Ava DuVernay, Fosse/Verdon & Encore! Early DGA Awards Nominees

The Directors Guild of America were set to reveal all of their 2020 television nominees today, but sometimes clerical error gets in the way. The DGA informed members last week that Jill Soloway‘s work on the “Transparent” finale was omitted from the initial ballot. A new ballot was sent out and now the Comedy Series, Dramatic Series and Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Specials categories will be announced on Friday. An odd event considering the main film nominees are revealed tomorrow.

READ MORE: “Watchmen,” “Succession” and “Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” among WGA Awards nominees

In any event, for the categories that were announced it was a very strong day for female directors. In the Movies for Television and Limited Series category, Ava DuVernay, Jessica Yu and Minkie Spiro all earned nominations for “When They See Us” and “Fosse/Verdon,” respectfully.

On the documentary side, filmmakers behind “American Factory,” “Honeyland,” “The Cave,” “Maiden” and “One Child Nation” were all recognized.  Spike Jonze and Ridley Scott were among the Commercial directors to earn nominations this year.

It should be noted that in the reality category, Disney Plus earned its first nomination for “Encore!” and in the Children’s field, Apple TV+ earned its first nod for “Ghostwriter.”

The DGA Awards will be handed out on Jan. 25.

The television nominees revealed so far are as follows:

Movies for Television and Limited Series

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

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

IM 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

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 for 2019

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

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
DGA Awards Medallion SmallOutstanding Directorial Achievement in
Documentary

Documentary Film

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)