Ben Affleck wins DGA Feature Film Award for "Argo." Other winners of 2012 DGA Awards announced.

February 2, 2013

Director/producer/actor Kelsey Grammer hosted the ceremony before an audience of more than 1,600 guests. Presenters included (in alphabetical order): Frank Capra III; Cedric the Entertainer; Bryan Cranston; Peter Fonda; Kelsey Grammer; Dave Grohl; DGA President Taylor Hackford; Anne Hathaway; Michel Hazanavicius; Helen Hunt; Hugh Jackman; Famke Janssen; Norman Jewison; Suraj Sharma; Martin Short; DGA National Vice President Steven Soderbergh; Chris Spencer; George Stevens, Jr.; Eric Stonestreet; Quvenzhané Wallis; and Sam Waterston.

The winners of the 2012 DGA Awards for Outstanding Directorial Achievement are:

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in
Feature Film

BEN AFFLECK

Argo
(Warner Bros. Pictures)

Mr. Affleck’s Directorial Team:

• Unit Production Manager: Amy Herman
• First Assistant Director: David Webb
• Second Assistant Director: Ian Calip
• Second Second Assistant Directors: Clark Credle, Gavin Kleintop
• Production Manager (Turkey Unit): Zeynep Santiroǧlu
• First Assistant Director (Turkey Unit): Belkis Turan

This is Mr. Affleck’s first DGA Feature Film Award win.

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in
Commercials

ALEJANDRO G. IÑÁRRITU

Anonymous Content

Best Job, Proctor and Gamble – Wieden + Kennedy

• First Assistant Director: Peter Kohn
• Second Assistant Director: Michelle Schrauwers
• Second Second Assistant Directors: Heather Anderson, Blake Perkinson

This is Mr. Iñárritu’s first DGA Award win and second nomination. He was previously nominated for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for Babel in 2006.

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in
Dramatic Series

RIAN JOHNSON

Breaking Bad, “Fifty-One”
(AMC)

Mr. Johnson’s Directorial Team:

• Unit Production Manager: Stewart A. Lyons
• Assistant Unit Production Manager: James Paul Hapsas
• First Assistant Director: Ben Scissors
• Second Assistant Director: Louis Lanni
• Second Second Assistant Director: Anna Ramey
• Additional Second Assistant Director: Joann Connolly

This is Mr. Johnson’s first DGA Award win.

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in
Reality Programs

BRIAN SMITH

Master Chef, “Episode #305”
(FOX)

Mr. Smith’s Directorial Team:

• Associate Director: Anna Moulaison-Moore
• Stage Manager: Drew Lewandowski

This is Mr. Smith’s first DGA Award win and third nomination. He was previously nominated in this category in 2010 and 2011 for episodes “103” and “201” of Master Chef.

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in
Movies for Television and Mini-Series

JAY ROACH

Game Change
(HBO)

Mr. Roach’s Directorial Team:

• Unit Production Manager: Mary Kane
• First Assistant Director: Josh King
• Second Assistant Director: Emily McGovern
• Second Second Assistant Director: Brian F. Relyea

This is Mr. Roach’s second DGA Award win and second nomination. He previously won the DGA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Movies for Television and Mini-Series for Recount in 2008.

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in
Musical Variety

GLENN WEISS

66th Annual Tony Awards
(CBS)

Mr. Weiss’ Directorial Team:

• Associate Directors: Ken Diego, Robin Abrams, Stefani Cohen, Ricky Kirshner
• Stage Managers: Garry Hood, Phyllis Digilio-Kent, Peter Epstein, Andrew Feigin, Lynn Finkel, Doug Fogel, Jeffry Gitter, Dean Gordon, Arthur Lewis, Jeffrey M. Markowitz, Joey Meade, Tony Mirante, Cyndi Owgang, Jeff Pearl, Elise Reaves, Lauren Class Schneider

This is Mr. Weiss’ fourth DGA Award win and ninth nomination. He won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Musical Variety in 2007, 2010 and 2011 for the 61^st, 64^th and 65^th Annual Tony Awards. He was previously nominated in this category in 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006 and 2008 for the 55th, 56th, 59th, 60th, and 62nd Annual Tony Awards.

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in
Daytime Serials

JILL MITWELL

One Life To Live, “Between Heaven and Hell”
(ABC)

Ms. Mitwell’s Directorial Team:

• associate Directors: Tracy Casper Lang, Teresa Cicala, Michael Sweeney, Paul S. Glass
• Stage Managers: Alan Needleman, Keith Greer, Tracy Casper Lang, Leah M. Weber
• Production Associates: Nathalie Rodriguez, Kevin Brush

This is Ms. Mitwell’s fourth DGA Award win and ninth nomination, all for her direction of One Life to Live. She won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Daytime Serials three times for One Life to Live, “Episode #9779” in 2006, “Episode #8295” in 2000 and “Episode #6356” in 1993. She was nominated five additional times for One Life to Live episodes “Starr X’d Lovers, The Musical, Part Three” in 2010, “Episode #8691” in 2002, “Episode #8012” in 1999, “Episode #7761” in 1998, and “Episode #7285” in 1996.

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in
Children’s Programs

PAUL HOEN

Let it Shine
(Disney Channel)

Mr. Hoen’s Directorial Team:

• Unit Production Manager: Katie Willard Troebs
• First Assistant Director: Daniel Coffie
• Second Assistant Director: Todd Turner
• Second Second Assistant Director: D. Scott Kirkley

This is Mr. Hoen’s second DGA Award win and sixth nomination. He won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children’s Program in 2007 for Jump In and was previously nominated in this category in 2000 for the Even Stevens episode “Take My Sister... Please,” in 2004 for Searching for David's Heart, in 2008 for Cheetah Girls: One World and in 2010 for Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam.

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in
Documentary

MALIK BENDJELLOUL

Searching For Sugar Man
Sony Pictures Classics
Passion Pictures Production,
Canfield Pictures & The Documentary Company
Red Box Films

This is Mr. Bendjelloul’s first DGA Award win.

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in
Comedy Series

LENA DUNHAM

Girls, “Pilot”
(HBO)

Ms. Dunham’s Directorial Team:

• Unit Production Managers: Regina Heyman, Ilene S. Landress
• First Assistant Director: Mark McGann
• Second Assistant Director: Jason Ivey
• Second Second Assistant Director: Marcos Gonzalez Palma

This is Ms. Dunham’s first DGA Award win.

Service and Achievement Award Recipients

MILOS FORMAN

Lifetime Achievement Award
In recognition of distinguished achievement in Motion Picture Direction

MICHAEL APTED

Robert B. Aldrich Award
In recognition of extraordinary service to the Directors Guild of America and to its membership.

ERIC SHAPIRO

Lifetime Achievement Award in News Direction
In recognition of distinguished achievement in News Direction

SUSAN ZWERMAN

Frank Capra Achievement Award
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.

DENCY NELSON

Franklin J. Schaffner Achievement Award
Given to an Associate Director or Stage Manager in recognition of career achievement in the industry and service to the Directors Guild of America.