‘Shōgun,’ ‘The Bear,’ and ‘The Penguin’ top DGA TV nominations with three apiece

Shōgun, The Bear, and The Penguin led Tuesday’s 2025 Directors Guild of America Awards nominations in the TV, commercial, and documentary categories.

In drama, Shōgun took up three of the five spots for the episodes “Anjin,” “Crimson Sky, and “Ladies of the Willow World.” They face “Dreadnought” from The Diplomat and “Part 6” from True Detective: Night Country. DGA rules stipulate that anthology series, such as True Detective, must compete in either the drama or comedy categories, not limited as they are allowed to do at the Emmys.

The comedy lineup features triple episodes from The Bear: “Doors,” “Tomorrow,” and “Napkins,” the last of which was helmed by Ayo Edebiri. The other nominees are “Bulletproof” from Hacks and “No Lessons Learned” from Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Three was the magic number apparently because The Penguin also scored three nominations in the the limited series/TV movie category for the episodes “Cent’anni,” “A Great or Little Thing,” and “Top Hat.” This strong showing bodes well for the HBO series’ Emmy prospects later this year. The full seasons of Disclaimer, directed by Alfonso Cuarón, and Ripley, directed by Steven Zaillian, are the other nominees.

At the Emmys in September, Shōgun‘s “Crimson Sky,” directed by Frederick E.O. Toye, won the drama directing honor. “Fishes” from Season 2 of The Bear nabbed the comedy prize for Christopher Storer, his second straight win. Storer directed Season 3’s “Tomorrow.” Zaillian, a past DGA champ for The Night Of, won in limited for Ripley.

Last year, the DGA winners were “Long Long Time” from The Last of Us in drama, “Review” from The Bear in comedy, and “Her and Him” from Lessons in Chemistry in limited. The Last of Us beat four episodes of Succession, while “Her and Him” overcame a triple vote-split with two other episodes of Lessons in Chemistry to prevail.

The DGA film nominations will be announced on Wednesday.

The 77th DGA Awards will take place on Saturday, Feb. 8.

See the full list of DGA Awards TV, commercial and documentary nominations below.

DRAMATIC SERIES

Alex Graves
The Diplomat, “Dreadnought” (Netflix)

Hiromi Kamata
Shōgun, “Ladies of the Willow World” (FX)

Issa López
True Detective: Night Country, “Part 6” (HBO)

Directorial Team:

• Unit Production Manager: Mari Jo Winkler
• First Assistant Director: Richard Graysmark

Frederick E.O. Toye
Shōgun, “Crimson Sky” (FX)

Jonathan Van Tulleken
Shōgun, “Anjin”(FX)

COMEDY SERIES

Lucia Aniello
Hacks, “Bulletproof” (Max)

Directorial Team:

• Unit Production Manager: Chris R. Robinson
• First Assistant Director: Jeff Rosenberg
• Second Assistant Director: Erin Stern Linares
• Second Second Assistant Director: Alaina Neumann
• Additional Second Assistant Director: Chalis Romero

Ayo Edebiri
The Bear, “Napkins” (FX)

Directorial Team:

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

Duccio Fabbri
The Bear, “Doors” (FX)

Directorial Team:

• Unit Production Managers: Carrie Holt de Lama, Tyson Bidner
• First Assistant Director: Larissa Malarek
• Second Assistant Director: Olivia Dame
• Second Second Assistant Director: Sofia Blanco
• Location Manager: Maria C. Roxas

Jeff Schaffer
Curb Your Enthusiasm, “No Lessons Learned”(HBO)

Directorial Team:

• Unit Production Manager: Mary Church
• First Assistant Director: Adam Feil
• Second Assistant Director: Jessica Faires McGinn
• Second Second Assistant Director: Timothy Muir

Christopher Storer
The Bear, “Tomorrow” (FX)

Directorial Team:

• Unit Production Managers: Carrie Holt de Lama, Tyson Bidner
• First Assistant Director: Duccio Fabbri
• Second Assistant Director: Olivia Dame
• Second Second Assistant Director: Sofía Blanco
• Location Manager: Maria C. Roxas

MOVIES FOR TELEVISION AND LIMITED SERIES

Kevin Bray
The Penguin, “Top Hat” (HBO)

Directorial Team:

• Unit Production Managers: Dana Robin, Bill Carraro
• First Assistant Director: Jude Gorjanc
• Second Assistant Director: Brad Robinson
• Second Second Assistant Director: Matt Merksamer
• Additional Second Assistant Director: Maritza Gomez
• Location Manager: Keith Adams

Alfonso Cuarón
Disclaimer (Apple TV+)

Directorial Team:

• Unit Production Manager: Donald Sabourin
• First Assistant Director: Chris Carreras

Jennifer Getzinger
The Penguin, “A Great or Little Thing” (HBO)

Directorial Team:

• Unit Production Managers: Dana Robin, Bill Carraro
• First Assistant Director: H.H. Cooper
• Second Assistant Director: Eric Calatayud
• Second Second Assistant Director: Matt Merksamer
• Additional Second Assistant Director: Maritza Gomez
• Location Manager: Keith Adam

Helen Shaver
The Penguin, “Cent’anni”(HBO)

Directorial Team:

• Unit Production Managers: Dana Robin, Bill Carraro
• First Assistant Director: H.H. Cooper
• Second Assistant Director: Eric Calatayud
• Second Second Assistant Director: Matt Merksamer
• Additional Second Assistant Director: Maritza Gomez
• Location Manager: Keith Adams

Steven Zaillian
Ripley (Netflix)

Directorial Team:

• Unit Production Managers: Clayton Townsend, Joe Guest (New York)
• First Assistant Director: Peter Thorell
• Second Assistant Directors: Justin Bischoff (New York), Nick Notte (New York)
• Second Second Assistant Director: Melissa Morphet (New York)
• Location Manager: Paul Eskenazi (New York)

VARIETY/TALK/NEWS/SPORTS – REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAMMING

Paul G. Casey
Real Time with Bill Maher, “Jiminy Glick, Andrew Cuomo, Adam Kinzinger” (HBO)

Directorial Team:

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

Jim Hoskinson
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, “Rep. Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez & Mavis Staples w/ Jeff Tweedy” (CBS)

Directorial Team:

• Associate Directors: Yvonne De Mare, Karen Yaeger
• Stage Managers: Mark McKenna, Jeff Leib

David Paul Meyer
The Daily Show, “Indecision 2024: The Democratic National Convention ‑ Plot Twist!” (Comedy Central)

Directorial Team:

• Associate Director: Adrienne Ford
• Stage Managers: Bennymar Almonte (Lead), Tyler Goldman, Gena Rositano

Liz Patrick
Saturday Night Live, “John Mulaney / Chappell Roan” (NBC)

Directorial Team:

• Associate Directors: Michael Mancini, Michael Poole, Laura Ouziel Mack, Janine DeVito, Amy Mancini
• Stage Managers: Gena Rositano, Chris Kelly, Eddie Valk, Tom Ucciferri

Paul Pennolino
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, “India Elections” (HBO)

Directorial Team:

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

VARIETY/TALK/NEWS/SPORTS – SPECIALS

Hamish Hamilton
The 96th Annual Academy Awards (ABC)

Directorial Team:

• Associate Directors: Hayley Collett, Susan Kopensky, Lori Margules, Robin Mishkin Abrams, Sara Niimi, Kristen Patterson Terry, Michael Polito
• Stage Managers: Gary Natoli (Lead), Alexis Brusig, Rita Cossette, John Esposito, Zachary Figures, Valdez Flagg, Doug Fogel, Chris Hines, Alissa Levisohn Hoyo, Roxanne Lozano, Donna Parker, Ron Paul, Alec Potter, Tammy Raab, Jason Seligman, Jackie Stathis, Cheryl Teetzel-Moore, Ari Woog

Beth McCarthy-Miller
The Roast of Tom Brady (Netflix)

Directorial Team:

• Associate Directors: Debbie Palacio, Marty Pasetta Jr.
• Stage Managers: Lynn Finkel, Steve Hollander, Greg Kasoff, Ran Lowe, Jennifer Marquet, Christopher McDonald, Tammy Raab, Jackie Stathis

David Paul Meyer
The Daily Show Presents A Live Election Night Special With Jon Stewart: Indecision 2024: Nothing We Can Do About It Now (Comedy Central)

Directorial Team:

• Associate Director: Adrienne Ford
• Stage Managers: Bennymar Almonte (Lead), Tyler Goldman, Gena Rositano

Glenn Weiss
The 77th Annual Tony Awards (CBS)

Directorial Team:

• Associate Directors: Ken Diego, Robin Mishkin Abrams, Ricky Kirshner, Susan Kopensky, Ryan Smith, Kristen Patterson Terry
• Stage Managers: Garry Hood (Lead), Peter Epstein, Bennymar Almonte, Joey Despenzero, Phyllis Digilio Kent, Doug Fogel, Jeffry Gitter, Tyler Goldman, Kevin Lishawa, Arthur Lewis, Jeff Markowitz, Cyndi Owgang, Jason Pacella, Annette Powlis, Elise Reaves, Cody Renard Richard, Lauren Class Schneider, Eddie Valk, Leslie Williams

Ali Wong
Ali Wong: Single Lady (Netflix)

Directorial Team:

• Associate Director: John Irwin
• Stage Manager: Zoey Powers

REALITY PROGRAMS

Neil DeGroot
Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted, “The Cliffs of Ireland”(National Geographic)

Directorial Team:

• Associate Director: Jeff Simms

Joseph Guidry
Deal Or No Deal Island, “Are You Decisive?” (NBC)

Directorial Team:

• Associate Director: Greg Rosa

Ari Katcher
Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show, “Road Trip” (HBO)

Patrick McManus
American Ninja Warrior, “Las Vegas Finals 4″(NBC)

Directorial Team:

• Associate Director: David Massey
• Stage Managers: Sara Brown, Sean P. Galvin, T.J. Ganser, Joseph R. Osborne, Louise Story

Mike Sweeney
Conan O’Brien Must Go, “Ireland” (Max)

CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS

Kat Coiro
The Spiderwick Chronicles, “Welcome to Spiderwick” (Roku Channel)

Directorial Team:

• Unit Production Manager: Grace Gilroy

Michael Goi
Avatar: The Last Airbender, “Aang” (Netflix)

Directorial Team:

• First Assistant Director: Michael Neumann
• Second Assistant Director: Chad Belair

Jim Mickle
Sweet Tooth, “This Is a Story”(Netflix)

Jennifer Phang
Descendants: The Rise of Red (Disney+)

Directorial Team:

• Unit Production Manager: Wendy S. Williams
• First Assistant Director: Senica Billingsley
• Second Assistant Director: Mark E. Brown

Amber Sealey
Out of My Mind (Disney+)

COMMERCIALS

Lance Acord
(Park Pictures)
An American Love Story, Volkswagen ‑ Johannes Leonardo

• Unit Production Manager: Karoline Kousidonis
• First Assistant Directors: Thomas Smith, Peter S. Jackson
• Second Assistant Directors: Carly Sturgeon, John Mattern
• Second Second Assistant Directors: Matthew Kramer, Reed Baum

Kim Gehrig
(Somesuch)
A Life in Sound, SiriusXM – Uncommon

• First Assistant Director: Kate Greenberg
• Second Assistant Director: Rebecca Rogers

Am I A Bad Person?, Nike ‑ Wieden+Kennedy

• First Assistant Director: Guy Forgaard

Find Your Friends, Apple ‑ Client Direct

• First Assistant Director: Rodney Smith
• Second Assistant Director: John Nasraway
• Second Second Assistant Director: Isaac Meija
• Additional Second Assistant Directors: Michael Dudley, Kendall Wilmot

Tim Heidecker & Eric Wareheim
(Prettybird)

Michael CeraVe, CeraVe ‑ WPP Onefluence (Ogilvy)

• First Assistant Directors: Matthew Smith, Kerstin Emhoff
• Second Assistant Director: Kiersten Fehlig
• Second Second Assistant Director: Matthew Hausmann

Andreas Nilsson
(Biscuit Filmworks)

Board Game, Hennessy ‑ Wieden+Kennedy ‑ London

First Office Poo, Andrex ‑ FCB ‑ London

One More, Apple ‑ Client Direct

• First Assistant Director: Scott Harris
• Second Assistant Director: Ronald Misetich

Whizzer, Virgin Media ‑ VCCP ‑ London

Ivan Zachariáš
(Smuggler)

Flock, Apple ‑ Media Arts Lab

• First Assistant Director: Robert Phillips

DOCUMENTARY

Brendan Bellomo & Slava Leontyev
Porcelain War
(Picturehouse)

Julian Brave Noisecat & Emily Kassie
Sugarcane
(National Geographic)

Johan Grimonprez
Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat
(Kino Lorber)

Ibrahim Nash’at
Hollywoodgate
(Fourth Act Film) 

Natalie Rae & Angela Patton
Daughters
(Netflix)