Celebrated director Christopher Nolan, the visionary behind cinematic masterpieces like “Oppenheimer“, “Inception” and “The Dark Knight,” commanded the spotlight at the 76th Directors Guild of America Awards, held on February 10th at The Beverly Hilton.
Hosted by the acclaimed comedian and director Judd Apatow, the ceremony celebrated outstanding directorial achievements across various mediums, including feature films, documentaries, television, and commercials.
Nolan took home the night’s top honour for “Oppenheimer” for his directorial prowess, solidifying his frontrunner status for the upcoming Academy Awards. Joining him in the winner’s circle were Christopher Storer of FX’s “The Bear” and Peter Hoar of HBO’s “The Last of Us,” whose contributions to the television landscape earned them well-deserved awards
Cillian Murphy honoured Christopher Nolan, whose “Oppenheimer” marked their sixth film together. “It’s the same each time: The scripts are always truly extraordinary, the worlds are always challenging and distinctive, they are intelligent and consequential and, always, they are events,” said Murphy.
Nolan called the DGA recognition particularly special because “nobody gets up here on their own.” He thanked his cast, crew and wife Emma Thomas, whom he described as the “lead producer on all these films and lead parent of four kids.”
Among the notable mentions is Celine Song, who clinched the DGA medallion for her directorial debut in the A24 drama “Past Lives.” The Directors Guild also honoured David Nutter with the Lifetime Achievement Award in Television, Janet G. Knutsen with the Frank Capra Achievement Award and Gary Natoli with the Franklin J. Schaffner Achievement Award.
Former DGA president and two-time DGA Award nominee Taylor Hackford honoured The Holdovers’ Alexander Payne. “Today’s my birthday and there’s no place I’d rather be than right here, right now,” said Payne. “To be here tonight, with where we are in human history, and to receive recognition, we are all very, very, very lucky.”
As the curtain fell on the 76th Annual Directors Guild of America Awards, the celebration of artistic excellence and resilience served as a poignant reminder of the transformative power of storytelling and creativity in shaping our cultural landscape and propelling the entertainment industry forward.
Here is a full list of winners for the 76th Annual Directors Guild of America Awards!
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film
CHRISTOPHER NOLAN — “Oppenheimer” (Universal Pictures)
Michael Apted Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in First-Time Theatrical Feature Film
CELINE SONG — “Past Lives” (A24)
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series
PETER HOAR — “The Last of Us,” “Long, Long Time” (HBO/Max)
Directorial Team: Unit Production Manager: Cecil O’Connor; First Assistant Director: Bethan Mowat
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series
CHRISTOPHER STORER — “The Bear,” “Fishes” (FX)
Directorial Team: Unit Production Managers: Tyson Bidner, Carrie Holt de Lama; First Assistant Directors: Duccio Fabbri, Pablo Gambetta; Second Assistant Director: Larissa Malarek; Second Second Assistant Directors: Olivia Dame, Hiro Taniguchi; Location Manager: Maria C. Roxas
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and Limited Series
SARAH ADINA SMITH — “Lessons in Chemistry,” “Her and Him” (Apple TV+)
Directorial Team: Unit Production Manager: Steven Brown; First Assistant Director: Kristofer Kolpek; Second Assistant Director: Deborah Chung
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Regularly Scheduled Programming
MICHAEL MANCINI & LIZ PATRICK — “Saturday Night Live”
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Variety/ Talk/ News/ Sports – Specials
PAUL MILLER — “Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love” (NBC)
Directorial Team: Associate Director: Sara Niimi; Stage Managers: Gary Natoli, Alissa Levisohn Hoyo, Christopher McDonald, Jackie Stathis
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Reality Programs
NIHARIKA DESAI — “Rainn Wilson and the Geography of Bliss,” “Happiness is a Bottle of Cod Liver Oil” (Peacock)
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children’s Programs
AMY SCHATZ — “Stand Up & Shout: Songs From a Philly High School” (HBO/Max)
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials
KIM GEHRIG (Somesuch)
“Run This Town,” Apple Music – Apple (Client Direct) | First Assistant Director: David Webb
“The Travelers,” Expedia – Wieden & Kennedy | First Assistant Director: Zaida Fakih
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary
MSTYSLAV CHERNOV — “20 Days in Mariupol” (PBS Distribution)
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