The winners of the Directors Guild of America Outstanding Directorial Achievement Awards for 2019 were announced tonight during the 72nd Annual DGA Awards at the Ritz Carlton in Downtown Los Angeles. Sam Mendes won the DGA’s Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film for 1917.
Judd Apatow hosted the ceremony before an audience of more than 1,500 guests. Presenters included (in alphabetical order): Diane Amos, Anthony Anderson, Todd Arnow, Dean-Charles Chapman, Terry Crews, Alfonso Cuarón, Leonardo DiCaprio, Lee Jung Eun, Catherine Hardwicke, Norman Jewison, Christine Lahti, George MacKay, Chrissy Metz, Don Mischer, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Sam Rockwell, Katheryn Winnick, Constance Zimmer.
Complete list of winners at the 72nd annual DGA Awards:
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN THEATRICAL FEATURE FILM
SAM MENDES
1917 (Universal Pictures)
Mr. Mendes’ Directorial Team:
• Unit Production Managers: Callum McDougall, Hannah Godwin
• First Assistant Director: Michael Lerman
• Second Assistant Director: Joey Coughlin
This was Mr. Mendes’ second DGA Award nomination. He won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for American Beauty in 1999.
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT OF A FIRST-TIME FEATURE FILM DIRECTOR
ALMA HAR’EL
Honey Boy (Amazon Studios)
Ms. Har’el’s Directorial Team:
• Unit Production Manager: David Grace
• First Assistant Director: Sean Vawter
• Second Assistant Director: Colin Flaherty
• Second Second Assistant Director: Sarah Balboa
This was Ms. Har’el’s second DGA Award nomination. She was previously nominated in the Commercials category in 2017 for Love Without Bias (P&G).
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMATIC SERIES
NICOLE KASSELL
Watchmen, “It’s Summer and We’re Running Out of Ice” (HBO)
Ms. Kassell’s Directorial Team:
• Unit Production Managers: Karen Wacker, Ron Schmidt, Joseph E. Iberti
• First Assistant Director: Keri Bruno
• Second Assistant Directors: Lisa Zugschwerdt, Ben White
• Second Second Assistant Director: Jessie Sasser White
This was Ms. Kassell’s first DGA Award nomination
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY SERIES
BILL HADER
Barry, “ronny/lily” (HBO)
Mr. Hader’s Directorial Team:
• Unit Production Manager: Aida Rodgers
• First Assistant Director: Gavin Kleintop
• Second Assistant Director: Kevin Zelman
• Second Second Assistant Director: Heather Kehayas
• Additional Second Assistant Director: Mikaela Mathern
This was Mr. Hader’s second DGA Award nomination. He won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series in 2018 for the Barry episode “Chapter One: Make Your Mark.”
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN MOVIES FOR TELEVISION AND LIMITED SERIES
JOHAN RENCK
Chernobyl (HBO)
This was Mr. Renck’s first DGA Award nomination
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN VARIETY/TALK/NEWS/SPORTS – REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAMMING
DON ROY KING
Saturday Night Live, “E. Murphy; Lizzo” (NBC)
Mr. King’s Directorial Team:
• Associate Directors: Michael Mancini, Mike Poole, Laura Ouziel-Mack
• Stage Managers: Gena Rositano, Chris Kelly
This was Mr. King’s fourteenth DGA Award nomination. He previously won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in this category for Saturday Night Live episodes, “Adam Driver; Kanye West” in 2018, “Host: Jimmy Fallon” in 2017, “Host: Dave Chappelle” in 2016 and “Host: Justin Timberlake” in 2013. Mr. King also won the DGA Award for Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Specials for Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special in 2015. He was previously nominated for Saturday Night Live episodes in 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014, and in 2015 in the Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Regularly Scheduled Programming category for the Saturday Night Live episode, “Host: Tracy Morgan/Musical Guest: Demi Lovato.”
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN VARIETY/TALK/NEWS/SPORTS – SPECIALS
JAMES BURROWS (‘All in the Family’ and ‘The Jeffersons’ – Directed by)
ANDY FISHER (‘Live in Front of a Studio Audience’ – Directed by)
Live in Front of a Studio Audience Norman Lear’s ‘All in the Family’ and ‘The Jeffersons’ (ABC)
Directorial Team:
• Associate Directors: Martin Pasetta Jr., Sara Niimi
• Stage Managers: John Esposito, Valdez Flagg, Alissa Levisohn Hoyo, Harvey Levine,
Doug Tobin, Richard Silva, Jenny Nolan Bailey
This was Mr. Burrows’ 22nd nomination. He is a ten-time nominee and two-time winner in the Comedy Series category for Cheers in 1982, 1983 (winner), 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1990 (winner), 1991 and 1992. He won the DGA Award in 1993 for the pilot of Frasier. He was nominated in 1995 for Friends, “The One with the Birth,” in 1997 for the Dharma and Greg pilot, and for episodes of Will & Grace 1998-2003 and 2005, winning the award in 2000 for his direction of the episode “Lows in the Mid-Eighties.” In 2014, he received the DGA’s Lifetime Achievement Award in Television Direction.
This was Mr. Fisher’s second DGA Award nomination. He was previously nominated in this category in 2013 for Jimmy Kimmel Live, “#13-1810.”
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN REALITY PROGRAMS
JASON COHEN
Encore!, “Annie” (Disney+)
Mr. Cohen’s Directorial Team:
• Associate Director: Daniel Shultz
This was Mr. Cohen’s first DGA Award nomination.
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS
AMY SCHATZ
Song of Parkland (HBO Documentary Films)
This was Ms. Schatz’s eleventh DGA Award nomination. She has previously won five DGA Awards in this category for: An Apology to Elephants in 2013, A Child’s Garden of Poetry in 2011, Classical Baby (I’m Grown Up Now), “The Poetry Show” in 2008, ‘Twas the Night in 2001 and Goodnight Moon & Other Sleepy Time Tales in 1999. She was also nominated an additional five times in this category for Saving My Tomorrow, “Part 3” in 2015, Saving My Tomorrow, “Part 1 and 2” in 2014, Don’t Divorce Me! Kids’ Rules for Parents on Divorce in 2012, Hard Times for an American Girl: The Great Depression in 2009 and Through a Child’s Eyes: September 11, 2001 in 2002.
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN COMMERCIALS
SPIKE JONZE
(MJZ)
Dream It, Squarespace – Squarespace
• First Assistant Director: Thomas Smith
The New Normal, Medmen – Mekanism
• First Assistant Director: Thomas Smith
• Second Assistant Directors: David Marnell, Jeff Tavani
This was Mr. Jonze’s fifth DGA Award nomination. He was also nominated this year in the Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Specials category for Aziz Ansari: Right Now. He won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials in 2018 for Welcome Home (Apple Homepod). He was previously nominated in this category in 2006 for Hello Tomorrow (Adidas), Penguin (Miller Beer) and Pardon Our Dust (Gap). He was also previously nominated for the Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film Award for Being John Malkovich in 1999.
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN DOCUMENTARY
STEVEN BOGNAR and JULIA REICHERT
American Factory (Netflix)
This was Mr. Bognar’s first DGA Award nomination.
This was Ms. Reichert’s first DGA Award nomination
SERVICE AWARD RECIPIENTS
- Duncan S. Henderson received the DGA’s 2020 Frank Capra Achievement Award, which is given to an Assistant Director or Unit Production Manager in recognition of career achievement in the industry and service to the Directors Guild of America.
- Arthur E. Lewis received the DGA’s 2020 Franklin J. Schaffner Achievement Award, which is given to an Associate Director or Stage Manager in recognition of service to the industry and to the Directors Guild of America.
