Jane Campion won the marquee feature film honor at the Directors Guild of America (DGA) Awards last night (3/12) for The Power of the Dog (Netflix). She becomes just the third woman to earn the top DGA prize. Kathryn Bigelow was the first woman director to score the kudo for The Hurt Locker in 2010. And last year Chloé Zhao won for Nomadland.
History was evident right on stage at the Beverly Hilton as Zhao announced that Campion was the winner and presented her with the award. To have Zhao and Campion take the plum DGA honor in consecutive years marks a dramatic shattering of the proverbial glass ceiling.
Campion acknowledged that in her acceptance remarks. “I care about women having voices, and I’m so excited about the next generation of filmmakers.” She then cited as further fueling that excitement Maggie Gyllenhaal’s win earlier in the evening for Outstanding Directorial Achievement of a First-Time Feature Filmmaker on the strength of The Lost Daughter (Netflix).
Campion also praised Zhao for helping to break the gender barrier.
Even before Campion won the DGA Award, she expressed optimism over prospects for women filmmakers when she first came on stage to accept the DGA nomination medallion which was presented by Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons whose performances in The Power of the Dog are nominated for Best Supporting Actress and Supporting Actor Oscars, respectively. Campion remembered early on in her career being “the only woman in the room,” trying in a male-dominated field to tell stories of underrepresented people. With developments in recent years, Campion said she felt “a sense of victory” as to how far women have come, affirming that “we are never going backwards.”
The importance of women striving to have their voices heard was touched upon by Gyllenhaal in her acceptance speech. Gyllenhaal shared that she was deeply moved to receive the DGA Award for a first-time filmmaker “because this is a community I think I have always wanted to be a part of. But I didn’t let myself know how much I wanted it” she confided due to a fear of failure or disappointment. Gyllenhaal added, though, that she was inspired as a teenager by Campion’s The Piano. “It changed my life,” related Gyllenhaal, adding that the film is “one of the reasons I’m standing here (on stage).
The Piano earned Campion her first DGA nomination in 1993. She is just the second female filmmaker to twice be nominated by the Guild, the first being Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker followed three years later by Zero Dark Thirty.
Gyllenhaal noted that in light of the evening’s events, she needs and wants to become a DGA member. Adding that a prospective applicant needs two sponsors in order to join the Guild, she asked from the stage if Steven Spielberg would be one of them. Spielberg was in the audience as a feature nominee for West Side Story (20th Century Studios). Gyllenhaal related that she has another sponsor already lined up–her father, director Stephen Gyllenhaal, who was also in attendance at the DGA Awards ceremony.
Campion won the DGA Award over a field of nominees consisting of: Spielberg; Paul Thomas Anderson for Licorice Pizza (MGM/United Artists Releasing); Kenneth Branagh for Belfast (Focus Features); and Denis Villeneuve for Dune (Warner Bros.).
With the DGA win, Campion becomes the clear frontrunner for the Best Director Oscar. Only eight times in the DGA's 70-year-plus history has the Guild winner not gone on to take the corresponding Oscar. Campion is among a group of Best Director Oscar nominees this year which also consists of Ryusuke Hamaguchi for Drive My Car (Janus Films and Sideshow) along with Anderson, Branagh and Spielberg.
On the television side, Mark Mylod took the drama series honor for the “All the Bells Say” episode of Succession. The HBO series accounted for all five nods in the drama category. Mylod was up against four other Succession directors.
On the comedy series front, Lucia Aniello won for the “There Is No Line” episode of Hacks (HBO Max).
And the DGA Award for limited series went to Barry Jenkins for The Underground Railroad (Amazon Prime Video).
Director Stanley Nelson topped the documentary competition for Showtime’s Attica.
Bradford Young of Serial Pictures and Somesuch won the Best Commercial Director of the Year honor (see separate story here).
Spike Lee received the DGA Lifetime Achievement Award in Feature Film. This award, which is given to a director in recognition of distinguished achievement in motion picture direction, is the DGA’s highest honor and the recipient is selected by the present and past presidents of the Guild. Lee gave a 20-minute-plus acceptance speech, which included a slide show chronicling his filmmaking journey and the influences that shaped his career.
Here’s a full rundown of the evening’s winners:
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN THEATRICAL FEATURE FILM
JANE CAMPION
The Power of the Dog
(Netflix)
This is Ms. Campion’s second DGA Award nomination. She was previously nominated in this category in 1993 for The Piano.
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT OF A FIRST-TIME FEATURE FILM DIRECTOR
MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL
The Lost Daughter
(Netflix)
This is Ms. Gyllenhaal’s first DGA Award nomination.
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMATIC SERIES
MARK MYLOD
Succession, “All the Bells Say”
(HBO)
Mr. Mylod’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Managers: Gabrielle Mahon, Scott Ferguson
First Assistant Director: Christo Morse
Second Assistant Directors: Michelle Flevotomas, Nicholas Notte
Assistant Unit Production Manager: Robert Striem
Location Manager: Paul Eskenazi
This is Mr. Mylod’s second DGA Award nomination. He was previously nominated in this category in 2020 for Succession, “This Is Not for Tears.”
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY SERIES
LUCIA ANIELLO
Hacks, “There Is No Line”
(HBO Max)
Ms. Aniello’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Managers: Melanie J. Elin, David Hyman
First Assistant Director: Jeff Rosenberg
Second Assistant Director: Erin Stern Linares
Second Second Assistant Director: Heidi Hinzman
Additional Second Assistant Director: Alaina Neumann
This is Ms. Aniello’s first DGA Award nomination.
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN MOVIES FOR TELEVISION AND LIMITED SERIES
BARRY JENKINS
The Underground Railroad
(Amazon)
Mr. Jenkins’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Richleigh Heagh
First Assistant Director: Liz Tan
Second Assistant Director: Elaine Wood
Second Second Assistant Director: Wayne Witherspoon
Additional Second Assistant Directors: Jesse Carmona, AJ Bruno
This is Mr. Jenkins’s second DGA Award nomination. He was previously nominated in the Theatrical Feature Film category in 2016 for Moonlight.
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN VARIETY/TALK/NEWS/SPORTS – REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAMMING
DON ROY KING
Saturday Night Live, “Keegan-Michael Key; Olivia Rodrigo”
(NBC)
Mr. King’s Directorial Team:
Associate Directors: Michael Mancini, Michael Poole, Laura Ouziel-Mack
Stage Managers: Gena Rositano, Chris Kelly, Eddie Valk
This is Mr. King’s 16th DGA Award nomination. He previously won the DGA Award in this category for Saturday Night Live episodes: Dave Chappelle; Foo Fighters” in 2020, E. Murphy; Lizzo” in 2019, “Adam Driver; Kanye West” in 2018, “Host: Jimmy Fallon” in 2017, “Host: Dave Chappelle” in 2016 and for “Host: Justin Timberlake” in 2013. Mr. King also won the DGA Award for Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Specials for SNL 40th Anniversary Special in 2015. He was previously nominated for Saturday Night Live episodes in 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014, and in 2015 in the Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Regularly Scheduled Programming category for the Saturday Night Live episode, “Host: Tracy Morgan/Musical Guest: Demi Lovato.”
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN VARIETY/TALK/NEWS/SPORTS – SPECIALS
PAUL DUGDALE
Adele: One Night Only
(CBS)
Mr. Dugdale’s Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Hayley Collett
Stage Managers: Gary Natoli, Erica Christensen, Zachary Figures, Jackie Stathis
This is Mr. Dugdale’s first DGA Award nomination.
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN REALITY PROGRAMS
ADAM VETRI
Getaway Driver, “Electric Shock”
(Discovery Channel)
Mr. Vetri’s Directorial Team:
Associate Director: John Esposito
Stage Manager: Eric Pai
This is Mr. Vetri’s fourth DGA Award nomination. He won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Reality Programs in 2015 for Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Challenge, “Gods of War” and was previously nominated in this same category in 2014 for Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Challenge, “Welcome to the Gun Show” and in 2017 for Dare to Live, “Chainsmokers.”
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS
SMRITI MUNDHRA
Through Our Eyes, “Shelter”
(HBO Max)
This is Ms. Mundhra’s first DGA Award nomination.
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN COMMERCIALS
BRADFORD YOUNG
(Serial Pictures x Somesuch)
Super. Human., Channel 4 Paralympics – 4Creative
First Assistant Director: Jez Oakley
This is Mr. Young’s first DGA Award nomination.
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN DOCUMENTARY
STANLEY NELSON
Attica
(Showtime)
This is Mr. Nelson’s first DGA Award nomination.
HONORARY LIFE MEMBER & SERVICE AWARD RECIPIENTS
Renowned director Spike Lee was the recipient of the DGA Lifetime Achievement Award in Feature Film. This award, which is given to a Director in recognition of distinguished achievement in motion picture direction, is the Guild’s highest honor and the recipient is selected by the present and past presidents of the Guild
Joseph P. Reidy received the Frank Capra Achievement Award, which is given to an Assistant Director or Unit Production Manager in recognition of career achievement in the industry and service to the Directors Guild of America.
Garry W. Hood received the Franklin J. Schaffner Achievement Award, which is given to an Associate Director or Stage Manager in recognition of service to the industry and to the Directors Guild of America.
