Michael Buckner for PMC
The DGA Awards are underway at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. On TV, “Severance,” “Station Eleven,” and “The Daily Show” were among the top performers (each with two nods), while Steven Spielberg was fighting for his fourth trophy, for the semi-autobiographical “The Fabelmans.” But also on the hunt are Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, the duo behind the sci-fi comedy Everything Everywhere All at Once.
At the DGA, Spielberg holds the record for most nominations and wins with 13 and three, respectively. If Daniels wins, they would be the third directing duo to ever win.
The DGA has a voting body of around 19,000 members. In its 75-year history, the DGA Awards has been the most reliable barometer for the Best Director Oscar. Only eight DGA winners remained without an Oscar, most recently Sam Mendes (“1917”), who lost to Bong Joon Ho (“Parasite”) in 2020.
The evening began with “Fire of Love” director Sara Dosa winning the award for Best Documentary. It was her first nomination and her first win at the DGA Awards. “It’s really been a struggle and I’m so thankful to have my dream job,” she said.
Glenn Weiss won his ninth DGA Award (his first in 2018), this time for CBS’s 75th Annual Tony Awards, in the Variety/Talk/News/Sports Specials. Weiss revealed he eloped with now-wife Jan on Valentine’s Day; The director famously and very publicly proposed to his girlfriend onstage during the 2018 Emmy Awards.
DGA President Lesli Linka Glatter opened the award ceremony with a brief reference to the forthcoming guild contract negotiations with the municipal studios.
“In this ever-changing, complicated and sometimes hostile environment for creative people in our industry, we are committed to ensuring that creative excellence and commercial stability endure so you can achieve your vision,” she said. “And I can guarantee you one thing – the DGA will fight like hell to protect that future for our directors and their teams.
“Later this spring we will be back at the table. And rest assured – we will be ready. It boils down to this: we are all partners in this business. Partner. That means negotiating a new contract that continues to treat our members fairly and with respect, that recognizes and rewards our important contributions to this industry no matter how it evolves, that strengthens our common interest in building a healthy, vibrant and stable business, that will entertain and delight audiences around the world.
“DGA stands ready and willing to fight for an excellent deal to secure the future of the directors and their teams – and that is exactly what we will achieve,” she added.
Judd Apatow again hosted this year’s ceremony. The event, which returned live last year after going virtual in 2021, is part of a busy holiday weekend at the Kudos Gauntlet, which also includes BAFTA and Art Directors Guild events. Here’s a look at this year’s winners.
(Winners are in bold.)
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Feature Film
TODD FIELD, “Tár” (Focus Features)
Unit Production Manager: Nigel Wooll, First Assistant Director: Sebastian Fahr-Brix
JOSEPH KOSINSKI, “Top Gun: Maverick” (Paramount Pictures)
Unit Production Managers: LeeAnn Stonebreaker, Tommy Harper, First Assistant Director: Scott Robertson, Second Assistant Director: Andrew Stahl, Robert E. Kay, Second Second Assistant Director: Spencer Taylor
DANIEL KWAN, DANIEL SCHEINERT, “Everything everywhere at once” (A24)
Unit Production Manager: Allison Rose Carter, First Assistant Director: Rodney Smith, Second Assistant Director: John Nasraway, Second Second Assistant Director: Ken C. Wu
MARTIN McDONAGH, “The Banshees of Inisherin” (Searchlight Pictures)
First assistant director: Peter Kohn
STEVEN SPIELBERG, “The Fablemans” (Universal Pictures)
Unit Production Manager: Carla Raij, First Assistant Director: Josh McLaglen, Second Assistant Director: Heather Wagner-Wang, Second Second Assistant Director: David Stickler
Outstanding Directorial Achievement by a First-Time Feature Film Director
Alice Diop, “Saint Omer” (neon)
Audrey Diwan, “Happening” (IFC Films)
John Patton Ford, “Emily the Criminal” (Roadside Attractions/Vertical Entertainment)
Antoneta Alamat Kusijanovic, “Murina” (Kino Lorber)
Charlotte Wells, “After the Sun” (A24)
Dramatic series
JASON BATEMAN, Ozark, “A Hard Way To Go” (Netflix)
Directing Team: Unit Production Managers: Dana Scott, Patrick Markey; First Assistant Director: Townson Wells; Second Assistant Director: Jill Somers; Second Second Assistant Director: Sarah Gorczyk; Additional second assistant director: Evan Marsh
VINCE GILLIGAN, Better Call Saul, “Waterworks” (AMC)
Directing Team: Unit Production Manager: Richard E. “Slab” Chaplain Jr.; First Assistant Director: Angie Meyer; Second Assistant Director: Louis A. Lanni; Second Second Assistant Director: Magin Gomez; Additional second assistant director: Nathan E. Davis
SAM LEVINSON, Euphoria, “Stand Still Like a Hummingbird” (HBO)
Directing Team: Unit Production Manager: Will Greenfield; First Assistant Directors: Valerie Johnson, Sally Brunski; Second Assistant Directors: Cindy King, Colin Duffy; Second Second Assistant Director: James Chestnut; Additional second assistant director: Aaron Rose Leone
AOIFE MCARDLE, Severance, “Hide In” (Apple TV+)
Directing Team: Unit Production Manager: Kristyn Macready; First Assistant Director: Ellen Parnett, Kit Bland; Second Assistant Directors: Sahar Shmolevitz, Melinda Ziyadat; Second Second Assistant Director: Kelsi Russell, Jack A. Birdsall; Other second assistant directors: Skylar Loraquette, Alexander Hirschl; Site Manager: Ryan Smith
BEN STILLER, Severance, “We Are Us” (Apple TV+)
Directing Team: Unit Production Manager: Kristyn Macready; First Assistant Director: Marco Londoner; Second Assistant Director: Matt Lake; Second Second Assistant Director: Kelsi Russell, Justin Bischoff, Jack A. Birdsall; Site Manager: Ryan Smith
comedy series
TIM BURTON, Wednesday, “Wednesday’s Child is Full of Woe” (Netflix)
BILL HADER, Barry, “710N” (HBO)
Directing Team: Unit Production Manager: Aida Rodgers; First Assistant Director: Gavin Kleintop; Second Assistant Director: Erin Stern Linares; Second Second Assistant Director: Yarden Levo, Chalis Romero
AMY SHERMAN-PALLADINO, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, “How Do You Get Into Carnegie Hall?” (Amazon Prime Video)
Directing Team: Unit Production Managers: Dhana Rivera Gilbert, Meghan K. Wicker; First Assistant Director: Julie A. Bloom; Second Assistant Director: Lisa McPherson; Second Second Assistant Director: Lincoln Major, Peter Nix; Additional second assistant directors: Cameron Boone, Conor Griff; Assistant Unit Production Managers: Nick Thomason, Luca Waldman; Site manager: Jose Guerrero
CHRISTOPHER STORER, The Bear, “Review” (Hulu)
Directing Team: Unit Production Manager: Carrie Holt De Lama; First Assistant Director: Duccio Fabbri; Second Assistant Director: Dan Gutierrez; Second Second Assistant Director: Nicole McGovern; Site Manager: Maria C. Roxas
MIKE WHITE, The White Lotus, “BYG” (HBO)
Directing Team: Unit Production Manager: Mark Kamine; First Assistant Director: Justin Ritson; Second Assistant Director: Joe Landry; Second Second Assistant Director: Bobby Teten
Movies for TV and limited series
ERIC APPEL, “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story” (Roku Channel)
Directing Team: Unit Production Manager: Jason C. Brown; First Assistant Director: Emily Neumann; Second Assistant Director: Julie Cummings; Second Second Assistant Director: Oscar Flores
DEBORAH CHOW, “Obi-Wan Kenobi” (Disney+)
Directing Team: Unit Production Managers: Thomas Hayslip, Susan McNamara; First assistant director: Katterli Frauenfelder; Second Assistant Director: Jeff Hubbard; Second Second Assistant Director: Isaac Mejia, Franny Stafford; Additional Second Assistant Director: Alaina Neumann
JEREMY PODESWA, Station Eleven, “Unbroken Circle” (HBO Max)
Directing Team:; Unit Production Manager: David Nicksay; First Assistant Director: Andrew Shea, Derek Peterson, Jennifer Wilkinson
HELEN SHAVER, Station Eleven, “Who’s There?” (HBO Max)
Directing Team: Unit Production Manager: David Nicksay; First Assistant Director: Jennifer Wilkinson; Second assistant director: Anna Vogt
TOM VERICA, Inventing Anna, “The Devil Wore Anna” (Netflix)
Directing Team: Unit Production Manager: Brette Bülow, Mary Kane (LA Unit); First Assistant Director: Dylan Hopkins, Marisia Moreno, Carol Vitkay (LA Unit); Second Assistant Directors: Adam Bernard, Maggie Callis, Cara McCastlain Fisher (LA Unit); Second Second Assistant Director: Pam Giangreco, Ellen Parnett, Heidi Hinzman (LA Unit); Site manager: Kristin Dromboski
Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Regularly scheduled programs
WINNER: LIZ PATRICK, Saturday Night Live, “Host and Musical Guest Jack Harlow” (NBC)
Board of Directors: Associate Directors: Michael Mancini, Michael Poole, Laura Ouziel-Mack; Stage Managers: Gena Rositano, Chris Kelly, Eddie Valk
PAUL G. CASEY Realtime with Bill Maher, “Episode #2010” (HBO)
Directing Team: Associate Director: Stacy Talbot; Stage Managers: Brian Anderson, Patrick Whitney
JIM HOSKINSON, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, “Episode #1333” (CBS)
Board of Directors: Associate Directors: Yvonne De Mare, Karen Yaeger; Stage Managers: Mark McKenna, Jeff Leib
DAVID PAUL MEYER, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, “Brandi Carlile discusses her new deluxe album and performs “You and Me on the Rock”” (Comedy Central)
Directing Team: Assistant Director: Adrienne Ford; Stage Managers: Bennymar Almonte, Nick Bailey
PAUL PENNOLINO, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, “Afghanistan” (HBO)
Directing Team: Associate Director: Elliot Mendelson; Stage Managers: Jeff Leib, Mark McKenna, Craig Spinney
Variety/Talk/News/Sport — Specials
WINNER: GLENN WEISS, The 75th Annual Tony Awards (CBS)
Directing Team: Associate Directors: Ken Diego, Robin Abrams, Susan Kopensky, Ricky Kirshner; Stage Managers: Garry Hood, Bennymar Almonte, Phyllis Digilio, Peter Epstein, Andrew Feigin, Doug Fogel, Jeffry Gitter, Tyler Goldman, Arthur Lewis, Kevin Lishawa, Julie LoRusso, Seth Mellman, Jason Pacella, Jeffrey Pearl, Annette Powlis, Lauren Class Schneider , Eddie Valk
IAN BERGER, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah Presents: Jordan Klepper Fingers the Globe – Hungary for Democracy (Comedy Central)
HAMISH HAMILTON, Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show 2022 (NBC)
Directing Team: Associate Directors: Hayley Collett, Sara Niimi; Stage Managers: Gary Natoli, Jeffry Gitter, Karen Tasch Weiss, Donna Parker, Tammy Raab, Zachary Figures, Jackie Stathis, Johnny Pruitt, Jennifer Marquet
JAMES MERRYMAN, Norman Lear: 100 Years of Music and Laughter (ABC)
Directing Team: Associate Directors: Lizz Zanin, Leslie Vincent; Stage Managers: Ron Paul, Jackie Paul, Jackie Stathis, Alissa Levisohn Hoyo, Jason Drew
MARCUS RABOY, Mark Twain Prize 2022: Celebrating Jon Stewart (PBS)
Directing Team: Associate Directors: Robin Mishkin Abrams, Kelly Hernacki; Stage Managers: Rhoda Gilmore, Doug Fogel, Annette Powlis
reality programs
JOSEPH H. GUIDRY, The Big Brunch, “Carb Loading Brunch” (HBO Max)
Directing Team: Associate Director: Sean P. Galvin; Stage Managers: Rachel Shimko, JC Babas, Winston Churchill, Patty Sosa
CARRIE HAVEL, The Go‑Big Show, “Only One Can Win” (TBS)
Directing Team: Associate Director: Dara DiGerolamo; Stage Managers: Rafael Orozco, Linda Carizzo, Patricia Sosa, Greg Rosa, Ike Fuchs, Theresa Moio
RICH KIM, Lego Masters, “Jurass-Brick World” (fox)
Directing Team: Assistant Director: Ryan Bunnell; Stage Managers: Will Baker, Ken Cooper
MICHAEL SHEA, FBoy Island, “Do you like cats?” (HBO Max)
Directing Team: Associate Director: Tori Himes; Stage manager: JC Babas
BEN SIMMS, Running Wild with Bear Grylls, “Florence Pugh in the Volcanic Rainforests of Costa Rica” (National Geographic Channel)
Directing Team: Assistant Director: Sara Brown
children’s programs
TIM FEDERLE, “Better Nate Than Ever” (Disney+)
Directing Team: Unit Producers: Guy Efrat, Pamela Thur; First Assistant Director: Danielle Rigby; Second Assistant Director: Brad Robinson; Second Second Assistant Director: Billy Brennan; Additional second assistant directors: Annie Tompkins, Jes Norris; Site manager: Michael Buonanno
BONNIE HUNT, Amber Brown, “I, Amber Brown” (Apple TV+)
Directing Team: Unit Production Manager: Jeff T. Miller; First Assistant Director: Troy Rohovit; Second Assistant Director: Cody Harbaugh; Second Second Assistant Director: Rachel Moceri
DEAN ISRAELITE, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, “The Story of Room 13” (Nickelodeon)
Directing Team: First Assistant Director: Sinan Saber; Second Assistant Director: Ashley Bell
MICHAEL LEMBECK, “Snow Day the Musical” (Paramount+)
Directing Team: Unit Production Manager: Julie Kovisars
ANNE RENTON, Best Foot Forward, “Halloween” (Apple TV+)
Directing Team: Unit Production Manager: Lance W. Lanfear; First Assistant Director: Nandi Bowe; Second Assistant Director: Susie Balaban; Second Second Assistant Director: Tim Neven
Advertising
JUAN CABRAL (MJZ)
For all moments in life, John Lewis – adam&eveDDB
First Assistant Director: Ben Glickman
Share the Joy, Apple AirPods – TBWA\Media Arts Lab
KIM GEHRIG (Somesuch, Inc.)
Accessibility, Apple – Apple (Direct)
First Assistant Director: Michael Estrella; Second Assistant Director: Brian Steffen; Second Second Assistant Director: Shauna Frontera
Run Baby Run, iPhone – Apple (Direct)
First Assistant Director: Matias Nilsson; Second Assistant Director: Carl Jackson; Second Second Assistant Director: Michael Paulson
CRAIG GILLESPIE (MJZ)
Hard Knocks, Apple Watch Series 7 – Apple
First Assistant Director: Christian Van Fleet
Problem, Jimmy Johns – anomaly
First Assistant Director: Christian Van Fleet; Second Assistant Director: Greg Moutran; Second Second Assistant Director: Christopher Maltauro
Thrill Driver, Nissan – TBWA\Chiat\Day NY
First Assistant Director: Francois Caillaud; Second Assistant Director: Rob Topp; Second Second Assistant Director: Michael Dudley
DAVID SHANE (O Positive, LLC)
Detectives, iPhone 13 Pro – Apple
First Assistant Director: Greg McCollum; Second assistant director: Heidi Vanderjagt
Smile, ITVX – Unusual
Traffic delay, native – M/H
IVAN ZACHARIÁŠ (SMUGGER)
Data Auction, iPhone – TBWA\ Media Arts Lab
First Assistant Director: Brian Carmody
This is how we work now, Upwork ‑ Alto
documentary
WINNER: SARA DOSA, “Love’s Fire” (National Geographic)
MATTHEW HEINEMAN, “Retrograde” (Disney+)
LAURA POITRAS, “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” (Neon)
DANIEL ROHER, “Navalny” (CNN+/HBO Max)
SHAUNAK SEN, “Anything That Breathes” (HBO/HBO Max)