The Directors Guild of America (DGA) has announced the TV nominees for their annual awards, and women directors dominate the Comedy Series category, where three of five nominated episodes are woman-helmed.
Melina Matsoukas is being honored for “Master of None’s” “Thanksgiving” episode, for which Lena Waithe won an Emmy for penning, Beth McCarthy-Miller for “Veep’s” “Chicklet,” and Amy Sherman-Palladino for “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s” pilot.
This news is especially welcome in light of the fact that “Lady Bird” just won a Golden Globe for Best Musical or Comedy but the coming-of-age story’s helmer, Greta Gerwig, was snubbed in the directing category. It remains to be seen whether the DGA will do a better job of recognizing women directors than the Globes.
Just one woman received a nod in the Comedy Series category at last year’s DGA Awards — Becky Martin for “Veep” — and she won.
Reed Morano is the sole woman nominated in the Dramatic Series category. She took home an Emmy for directing the same ep she’s up for here — the pilot of “The Handmaid’s Tale.” Morano became the first woman to win the Emmy for drama series directing in 22 years. Mimi Leder had last won in 1995 for an episode of “ER.”
There’s another category where women represent the majority of nominees: Children’s Programs. Four of five titles up for honors are directed or co-directed by women: Niki Caro (“Anne with an E”), Lily Mariye (“Just Add Magic”), Alison McDonald (“An American Girl Story: Summer Camp, Friends for Life”), and Thalia Sodi (with Matthew O’Neill) (“15: A Quinceañera Story”).
Female directors are completely absent from some categories, including Variety/Talk/News Sports (Regularly Scheduled Programming) and Reality Programs.
According to the DGA’s 2016–17 Episodic TV Director Diversity Report, women directed 21 percent of the season’s episodes, a four point increase from the previous year.
The DGA Awards will take place February 3. Check out all of the women up for TV awards (excluding commercials) below. List adapted from Variety.
DRAMATIC SERIES
REED MORANO
The Handmaid’s Tale, “Offred”
(Hulu)
COMEDY SERIES
MELINA MATSOUKAS
Master of None, “Thanksgiving”
(Netflix)
BETH McCARTHYMILLER
Veep, “Chicklet”
(HBO)
AMY SHERMAN-PALLADINO
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”
(Amazon)
MOVIES FOR TELEVISION AND MINISERIES
KYRA SEDGWICK
Story of a Girl
(Lifetime)
VARIETY/TALK/NEWS/SPORTS — SPECIALS 2/ 5
LINDA MENDOZA
Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize Honoring David Letterman
(PBS)
AMY SCHUMER
Amy Schumer: The Leather Special
(Netflix)
CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS
NIKI CARO
Anne with an E, “Your Will Shall Decide Your Destiny”
(Netflix)
LILY MARIYE
Just Add Magic, “Just Add Meddling”
(Amazon)
ALISON McDONALD
An American Girl Story: Summer Camp, Friends for Life
(Amazon)
MATTHEW O’NEILL AND THALIA SODI
15: A Quinceañera Story: Zoey
(HBO)
DOCUMENTARY
KEN BURNS & LYNN NOVICK
The Vietnam War
(PBS)
