Everybody in Hollywood knows that if you’re a female film director you have maybe a little more than a snowball’s chance in hell of winning an award for your work. But Chloé Zhao continues to break that mold by racking up reams of hardware, her latest being at the Directors Guild Awards Sunday night.
Zhao took home the top award for directing Nomandland, starring Frances McDormand and a cast of mostly non-actors she also wrote the screenplay, adapting it from a book of the same name.
Whomever the directors and anoint is automatically the favorite to win an Academy Award as best director. In 73 years, there have only been eight times that they haven’t lined up. Zhao faces off against another woman in that category, Emerald Fennell, who helmed Promising Young Woman.
The sad stat is with their two nominations that makes only seven women in the 92 year history of the Oscars to even be nominated for the honor. Only one woman has taken it home – Katherine Bigelow in 2010 for The Hurt Locker, who also won the DGA. For the record the other four female director Oskar nominees are Lena Wertmuller, Jane Campion, Sofia Coppola and Greta Gerwig.
But back to the DGAs, held virtually as every other awards show this season has had to be because of the coronavirus pandemic.
On the film side, Darius Marder took the coveted best first feature trophy for his acclaimed Sound of Metal.
In the television categories, Susanna Fogel took the Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Comedy Series nod for The Flight Attendant, Lesli Linka Glatter took the drama series nod for Homeland and Scott Frank won for TV Movie/Limited Series for The Queen’s Gambit.
At the end of the show which included live and pre-taped bits, DGA President Tommy Schlamme joked, “There were no technical f***-ups, which would have meant they cut to me live…And the best part – you don’t have to drive home.”
Here is a list of the winners:
Outstanding Directorial Achievement In Theatrical Feature Film
CHLOE ZHAO
Nomadland
(Searchlight Pictures)
Unit Production Manager: Mary Kerrigan
First Assistant Director: Mary Kerrigan
Outstanding Directorial Achievement Of A First-Time Feature Film Director
DARIUS MARDER
Sound of Metal
(Amazon Studios)
Unit Production Manager: Amy Greene
First Assistant Director: Matthew Vose Campbell
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary
MICHAEL DWECK & GREGORY
KERSHAW
The Truffle Hunters
(Sony Pictures Classics)
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and Limited Series
SCOTT FRANK
The Queen’s Gambit
(Netflix)
First Assistant Director: Aldric La’auli Porter
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series
LESLI LINKA GLATTER
Homeland, “Prisoners of War”
(Showtime)
Unit Production Managers: Michael Klick, Philippa Naughten
First Assistant Director: Sunday Stevens
Second Assistant Director: Wendy Bledsoe
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series
SUSANNA FOGEL
The Flight Attendant, “In Case of Emergency”
(HBO Max)
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
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Regularly Scheduled Programming
DON ROY KING
Saturday Night Live, “Dave Chappelle; Foo Fighters”
(NBC)
Associate Directors: Michael Mancini, Michael Poole, Laura Ouziel-Mack
Stage Managers: Gena Rositano, Chris Kelly, Eddie Valk
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Specials
THOMAS SCHLAMME
A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote
(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
JOSEPH GUIDRY
Full Bloom, “Petal to the Metal”
(HBO Max)
Associate Director: Sean Galvin
Lead Stage Manager: Jimmy Chriss
Stage Managers: Rachel Shimko, Kristianna Laroda, Richard Melendez
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children’s Programs
AMY SCHATZ
We Are the Dream: The Kids of the Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest
(HBO)
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials
MELINA MATSOUKAS
(Prettybird)
You Love Me, Beats by Dr. Dre – Translation
First Assistant Director: Paul Norman
Second Assistant Director: Don Johnson
HONORARY AWARDS
Robert B. Aldrich Award
Betty Thomas
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
AWARDS
Frank Capra Achievement
Award
Brian Frankish
Franklin Schaffner
Award
Joyce Thomas
Lifetime Membership
Award
Paris Barclay
