The 78th DGA Awards honoring the year’s best in directing achievement across film, TV and commercials is underway Saturday at the Beverly Hilton.
A total of 12 competitive categories are up for grabs, including the marquee Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film race. The nominees there feature four of the five Oscar-nominated directors in One Battle After Another’s Paul Thomas Anderson, Sinners’ Ryan Coogler, Marty Supreme’s Josh Safdie and Hamnet’s Chloé Zhao. The other DGA nominee is Frankenstein’s Guillermo del Toro, who lost out on the Oscar list to Sentimental Value’s Joachim Trier.
Last year, the big DGA win went to Anora‘s Sean Baker, who went on to win Directing the Oscars along with that pic scoring Best Picture. Two years ago Christopher Nolan won at the DGAs ahead of picking up Best Director and Best Picture Oscars for Oppenheimer. (Now Nolan is the president of the DGA, which begins labor contract negotiations with studios rep the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers on Monday.)
In fact, the DGA win and Oscars Directing trophy has matched each of the last five years.
Also on tap for tonight’s ceremony being emceed by Kumail Nanjiani are the Directors Guild of America’s honorary awards, which this year include associate director/stage manager David Charles receiving the Franklin J. Schaffner Achievement Award, which recognizes extraordinary service to the industry and the guild, and Commercials 1st AD Gregory G. McCollum receiving the Frank Capra Achievement Award, given in recognition of notable career achievements and for outstanding service to the DGA.
Already this evening, Shannon Murphy won Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Limited Series & Anthology for FX on Hulu’s Dying for Sex, and SNL50: The Anniversary Special took the Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Variety prize.
Also among this year’s TV nominees, HBO Max’s The Pitt and FX’s The Bear snagged two noms apiece to lead the respective Drama Series and Comedy Series races. Last year, the directors behind FX’s Shōgun (Frederick E.O. Toye), HBO Max’s Hacks (Lucia Aniello) and Netflix’s Ripley (Steve Zaillian) took the top Drama, Comedy and Limited & Anthology series prizes. Aniello is back in the race this year.
Also on tap for tonight’s ceremony being emceed by Kumail Nanjiani are the Directors Guild of America’s honorary awards, which this year include associate director/stage manager David Charles receiving the Franklin J. Schaffner Achievement Award, which recognizes extraordinary service to the industry and the guild, and Commercials 1st AD Gregory G. McCollum receiving the Frank Capra Achievement Award, given in recognition of notable career achievements and for outstanding service to the DGA.
Below is the list of categories. Follow along tonight as they are updated with winners as part of Deadline’s complete event coverage.
Film
Theatrical Feature Film
Michael Apted First-Time Theatrical Feature Film
Documentary Film
Television
Drama Series
Comedy Series
Limited & Anthology Series
Shannon Murphy
Dying for Sex, “It’s Not That Serious” (FX on Hulu)
- Unit Production Manager: Francesca M. Mannix
- First Assistant Director: Julie A. Bloom
- Second Assistant Director: Findlay Ward Zotter
- Second Second Assistant Director: Kristin Dombroski, Laura E. Rizer
Movies for Television
Variety
Liz Patrick
SNL50: The Anniversary Special (NBC)
- Associate Director: Michael Mancini, Michael Poole, Laura Ouziel Mack, Janine DeVito, Amy Mancini, Dan Dome
- Stage Manager: Gena Rositano, Chris Kelly, Eddie Valk, Peter Epstein, Karen Tasch Weiss, Steve Bautista, Joey Despenzero, Frank Fernandez, Doug Fogel, Jeffry Gitter, Cyndi Owgang, Elise Reaves, Niclana Tolmasoff, Leslie Williams
Documentary Series/News
Reality, Quiz & Games
Sports
Commercial