Veep, Silicon Valley, and The People v. O.J. Simpson Lead the Directors Guild of America TV Nominati

July 2024 · 8 minute read

The nominations are in for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in TV, Commercials, and Documentary Films for the 69th annual Directors Guild of America Awards. HBO and FX lead the nominations in narrative series programming, with Veep, The People v. O.J. Simpson, Westworld, Game of Thrones, Silicon Valley, and Atlanta filling up nine of the ten available slots. Netflix’s Stranger Things was the only non-FX or HBO show to break into the club, with the Duffer Brothers getting nominated for the episode “Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers.” The feature film nominations for the DGA awards will be announced tomorrow.

TELEVISION

Dramatic Series

The Duffer Brothers
Stranger Things, “Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers” (Netflix)
Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Timothy Lonsdale
First Assistant Director: Richard Denault
Second Assistant Directors: Maria Battle Campbell, Kristina M. Peterson
Second Second Assistant Director: Simeon Jones
Additional Second Assistant Director: Franchesca Winters

Ryan Murphy
The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, “From the Ashes of Tragedy” (FX)
Mr. Murphy’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Chip Vucelich
First Assistant Director: Leo Bauer
Second Assistant Director: Janell Sammelman
Second Second Assistant Director: Matt Pexa
Additional Second Assistant Director: Alicia Lewis

Jonathan Nolan
Westworld, “The Original” (HBO)
Mr. Nolan’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Robert Del Valle
First Assistant Director: Kim H. Winther
Second Assistant Director: Jeff Okabayashi
Second Second Assistant Directors: Michelene Mundo, Katie Pruitt

Miguel Sapochnik
Game of Thrones, “The Battle of the Bastards” (HBO)

John Singleton
The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, “The Race Card” (FX)
Mr. Singleton’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Chip Vucelich
First Assistant Director: Dan Shaw
Second Assistant Director: Matt Pexa
Second Second Assistant Directors: Kim Richards, Kyle Hollingsworth

Comedy Series

Alec Berg
Silicon Valley, “Daily Active Users” (HBO)
Mr. Berg’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Tyler Romary
First Assistant Director: Nick Mastandrea
Second Assistant Director: Sally Brunski
Second Second Assistant Director: Kim Richards
Additional Second Assistant Director: Kathleen D. Brennan

Donald Glover
Atlanta, “B.A.N.” (FX)
Mr. Glover’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Alex Orr
First Assistant Director: Veronica A. HodgeHampton
Second Assistant Director: Jason Graham
Second Second Assistant Director: Danielle King
Additional Second Assistant Director: Mike Brune

Mike Judge
Silicon Valley, “Founder Friendly” (HBO)
Mr. Judge’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Tyler Romary
First Assistant Director: James “Billy” Burton
Second Assistant Director: Thomas Boucher
Second Second Assistant Director: Kim Richards

Becky Martin
Veep, “Inauguration” (HBO)
Ms. Martin’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: David Hyman
First Assistant Director: Dale Stern
Second Assistant Director: Michelle Gritzer
Second Second Assistant Director: Chris Riddle
Additional Second Assistant Director: Gary Cotti

Dale Stern
Veep, “Mother” (HBO)
Mr. Stern’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: David Hyman
First Assistant Director: Michelle Gritzer
Second Assistant Director: Jeff Rosenberg
Second Second Assistant Director: Chris Riddle
Additional Second Assistant Director: Cecilia Sweatman

Movies for Television and Miniseries

Raymond De Felitta
Madoff (ABC)
Mr. De Felitta’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Moshe Bardach
First Assistant Director: Scott Lazar
Second Assistant Director: David Fischer
Second Second Assistant Director: Ramona Murphy-Adair
Location Manager: Eddy Collyns

Thomas Kail (Directed By), Alex Rudzinski (Live Television Direction By)
Grease Live! (FOX)
Directorial Team:
Associate Directors: Carrie Havel, Adam Mishler, Brad Duns
Head Stage Manager: Garry Hood
Stage Managers: Jennifer Marquet, John Esposito, Jonathan Marks, Rob Sellers Jr., Dani
Farrelly, Paul Forrest, Roy Friedland, Chris Hines, Roxanne Lozano, Drina Mohacsi,
Tshaka Stewart, Mike Strauss, Cheryl Teetzel-Moore, Ari Woog

Kenny Leon (Directed By), Alex Rudzinski (Live Television Direction By)
Hairspray Live! (NBC)
Directorial Team:
Associate Directors: Carrie Havel, Brad Duns, Amy WilcoxBarker
Stage Managers: Garry Hood, John Esposito, Dani Farrelly, Roy Friedland, Paul Forrest,
John Hill, Chris Hines, Roxanne Lozano, Jonathan Marks, Jennifer Marquet, Donna
Parker, Cody Renard Richard, Rob Sellers Jr., Murray Siegel, Jackie Stathis, Mike
Strauss

Jay Roach
All the Way (HBO)
Mr. Roach’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Scott Ferguson
First Assistant Director: Josh King
Second Assistant Director: Aaron Fitzgerald
Second Second Assistant Directors: Jason C. Brown, Matthew Milan

Steven Zaillian
The Night Of, “The Beach” (HBO)
Mr. Zaillian’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Greer Yeaton
First Assistant Director: Michael Steele
Second Assistant Director: Ginger Gonzalez
Second Second Assistant Director: Rachel Iovine
Location Manager: Shane Haden

Variety/Talk/News/Sports — Regularly Scheduled Programming

Paul G. Casey
Real Time With Bill Maher, “Show #1437” (HBO)
Mr. Casey’s Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Stacy Talbot
Stage Managers: Patrick Whitney, Brian Anderson

Nora Gerard
CBS Sunday Morning, “Charles Osgood Farewell Broadcast” (CBS)
Ms. Gerard’s Directorial Team:
Associate Directors: Bernard Rozenberg, Jessica Frank, Patricia Finnegan, Jyll
PhillipsFriedman
Stage Managers: Mark Dicso, Lindsley Newbury

Jim Hoskinson
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, “Episode #0179” (CBS)
Mr. Hoskinson’s Directorial Team:
Associate Directors: Yvonne DeMare, Karen Yaeger
Stage Manager: Mark McKenna

Don Roy King
Saturday Night Live, “Host: Dave Chappelle” (NBC)
Mr. King’s Directorial Team:
Associate Directors: Michael Mancini, Michael Poole, Bob Caminiti
Stage Managers: Gena Rositano, Chris Kelly

Paul Pennolino
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, “Episode #1030” (TBS)
Mr. Pennolino’s Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Jeremy Hardwick
Stage Manager: Laura Mack

Variety/Talk/News/Sports — Specials

Jerry Foley
Tony Bennett Celebrates 90 — The Best is Yet to Come (NBC)
Mr. Foley’s Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Randi Grossack
Key Stage Manager: Jeffry Gitter
Stage Managers: Bennymar Almonte, Lauren Class Schneider, Joey Despenzero, Jeff
Markowitz, Karen Tasch Weiss

Tim Mancinelli
The Late Late Show with James Corden, “The Late Late Show Carpool Karaoke Primetime
Special” (CBS)
Mr. Mancinelli’s Directorial Team:
Associate Directors: Matt Powers, Bac Delorme, Brian Sutherin
Stage Managers: Michael J. Schiff, Teri Pensky Hlubik

Linda Mendoza
Smithsonian Salutes Ray Charles: In Performance at the White House (PBS)
Ms. Mendoza’s Directorial Team:
Associate Directors: Dora Mendoza, Kelly Hernacki
Stage Managers: Lynn Finkel, Elise Reaves, Phyllis Digilio-Kent

Paul Myers
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, “A Very Special Full Frontal Special” (TBS)

Glenn Weiss
The 70th Annual Tony Awards (CBS)
Mr. Weiss’s Directorial Team:
Associate Directors: Ken Diego, Robin Abrams, Ricky Kirshner
Stage Managers: Garry Hood, Peter Epstein, Joey Despenzero, Phyllis Digilio-Kent,
Andrew Feigin, Doug Fogel, Jeffry Gitter, Arthur Lewis, Jeffrey M. Markowitz, Cyndi
Owgang, Jeff Pearl, Alfonso Pena, Annette Powlis, Elise Reaves, Lauren Class
Schneider, Jim Semmelman

Reality Programs

Ken Fuchs
Shark Tank, “801” (ABC)
Mr. Fuchs’s Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Amy WilcoxBarker
Head Stage Manager: Eric Rhoden
Stage Managers: Doug Neal, Michael Strauss

John Gonzalez
Live PD, “Episode 5” (A&E)
Mr. Gonzalez’s Directorial Team:
Stage Manager: Jeff Buda

Brian Smith
Strong, “Welcome to STRONG” (NBC)
Mr. Smith’s Directorial Team:
Associate Directors: Anna Moulaison Moore, David Charles
Stage Manager: Drew Lewandowski

J. Rupert Thompson
American Grit, “The Finale Over the Falls” (FOX)
Mr. Thompson’s Directorial Team:
Associate Director: David Charles
Stage Managers: Daniel Curran, Kevin Fletcher

Bertram Van Munster
The Amazing Race, “We’re Only Doing Freaky Stuff Today” (CBS)
Mr. van Munster’s Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Dan Coffie

Children’s Programs

Liz Allen
The Kicks, “Pilot” (Amazon)
Ms. Allen’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Maria Melograne
First Assistant Director: Michael Williams
Second Assistant Director: Walter Parry

Alethea Jones
Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street, “Gortimer and the Jacks of All Trades” (Amazon)
Ms. Jones’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Richard G. King
First Assistant Director: Lance W. Lanfear
Second Assistant Director: David Berke
Second Second Assistant Director: Christopher H. Cook

Michael Lembeck
A Nutcracker Christmas (Hallmark Channel)

Tina Mabry
An American Girl Story — Melody 1963: Love Has to Win (Amazon)
Ms. Mabry’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Richard G. King
First Assistant Director: Otto Penzato
Second Assistant Director: David Berke
Second Second Assistant Director: Christopher H. Cook
Additional Second Assistant Directors: Candice Lee, Matthew W. Ross

John Schultz
Adventures in Babysitting (Disney Channel)
This is Mr. Schultz’s first DGA Award nomination.

Commercials

Lance Acord (Park Pictures)
Frankie’s Holiday, Apple — MAL
First Assistant Director: Thomas Smith
Movie Night, Kohl’s — Anomaly
First Assistant Director: Thomas Smith
Second Assistant Director: Rob Kay

Dante Ariola (MJZ)
Hold Your Breath, SunTrust — Strawberry Frog
Unit Production Manager: Natalie Hill
First Assistant Director: George Nessis
Second Assistant Director: Isaac Mejia
Riding is the New Driving, Lyft — Made Movement
Unit Production Manager: Natalie Hill
First Assistant Director: John Lowe
Second Assistant Director: Julian Metter
Second Second Assistant Director: Dave Liehn
Tell Me When To Go, Beats
Unit Production Managers: Natalie Hill, Susan Levin
First Assistant Director: Chris Medak
Second Assistant Director: Adam Stern
Second Second Assistant Director: Jani Vournas

Fredrik Bond (MJZ)
Dive, Apple — TBWA/Media Arts Lab
First Assistant Director: Howell Caldwell
Everyday Hero, Philips — Ogilvy & Mather
World of Play, LG — Energy BBDO
Unit Production Manager: Line Postmyr
First Assistant Director: Anthony Dimino
Second Assistant Director: Spencer Taylor
Second Second Assistant Director: R. Ben Parker
Additional First Assistant Director: Chris Blanch
Additional Second Assistant Director: Steve Bagnara

Derek Cianfrance (RadicalMedia)
Chase, Nike Golf — Wieden + Kennedy Portland
First Assistant Director: Rick Lange
Second Assistant Director: Ethan Ross
Doubts, Powerade ‑ Wieden + Kennedy Portland
First Assistant Director: Mariela Comitini
Second Assistant Director: Brad Robinson
Expectations, Powerade — Wieden + Kennedy Portland
First Assistant Director: Mariela Comitini
Second Assistant Director: Brad Robinson
Manifesto, Squarespace — Anomaly
First Assistant Director: David Backus
Second Assistant Director: Josh Voegelin

AG Rojas (Park Pictures)
The Best Planet, S7 Airlines — Wieden + Kennedy Amsterdam
The Snail, Samsung — Leo Burnett USA
First Assistant Director: Robert Dean Phillips

Documentary

Otto Bell
The Eagle Huntress
Sony Pictures Classics

Ezra Edelman
O.J.: Made in America
ESPN Films

Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg
Weiner
Sundance Selects

Raoul Peck
I Am Not Your Negro
Magnolia Pictures

Roger Ross Williams
Life, Animated
The Orchard

Directors Guild of America TV Nominations Are In

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