DGA Awards Unveils Some TV Nominations But Delays Series Noms Because Of Ballot Error

The Directors Guild unveiled nominations Monday in its limited series categories for the 72nd DGA Awards (see list below). But due to what it calls “a re-vote related to a newly implemented electronic entry submissions process,” the series noms aren’t out today.

But just last week, the guild announced that Jill Soloway — a DGA Award winner for her work on Transparent — had the Amazon comedy’s chances of landing one final Directors Guild of America nomination for series hampered by an internal DGA error. “We regret to inform you that the following entry was inadvertently omitted from the Comedy Series ballot: #165a. Transparent Musicale Finale, Jill Soloway,” the DGA wrote in an email to members, offering those who wish to recast their vote in this category to do so following a link.

The DGA said its nomination announcements for the Comedy Series, Dramatic Series and Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Specials categories will be announced on Friday instead.

FX’s Fosse/Verdon led the TV movie/limited series category with three noms for directors Jessica Yu, Minkie Spiro and Thomas Kail. Other nominees in that category are HBO’s Chernobyl director Johan Renck, who is coming off a directing Emmy win for the series, Vince Gilligan, director of Netflix’s El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, and Ava DuVernay, director of When They See Us, also for Netflix.

Last year, TV winners included Adam McKay for directing HBO’s Succession, which is coming off a Golden Globe Best Drama Series victory Sunday. Bill Hader won a DGA nod for helming HBO’s Barry. The top documentary prize went to Tim Wardle for Three Identical Strangers.

Winners in all categories, along with the feature film nominees to be announced Tuesday, will be revealed January 25 in a ceremony at the Ritz-Carlton in downtown Los Angeles.

Here is full list of its TV, docu and commercial nominees, with annotations by the guild:

MOVIES FOR TELEVISION AND LIMITED SERIES

The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and Limited Series for 2019 are (in alphabetical order):

AVA DuVERNAY
When They See Us
(Netflix)

Ms. DuVernay’s Directorial Team:
• Unit Production Managers: John P. Fedynich, Amy Kaufman
• First Assistant Director: H.H. Cooper
• Second Assistant Director: Jamiyl Campbell
• Second Second Assistant Director: Amrita Kundu
• Additional Second Assistant Director: Kyler Griffin

• Location Manager: Charlynne J. Hopson

VINCE GILLIGAN
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie
(Netflix)

Mr. Gilligan’s Directorial Team:
• Unit Production Managers: Robin Le Chanu, Charles Newirth
• First Assistant Director: John Wildermuth
• Second Assistant Director: Katy Galow
• Second Second Assistant Director: Nathan E. Davis
• Additional Second Assistant Directors: Melissa Bosco-Laude, Chad Goyette

THOMAS KAIL
Fosse/Verdon, “Nowadays”
(FX Networks)

Mr. Kail’s Directorial Team:
• Unit Production Manager: Erica Kay
• First Assistant Director: Deanna Leslie Kelly
• Second Assistant Director: Brad Robinson
• Second Second Assistant Directors: Billy Brennan, Findlay Zotter
• Location Manager: Ryan Smith

JOHAN RENCK
Chernobyl
(HBO)

MINKIE SPIRO
Fosse/Verdon, “All I Care About Is Love”
(FX Networks)

Ms. Spiro’s Directorial Team:
• Unit Production Manager: Erica Kay
• First Assistant Director: Marcos González Palma
• Second Assistant Director: Steven Lafferty
• Second Second Assistant Directors: Billy Brennan, Findlay Zotter
• Location Manager: Ryan Smith

JESSICA YU
Fosse/Verdon, “Glory”
(FX Networks)

Ms. Yu’s Directorial Team:
• Unit Production Manager: Erica Kay
• First Assistant Director: Deanna Leslie Kelly

• Second Assistant Director: Brad Robinson
• Second Second Assistant Directors: Billy Brennan, Findlay Zotter
• Location Manager: Ryan Smith

***

VARIETY/TALK/NEWS/SPORTS – REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAMMING

The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Regularly Scheduled Programming for 2019 are (in alphabetical order):

PAUL G. CASEY
Real Time With Bill Maher, “1730”
(HBO)

Mr. Casey’s Directorial Team:
• Associate Director: Stacy Talbot
• Stage Managers: Patrick Whitney, Brian Anderson

NORA S. GERARD
CBS Sunday Morning, “40th Anniversary”
(CBS)

Ms. Gerard’s Directorial Team:
• Associate Directors: Jessica Frank, Kate D’Arcy Coleman, Patricia Long Finnegan, Jyll Phillips-Friedman, Catherine Liberatore Kay
• Stage Managers: Mark Dicso, Brian McGuire

JIM HOSKINSON
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, “A. Ocasio-Cortez; Incubus”
(CBS)

Mr. Hoskinson’s Directorial Team:
• Associate Directors: Yvonne De Mare, Karen Yaeger
• Stage Managers: Mark McKenna, Jeff Leib

DON ROY KING
Saturday Night Live, “E. Murphy; Lizzo”
(NBC)

Mr. King’s Directorial Team:
• Associate Directors: Michael Mancini, Mike Poole
• Stage Managers: Gena Rositano, Chris Kelly

PAUL PENNOLINO, CHRISTOPHER WERNER
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, “SLAPP Suits”
(HBO)

Directorial Team:
• Associate Director: Elliot Mendelson
• Stage Managers: Mark McKenna, Craig Spinney, John Scott Wilson
*** REALITY PROGRAMS

The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Reality Programs for 2019 are (in alphabetical order):

HISHAM ABED
Queer Eye, “Black Girl Magic”
(Netflix)

JASON COHEN
Encore!, “Annie”
(Disney+)

Mr. Cohen’s Directorial Team:
• Associate Director: Daniel Shultz

JON FAVREAU
The Chef Show, “Hog Island”
(Netflix)

Mr. Favreau’s Directorial Team:
• Associate Director: Annie Johnson

ASHLEY S. GORMAN
First Responders Live, “103”
(FOX)

Mr. Gorman’s Directorial Team:
• Associate Directors: Jamie Marshall Bennett, Don Frillici, Ryan Neary
• Stage Manager: Roy Friedland

PATRICK McMANUS
American Ninja Warrior, “1116 Las Vegas National Finals Night 4”
(NBC)

Mr. McManus’s Directorial Team:
• Associate Directors: David Massey, Sean Galvin
• Stage Managers: Joseph R. Osborne, Wolfgang Delgado
*** CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS

The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children’s Programs for 2019 are (in alphabetical order):

DEAN ISRAELITE
Are You Afraid of the Dark?, “Part One: Submitted for Your Approval”
(Nickelodeon)

Mr. Israelite’s Directorial Team:
• First Assistant Director: Pete Whyte

JACK JAMESON
Sesame Street’s 50th Anniversary Special
(HBO Documentary Films)

Mr. Jameson’s Directorial Team:
• Associate Directors: Yori Tondrowski, Ken Diego
• Stage Managers: Frank Campagna, Phyllis Digilio-Kent, Shawn Havens

LUKE MATHENY
Ghostwriter, “Ghost in Wonderland, Part 1”
(Apple TV+)

AMY SCHATZ
Song of Parkland
(HBO Documentary Films)

BARRY SONNENFELD
A Series of Unfortunate Events, “Penultimate Peril: Part 1”
(Netflix)

***

COMMERCIALS

The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials for 2019 are (in alphabetical order):

FREDRIK BOND
(MJZ)

Lighter Than Air, HP Elite Dragonfly – Media Monks
• Unit Production Manager: Line Postmyr
• First Assistant Director: Peter Kohn

Take it Lightly, Coca-Cola Light – Ingo

Nap, iPhone – Apple
• Unit Production Manager: Line Postmyr
• First Assistant Director: Peter Kohn
• Second Assistant Director: Heather Anderson

SPIKE JONZE
(MJZ)

Dream It, Squarespace – Squarespace
• First Assistant Director: Thomas Smith

The New Normal, Medmen – Mekanism
• First Assistant Director: Thomas Smith
• Second Assistant Directors: David Marnell, Jeff Tavani

MARK MOLLOY
(Smuggler)

Underdogs, Apple – Apple

RIDLEY SCOTT
(RSA Films)

The Seven Worlds, Hennessy X.O. – DDB Paris

DOUGAL WILSON
(Furlined)

Train, AT&T – BBDO NY
• First Assistant Director: Peter Kohn
• Second Assistant Director: Aaron Fitzgerald

***

DOCUMENTARY

The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary for 2019 are (in alphabetical order):

STEVEN BOGNAR and JULIA REICHERT
American Factory
(Netflix)

FERAS FAYYAD
The Cave
(National Geographic Documentary Films)

ALEX HOLMES
Maiden
(Sony Picture Classics)

LJUBOMIR STEFANOV & TAMARA KOTEVSKA
Honeyland
(Neon)

NANFU WANG and JIALING ZHANG
One Child Nation
(Amazon Studios)