In addition, he has directed or produced documentaries such as Bukowski, Chuck Berry Hail! Hail! Rock ‘n’ Roll, and the Oscar®-winning When We Were Kings, as well as music videos for artists such as Lionel Richie and Phil Collins.
Hackford received an Academy® Award for Live Action Short Subject for Teenage Father in 1979 and two Oscar® nominations for Best Director and Best Picture for Ray, as well as a DGA nomination for directing. He also garnered a DGA nomination for his work on An Officer and a Gentleman, a Best Director Award for Blood In, Blood Out at the Tokyo International Film Festival, and a Lifetime Achievement Award in Directing from the San Francisco International Film Festival.
Taylor Hackford currently serves as the President of the Directors Guild of America. His service to the Guild began in 1996 as a member of the Western Directors Council. He then served on the DGA’s National Board from 2001 to 2005 when he was elected Third Vice President. In 2009, Hackford was elected President of the Directors Guild. For his service to the Guild, he was honored with the DGA’s 2007 Robert B. Aldrich Award.