Earlier this evening, The Directors Guild of America honored the best achievements in directing for 2011. The categories ranged from commercials all the way to feature films. Unlike last week’s Producers Guild Awards, where there was little chance of anything but The Artist winning, the DGA’s top honor for feature film directing was down to two contenders with a slight edge toward Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist. There were some who thought that perhaps Martin Scorsese could pull a surprise win here for Hugo, but the love of The Artist was too much to overcome as Hazanavicius was named the winner.
With this award, Hazanavicius now has a 90% chance of winning the Oscar for Best Director as the DGA’s top award recipient almost always coincides with the Academy’s choice for the category. In fact, there have only been six instances in the DGA’s 64-year history where the winners have not matched, so it’s now quite safe to mark your ballots for who will win this year.
Please see below for a complete list of the DGA award winners:
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for 2011:
MICHEL HAZANAVICIUS – The Artist (The Weinstein Company)
Mr. Hazanavicius’ Directorial Team:
• Unit Production Manager: Antoine De Cazotte
• Production Manager (FR): Ségoléne Fleury
• First Assistant Director (FR): James Canal
• First Assistant Director (US): David Cluck
• Second Assistant Director (US): Dave Paige
• Second Second Assistant Directors: Karla Strum, Ricky Robinson
This is Mr. Hazanavicius’ first DGA Feature Film Award nomination.Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary:
JAMES MARSH – Project Nim
Red Box Films, Passion Pictures, HBO Documentary Films, Roadside Attractions, BBC Films, UK Film Council
This is Mr. Marsh’s second DGA Award nomination. He was previously nominated in this category for Man on Wire in 2008.
– Though Project Nim made the Academy Of Motion Picture Ats & Sciences’s shortlist for Best Feature Documentary, it failed to get nominated among the final five films in that category this year.Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and Mini-Series:
JON CASSAR – The Kennedys (Reelz Channel)
This is Mr. Cassar’s third DGA Award nomination. He won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series in 2006 for 24 – “7:00 AM-8:00 AM” and was nominated in this category in 2003 for the episode of 24 also titled “7:00 AM-8:00 AM.”Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series:
PATTY JENKINS – The Killing, “Pilot” (AMC)
Ms. Jenkins is also nominated this year in the Movies for Television and Mini-Series category for her segment of Five.Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series:
ROBERT B. WEIDE – Curb Your Enthusiasm, “Palestinian Chicken” (HBO)
Mr. Weide’s Directorial Team:
• Associate Director: Dale Stern, Tim Gibbons
• Stage Managers: Jonathan Harris, Jerri Churchill, Dana Jackson
This is Mr. Weide’s second DGA Award nomination. He was previously nominated in this category for Curb Your Enthusiasm – “The Carpool Lane” in 2004.
– Weide said backstage: “Modern Family wins everything. So as much as people may have liked my show, I just didn’t think this was going to happen because Modern Family is unstoppable. They’re a favorite these days. And I really expected it would be them. So it really is a surprise.”Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Musical Variety:
GLENN WEISS – 65th Annual Tony Awards (CBS)
Mr. Weiss’ Directorial Team:
• Associate Directors: Ken Diego, Robin Abrams, Debra Gelman, Ricky Kirshner
• Stage Managers: Garry Hood, Peter Epstein, Andrew Feigin, Lynn Finkel, Doug Fogel, Jeffry Gitter, Phyllis Digilio-Kent, Arthur Lewis, Jeff Markowitz, Joey Meade, Tony Mirante, Cyndi Owgang, Jeff Pearl, Elise Reaves, Lauren Class Schneider, Annette Powlis
This is Mr. Weiss’ eighth DGA Award nomination. He won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Musical Variety in 2007 and 2010 for the 61st and 64th Annual Tony Awards. He was previously nominated in this category in 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006 and 2008, all for the 55th, 56th, 59th, 60th, and 62nd Annual Tony Awards.Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Reality Programs:
NEIL P. DEGROOT – Biggest Loser, “Episode #1115″ (NBC)
Mr. DeGroot’s Directorial Team
• Associate Director: Andy Nelson
This is Mr. DeGroot’s first DGA Award nomination.Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Daytime Serials:
WILLIAM LUDEL – General Hospital, “Intervention” (ABC)
Ludel’s acceptance speech: “I’ve won two of these before, but this one means the most because my guess is we won’t be around much longer… It’s just the reality.”
Mr. Ludel’s Directorial Team:
• Associate Directors: Christine Magarian Ucar, Denise Van Cleave, Penny Pengra, Peter Fillmore, RC Cates, David MacLeod
• Stage Managers: Craig McManus, Crystal Craft
• Production Associates: Christine Cooper, Andrea Compton
This is Mr. Ludel’s seventh DGA Award nomination and all for his direction of General Hospital. He won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Daytime Serials for General Hospital “Episode #9801″ in 2001 and “Episode #8248″ in 1995; and was previously nominated for General Hospital “Macho Men” in 2009, “Luke in Purgatory” in 2008, “Episode #11177″ in 2006 and for “Episode #7922″ in 1994.Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children’s Programs:
AMY SCHATZ – A Child’s Garden of Poetry (HBO)
This is Ms. Schatz’s sixth DGA Award nomination. She won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children’s Programs in 2008 for Classical Baby (I’m Grown Up Now) “The Poetry Show,” in 2001 for ‘Twas the Night’ and in 1999 for Goodnight Moon & Other Sleepy Time Tales. She was previously nominated in this category for 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:
NOAM MURRO (Biscuit Filmworks)
Handlebar Moustache, Heineken Premium Light- Wieden & Kennedy/NY
• Unit Production Manager: James Powell Veal
• First Assistant Director: Tommy Gormley
• Second Assistant Director: Ian Robert Calip
• Second Second Assistant Director: Michael King
Hot House, DirecTV – Grey/NY
• Unit Production Manager: James Powell Veal
• First Assistant Director: Scott C. Harris
• Second Assistant Directors: Mark Robinson, Brady Sloan
Pinata, Volkswagen Tiguan – Deutsch/LA
• Unit Production Manager: James Powell Veal
• First Assistant Director: Scott M. Metcalfe
• Second Assistant Director: Ty Arnold
Is It Real?, EA Battlefield 3 – Wieden & Kennedy/Portland
• First Assistant Director: Michael David Salven
• Second Assistant Director: Erv E. Gentry
• Second Second Assistant Director: Eric Schneider
This is Mr. Murro’s sixth DGA Award nomination in this category. He won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials for Carry (Adidas), Glen (Starbucks), and Toy Boat (eBay) in 2004. He was also nominated in this category in 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2007.
(Source: Deadline)