‘The Pitt,’ ‘The Bear,’ ‘SNL’ Lead Directors Guild TV Nominations

In the documentary feature category, nominees included Oscar winners Laura Poitras (“Cover-Up”) and Mstyslav Chernov (“2000 Meters to Andriivka”)

the-pitt-noah-wyle-ned-brower-supriya-ganesh-hbo-max
Noah Wyle, Ned Brower and Supriya Ganesh in "The Pitt." (Warrick Page/HBO Max)

“The Pitt” and “The Bear” netted two nominations apiece from the Directors Guild of America, which announced its TV and documentary nominations on Wednesday.

In addition to the double mention for “The Pitt,” nominees for best directing of a dramatic series included “Andor,” “The Diplomat” and “Severance.” Ben Stiller received his second nomination for the latter series.

In the comedy category, “The Bear” pair of noms were joined by “Hacks,” “The Studio” and “The White Lotus.” Creator and director Mike White was nominated for the first season of “The White Lotus” and won the award for the second season.

“Saturday Night Live” dominated the category of best directing of a variety show, with nods for “SNL50: The Homecoming Concert” and “SNL50: The Anniversary Special.” Other nominees in the category were “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.”

“Kimmel” director Andy Fisher, interestingly, was nominated for an episode featuring an interview with Colbert.

And in the category of best documentary feature, previous Oscar winners Laura Poitras (“Cover-Up”) and Mstyslav Chernov (“2000 Meters to Andriivka”) were joined by directors Geeta Gandbhir (“The Perfect Neighbor”), Sara Khaki and Mohammadreza Eyni (“Cutting Through Rocks”) and Elizabeth Lo (“Mistress Dispeller”).

For achievement in commercial directing, director Spike Jonze (“Being John Malkovich,” “Her”) was cited for his helming of an Apple Airpods ad.

Here is the list of TV and documentary nominees:

DRAMATIC SERIES

The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series for 2025 are (in alphabetical order):

LIZA JOHNSON

The Diplomat, “Amagansett”

(Netflix)

Directorial Team:

  • Unit Production Manager: John P. Fedynich
  • First Assistant Director: Adam Escott
  • Second Assistant Director: Tom Glick
  • Second Second Assistant Director: Rachel Sikora
  • Location Manager: Rob Coleman

AMANDA MARSALIS

The Pitt, “6:00 P.M.”

(HBO Max)

Directorial Team:

  • Unit Production Manager: Michelle Lankwarden
  • First Assistant Director: Eric Tignini
  • Second Assistant Director: Kevin Zelman
  • Second Second Assistant Director: Nicole Jones, Rebecca Rogers, Chloe Huckins
  • Additional Second Assistant Director: Michelle Akeley

JANUS METZ

Andor, “Who Are You?”

(Disney+)

Directorial Team:

  • Unit Production Manager: Karl Caffrey
  • First Assistant Director: Sean Guest 

BEN STILLER

Severance, “Cold Harbor”

(Apple TV+)

Directorial Team:

  • Unit Production Manager: Caroline Baron
  • First Assistant Director: Katie Pruitt
  • Second Assistant Director: Cat McFayden
  • Second Second Assistant Director: Forrest Viola
  • Additional Second Assistant Director: Erin Skelly
  • Assistant Unit Production Manager: Sean Fogel, Alexandra Vivas
  • Location Manager: Ryan Smith, Grace Kwon

JOHN WELLS

The Pitt, “7:00 A.M.”

(HBO Max)

Directorial Team:

  • Unit Production Manager: Michelle Lankwarden
  • First Assistant Director: Eric Tignini
  • Second Assistant Director: Kevin Zelman
  • Second Second Assistant Director: Nicole Jones, Rebecca Rogers
  • Additional Second Assistant Director: Chloe Huckins 

***

COMEDY SERIES

The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series for 2025 are (in alphabetical order):

LUCIA ANIELLO

Hacks, “A Slippery Slope”

(HBO Max)

Directorial Team:

  • Unit Production Manager: Mark Rabinowitz
  • First Assistant Director: Jeff Rosenberg
  • Second Assistant Director: Kirisa Gavrin
  • Second Second Assistant Director: Alaina Neumann Rafdal
  • Additional Second Assistant Director: Amy Ergle 

JANICZA BRAVO

The Bear, “Worms”

(FX on Hulu)

Directorial Team:

  • Unit Production Manager: Carrie Holt de Lama, Tyson Bidner
  • First Assistant Director: Larissa Malarek
  • Second Assistant Director: Olivia Dame
  • Second Second Assistant Director: Sofía Blanco
  • Location Manager: Maria C. Roxas, Gilbert B. Morales
  • Assistant Location Manager: Oscar Roxas

SETH ROGEN & EVAN GOLDBERG

The Studio, “The Oner”

(Apple TV+)

Directorial Team:

  • Unit Production Manager: Shawn Dyrdahl
  • First Assistant Director: Donald Murphy
  • Second Assistant Director: Peter Dress 

CHRISTOPHER STORER

The Bear, “Bears”

(FX on Hulu)

Directorial Team:

  • Unit Production Manager: Carrie Holt de Lama, Tyson Bidner
  • First Assistant Director: Duccio Fabbri
  • Second Assistant Director: Larissa Malarek, Olivia Dame
  • Second Second Assistant Director: Sofía Blanco
  • Location Manager: Maria C. Roxas, Gilbert B. Morales
  • Assistant Location Manager: Oscar Roxas

MIKE WHITE

The White Lotus, “Denials”

(HBO Max)

Directorial Team:

  • Unit Production Manager: Regina Heyman, Mark Kamine
  • First Assistant Director: Justin Ritson
  • Second Assistant Director: Joe Landry
  • Assistant Unit Production Manager: Aidan Sleeper 

***

LIMITED & ANTHOLOGY SERIES

The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Limited & Anthology Series for 2025 are (in alphabetical order):

JASON BATEMAN

Black Rabbit, “The Black Rabbits”

(Netflix)

Directorial Team:

  • Unit Production Manager: Becky Phillips, Erica Kay
  • First Assistant Director: John Silvestri
  • Second Assistant Director: Nick Notte
  • Second Second Assistant Director: Jimmy Rosario, Jilly Blundell
  • Location Manager: Paul Eskenazi 

ANTONIO CAMPOS

The Beast in Me, “Sick Puppy”

(Netflix)

Directorial Team:

  • Unit Production Manager: Caroline Baron
  • First Assistant Director: Tomas Deckaj
  • Second Assistant Director: Scott Bowers
  • Second Second Assistant Director: Matt Merksamer, Sean Fogel
  • Location Manager: Grace Kwon

LESLI LINKA GLATTER

Zero Day, “Episode 6”

(Netflix)

Directorial Team:

  • Unit Production Manager: Amy Herman
  • First Assistant Director: Michael Lerman
  • Second Assistant Director: Scott Bowers
  • Second Second Assistant Director: Kaitlin Heins
  • Additional Second Assistant Director: Davis Woodall
  • Assistant Unit Production Manager: Mike Buonanno
  • Location Manager: Ronnie Kupferwasser

SHANNON MURPHY

Dying for Sex, “It’s Not That Serious”

(FX on Hulu)

Directorial Team:

  • Unit Production Manager: Francesca M. Mannix
  • First Assistant Director: Julie A. Bloom
  • Second Assistant Director: Findlay Ward Zotter
  • Second Second Assistant Director: Kristin Dombroski, Laura E. Rizer 

ALLY PANKIW

Black Mirror, “Common People”

(Netflix)

  • Unit Production Manager: Shawn Williamson

***

MOVIES FOR TELEVISION

The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television for 2025 are (in alphabetical order):

JESSE ARMSTRONG

Mountainhead

(HBO Max)

Directorial Team:

  • Unit Production Manager: Jill Footlick
  • First Assistant Director: Christo Morse
  • Second Assistant Director: MarSchelle Walker
  • Location Manager: Paul Eskenazi

STEPHEN CHBOSKY

Nonnas

(Netflix)

Directorial Team:

  • Unit Production Manager: Pamela Hirsch, Kara Doherty
  • First Assistant Director: Chris Surgent
  • Second Assistant Director: Takahide Kawakami
  • Second Second Assistant Director: Cary Lee
  • Location Manager: Tatiana Forster

SCOTT DERRICKSON

The Gorge

(Apple TV+)

Directorial Team:

  • Unit Production Manager: Greg Goodman
  • First Assistant Director: Cliff Lanning
  • Second Assistant Director: Lee Tailor

MICHAEL MORRIS

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy

(Peacock)

KYLE NEWACHECK

Happy Gilmore 2

(Netflix)

Directorial Team:

  • Unit Production Manager: Brittany Sugarman, David Bausch
  • First Assistant Director: David M. Bernstein
  • Second Assistant Director: Ryan Robert Howard
  • Second Second Assistant Director: Kaitlin Heins
  • Additional Second Assistant Director: Mia Bruno
  • Location Manager: Louis Zuppardi
  • Assistant Location Manager: Scott Ferlisi

***

VARIETY

The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Variety for 2025 are:

YVONNE DEMARE

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, “Julia Roberts; Sam Smith”

(CBS)

Directorial Team:

  • Associate Director: Karen Yaeger
  • Stage Manager: Mark McKenna, Jeff Leib

ANDY FISHER

Jimmy Kimmel Live!, “Stephen Colbert; Kumail Nanjiani; Reneé Rapp”

(ABC)

Directorial Team:

  • Associate Director: Jeri-Ann Wong, Amy Stober, David Craig
  • Stage Manager: Alec Potter, Josh Wader, Christian Jensen, Peter Epstein 

BETH MCCARTHY-MILLER

SNL50: The Homecoming Concert

(Peacock)

Directorial Team:

  • Associate Director: Susan Sullivan
  • Stage Manager: Lynn Finkel, Linda Carrizzo, Joey Despenzero, Phyllis Digilio-Kent, John Esposito, Andrew Feigin, Steve Hollander, Greg Kasoff, Alissa Levisohn Hoyo, Arthur Lewis, Jennifer Marquet, Cyndi Owgang, Jason Pacella, Tammy Raab, Elise Reaves, Cheryl Teetzel-Moore, Niclana Tolmasoff, Bret Warren, Ari Woog 

LIZ PATRICK

SNL50: The Anniversary Special

(NBC)

Directorial Team:

  • Associate Director: Michael Mancini, Michael Poole, Laura Ouziel Mack, Janine DeVito, Amy Mancini, Dan Dome
  • Stage Manager: Gena Rositano, Chris Kelly, Eddie Valk, Peter Epstein, Karen Tasch Weiss, Steve Bautista, Joey Despenzero, Frank Fernandez, Doug Fogel, Jeffry Gitter, Cyndi Owgang, Elise Reaves, Niclana Tolmasoff, Leslie Williams 

PAUL PENNOLINO

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, “Public Media”

(HBO Max)

Directorial Team:

  • Associate Director: Elliot Mendelson
  • Stage Manager: Jeff Leib, Mark McKenna, Craig Spinney

***

SPORTS

The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Sports for 2025 are (in alphabetical order):

MATTHEW GANGL

2025 World Series – Game 7 – Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Toronto Blue Jays

(FOX Sports)

Directorial Team:

  • Associate Director: Larry Lancaster, Aaron Stojkov, Bryan Colucci
  • Stage Manager: Dominick Tringali, Dan Frank

STEVE MILTON

2025 Masters Tournament – Augusta National Golf Club

(CBS Sports)

Directorial Team:

  • Associate Director: Robert Matina, Chris Svendsen, Andy Freedman, Eric Spitzer, Ade Ellis, Tyler Jahn, Josh Weingardt, Brian Maher, Stuart Millstein, Katie Keane, Adam Cohen, Jack Kempner, George Wishart, Dan Obermuller
  • Stage Manager: Cory Fishman

RICH RUSSO

Super Bowl LIX – Philadelphia Eagles vs. Kansas City Chiefs

(FOX Sports)

Directorial Team:

  • Associate Director: Rich Gross, Casey Garland

***

REALITY / QUIZ AND GAME

The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Reality / Quiz and Game for 2025 are (in alphabetical order):

LUCINDA M. MARGOLIS

Jeopardy!, “Ep. 9341”

(Syndicated)

Directorial Team:

  • Associate Director: Chloe Corwin
  • Stage Manager: James F. McGuire 

ADAM SANDLER

The Price is Right, “10,000th Episode”

(CBS)

Directorial Team:

  • Associate Director: Jazmin Eckenberg
  • Stage Manager: Steven Hollander, Jason Galland, Alex Weston

MIKE SWEENEY

Conan O’Brien Must Go, “Austria”

(HBO Max)

Directorial Team:

  • Associate Director: Jason Chillemi

***

COMMERCIALS

The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials for 2025 are (in alphabetical order):

KIM GEHRIG

(Somesuch)

You Can’t Win. So Win. – Nike | Wieden+Kennedy

Directorial Team:

  • First Assistant Director: Peter Jackson, John Mattern
  • Second Assistant Director: Melina Greene
  • Second Second Assistant Director: Chelsea Meador

I’m Not Remarkable – Apple | Client Direct

  • First Assistant Director: Guy Forgaard
  • Second Assistant Director: Amanda Johnson
  • Second Second Assistant Director: Michael Dudley, Clyde Broom

MILES JAY

(Smuggler)

Dish – ChatGPT | Isle of Any

Directorial Team:

  • Unit Production Manager: Yianni Papadopoulos
  • First Assistant Director: George Nessis
  • Second Assistant Director: Rachel Obering
  • Second Second Assistant Director: Reed Baum

Pull Up – ChatGPT | Isle of Any

Directorial Team:

  • Unit Production Manager: Yianni Papadopoulos
  • First Assistant Director: George Nessis
  • Second Assistant Director: Rachel Obering
  • Second Second Assistant Director: Reed Baum

Trip – ChatGPT | Isle of Any

Directorial Team:

  • Unit Production Manager: Yianni Papadopoulos
  • First Assistant Director: George Nessis
  • Second Assistant Director: Julia Blanford
  • Second Second Assistant Director: K.J. Walsh

Home for the Holidays – Meta | Droga5

Directorial Team:

  • First Assistant Director: David Webb

Secret Santa – Meta | Droga5

Directorial Team:

  • First Assistant Director: David Webb  

SPIKE JONZE

(MJZ)

Someday – Apple Airpods 4 | TBWA\Media Arts Lab

Directorial Team:

  • First Assistant Director: Steve Danton, Kate Greenberg
  • Second Assistant Director: Matthew Dennis Smith
  • Second Second Assistant Director: Amy Hughes, Carly Sturgeon

ANDREAS NILSSON

(Biscuit Filmworks)

Conquer the First School Poo – Andrex | FCB London

Garrett – Apple iPhone 16 Pro | Client Direct

  • Unit Production Manager: James Veal
  • First Assistant Director: George Nessis
  • Second Assistant Director: Reed Baum

Big Flex – Apple iPhone 16 Pro | Client Direct

  • Unit Production Manager: James Veal
  • First Assistant Director: George Nessis
  • Second Assistant Director: Reed Baum

Trunk Trucker – Virgin Media | VCCP London

STEVE ROGERS

(Biscuit Filmworks)

Bring a Book to Life – Amazon | Droga5 London

A Tale as Old as Websites – Squarespace| Client Direct

Everything is Fine – Coinbase | Mother London

***

DOCUMENTARY FILM

The nominees for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary Film for 2025 are (in alphabetical order):

MSTYSLAV CHERNOV

2000 Meters to Andriivka

(PBS)

GEETA GANDBHIR

The Perfect Neighbor

(Netflix)

SARA KHAKI AND MOHAMMADREZA EYNI

Cutting Through Rocks

(Assembly Releasing)

ELIZABETH LO

Mistress Dispeller

(Oscilloscope Laboratories)

LAURA POITRAS AND MARK OBENHAUS

Cover-Up

(Netflix)

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