Chloé Zhao Wins Historic Directors Guild Awards

BY SCOTTIE KNOLLIN

This year’s crop of Directors Guild of America Awards nominees was the most diverse ever, with Chloé Zhao and Emerald Fennell being the first time two women were nominated in the same year.

History continued to be made when the winners were announced, with Zhao’s win for “Nomadland” making her the first woman of color and the second woman in history to earn the DGA’s top prize. The first woman to be named Best Director by the guild is Kathryn Bigelow, who won for “The Hurt Locker”.

Zhao is expected to continue her awards season sweep by winning the Academy Award for directing this month. Only seven times in history has the winner of the top DGA award not gone on to win the Oscar.

For the first-time director prize, Darius Marder won for his work on “Sound of Metal”. The documentary award was given to Gregory Kershaw and Michael Dweck for “The Truffle Hunters”.

FULL LIST OF FILM WINNERS:

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN THEATRICAL FEATURE FILM FOR 2020

Chloé Zhao
NOMADLAND
(Searchlight Pictures)
Ms. Zhao’s Directorial Team: Unit Production Manager: Mary Kerrigan; First Assistant Director: Mary Kerrigan

OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT OF A FIRST-TIME FEATURE FILM DIRECTOR

Darius Marder
SOUND OF METAL
(Amazon Studios)
Mr. Marder’s Directorial Team: Unit Production Manager: Amy Greene; First Assistant Director: Matthew Vose Campbell