The field of nominees for the Directors Guild of America (DGA) Award recognizing Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials for 2025 consists of three two-time winners, a helmer who just scored his third career nod, and another registering his second.
Making up the trio of two-time DGA Commercial Director of the Year winners are: Kim Gehrig of Somesuch who won in 2023 and ‘24; Andreas Nilsson of Biscuit Filmworks who won in 2016 and ‘25; and Spike Jonze of MJZ who came up a winner in 2019 and ‘20.
Gehrig has now been nominated for the honor four consecutive years. Nilsson too is a four-time nominee. And Jonze holds the distinction of not only having been nominated four times in the commercials category but also earning a feature nod for Being John Malkovich in 2000, and a TV Specials nom in 2020 for Aziz Ansara: Right Now.
The alluded to director who just picked up his third career nomination for commercialmaking is Miles Jay of SMUGGLER, the first two coming in 2016 and ‘18. And Steve Rogers of Biscuit Filmworks is now a two-time nominee, the first coming in 2016.
The work
Gehrig’s fourth straight nomination came on the strength of two entries–Nike’s “You Can’t Win. So Win.” for Wieden+Kennedy; and the client-direct Apple film, “I’m Not Remarkable.”
Jonze’s latest nomination was for Apple Airpods 4’s “Someday” from TBWAMedia Arts Lab.
Nilsson is going for a DGA win two years in a row, this time for Andrex’s “Conquer the First School Poo” out of FCB London, and a pair of Apple client-direct pieces for the iPhone 16 Pro–”Garrett” and “Big Flex.”
Jay is in the running on the basis of five entries–ChatGPT’s “Dish,” “Pull Up” and “Trip” from agency Isle of Any; and Meta’s “Home for the Holidays and “Secret Santa” for Droga5.
And Rogers is a nominee for Amazon’s “Bring a Book to Life” out of Droga5 London; “A Tale as Old as Websites,” a client-direct spot for Squarespace; and Coinbase’s “Everything is Fine” from Mother London.
The winners will be announced at the 78th Annual DGA Awards Ceremony, which will be held on Saturday, February 7, at The Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif.
Here’s a full list of the DGA Award nominees for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials for 2025 (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 | TBWAMedia 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