULIE ANNE ROBINSON
Bridgerton, “Diamond of the First Water”
(Netflix)
First Assistant Director: Ian Foster Woolf
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series
ZACH BRAFF
Ted Lasso, “Biscuits”
(Apple TV+)
MJ DELANEY
Ted Lasso, “The Hope that Kills You”
(Apple TV+)
SUSANNA FOGEL – ***WINNER***
The Flight Attendant, “In Case of Emergency”
(HBO Max)
Unit Production Manager: Bonnie Muñoz
First Assistant Director: Derek Peterson
Second Assistant Director: Jacquie Dore
Second Second Assistant Director: Zach Citarella
Location Manager: Chris Banks
ERIN O’MALLEY
Curb Your Enthusiasm, “The Surprise Party”
(HBO)
Unit Production Manager: Mary Church
First Assistant Director: Adam Feil
Second Assistant Director: Candice Lee
Second Second Assistant Director: D.J. Carter
JEFF SCHAFFER
Curb Your Enthusiasm, “The Spite Store”
(HBO)
Unit Production Manager: Mary Church
First Assistant Director: Adam Feil
Second Assistant Director: Candice Lee
Second Second Assistant Directors: D.J. Carter, Brent Stanton
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and Limited Series
SUSANNE BIER
The Undoing
(HBO)
Unit Production Manager: Deb Dyer
First Assistant Director: Richard Styles
Second Assistant Director: Josh Muzaffer
Location Manager: Lauri Pitkus
Second Second Assistant Directors: Steven Lafferty, Alex Scricco
Additional Second Assistant Directors: Alex Scricco, Zachary Citarella
SCOTT FRANK – ***WINNER***
The Queen’s Gambit
(Netflix)
First Assistant Director: Aldric La’auli Porter
THOMAS KAIL
Hamilton
(Disney+)
Unit Production Manager: David Backus
First Assistant Director: Robin Abrams
Second Assistant Director: Thomas Gaito
MATT SHAKMAN
WandaVision
(Disney +)
Unit Production Manager: Mary Kane
First Assistant Director: Janell Sammelman
Second Assistant Directors: Meaghan F. McLaughlin, Stephanie Tull Coscina
Second Second Assistant Directors: Katye Kalivoda, Nadeem Ashayer (Los Angeles Unit)
Additional Second Assistant Directors: Kate Pulley, George Williams (Los Angeles Unit)
LYNN SHELTON
Little Fires Everywhere, “Find a Way”
(Hulu)
Unit Production Manager: Brad Yacobian
First Assistant Director: Luke Maxcy
Second Assistant Director: Kirisa Gavrin
Second Second Assistant Directors: Christina Lee, Gabriella Poli Vidal
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Regularly Scheduled Programming
PAUL G. CASEY
Real Time With Bill Maher, “Episode 1835”
(HBO)
Associate Director: Stacy Talbot
Stage Managers: Brian Anderson, Patrick Whitney
JIM HOSKINSON
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, “#1025 Live Show Following Capitol Insurrection”
(CBS)
Associate Directors: Yvonne De Mare, Karen Yaeger
Stage Managers: Mark McKenna, Jeff Leib
DON ROY KING – ***WINNER***
Saturday Night Live, “Dave Chappelle; Foo Fighters”
(NBC)
Associate Directors: Michael Mancini, Michael Poole, Laura Ouziel-Mack
Stage Managers: Gena Rositano, Chris Kelly, Eddie Valk
DAVID PAUL MEYER
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, “President Obama: Inspiring Future Leaders & “A
Promised Land””
(Comedy Central)
Associate Director: Susan Faith Locke-Shapiro
CHRISTOPHER WERNER
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, “Trump & Election Results”
(HBO)
Associate Director: John Scott Wilson
Stage Manager: Dino Castelli
Location Manager: Demian Resnick
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Specials
STACEY ANGELES
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah Presents “Remembering RBG: A Nation Ugly Cried with Desi Lydic”
(Comedy Central)
MARIELLE HELLER
What the Constitution Means to Me
(Amazon)
Associate Director: Tomas ‘Dutch’ Deckaj
Stage Manager: Nicole Payson
JIM HOSKINSON
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, “Stephen Colbert’s Election Night 2020: Democracy’s Last Stand: Building Back America Great Again Better 2020”
(Showtime)
Associate Directors: Yvonne De Mare, Karen Yaeger
Stage Managers: Mark McKenna, Jeff Leib
SPIKE LEE
American Utopia
(HBO)
Unit Production Manager: Nina Shiffman
First Assistant Director: Jermaine Sumra
Second Assistant Director: Lizz Zanin
Additional Second Assistant Director: Steven Bruno
Location Manager: John Maher
THOMAS SCHLAMME – ***WINNER***
A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote
(HBO Max)
Unit Production Manager: Debra James
First Assistant Director: Shawn Pipkin-West
Second Assistant Director: Courtney Franklin
Second Second Assistant Directors: Ni’cole Pettis, Cathy Bond
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Reality Programs
DAVID CHARLES
Eco Challenge, “3,2,1…Go!”
(Amazon)
Associate Director: Daniel Curran
Stage Managers: Ian Blankenship, Kevin Fletcher, Andy Nelson, Mickel Picco
JON FAVREAU
The Chef Show, “Tartine”
(Netflix)
Associate Director: Annie Johnson
KEN FUCHS
Shark Tank, “1211”
(ABC)
Associate Director: Amy Barker
Head Stage Manager: Eric Rhoden
Stage Managers: Doug Neal, Michael Strauss
JOSEPH GUIDRY – ***WINNER***
Full Bloom, “Petal to the Metal”
(HBO Max)
Associate Director: Sean Galvin
Lead Stage Manager: Jimmy Chriss
Stage Managers: Rachel Shimko, Kristianna Laroda, Richard Melendez
RICH KIM
Lego Masters, “Mega City Block”
(Fox)
Associate Director: Ryan Bunnell
Stage Managers: Will Baker, Kevin Fletcher
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children’s Programs
KABIR AKHTAR
High School Musical: The Musical – The Series, “Opening Night”
(Disney+)
Unit Production Managers: Jeff T. Miller, Greg A. Hampson
First Assistant Director: Brent Geisler
Second Assistant Director: Cody Harbaugh
LARISSA BILLS
On Pointe, “Showtime!”
(Disney+)
DEAN ISRAELITE
The Astronauts, “Countdown”
(Nickelodeon)
RICHIE KEEN
The Healing Powers of Dude, “Second Step: Homeroom”
(Netflix)
Unit Production Manager: Chris Phillips
First Assistant Director: Natalie Van Doren
AMY SCHATZ – ***WINNER***
We Are the Dream: The Kids of the Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest
(HBO)
COMMERCIALS
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials
STEVE AYSON
(MJZ)
The Great Chase, Nike – Wieden + Kennedy Shanghai
First Assistant Director: John Lowe
NISHA GANATRA
(Chelsea Pictures)
#wombstories, Bodyform/Libresse – AMVBBDO
NICLAS LARSSON
(MJZ)
See the Unseen, VW Touareg – adam&eveDDB
The Parents, Volvo XC60 – Forsman & Bodenfors
MELINA MATSOUKAS – ***WINNER***
(Prettybird)
You Love Me, Beats by Dr. Dre – Translation
First Assistant Director: Paul Norman
Second Assistant Director: Don Johnson
TAIKA WAITITI
(Hungry Man)
The Letter, Coca-Cola – Wieden & Kennedy London
DOCUMENTARY
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary
MICHAEL DWECK & GREGORY KERSHAW – ***WINNER***
The Truffle Hunters
(Sony Pictures Classics)
PIPPA EHRLICH & JAMES REED
My Octopus Teacher
(Netflix)
DAVID FRANCE
Welcome to Chechnya
(HBO Max)
AMANDA MCBAINE & JESSE MOSS
Boys State
(A24)
BENJAMIN REE
The Painter and the Thief
(Elevation Pictures)