First-time nominee cements status as Academy Award favourite.

Damien Chazelle

Directors Guild Of America (DGA) members on Saturday night anointed Damien Chazelle as their director of the year and in so doing confirmed him as the Oscar frontrunner.

Chazelle’s first DGA nomination resulted in a night of triumph and set him on a seemingly unassailable course for the best directing Academy Award on February 26.

The DGA Award is historically a highly reliable indicator of who will win the big prize. In the last decade all but one DGA winner has gone on to claim the Oscar.

The exception was Ben Affleck, who was the guild’s pick for Argo in 2013 and was not even nominated by Academy Award voters. Ang Li took the Oscar for Life Of Pi, although Argo won best picture.

Oscar-nomination Garth Davis was named best first-time director for Lion and Ezra Edelman prevailed in the documentary contest for O.J.: Made In America.

Former Screen Star Of Tomorrow: Brits In LA Miguel Sapochnik was named best television dramatic director for Game Of Thrones episode titled The Battle of The Bastards.

Click here for the full list of winners.

MOTION PICTURES

Feature film director
Damien Chazelle, La La Land

First-Time Director Feature Film
Garth Davis, Lion

Documentary
Ezra Edelman, O.J.: Made In America

TELEVISION

Dramatic Series
Miguel Sapochnik, Game Of Thrones, ‘The Battle Of The Bastards’

Comedy Series
Becky Martin, Veep, ‘Inauguration’

For full DGA winners click here.

  • Zootopia won six Annie Awards including best animation feature on Saturday.
  • Greig Fraser won the theatrical award for best cinematography in a motion picture for Lion at the 31st Annual American Society of Cinematographers Awards on Saturday.