DGA Awards Sets Timeline And Eligibility Requirements After Securing 2021 Ceremony Date – Update

Greg Evans
·4 min read

UPDATED with timeline: The 73rd annual DGA Awards, which will take place on April 10, 2021 much later than usual because of the coronavirus pandemic that has pushed back the annual awards season, has unveiled its key dates and timelines for its 2021 edition.

It comes after the Directors Guild settled on the ceremony’s 2021 date back in July.

For the Television, Commercial, and Documentary categories, nominees will be announced on March 8, the guild’s awards arm said Monday, with Theatrical Feature Film and First-Time Feature Film noms to be revealed the next day.

Here’s the full timeline, per the DGA today:

THEATRICAL FEATURE FILM

Films produced under the DGA Basic Agreement with a planned, scheduled, or actual theatrical release during the period of January 1-February 28, 2021 do not need to be entered. They are automatically included by the Guild for Theatrical Feature Film Submission. Theatrical Films not produced under the DGA Basic Agreement remain eligible provided the Director of the Film completes an entry form. The entry form will be available on Tuesday, December 1 and must be returned by the following deadlines:

For those with a planned, scheduled, or actual theatrical release during the period of January 1-December 31 the deadline is Thursday, January 7, 2021. For those with a planned, scheduled, or actual theatrical release during the period of January 1-February 28, 2021, the deadline is Monday, February 1, 2021

February 17

Online voting for Theatrical Feature Film Nominations opens

March 8

Deadline to vote online for Theatrical Feature Film Nominations

March 9

Announce Five Theatrical Feature Film Nominees

Online voting for Theatrical Feature Film Award opens

March 15-March 19

Membership Screenings (or Streaming) of Five Nominated Theatrical Feature Films

April 9

Deadline to vote online for Theatrical Feature Film Award

TELEVISION

December 1

Entry Forms for TV & Commercials available online

(For Television entries broadcast during the period of January 1, 2020-February 28, 2021, the deadline is Monday, February 1, 2021)

February 19

Online voting for Television Nominations

March 5

Deadline to vote online for Television Nominations

March 8

Announce all Television and Commercial Nominees

FIRST-TIME FEATURE FILM DIRECTOR

December 1

Entry Forms for First-Time Feature Film Director available online

(For First-Time Feature Director entries with a planned, scheduled, or actual theatrical release during the period of Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2020, the deadline is Thursday, January 7, 2021. For First-Time Feature Director entries with a planned scheduled, or actual theatrical release during the period of Jan. 1-Feb. 28, 2021, the deadline is Monday, February 1, 2021)

March 9

Announce Five First-Time Feature Film Director Nominees

DOCUMENTARY AWARD

December 1

Entry Forms for Documentary available online

(For Documentary entries with a theatrical release or broadcast during the period of Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2020, the deadline is Thursday, January 7, 2021. For Documentary entries with a theatrical release or broadcast during the period of Jan. 1-Feb. 28, 2021, the deadline is Monday, February 1, 2021)

March 8

Saturday, April 10

73rd annual DGA Awards Ceremony

PREVIOUSLY, July 28: The Directors Guild of America today announced that the 73rd Annual DGA Awards will take place on Saturday, April 10, 2021, the latest date for the ceremony in at least 20 years.

The latest they’ve been held in two decades was on March 10, 2001. The 2020 awards were held on Jan. 25; last year on Feb. 1, and in 2018 on Feb. 2.

The guild didn’t explain the later-than-usual date in making the announcement today, but many live events have been pushed back because of the coronavirus.

The announcement puts the DGAs a couple weeks before the Academy Awards, which are set for April 25. Earlier this week, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association set the 78th Golden Globe Awards for February 28, 2021.

The 2021 SAG Awards will take place on March 14, a month and a half later than expected due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 27th annual awards show had been set for Jan. 24, 2021.

Further information about the DGA Awards, including submission requirements and venue, will be announced at a later date.

David Robb contributed to this report

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