This year’s field of nominees for the Directors Guild of America (DGA) Award recognizing Outstanding Directorial Achievement for Commercials consists of four past winners of the honor and a helmer garnering his first career nomination.
The latter is Seb Edwards of Park Pictures.
As for the previous winners who once again now enter the DGA Award nominees’ circle, they are: Martin de Thurah of Epoch Films, Kim Gehrig of Somesuch, Craig Gillespie of MJZ, and Andreas Nilsson of Biscuit Filmworks.
Gehrig won the DGA Award last year–and in doing so made history as she became just the second woman director to receive the Guild’s top honor in commercials. The first was Melina Matsoukas of PRETTYBIRD who accomplished the feat two years earlier. Gehrig is now a two-time nominee for the DGA commercials award.
Gillespie just picked up his seventh career nomination. He won the honor in 2006.
De Thurah is now a four-time nominee, having won in 2014 and 2018.
And this is the second career nomination for Nilsson who won in 2016.
The work
Edwards earned his nomination for Rumble’s “Battle of the Baddest” out of agency Droga5 New York.
The fourth career nomination for de Thurah came for a pair of Levi’s 501 Jeans’ spots, “Fair Exchange” and “Legends Never Die,” also out of Droga5, NY.
Gehrig’s second career DGA nomination came for Apple Music’s “Run This Town” (client direct), and Expedia’s “The Travelers” for Wieden+Kennedy.
Gillespie’s seventh career nomination is for Apple iPhone’s “Waiting Room” out of TBWAMedia Arts Lab.
And Nilsson’s second DGA nod came on the strength of four entries: Apple iPhone’s “R.I.P. Leon” and “Action Mode” (both client direct); Les Mills Fitness’ “Choose Happy” out of Nice&Frank, San Francisco, and Snapchat’s “Wait’ll You See This” (client direct).
The winner will be announced and honored at the 76th Annual DGA Awards on Saturday, February 10.
Here’s a full list of the DGA Award nominees for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials for 2023 (in alphabetical order):
MARTIN de THURAH
(Epoch Films)
"Fair Exchange," Levi’s 501 Jeans – Droga5
"Legends Never Die," Levi’s 501 Jeans, Droga5
SEB EDWARDS
(Park Pictures)
"Rumble," Battle of the Baddest – Droga5
First Assistant Director: George Walker
KIM GEHRIG
(Somesuch)
"Run This Town," Apple Music – Apple (Client Direct)
First Assistant Director: David Webb
"The Travelers," Expedia – Wieden & Kennedy
First Assistant Director: Zaida Fakih
CRAIG GILLESPIE
(MJZ)
"Waiting Room," Apple iPhone – TBWA/Media Arts Lab
Unit Production Manager: Martha Davis
First Assistant Director: Christian Van Fleet
Second Assistant Director: Gregory Moutran
ANDREAS NILSSON
(Biscuit Filmworks)
"R.I.P. Leon," Apple iPhone – Apple (Client Direct)
First Assistant Director: Gareth Moses
"Action Mode," Apple iPhone14 – Apple (Client Direct)
First Assistant Director: Gareth Moses
"Choose Happy," Les Mills Fitness – Nice&Frank, San Francisco
"Wait’ll You See This," Snapchat – Snapchat (Client Direct)
