The Directors Guild of America Awards Winners Will Appear on Oscar Night

On Saturday night, the Directors Guild of America Awards were presented and there were some deserving winners that we hope to see at Oscar night.

First up are sci-fi comedy duo Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, who won for Everything Everywhere All At Once. This marks only the third time in DGA history that a directing duo has won this award; Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins for West Side Story and Joel and Ethan Coen for No Country for Old Men both won in 2006.

Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert

Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert, better known as DANIELS, achieved international fame with their funny viral hit music video for DJ Snake and Lil Jon's "Turn Down For What," which marked a major breakthrough for them in 2013. Since then they've directed multiple short films as well as the feature film Swiss Army Man.

They take an unconventional approach to directing, mixing quirky visuals with bold ideas that have earned them a devoted following - as evidenced by their collaborations with DJ Snake and Lil Jon. Their most recent movie, Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022), became A24's highest-grosing movie and cemented them as strong Oscar frontrunners.

Kwan and Scheinert won the DGA Award for Feature Film for their work on Everything Everywhere All At Once. This is only the third time a duo has won this honor, making it an enormous victory for these two individuals who are currently competing for Best Director at this year's ceremony.

In their acceptance speech, Kwan & Scheinert expressed gratitude to filmmakers who voted for them, as well as actors and crew who contributed to making their film a success. Furthermore, they thanked their fans who have stood by them throughout the years.

Directors Guild of America Awards have long been considered one of the highest honors for film directors, and for 75 years have served as a preeminent precursor to the Academy Awards. Over this time period, 17 DGA winners have gone on to win Best Director at these prestigious ceremonies.

This year, four of the five DGA nominees -- Steven Spielberg ("The Fabelmans"), Martin McDonagh ("The Banshees of Inisherin"), Todd Field (Tar) and Kwan & Scheinert -- received Oscar bids. Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick) was replaced at the Academy Awards by Ruben Ostlund for "Triangle of Sadness."

Though not broadcast on television, the DGAs offer a highly esteemed recognition from some of Hollywood's top directors. Furthermore, they have become a key predictor for the Oscars; eight out of the past 19 DGA winners have gone on to win an Academy Award.

Chloe Zhao

The Directors Guild of America Awards honor outstanding directorial accomplishment by Guild members across film, television and commercials. Established in 1948, this award is presented quarterly.

In 1948, Joseph L. Mankiewicz received the inaugural Award for Directorial Achievement with his feature A Letter to Three Wives. Since then, the DGA Awards have grown to include television, documentaries, commercials and Special Guild Service Awards as well.

Chloe Zhao is a Chinese-born director renowned for her independent films. Her films often deal with intense emotional experiences and are beautifully directed. In 2020, her film Nomadland won her numerous awards including an Academy Award.

In addition to her career as a director, she has written and produced several films. Her upcoming projects include Bass Reeves - an historical Western about the first black U.S. Deputy Marshal - and Eternals, which follows a race of immortal beings.

She was originally from Beijing, China and attended New York University's graduate film program. While there, she produced several short films including Post (2008) and Daughters (2010) - both feature-length movies that won awards at festivals worldwide.

After graduating, she began production on a feature-length film about teenage life on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. To help with this endeavor, she recruited many unseasoned actors for the cast - many of whom had never before acted before.

She also drawn inspiration from rodeo bronco rider and horse trainer Brady Jandreau, whom she met while filming The Rider. Unfortunately, after filming The Rider, he suffered a severe head injury and Zhao wanted to create a film that told his story.

Her second feature film, The Rider (2017), was inspired by her time on Pine Ridge Reservation and meeting Jandreau. In it she wrote a loose biographical story about an actual bronco rider who played the character in the movie.

She has continued to pursue her passion for filmmaking, directing The Rider (2017, released on Netflix) and Nomadland (2020). Her latest project is a feature-length Dracula movie for Universal that will premiere on November 5th.

Lesli Linka Glatter

Lesli Linka Glatter, a Meadows graduate and longtime Hollywood veteran, has been an iconic figure for nearly half a century. She began as a contemporary dance choreographer before transitioning into filmmaking as director. Her credits include numerous television series such as Mad Men and Homeland for which she earned eight Primetime Emmy nominations.

Since her directorial debut short film Tales of Meeting and Parting, Glatter has built an impressive portfolio of films, series, and pilots. She's collaborated with numerous actors and directors throughout the years and been awarded several prestigious accolades along the way.

She has been nominated for both a DGA Award and Emmy Award, her work having earned her widespread recognition throughout the industry. Furthermore, she has served as mentor to many young women aspiring to direct and is an enthusiastic supporter of the Directors Guild of America.

Glatter has directed numerous television dramas for network and premium cable networks, including episodes of The Newsroom, Ray Donovan, Masters of Sex, True Blood, Mad Men, The Leftovers, NYPD Blue, ER, Freaks & Geeks and Twin Peaks.

Her work on Mad Men earned her two Emmy nominations for directing "Guy Walks into an Advertising Agency", as well as winning the DGA Award for that same episode. Furthermore, she is a member of the American Film Institute and serves on its Board of Trustees.

Glatter is an advocate for diversity, serving on both the DGA Board of Directors and Women's Media Center to help women get their voices heard in film and television. She's currently working on a feature film with David E. Kelley for HBO Max, as well as directing Pan Am's pilot episode.

On Saturday night at the Directors Guild of America Awards in Los Angeles, over 18,000 members voted on who should receive awards in eight decades. One particularly hotly debated category is Best Film Director; with eight decades since a woman director won the Academy Award and decade since it was awarded by the Guild, questions were raised as to whether there had been progress toward gender equality within this industry. Unfortunately, no woman director was nominated this year - prompting further questions about its state within Hollywood itself.

Todd Field

The Directors Guild of America Awards are presented annually to recognize the finest directors in movies and television. They often serve as a prescient predictor of Oscar success, with DGA winners often going on to receive their corresponding award at the Academy Awards.

Director Todd Field has made a career out of taking on challenging projects that require his keen eye and directing abilities. He began with several shorts that were well received at festivals, then progressed to feature films such as In the Bedroom and Little Children.

In The Bedroom is based on Andre Dubus' short story "Killings," and stars Sissy Spacek, Tom Wilkinson, Marisa Tomei and James Stewart. It earned five Oscar nominations including best picture and actress for Spacek and Wilkinson.

He then directed and wrote Little Children, which earned him his third Academy Award nomination with Kate Winslet and Patrick Wilson taking home awards from top critic groups around the country. In his newest project Tar, Field tackles another controversial subject with Lydia Tar (Cate Blanchett), a celebrated conductor who basks in her success until she becomes embroiled in scandal.

The drama was awarded the top prize at the New York Film Festival and nominated for Academy Awards, garnering critical acclaim from many major critic associations in America. Additionally, Vanity Fair, The Atlantic, Daily Variety, and several other publications named it as one of the best films of the year.

Field is an accomplished actor who has starred in several feature films. He wrote and directed In the Bedroom, earning him the top prize at Sundance Film Festival. Later that same year, Field won Best Adapted Screenplay for Little Children - a film nominated for three Academy Award nominations.

Over the last 74 years, only eight Directors Guild of America winners have failed to win a Best Director award at the Academy Awards - making them one of the most reliable predictors of Oscar success in film history.