The Directors Guild of America today announced the nominees for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Television, Commercials and Documentary for 2025.
The winners will be announced at the 78th Annual DGA Awards Ceremony, which will be held on Saturday, February 7, 2026, at The Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA.
Nominees for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film and the Michael Apted Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in First-Time Theatrical Feature Film will be announced on Thursday, January 8, 2026.
Dolby is the Official Premier Sponsor of the 78th Annual DGA Awards.
DRAMATIC SERIES
The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series for 2025 are (in alphabetical order):
LIZA JOHNSON
The Diplomat, “Amagansett”
(Netflix)
Directorial Team:
- Unit Production Manager: John P. Fedynich
- First Assistant Director: Adam Escott
- Second Assistant Director: Tom Glick
- Second Second Assistant Director: Rachel Sikora
- Location Manager: Rob Coleman
AMANDA MARSALIS
The Pitt, “6:00 P.M.”
(HBO Max)
Directorial Team:
- Unit Production Manager: Michelle Lankwarden
- First Assistant Director: Eric Tignini
- Second Assistant Director: Kevin Zelman
- Second Second Assistant Director: Nicole Jones, Rebecca Rogers, Chloe Huckins
- Additional Second Assistant Director: Michelle Akeley
JANUS METZ
Andor, “Who Are You?”
(Disney+)
Directorial Team:
- Unit Production Manager: Karl Caffrey
- First Assistant Director: Sean Guest
BEN STILLER
Severance, “Cold Harbor”
(Apple TV+)
Directorial Team:
- Unit Production Manager: Caroline Baron
- First Assistant Director: Katie Pruitt
- Second Assistant Director: Cat McFayden
- Second Second Assistant Director: Forrest Viola
- Additional Second Assistant Director: Erin Skelly
- Assistant Unit Production Manager: Sean Fogel, Alexandra Vivas
- Location Manager: Ryan Smith, Grace Kwon
JOHN WELLS
The Pitt, “7:00 A.M.”
(HBO Max)
Directorial Team:
- Unit Production Manager: Michelle Lankwarden
- First Assistant Director: Eric Tignini
- Second Assistant Director: Kevin Zelman
- Second Second Assistant Director: Nicole Jones, Rebecca Rogers
- Additional Second Assistant Director: Chloe Huckins
***
COMEDY SERIES
The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series for 2025 are (in alphabetical order):
LUCIA ANIELLO
Hacks, “A Slippery Slope”
(HBO Max)
Directorial Team:
- Unit Production Manager: Mark Rabinowitz
- First Assistant Director: Jeff Rosenberg
- Second Assistant Director: Kirisa Gavrin
- Second Second Assistant Director: Alaina Neumann Rafdal
- Additional Second Assistant Director: Amy Ergle
JANICZA BRAVO
The Bear, “Worms”
(FX on Hulu)
Directorial Team:
- Unit Production Manager: Carrie Holt de Lama, Tyson Bidner
- First Assistant Director: Larissa Malarek
- Second Assistant Director: Olivia Dame
- Second Second Assistant Director: Sofía Blanco
- Location Manager: Maria C. Roxas, Gilbert B. Morales
- Assistant Location Manager: Oscar Roxas
SETH ROGEN & EVAN GOLDBERG
The Studio, “The Oner”
(Apple TV+)
Directorial Team:
- Unit Production Manager: Shawn Dyrdahl
- First Assistant Director: Donald Murphy
- Second Assistant Director: Peter Dress
CHRISTOPHER STORER
The Bear, “Bears”
(FX on Hulu)
Directorial Team:
- Unit Production Manager: Carrie Holt de Lama, Tyson Bidner
- First Assistant Director: Duccio Fabbri
- Second Assistant Director: Larissa Malarek, Olivia Dame
- Second Second Assistant Director: Sofía Blanco
- Location Manager: Maria C. Roxas, Gilbert B. Morales
- Assistant Location Manager: Oscar Roxas
MIKE WHITE
The White Lotus, “Denials”
(HBO Max)
Directorial Team:
- Unit Production Manager: Regina Heyman, Mark Kamine
- First Assistant Director: Justin Ritson
- Second Assistant Director: Joe Landry
- Assistant Unit Production Manager: Aidan Sleeper
***
LIMITED & ANTHOLOGY SERIES
The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Limited & Anthology Series for 2025 are (in alphabetical order):
JASON BATEMAN
Black Rabbit, “The Black Rabbits”
(Netflix)
Directorial Team:
- Unit Production Manager: Becky Phillips, Erica Kay
- First Assistant Director: John Silvestri
- Second Assistant Director: Nick Notte
- Second Second Assistant Director: Jimmy Rosario, Jilly Blundell
- Location Manager: Paul Eskenazi
ANTONIO CAMPOS
The Beast in Me, “Sick Puppy”
(Netflix)
Directorial Team:
- Unit Production Manager: Caroline Baron
- First Assistant Director: Tomas Deckaj
- Second Assistant Director: Scott Bowers
- Second Second Assistant Director: Matt Merksamer, Sean Fogel
- Location Manager: Grace Kwon
LESLI LINKA GLATTER
Zero Day, “Episode 6”
(Netflix)
Directorial Team:
- Unit Production Manager: Amy Herman
- First Assistant Director: Michael Lerman
- Second Assistant Director: Scott Bowers
- Second Second Assistant Director: Kaitlin Heins
- Additional Second Assistant Director: Davis Woodall
- Assistant Unit Production Manager: Mike Buonanno
- Location Manager: Ronnie Kupferwasser
SHANNON MURPHY
Dying for Sex, “It’s Not That Serious”
(FX on Hulu)
Directorial Team:
- Unit Production Manager: Francesca M. Mannix
- First Assistant Director: Julie A. Bloom
- Second Assistant Director: Findlay Ward Zotter
- Second Second Assistant Director: Kristin Dombroski, Laura E. Rizer
ALLY PANKIW
Black Mirror, “Common People”
(Netflix)
- Unit Production Manager: Shawn Williamson
***
MOVIES FOR TELEVISION
The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television for 2025 are (in alphabetical order):
JESSE ARMSTRONG
Mountainhead
(HBO Max)
Directorial Team:
- Unit Production Manager: Jill Footlick
- First Assistant Director: Christo Morse
- Second Assistant Director: MarSchelle Walker
-
Location Manager: Paul Eskenazi
STEPHEN CHBOSKY
Nonnas
(Netflix)
Directorial Team:
- Unit Production Manager: Pamela Hirsch, Kara Doherty
- First Assistant Director: Chris Surgent
- Second Assistant Director: Takahide Kawakami
- Second Second Assistant Director: Cary Lee
- Location Manager: Tatiana Forster
SCOTT DERRICKSON
The Gorge
(Apple TV+)
Directorial Team:
- Unit Production Manager: Greg Goodman
- First Assistant Director: Cliff Lanning
- Second Assistant Director: Lee Tailor
MICHAEL MORRIS
Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy
(Peacock)
KYLE NEWACHECK
Happy Gilmore 2
(Netflix)
Directorial Team:
- Unit Production Manager: Brittany Sugarman, David Bausch
- First Assistant Director: David M. Bernstein
- Second Assistant Director: Ryan Robert Howard
- Second Second Assistant Director: Kaitlin Heins
- Additional Second Assistant Director: Mia Bruno
- Location Manager: Louis Zuppardi
- Assistant Location Manager: Scott Ferlisi
***
VARIETY
The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Variety for 2025 are:
YVONNE DE MARE
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, “Julia Roberts; Sam Smith”
(CBS)
Directorial Team:
- Associate Director: Karen Yaeger
- Stage Manager: Mark McKenna, Jeff Leib
ANDY FISHER
Jimmy Kimmel Live!, “Stephen Colbert; Kumail Nanjiani; Reneé Rapp”
(ABC)
Directorial Team:
- Associate Director: Jeri-Ann Wong, Amy Stober, David Craig
- Stage Manager: Alec Potter, Josh Wader, Christian Jensen, Peter Epstein
BETH MCCARTHY-MILLER
SNL50: The Homecoming Concert
(Peacock)
Directorial Team:
- Associate Director: Susan Sullivan
- Stage Manager: Lynn Finkel, Linda Carrizzo, Joey Despenzero, Phyllis Digilio-Kent, John Esposito, Andrew Feigin, Steve Hollander, Greg Kasoff, Alissa Levisohn Hoyo, Arthur Lewis, Jennifer Marquet, Cyndi Owgang, Jason Pacella, Tammy Raab, Elise Reaves, Cheryl Teetzel-Moore, Niclana Tolmasoff, Bret Warren, Ari Woog
LIZ PATRICK
SNL50: The Anniversary Special
(NBC)
Directorial Team:
- Associate Director: Michael Mancini, Michael Poole, Laura Ouziel Mack, Janine DeVito, Amy Mancini, Dan Dome
- Stage Manager: Gena Rositano, Chris Kelly, Eddie Valk, Peter Epstein, Karen Tasch Weiss, Steve Bautista, Joey Despenzero, Frank Fernandez, Doug Fogel, Jeffry Gitter, Cyndi Owgang, Elise Reaves, Niclana Tolmasoff, Leslie Williams
PAUL PENNOLINO
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, “Public Media”
(HBO Max)
Directorial Team:
- Associate Director: Elliot Mendelson
- Stage Manager: Jeff Leib, Mark McKenna, Craig Spinney
***
SPORTS
The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Sports for 2025 are (in alphabetical order):
MATTHEW GANGL
2025 World Series – Game 7 – Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Toronto Blue Jays
(FOX Sports)
Directorial Team:
- Associate Director: Larry Lancaster, Aaron Stojkov, Bryan Colucci
- Stage Manager: Dominick Tringali, Dan Frank
STEVE MILTON
2025 Masters Tournament – Augusta National Golf Club
(CBS Sports)
Directorial Team:
- Associate Director: Robert Matina, Chris Svendsen, Andy Freedman, Eric Spitzer, Ade Ellis, Tyler Jahn, Josh Weingardt, Brian Maher, Stuart Millstein, Katie Keane, Adam Cohen, Jack Kempner, George Wishart, Dan Obermuller
- Stage Manager: Cory Fishman
RICH RUSSO
Super Bowl LIX – Philadelphia Eagles vs. Kansas City Chiefs
(FOX Sports)
Directorial Team:
- Associate Director: Rich Gross, Casey Garland
***
REALITY / QUIZ AND GAME
The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Reality / Quiz and Game for 2025 are (in alphabetical order):
LUCINDA M. MARGOLIS
Jeopardy!, “Ep. 9341”
(Syndicated)
Directorial Team:
- Associate Director: Chloe Corwin
- Stage Manager: James F. McGuire
ADAM SANDLER
The Price is Right, “10,000th Episode”
(CBS)
Directorial Team:
- Associate Director: Jazmin Eckenberg
- Stage Manager: Steven Hollander, Jason Galland, Alex Weston
MIKE SWEENEY
Conan O’Brien Must Go, “Austria”
(HBO Max)
Directorial Team:
- Associate Director: Jason Chillemi
***
COMMERCIALS
The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials for 2025 are (in alphabetical order):
KIM GEHRIG
(Somesuch)
You Can’t Win. So Win. – Nike | Wieden+Kennedy
Directorial Team:
- First Assistant Director: Peter Jackson, John Mattern
- Second Assistant Director: Melina Greene
- Second Second Assistant Director: Chelsea Meador
I’m Not Remarkable – Apple | Client Direct
- First Assistant Director: Guy Forgaard
- Second Assistant Director: Amanda Johnson
- Second Second Assistant Director: Michael Dudley, Clyde Broom
MILES JAY
(Smuggler)
Dish – ChatGPT | Isle of Any
Directorial Team:
- Unit Production Manager: Yianni Papadopoulos
- First Assistant Director: George Nessis
- Second Assistant Director: Rachel Obering
- Second Second Assistant Director: Reed Baum
Pull Up – ChatGPT | Isle of Any
Directorial Team:
- Unit Production Manager: Yianni Papadopoulos
- First Assistant Director: George Nessis
- Second Assistant Director: Rachel Obering
- Second Second Assistant Director: Reed Baum
Trip – ChatGPT | Isle of Any
Directorial Team:
- Unit Production Manager: Yianni Papadopoulos
- First Assistant Director: George Nessis
- Second Assistant Director: Julia Blanford
- Second Second Assistant Director: K.J. Walsh
Home for the Holidays – Meta | Droga5
Directorial Team:
- First Assistant Director: David Webb
Secret Santa – Meta | Droga5
Directorial Team:
- First Assistant Director: David Webb
SPIKE JONZE
(MJZ)
Someday – Apple Airpods 4 | TBWA\Media Arts Lab
Directorial Team:
- First Assistant Director: Steve Danton, Kate Greenberg
- Second Assistant Director: Matthew Dennis Smith
- Second Second Assistant Director: Amy Hughes, Carly Sturgeon
ANDREAS NILSSON
(Biscuit Filmworks)
Conquer the First School Poo – Andrex | FCB London
Garrett – Apple iPhone 16 Pro | Client Direct
- Unit Production Manager: James Veal
- First Assistant Director: George Nessis
- Second Assistant Director: Reed Baum
Big Flex – Apple iPhone 16 Pro | Client Direct
- Unit Production Manager: James Veal
- First Assistant Director: George Nessis
- Second Assistant Director: Reed Baum
Trunk Trucker – Virgin Media | VCCP London
STEVE ROGERS
(Biscuit Filmworks)
Bring a Book to Life – Amazon | Droga5 London
A Tale as Old as Websites – Squarespace| Client Direct
Everything is Fine – Coinbase | Mother London
***
DOCUMENTARY FILM
The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary Film for 2025 are (in alphabetical order):
MSTYSLAV CHERNOV
2000 Meters to Andriivka
(PBS)
GEETA GANDBHIR
The Perfect Neighbor
(Netflix)
SARA KHAKI AND MOHAMMADREZA EYNI
Cutting Through Rocks
(Assembly Releasing)
ELIZABETH LO
Mistress Dispeller
(Oscilloscope Laboratories)
LAURA POITRAS AND MARK OBENHAUS
Cover-Up
(Netflix)
***
DOCUMENTARY SERIES / NEWS
The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary Series / News for 2025 are (in alphabetical order):
MARSHALL CURRY
SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night, “Written By: A Week Inside the SNL Writers Room”
(Peacock)
SUSAN LACY AND JESSICA LEVIN
Billy Joel: And So It Goes, “Part Two”
(HBO Max)
REBECCA MILLER
Mr. Scorsese, “All This Filming Isn’t Healthy”
(Apple TV+)
ALEXANDRIA STAPLETON
Sean Combs: The Reckoning, “Official Girl”
(Netflix)
MATT WOLF
Pee-Wee as Himself, “Part 1”
(HBO Max)
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About the Directors Guild of America
Since its founding in 1936, the Directors Guild of America has fought for the economic and creative rights of its members; protected their ability to financially benefit from the reuse of their work; established strong and durable pension and health plans; and established jurisdiction in new technologies and distribution platforms. Today we represent more than 19,500 directors and members of the directorial team working in film, television, commercials, news, sports, and documentary.
