Oscars Watch: 73rd Annual Directors Guild of America Awards

April 10, 2021 / Leave a Comment

Get that Oscar ready for Chloé Zhao, at least in the directing category. Not only did she unprecedentedly sweep the critics’ awards this year, but she’s also now won the Directors Guild’s highest honor for her work on “Nomadland.” Awarded for his first feature, Darius Marder won the First-Time Narrative Feature award for his directing work on “Sound Of Metal.” And, “The Truffle Hunters, “a documentary not even nominated for an Academy Award, won the achievement for directing in a Documentary Feature.

MOTION PICTURE

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in
NARRATIVE Feature Film

Chloé Zhao
“Nomadland”

Searchlight Pictures

NOMINEES

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)

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in
First-Time NARRATIVE Feature Film

Darius Marder
“Sound Of Metal”

Amazon Studios

NOMINEES

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)

Florian Zeller
“The Father”
(Sony Pictures Classics)

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in
DOCUMENTARY

Michael Dweck & Gregory Kershaw
“The Truffle Hunters”

Sony Pictures Classics

NOMINEES

Pippa Ehrlich & James Reed
“My Octopus Teacher”
(Netflix)

David France
“Welcome to Chechnya”
(HBO)

Amanda McBaine & Jesse Moss
“Boys State”
(Apple/A24)

Benjamin Ree
“The Painter and the Thief”
(NEON)

TELEVISION

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in
Dramatic Series

Lesli Linka Glatter
“Homeland”
Episode: “Prisoners of War”

Unit Production Managers: Michael Klick, Philippa Naughten
First Assistant Director: Sunday Stevens
Second Assistant Director: Wendy Bledsoe
Showtime

NOMINEES

Jason Bateman
“Ozark”
Episode: “Wartime”
Unit Production Manager: Matthew Spiegel
First Assistant Director: Peter Thorell
Second Assistant Director: Townson Wells
Second Second Assistant Director: Sarah Gorczyk
(Netflix)

Jon Favreau
“The Mandalorian”
Episode: “Chapter 9: The Marshal”
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
(Disney Plus)

Vince Gilligan
“Better Call Saul“
Episode: “Bagman”
Unit Production Manager: James Paul Hapsas
First Assistant Director: Efrain Cortes
Second Assistant Director: Louis Lanni
Second Second Assistant Director: KiKi Levine
(AMC)

Julie Anne Robinson
“Bridgerton”
Episode: “Diamond of the First Water”
First Assistant Director: Ian Foster Woolf
(Netflix)

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in
Comedy Series

Susanna Fogel
“The Flight Attendant”
Episode: “In Case of Emergency”

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
HBO Max

NOMINEES

Zach Braff
“Ted Lasso”
Episode: “Biscuits”
(Apple TV Plus)

MJ Delaney
“Ted Lasso”
Episode: “The Hope that Kills You”
(Apple TV Plus)

Erin O’Malley
“Curb Your Enthusiasm“
Episode: “The Surprise Party”
Unit Production Manager: Mary Church
First Assistant Director: Adam Feil
Second Assistant Director: Candice Lee
Second Second Assistant Director: D.J. Carter

(HBO)

Jeff Schaffer
“Curb Your Enthusiasm“
Episode: “The Spite Store”
Unit Production Manager: Mary Church
First Assistant Director: Adam Feil
Second Assistant Director: Candice Lee
Second Second Assistant Directors: D.J. Carter, Brent Stanton
(HBO)

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in
Movies for Television and Limited Series

Scott Frank
“The Queen’s Gambit”

First Assistant Director: Aldric La’auli Porter
Netflix

NOMINEES

Susanne Bier
“The Undoing”
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
(HBO)

Thomas Kail
“Hamilton”
Unit Production Manager: David Backus
First Assistant Director: Robin Abrams
Second Assistant Director: Thomas Gaito
(Disney Plus)

Matt Shakman
“WandaVision”
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)
(Disney Plus)

Lynn Shelton
“Little Fires Everywhere”
Unit Production Manager: Brad Yacobian
First Assistant Director: Luke Maxcy
Second Assistant Director: Kirisa Gavrin
Second Second Assistant Directors: Christina Lee, Gabriella Poli Vidal
(Hulu)

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in
Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Regularly Scheduled Programming

Don Roy King
“Saturday Night Live”
Episode: “Dave Chappelle; Foo Fighters”

Associate Directors: Michael Mancini, Michael Poole, Laura Ouziel‑Mack
Stage Managers: Gena Rositano, Chris Kelly, Eddie Valk
NBC

NOMINEES

Paul H. Casey
“Real Time With Bill Maher”
Episode: “Episode 1835”
Associate Director: Stacy Talbot
Stage Managers: Brian Anderson, Patrick Whitney
(HBO)

Jim Hoskinson
“The Late Show with Stephen Colbert”
Episode: “1025 Live Show Following Capitol Insurrection”
Associate Directors: Yvonne De Mare, Karen Yaeger
Stage Managers: Mark McKenna, Jeff Leib
(CBS)

David Paul Meyer
“The Daily Show with Trevor Noah”
Episode: “President Obama: Inspiring Future Leaders & “A Promised Land””
Associate Director: Susan Faith Locke‑Shapiro
(Comedy Central)

Christopher Werner
“Last Week Tonight with John Oliver”
Episode: “Trump & Election Results”
Associate Director: John Scott Wilson
Stage Manager: Dino Castelli
Location Manager: Demian Resnick
(HBO)

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in
Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Specials

Thomas Schlamme
“A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote”

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
HBO Max

NOMINEES

Stacey Angeles
“The Daily Show with Trevor Noah Presents: Remembering RBG – A Nation Ugly Cries with Desi Lydic“
(Comedy Central)

Marielle Heller
“What the Constitution Means to Me“
Associate Director: Tomas ‘Dutch’ Deckaj
Stage Manager: Nicole Payson
(Amazon)

Jim Hoskinson
“The Late Show with Stephen Colbert”
Episode: “Stephen Colbert’s Election Night 2020: Democracy’s Last Stand: Building Back America Great Again Better 2020”
Associate Directors: Yvonne De Mare, Karen Yaeger
Stage Managers: Mark McKenna, Jeff Leib
(Showtime)

Spike Lee
“David Byrne’s American Utopia“
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
(HBO)

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in
Reality Programs

Joseph Guidry
“Full Bloom”
Episode: “Petal to the Metal”

Associate Director: Sean Galvin
Lead Stage Manager: Jimmy Chriss
Stage Managers: Rachel Shimko, Kristianna Laroda, Richard Melendez
HBO Max

NOMINEES

David Charles
“World’s Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji”
Episode: “3,2,1…Go!”
Associate Director: Daniel Curran
Stage Managers: Ian Blankenship, Kevin Fletcher, Andy Nelson, Mickel Picco
(Amazon)

Jon Favreau
“The Chef Show”
Episode: “Tartine”
Associate Director: Annie Johnson
(Netflix)

Ken Fuchs
“Shark Tank”
Episode: “1211”
Associate Director: Amy Barker
Head Stage Manager: Eric Rhoden
Stage Managers: Doug Neal, Michael Strauss
(ABC)

Rich Kim
“Lego Masters“
Episode: “Mega City Block”
Associate Director: Ryan Bunnell
Stage Managers: Will Baker, Kevin Fletcher
(FOX)

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in
Children’s Programs

Amy Schatz
“We Are the Dream: The Kids of the Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest“

HBO

NOMINEES

Kabir Akhtar
“High School Musical: The Musical ‑ The Series”
Episode: “Opening Night”
Unit Production Managers: Jeff T. Miller, Greg A. Hampson
First Assistant Director: Brent Geisler
Second Assistant Director: Cody Harbaugh
(Disney Plus)

Larissa Bills
“On Pointe”
Episode: “Showtime!”
(Disney Plus)

Dean Israelite
“The Astronauts”
Episode: “Countdown”
(Nickelodeon)

Richie Keen
“The Healing Powers of Dude”
Episode: “Second Step: Homeroom”
Unit Production Manager: Chris Phillips
First Assistant Director: Natalie Van Doren
(Netflix)