DGA Awards: ‘Succession’ Dominates Drama Series Nominees; ‘Summer of Soul’ and ‘The Rescue’ Up for Documentary Prize

Tyler Coates
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The Directors Guild of America has revealed the nominees for its 2022 awards in the TV, commercial and documentary categories.

HBO’s Succession swept the drama race, earning all five slots in the dramatic series category. HBO Max’s Hacks and HBO’s The White Lotus received one nomination each in the comedic series category, with Apple TV+’s Ted Lasso earning three nominations for its second season. The limited series category was more varied, with Hulu’s Dopesick earning two nominations and Amazon’s Underground Railroad, HBO’s Mare of Easttown and HBO’s Station Eleven earning one nomination each.

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In those top TV categories, the DGA favored series whose seasons premiered after June 1, 2021, which is when the eligibility period for the 2022 Primetime Emmy Awards began. Hacks director Lucia Aniello earned an Emmy for directing last September, while Mare of Easttown‘s Craig Zobel and The Underground Railroad‘s Barry Jenkins were nominated for Emmys in the drama and limited series categories, respectively.

Dave Chappelle’s controversial Netflix special The Closer also earned a nomination in the variety/talk/news/sports specials category alongside fellow Netflix special Bo Burnham: Inside and CBS’ Adele: One Night Only, among other nominees.

Four of the five documentary features nominated by the DGA have also been shortlisted for the 2022 Oscars: Paramount+/MTV Films’ Ascension, directed by Jessica Kingdon; Showtime’s Attica, directed by Stanley Nelson; Searchlight/Onyx Collective/Hulu’s Summer of Soul, directed by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson; and National Geographic’s The Rescue, directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin. HBO’s Exterminate All the Brutes, a four-part docuseries directed by previous Oscar nominee Raoul Peck (I Am Not Your Negro), was ineligible for Oscar consideration.

Winners in these categories as well as the DGA’s feature film categories, with those nominees slated to be announced Thursday, will be unveiled at the 74th annual DGA Awards on Saturday, March 12.

The guild announced last week that at the 2022 DGA Awards, Spike Lee would receive its Lifetime Achievement Award for Distinguished Achievement in Motion Picture Direction.

A complete list of the 2022 DGA Awards’ TV, commercial and documentary nominees follows.

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series

KEVIN BRAY Succession, “Retired Janitors of Idaho” (HBO)

Mr. Bray’s Directorial Team:

Unit Production Managers: Gabrielle Mahon, Scott Ferguson
First Assistant Director: John Silvestri
Second Assistant Director: Nicholas Notte
Second Second Assistant Directors: Jimmy Rosario, Nicole Payson
Location Manager: Paul Eskenazi

MARK MYLOD Succession, “All the Bells Say” (HBO)

Mr. Mylod’s Directorial Team:

Unit Production Managers: Gabrielle Mahon, Scott Ferguson
First Assistant Director: Christo Morse
Second Assistant Directors: Michelle Flevotomas, Nicholas Notte
Location Manager: Paul Eskenazi

ANDRIJ PAREKH Succession, “What It Takes” (HBO)

Mr. Parekh’s Directorial Team:

Unit Production Managers: Gabrielle Mahon, Scott Ferguson
First Assistant Director: Christo Morse
Second Assistant Director: Michelle Flevotomas
Second Second Assistant Directors: Jimmy Rosario, Nicole Payson
Location Manager: Paul Eskenazi

ROBERT PULCINI & SHARI SPRINGER BERMAN Succession, “Lion in the Meadow” (HBO)

Mr. Pulcini & Ms. Berman’s Directorial Team:

Unit Production Managers: Gabrielle Mahon, Scott Ferguson
First Assistant Director: Christo Morse
Second Assistant Director: Michelle Flevotomas
Second Second Assistant Director: Jimmy Rosario
Additional Second Assistant Director: Nicole Payson
Location Manager: Paul Eskenazi

LORENE SCAFARIA Succession, “Too Much Birthday” (HBO)

Ms. Scafaria’s Directorial Team:

Unit Production Managers: Gabrielle Mahon, Scott Ferguson
First Assistant Director: John Silvestri
Second Assistant Director: Nicholas Notte
Second Second Assistant Directors: Jimmy Rosario, Nicole Payson
Additional Second Assistant Director: Matt O’Shea
Location Manager: Paul Eskenazi

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series

LUCIA ANIELLO Hacks, “There Is No Line” (HBO Max)

Ms. Aniello’s Directorial Team:

Unit Production Managers: Melanie J. Elin, David Hyman
First Assistant Director: Jeff Rosenberg
Second Assistant Director: Erin Stern Linares
Second Second Assistant Director: Heidi Hinzman
Additional Second Assistant Director: Alaina Neumann

MJ DELANEY Ted Lasso, “No Weddings and a Funeral” (Apple TV+)

ERICA DUNTON Ted Lasso, “Rainbow” (Apple TV+)

SAM JONES Ted Lasso, “Beard After Hours” (Apple TV+)

MIKE WHITE The White Lotus, “Mysterious Monkeys” (HBO)

Mr. White’s Directorial Team:

Unit Production Manager: Mark Kamine
First Assistant Director: Justin Ritson
Second Assistant Director: Joe Landry
Second Second Assistant Director: Dais Kasagawa

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and Limited Series

BARRY JENKINS The Underground Railroad (Amazon)

Mr. Jenkins’ Directorial Team:

Unit Production Manager: Richleigh Heagh
First Assistant Director: Liz Tan
Second Assistant Director: Elaine Wood
Second Second Assistant Director: Wayne Witherspoon
Additional Second Assistant Directors: Jesse Carmona, AJ Bruno

BARRY LEVINSON Dopesick, “First Bottle” (Hulu)

Mr. Levinson’s Directorial Team:

Unit Production Manager: Marc Hammer
First Assistant Director: Karen Kane
Second Assistant Director: Chelsea Ryan Petrucci
Second Second Assistant Director: Alex Bonner

HIRO MURAI Station Eleven, “Wheel of Fire” (HBO Max)

Mr. Murai’s Directorial Team:

Unit Production Managers: Dana Scott, David Nicksay
First Assistant Director: Jennifer Wilkinson
Location Manager: Stefan Nikolov

DANNY STRONG Dopesick, “The People vs. Purdue Pharma” (Hulu)

Mr. Strong’s Directorial Team:

Unit Production Manager: Marc Hammer
First Assistant Director: Donald Murphy
Second Assistant Director: Peter Dress
Second Second Assistant Director: Alex Bonner

CRAIG ZOBEL Mare of Easttown (HBO)

Mr. Zobel’s Directorial Team:

Unit Production Managers: Karen Wacker, Ron Schmidt
First Assistant Director: Kayse Goodell
Second Assistant Director: Jackson Rowe
Second Second Assistant Directors: Blair Howley, Findlay Zotter
Additional Second Assistant Directors: Findlay Zotter, Laura Hoyt

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Variety/Talk/News/Sports — Regularly Scheduled Programming

PAUL G. CASEY Real Time With Bill Maher, “Episode 1935: Fareed Zakaria, Chris Christie, Eric Adams” (HBO)

Mr. Casey’s Directorial Team:

Associate Director: Stacy Talbot
Stage Managers: Brian Anderson, Patrick Whitney

JIM HOSKINSON The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, “Episode 1105” (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, “Keegan-Michael Key; Olivia Rodrigo” (NBC)

Mr. King’s Directorial Team:

Associate Directors: Michael Mancini, Michael Poole, Laura Ouziel-Mack
Stage Managers: Gena Rositano, Chris Kelly, Eddie Valk

DAVID PAUL MEYER The Daily Show With Trevor Noah, “Episode 26112” (Comedy Central)

Mr. Meyer’s Directorial Team:

Associate Director: Kira Klang Hopf
Stage Manager: Bennymar Almonte

PAUL PENNOLINO & CHRISTOPHER WERNER Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, “Episode 830 — Season Finale” (HBO)

Mr. Pennolino & Mr. Werner’s Directorial Team:

Associate Director: Elliot Mendelson
Stage Managers: Mark McKenna, Craig Spinney

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Variety/Talk/News/Sports — Specials

IAN BERGER The Daily Show With Trevor Noah Presents, “Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse — Into the Magaverse” (Comedy Central)

BO BURNHAM Bo Burnham: Inside (Netflix)

PAUL DUGDALE Adele: One Night Only (CBS)

Mr. Dugdale’s Directorial Team:

Associate Director: Hayley Collett
Stage Managers: Gary Natoli, Erica Christensen, Zachary Figures, Jackie Stathis

STAN LATHAN Dave Chappelle: The Closer (Netflix)

Mr. Lathan’s Directorial Team:

Associate Director: Sara Niimi
Stage Manager: Valdez Flagg

GLENN P. WEISS The 43rd Annual Kennedy Center Honors (CBS)

Mr. Weiss’s Directorial Team:

Associate Directors: Ken Diego, Susan Kopensky, Ricky Kirshner, Lisa R. Anderson, Lori Margules
Stage Managers: John Esposito, Doug Fogel, Jeffry Gitter, Arthur Lewis, Tammy Raab, Karen Tasch Weiss

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Reality Programs

JOSEPH GUIDRY Full Bloom, “Final Floral Face Off” (HBO Max)

Mr. Guidry’s Directorial Team:

Associate Director: Sean P. Galvin
Stage Managers: Myeisha Abram, Kristianna LaRoda, Rachel Shimko

PATRICK McMANUS American Ninja Warrior, “1304: Qualifiers 4” (NBC)

Mr. McManus’ Directorial Team:

Associate Director: David Massey
Stage Managers: Jeff Simms, T.J. Ganser, Wolfgang Delgado

RAMY ROMANY Making the Cut, “Brand Statement” (Amazon)

Mr. Romany’s Directorial Team:

Associate Director: Ryan Bunnell
Stage Managers: Will Baker, Brady Hess

BEN SIMMS Running Wild With Bear Grylls, “Gina Carano in the Dolomites” (National Geographic Channel)

Mr. Simms’ Directorial Team:

Associate Director: Jeff Simms

ADAM VETRI Getaway Driver, “Electric Shock” (Discovery Channel)

Mr. Vetri’s Directorial Team:

First Assistant Director: John Esposito
Second Assistant Director: Eric Pai

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children’s Programs

JAMES BOBIN The Mysterious Benedict Society, “A Bunch of Smart Orphans” (Disney+)

Mr. Bobin’s Directorial Team:

Unit Production Manager: Grace Gilroy

MICHAEL LEMBECK The J Team (Paramount+)

PHILL LEWIS Head of the Class, “Three More Years” (HBO Max)

Mr. Lewis’s Directorial Team:

Unit Production Manager: Susan M. Crank
First Assistant Director: Rebecca Baughman
Second Assistant Director: Oliver Garrett
Associate Director: Tim Clark

SMRITI MUNDHRA Through Our Eyes, “Shelter” (HBO Max)

JEFF WADLOW Are You Afraid of the Dark?, “The Tale of the Darkhouse” (Nickelodeon)

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials

STEVE AYSON (MJZ) Anthem, Mattress Firm — Droga5

Unit Production Manager: Adriana Cebada-Mora
First Assistant Director: George Nessis
Second Assistant Directors: Jesse Carmona, Brent Martin

Award Speech, Miller Lite — DDB Chicago

Networking, Miller Lite — DDB Chicago

KATHRYN BIGELOW (SMUGGLER) Hollywood In Your Pocket, iPhone 13 — Media Arts Lab

First Assistant Directors: Allison Kunzman, Arle Bordas
Second Assistant Director: Abbey Hansen
Second Second Assistant Director: Cody Maher

IAN PONS JEWELL (RESET) ECG, Apple Watch — Apple; Sleep, Apple Watch — Apple; Time, Squarespace — Squarespace; Your Mom’s Short Ribs, Instacart — Goodby Silverstein

HENRY‑ALEX RUBIN (SMUGGLER) Teenage Dream, Sandy Hook Promise — BBDO — New York

First Assistant Director: Anthony Dimino
Second Assistant Director: David Ebel

BRADFORD YOUNG (Serial Pictures x Somesuch) Super. Human., Channel 4 Paralympics — 4Creative

First Assistant Director: Jez Oakley

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary

JESSICA KINGDON Ascension (Paramount+)

STANLEY NELSON Attica (Showtime)

RAOUL PECK Exterminate All the Brutes (HBO)

Mr. Peck’s Directorial Team:

First Assistant Director: Mathias Honoré

AHMIR “QUESTLOVE” THOMPSON Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (Searchlight Pictures/Onyx Collective/Hulu)

ELIZABETH CHAI VASARHELYI & JIMMY CHIN The Rescue (National Geographic)

Ms. Vasarhelyi & Mr. Chin’s Directorial Team:

First Assistant Director: Joey Coughlin

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