DGA Awards Wrap with Ties for Television Nods

Marc Buckland

Los Angeles, CA – The 58th Annual Directors Guild Awards in Los Angeles yielded surprise ties for television nods, with four-time DGA winner Joseph Sargent (Warm Springs, HBO) and George C. Wolfe (Lackawanna Blues, HBO) sharing the movies-for-television award, and fueled more Oscar Awards speculation as Ang Lee accepted the Feature Film honor.

In another television tie, the newly minted reality television award is shared by two directors of NBC programs: Tony Croll for his work on Three Wishes and Fear Factor's J. Rupert Thompson.

Marc Buckland took home the comedy series award for directing NBC's My Name Is Earl pilot. DGA president Michael Apted—who has been nominated twice before—won his first award, accepting dramatic series honors for his work on the HBO series Rome. General Hospital's Owen Renfroe won the trophy for daytime serial direction.

Capping ceremony highlights, the guild honored Clint Eastwood with this year's Lifetime Achievement Award. The 75-year-old actor-filmmaker, who won last year's DGA and Oscar for feature Million Dollar Baby, expressed great gratitude to share such an honor with others who have inspired him. "Maybe we can call this a mid-Lifetime Achievement Award," Eastwood said. "I have no immediate plans to hang things up."

Comedy Series:
Marc Buckland, My Name is Earl, NBC

Dramatic Series Night:
Michael Apted, Rome, HBO

Daytime Serials:
Owen Renfroe, General Hospital, ABC

Reality Television (tie):
Tony Croll, Three Wishes, ABC and J. Rupert Thompson, Fear Factor, NBC

Musical Variety:
Matthew Diamond, Swan Lake with American Ballet Theater, PBS

Children's Programs:
Chris Eyre, Edge of America, Showtime

Commercials:
Craig Gillespie, MJZ

Feature Film:
Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain

Documentary:
Werner Herzog, Grizzly Man

Lifetime Achievement Award:
Clint Eastwood

Franklin J. Schaffner Achievement Award:
Donald E. Jacob

DGA Lifetime Achievement Award in Sports Direction:
Joseph R. Aceti