The winners of the Directors Guild of America Outstanding Directorial Achievement Awards for 2015 were announced tonight during the 68th Annual DGA Awards at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles. In a historic win, Alejandro G. Iñárritu won the DGA’s Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for The Revenant. Mr. Iñárritu is the first director to win the award in back-to-back years. He won this Award last year for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance).
Actor Jane Lynch hosted the ceremony before an audience of more than 1,600 guests. Presenters included (in alphabetical order): Christian Bale, DGA President Paris Barclay; Angela Bassett; Abigail Breslin; Steve Carrell; James Corden; Bryan Cranston; Matt Damon; Leonardo DiCaprio; DGA 5th Vice President Jon Favreau; Ryan Gosling; Kathy Griffin; Tom Hooper; Regina King; Christian Jules Le Blanc; Jennifer Jason Leigh; Rachel McAdams; DGA National Vice President Vincent Misiano; Nate Parker; Jeff Probst; Steven Spielberg; Michelle Stafford; and Lily Tomlin.
BMW is the Exclusive Automotive Sponsor of the 68th Annual DGA Awards.
The winners of the 2015 DGA Awards for Outstanding Directorial Achievement are:
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN FEATURE FILM
ALEJANDRO G. IÑÁRRITU
The Revenant
(20th Century Fox)
Mr. Iñárritu's Directorial Team:
Unit Production Managers: Drew Locke, James W. Skotchdopole, Doug Jones
First Assistant Director: Scott Robertson
Second Assistant Directors: Megan M. Shank, Matthew Haggerty, Jeremy Marks
Unit Production Manager: Gabriela Vazquez (Argentina, California, and Montana Unit)
First Assistant Director: Adam Somner (Argentina, California, and Montana Unit)
Second Assistant Directors: Trevor R. Tavares, Jasmine Marie Alhambra (Argentina, California, and Montana Unit)
Second Second Assistant Directors: Brett Robinson, Kasia Trojak (Argentina, California, and Montana Unit)
This is Mr. Iñárritu’s third DGA Award win and fourth nomination. He won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film in 2014 for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance). He was also nominated in this category for Babel in 2006. He won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials for “Best Job” (Procter & Gamble) in 2012.
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN MOVIES FOR TELEVISION AND MINI-SERIES
DEE REES
Bessie
(HBO)
Ms. Rees's Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Ron Schmidt
First Assistant Director: Michael J. Moore
Second Assistant Director: Basti Van Der Woude
Second Second Assistant Director: Joann Connolly
This is Ms. Rees’s first DGA Award win.
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT OF A FIRST-TIME FEATURE FILM DIRECTOR
ALEX GARLAND
Ex Machina
(A24)
Mr. Garland's Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Sara Desmond
First Assistant Director: Nick Heckstall-Smith
Second Assistant Director: Ray Kenny
This is Mr. Garland's first DGA Award win.
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMATIC SERIES
DAVID NUTTER
Game of Thrones, “Mother's Mercy”
(HBO)
This is Mr. Nutter’s first DGA Award win and sixth nomination. He was previously nominated in this category in 2013 for the Game of Thrones episode “The Rains of Castamere” and in 2006 for The Sopranos episode “Join the Club.” He was also nominated in the Comedy Series category for Entourage episodes “The Resurrection” (2007) and “Lose Yourself” (2010); and in the Movies for Television and Mini-Series category for The Pacific “Basilone” in 2010.
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY SERIES
CHRIS ADDISON
Veep, “Election Night”
(HBO)
Mr. Addison's Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Bill Hill
First Assistant Director: Dale Stern
Second Assistant Director: Michelle Gritzer
Second Second Assistant Director: Miles Perman
This is Mr. Addison’s first DGA Award win.
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN VARIETY/TALK/NEWS/SPORTS – REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAMMING
DAVE DIOMEDI
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, “Episode #325”
(NBC)
Mr. Diomedi’s Directorial Team:
Associate Directors: Mark Jankeloff, Maureen Smith
Stage Managers: Niclana Tolmasoff, Mike Kilkenny
This is Mr. Diomedi’s second DGA Award win and his third nomination. He previously won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Regularly Scheduled Programming in 2014 for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, “Episode #1.”
He was also nominated in this same category in 2013 for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, “#799.”
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN VARIETY/TALK/NEWS/SPORTS – SPECIALS
DON ROY KING
Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special
(NBC)
Mr. King’s Directorial Team:
Associate Directors: Michael Mancini, Michael Poole, Bob Caminiti, Dan Dome
Stage Managers: Gena Rositano, Chris Kelly, Joey Despenzero, Lynn Finkel, Eddie Valk
This is Mr. King’s second DGA Award and tenth nomination. He previously won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Regularly Scheduled Programming in 2013 for Saturday Night Live “Host: Justin Timberlake” and was previously nominated for Saturday Night Live episodes in 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014. He was also nominated in the Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Regularly Scheduled Programming category this year for Saturday Night Live, “Host: Tracy Morgan/Musical Guest: Demi Lovato.”
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN REALITY PROGRAMS
ADAM VETRI
Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Challenge, “Gods of War”
(CMT)
Mr. Vetri’s Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Ian Blankenship
Stage Manager: Richard Mercury Melendez
This is Mr. Vetri’s first DGA Award win and second nomination. He was previously nominated in this category in 2014 for Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Challenge, “Welcome to the Gun Show.”
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS
KENNY ORTEGA
Descendants
(Disney Channel)
Mr. Ortega’s Directorial Team:
First Assistant Director: Rachel Leiterman
This is Mr. Ortega’s second DGA Award win and third nomination. He previously won in this category in 2006 for High School Musical, and was nominated in this category in 2007 for High School Musical 2.
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN COMMERCIALS
ANDREAS NILSSON
(Biscuit Filmworks)
Emily’s Oz, Comcast – Goodby, Silverstein & Partners NY
First Assistant Directors: Craig Owens, Eric Topp
Second Assistant Director: Eric Topp
Time Upon A Once, General Electric – BBDO
Unit Production Manager: Vincent Landay
Dad Song, Old Spice – Wieden + Kennedy
This is Mr. Nilsson’s first DGA Award win.
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN DOCUMENTARY
MATTHEW HEINEMAN
Cartel Land
The Orchard
A&E Indiefilms
Our Time Projects
The Documentary Group
Whitewater Films
This is Mr. Heineman’s first DGA Award win.
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT & SERVICE AWARD RECIPIENTS
Joe Pytka – Lifetime Achievement Award for Distinguished Achievement in Television Direction: Commercial director Joe Pytka was honored with the Guild’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Distinguished Achievement in Television Direction in honor of his groundbreaking career.
Mary Rae Thewlis – Frank Capra Achievement Award: 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.
Tom McDermott – Franklin J. Schaffner Achievement Award: Given to an Associate Director or Stage Manager in recognition of career achievement in the industry and service to the Directors Guild of America.
Next Year’s DGA Awards – Date & Venue
Next year’s 69th Annual DGA Awards will take place on Saturday, February 4, 2017 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills.
About the DGA
In the 80 years since its founding in 1936, the DGA has fought for the economic and creative rights of its members; protected their ability to financially benefit from the reuse of their work; established strong pension and health plans; and established jurisdiction in new technologies and distribution platforms. Today we represent more than 16,000 directors and members of the directorial team working in film, television, commercials, new media and other audiovisual media. http://dga.org
