Directors Guild (DGA) nominations: Women rule as Jane Campion, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Tatiana Huezo, Rebecca Hall and Emma Seligman earn nods

Directors Guild of America President Lesli Linka Glatter today announced the nominees for the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film for 2021. Women ruled with Jane Campion’s nomination in the main category for The Power of the Dog and four the six First Time Feature mentions going to female directors.

The nominees for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film are Paul Thomas Anderson for Licorice Pizza, Kenneth Branagh for Belfast, Jane Campion for The Power of the Dog, Steven Spielberg for West Side Story and Denis Villeneuve for Dune.

“The power of film, in all its many facets, shines through in the work of these exceptional directors representing the highest standards of filmmaking, artistic achievement and innovative storytelling,” said Glatter. “Being nominated by one’s peers – who understand on the deepest level what it takes to bring one’s vision to life – makes this award so very special, and we congratulate all of our nominees for their truly outstanding work.”

Campion is only the second woman ever to receive a second nomination from the Directors Guild (the first was Kathryn Bigelow for Zero Dark Thirty who did not parlay her DGA nomination to a follow-up at the Oscars). Her first came nearly 20 years ago for 1993’s The Piano, and then went on to become the second woman ever nominated for Best Director at the Oscars. Campion and The Piano ultimately lost to Steven Spielberg for Schindler’s List. This year is a bit of a rematch as they are both nominated against each other again here.

Campion joins a list of only 11 women nominated by the DGA for directing. Last year had a record two women recognized with Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman) and Chloé Zhao (Nomadland). Both went on to Oscar nominations for directing, another first, with the Zhao winning the DGA prize and eventually the Oscar, only the second woman to win at the Academy Awards. Other female directors recognized by the Directors Guild include Lina Wertmüller (Seven Beauties, also Oscar-nominated), Randa Haines (Children of a Lesser God), Barbra Streisand (The Prince of Tides), Jane Campion (The Piano, also Oscar-nominated), Sofia Coppola (Lost in Translation, also Oscar-nominated), Valerie Faris (who shared her nom with co-director Jonathan Dayton for Little Miss Sunshine), the aforementioned Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker, becoming the first woman to win here and at the Oscars and Zero Dark Thirty) and Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird, also Oscar-nominated).

The nominees for First Time Film found spots for six debuts: Maggie Gyllenhaal for The Lost Daughter, Rebecca Hall for Passing, Tatiana Huezo for Prayer for the Stolen, Lin-Manuel Miranda for tick, tick…BOOM!, Michael Sarnoski for Pig and Emma Seligman for Shiva Baby.

“New voices, fresh storytelling and unique perspectives bring exciting energy to our craft, and keep our industry evolving into the future,” added Glatter. “That’s what this award is all about and we’re so proud to shine a spotlight on the directorial achievements of these remarkable first-time directors. We can’t wait to see what’s next from these profoundly talented filmmakers.”

Netflix dominated with five nominations overall, four in the First Time Feature category alone.

The Directors Guild of America National Board at its annual meeting made the decision to temporarily alter its 2022 DGA Awards eligibility criteria for its Theatrical Film Award. The change allowed films that receive a ‘day and date’ release to be eligible for the award if they have a qualifying theatrical run and are marketed as a theatrical film. The National Board made this decision due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic facing the industry.

The exception is being made only for this year’s awards. The Guild’s rule requiring an exclusive qualifying theatrical run goes back into effect for the 75th Annual DGA Awards.

Academy Award-winning director Spike Lee will receive the Guild’s top honor, the Lifetime Achievement Award for Distinguished Achievement in Motion Picture Direction.   

The DGA Lifetime Achievement Award for Distinguished Achievement in Motion Picture Direction recognizes extraordinary efforts in the art of cinema.

Lee’s iconic body of storytelling has made an indelible mark on filmmaking. His feature directing career spans over 30 years and includes: She’s Gotta Have It, School Daze, Do the Right Thing, Mo’ Better Blues, Jungle Fever, Malcolm X, Crooklyn, Clockers, Girl 6, Get on the Bus, He Got Game, Summer of Sam, Bamboozled, 25th Hour, She Hate Me, Inside Man, Miracle at St. Anna, Red Hook Summer, Old Boy, and Chi-Raq. His 2018 critically acclaimed hit feature BlacKkKlansman earned him a DGA Award nomination for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film, an Academy Award and numerous nominations (see additional bio information below).

In 2002, the Guild awarded Lee with a DGA Honor for his distinguished contributions to our nation’s culture in support of filmmaking. 

The DGA Lifetime Achievement Award is selected by the present and past presidents of the Guild. In the Guild’s 86-year history, just 35 directors have been recognized with this honor including: Frank Capra (1959), Alfred Hitchcock (1968), Orson Welles (1984), Billy Wilder (1985), Steven Spielberg (2000), Martin Scorsese (2003), Miloš Forman (2013), and most recently Ridley Scott (2017).

The 74th DGA Awards will be presented on Saturday, March 12, 2022. Here is the complete list of nominees.

The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film for 2021 are (in alphabetical order):

The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement of a First-Time Feature Film Director for 2021 are (in alphabetical order):