2021 DGA Awards winners: Chloé Zhao makes DGA history, ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ keeps sweeping

The 73rd Directors Guild of America (DGA) Awards are tonight, awarding directorial achievements in feature film, documentaries, television and more. It might not have been a surprise that Nomadland‘s Chloé Zhao would triumph in the DGA’s top category, Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures, but it doesn’t make her win any less significant.

History was made when the theatrical feature film nominees were announced last month, for the first time ever, two women, Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman) and Chloé Zhao (Nomadland), were nominated in the top film category. Also nominated are David Fincher (Mank), Aaron Sorkin (The Trial of the Chicago 7) and Lee Isaac Chung (Minari). Zhao is also now the first Chinese-American woman to ever this award at the DGA.

Fennell and Zhao were just the 9th and 10th women ever nominated by the DGA. As with the Oscars, Lina Wertmüller was first for 1975’s Seven Beauties. Then came Randa Haines (1985’s Children of a Lesser God), Barbra Streisand (1990’s Prince of Tides), Jane Campion (1993’s The Piano), Sofia Coppola (2003’s Lost in Translation), Valerie Faris (2006’s Little Miss Sunshine, shared with Jonathan Dayton), Kathryn Bigelow (2009’s The Hurt Locker and 2012’s Zero Dark Thirty) and Greta Gerwig (2017’s Lady Bird). Wertmüller, Campion, Coppola, Bigelow (for The Hurt Locker) and Gerwig are the only to translate their DGA nominations into Oscar nominations. Bigelow is still the only woman ever to win DGA or the directing Oscar, both for The Hurt Locker.

Zhao has won over 40 critics prizes for her directing this season as well as Critics Choice and the Golden Globe. She is the favorite to win the Oscar where she is nominated alongside Fennell, Chung, Fincher and Thomas Vinterberg (Another Round).

In the First-Time Feature category, Darius Marder (Sound of Metal) took home the prize. He was nominated alongside Regina King (One Night in Miami), Radha Blank (The Forty-Year Old Version), Fernando Frías de la Parra (I’m No Longer Here) and Florian Zeller (The Father). This is the third time in the six years of the category’s existence that the winner has come from a Best Picture Oscar-nominated film. Previously, Garth Davis (Lion) and Jordan Peele (Get Out) have won here. Only Peele was Oscar-nominated for Best Director.

Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw bested the only Oscar-nominated directors in the documentary category with their film The Truffle Hunters. Dweck made a point of thanking the titular dogs in the film, Birba, Fiona, Nina, Biri, Titina and Charlie.

Lesli Linka Glatter won her third DGA award, and her second for Homeland, for the series finale “Prisoners of War.” The Queen’s Gambit, which just won the Art Directors Guild award about an hour before, won here for director Scott Frank. The limited series has had one of the most spectacular guild runs including PGA and WGA as it sets its sights on the Emmys this summer. Susanna Fogel won comedy series directing for The Flight Attendant, beating out two episodes of Ted Lasso and and two episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm.

There will be recipients of three special DGA Awards recognizing extraordinary contribution to the Guild. Director Betty Thomas will receive the DGA’s 2021 Robert B. Aldrich Award for extraordinary service to the Directors Guild of America and to its membership. UPM Brian E. Frankish will receive the DGA’s 2021 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. Associate Director Joyce Thomas will receive the DGA’s 2021 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.

Past President Paris Barclay will be the recipient of the DGA Honorary Life Member Award in recognition of leadership in the industry, contribution to the Guild and the profession of directing, and outstanding career achievement. 

Here is the full list of nominations and winners as they are announced.

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures

LEE ISAAC CHUNG, Minari (A24)
Unit Production Manager: Dylan Brodie
First Assistant Director: Jeff Dubray
Second Assistant Director: Ann Laudick
Second Second Assistant Director: Stephen J. Hanan

EMERALD FENNELL, Promising Young Woman (Focus Features)
Unit Production Manager: Reena Magsarili Raasch
First Assistant Director: Michael T. Meador
Second Assistant Director: Alexander Armero
Second Second Assistant Director: Anthony Manzo

DAVID FINCHER, Mank (Netflix)Unit Production Manager: Allen Kupetsky
First Assistant Director: Richard Goodwin
Second Assistant Director: Samantha McGrady
Second Second Assistant Director: Matt McKinnon
Additional Second Assistant Directors: Jeff Goodell, John Stern, George Williams III

AARON SORKIN, The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Netflix)
Unit Production Managers: Charles Miller, Stuart M. Besser, Jonathan Shoemaker
First Assistant Director: Joseph P. Reidy
Second Assistant Director: Rachel Jaros
Second Second Assistant Director: Justin Bischoff
Location Managers: Dennis Voskov, Nick Rafferty (Chicago Unit)

CHLOÉ ZHAO, Nomadland (Searchlight Pictures) [WINNER]
Unit Production Manager: Mary Kerrigan
First Assistant Director: Mary Kerrigan

Outstanding Directorial Achievement of a First-Time Feature Film Director

RADHA BLANK, The Forty-Year-Old Version (Netflix)
Unit Production Manager: James Price
First Assistant Director: Michael L. Walker
Second Assistant Director: Kenyon Noble
Second Second Assistant Director: Jonathan Santos
Location Managers: Katarina Dedicova, Tim Stacker

FERNANDO FRÍAS DE LA PARRA, I’m No Longer Here (Netflix)
Production Managers: Martín Pérez Valle, Assia Fratz (New York Unit)
First Assistant Director: Carlos Suazo
Second Assistant Directors: Alí Santiago, Alex Burstein (New York Unit)
Second Second Assistant Directors: Karen Alcázar, Anthony James Faure (New York Unit)

REGINA KING, One Night in Miami (Amazon Studios)
Unit Production Manager: Paul O. Davis
First Assistant Director: Mark Anthony Little
Second Assistant Director: Kevin O’Neil

DARIUS MARDER, Sound of Metal (Amazon Studios) [WINNER]
Unit Production Manager: Amy Greene
First Assistant Director: Matthew Vose Campbell

FLORIAN ZELLER, The Father (Sony Pictures Classics)
First Assistant Director: George Every
Second Assistant Director: Jamie D. Allen

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentaries

MICHAEL DWECK & GREGORY KERSHAW, The Truffle Hunters (Sony Pictures Classics) [WINNER]

PIPPA EHRLICH & JAMES REED, My Octopus Teacher (Netflix)

DAVID FRANCE, Welcome to Chechnya (HBO Max)

AMANDA MCBAINE & JESSE MOSS, Boys State (Apple/A24)

BENJAMIN REE, The Painter and the Thief (Elevation Pictures)

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series

JASON BATEMAN – Ozark, “Wartime” (Netflix)
Unit Production Manager: Matthew Spiegel
First Assistant Director: Peter Thorell
Second Assistant Director: Townson Wells
Second Second Assistant Director: Sarah Gorczyk

JON FAVREAU – The Mandalorian, “Chapter 9: The Marshal” (Disney+)
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

VINCE GILLIGAN – Better Call Saul, “Bagman” (AMC)
Unit Production Manager: James Paul Hapsas
First Assistant Director: Efrain Cortes
Second Assistant Director: Louis Lanni
Second Second Assistant Director: KiKi Levine

LESLI LINKA GLATTER – Homeland, “Prisoners of War” (Showtime) [WINNER]
Unit Production Managers: Michael Klick, Philippa Naughten
First Assistant Director: Sunday Stevens
Second Assistant Director: Wendy Bledsoe

JULIE ANNE ROBINSON – Bridgerton, “Diamond of the First Water” (Netflix)
First Assistant Director: Ian Foster Woolf

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series

ZACH BRAFF – Ted Lasso, “Biscuits” (Apple TV+)

MJ DELANEY – Ted Lasso, “The Hope that Kills You” (Apple TV+)

SUSANNA FOGEL – The Flight Attendant, “In Case of Emergency” (HBO Max) [WINNER]
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

ERIN O’MALLEY – Curb Your Enthusiasm, “The Surprise Party” (HBO)
Unit Production Manager: Mary Church
First Assistant Director: Adam Feil
Second Assistant Director: Candice Lee
Second Second Assistant Director: D.J. Carter

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

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and Limited Series

SUSANNE BIER – The Undoing (HBO)
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

SCOTT FRANK – The Queen’s Gambit (Netflix) [WINNER]
First Assistant Director: Aldric La’auli Porter

THOMAS KAIL – Hamilton (Disney+)
Unit Production Manager: David Backus
First Assistant Director: Robin Abrams
Second Assistant Director: Thomas Gaito

MATT SHAKMAN – WandaVision (Disney +)
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)

LYNN SHELTON – Little Fires Everywhere, “Find a Way” (Hulu)
Unit Production Manager: Brad Yacobian
First Assistant Director: Luke Maxcy
Second Assistant Director: Kirisa Gavrin
Second Second Assistant Directors: Christina Lee, Gabriella Poli Vidal

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

PAUL G. CASEY – Real Time With Bill Maher, “Episode 1835”
(HBO)
Associate Director: Stacy Talbot
Stage Managers: Brian Anderson, Patrick Whitney

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

DON ROY KING – Saturday Night Live, “Dave Chappelle; Foo Fighters” [WINNER]
(NBC)
Associate Directors: Michael Mancini, Michael Poole, Laura Ouziel-Mack
Stage Managers: Gena Rositano, Chris Kelly, Eddie Valk

DAVID PAUL MEYER – The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, “President Obama: Inspiring Future Leaders & “A
Promised Land”
(Comedy Central)
Associate Director: Susan Faith Locke-Shapiro

CHRISTOPHER WERNER – Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, “Trump & Election Results”
(HBO)
Associate Director: John Scott Wilson
Stage Manager: Dino Castelli
Location Manager: Demian Resnick

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

STACEY ANGELES – The Daily Show with Trevor Noah Presents “Remembering RBG: A Nation Ugly Cried with Desi Lydic” (Comedy Central)

MARIELLE HELLER – What the Constitution Means to Me
(Amazon)
Associate Director: Tomas ‘Dutch’ Deckaj
Stage Manager: Nicole Payson

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

SPIKE LEE – American Utopia
(HBO)
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

THOMAS SCHLAMME – A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote [WINNER]
(HBO Max)
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

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Reality Programs

DAVID CHARLES – Eco Challenge, “3,2,1…Go!”
(Amazon)
Associate Director: Daniel Curran
Stage Managers: Ian Blankenship, Kevin Fletcher, Andy Nelson, Mickel Picco

JON FAVREAU – The Chef Show, “Tartine”
(Netflix)
Associate Director: Annie Johnson

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

JOSEPH GUIDRY – Full Bloom, “Petal to the Metal” [WINNER]
(HBO Max)
Associate Director: Sean Galvin
Lead Stage Manager: Jimmy Chriss
Stage Managers: Rachel Shimko, Kristianna Laroda, Richard Melendez

RICH KIM – Lego Masters, “Mega City Block”
(Fox)
Associate Director: Ryan Bunnell
Stage Managers: Will Baker, Kevin Fletcher

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children’s Programs

KABIR AKHTAR – High School Musical: The Musical – The Series, “Opening Night”
(Disney+)
Unit Production Managers: Jeff T. Miller, Greg A. Hampson
First Assistant Director: Brent Geisler
Second Assistant Director: Cody Harbaugh

LARISSA BILLS – On Pointe, “Showtime!”
(Disney+)

DEAN ISRAELITE – The Astronauts, “Countdown”
(Nickelodeon)

RICHIE KEEN – The Healing Powers of Dude, “Second Step: Homeroom”
(Netflix)
Unit Production Manager: Chris Phillips
First Assistant Director: Natalie Van Doren

AMY SCHATZ – We Are the Dream: The Kids of the Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest [WINNER]
(HBO)

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials

STEVE AYSON
(MJZ)
“The Great Chase,” Nike – Wieden + Kennedy Shanghai
First Assistant Director: John Lowe

NISHA GANATRA
(Chelsea Pictures)
“#wombstories,” Bodyform/Libresse – AMVBBDO

NICLAS LARSSON
(MJZ)
“See the Unseen,” VW Touareg – adam&eveDDB
“The Parents”, Volvo XC60 – Forsman & Bodenfors

MELINA MATSOUKAS [WINNER]
(Prettybird)
“You Love Me,” Beats by Dr. Dre – Translation
First Assistant Director: Paul Norman
Second Assistant Director: Don Johnson

TAIKA WAITITI
(Hungry Man)
“The Letter,” Coca-Cola – Wieden & Kennedy London