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Tuesday, January 8, 2019

AWARDS SEASON 2019: 71st Annual Directors Guild Of America Award Nominees
 It's Cooper, Cuaron, Farrelly, Lee, McKay




Top to bottom: Bradley Cooper, Alfonso Cuaron, Peter Farrelly, Spike Lee, Adam McKay. Shutterstock/SpikeLee photo
       
by Omar P.L. Moore/PopcornReel.com        Follow popcornreel on Twitter FOLLOW                                           
Tuesday, January 8, 2019

The nominees for the 71st Annual DGA Awards were announced this morning and there were no real surprises as Bradley Cooper ("A Star Is Born"), Alfonso Cuaron ("Roma"), Peter Farrelly ("Green Book"), Spike Lee ("BlacKkKlansman") and Adam McKay ("Vice") were all nominated for outstanding directorial achievement in feature film.

Of the group of all-male nominees only Mr. Cuaron and Mr. McKay were previous nominees.  Mr. Cuaron won the DGA Award in 2014 for his direction of "Gravity" and went on to win the Oscar in the category.  Mr. McKay was previously nominated for "The Big Short".

Mr. Lee is only the fifth Black director to be nominated for the top DGA Award.  Jordan Peele, Barry Jenkins, Steve McQueen and Lee Daniels are the other nominees.  To date there are no Black women nominees in the top DGA Awards category in the 71 year-history of the Directors Guild.

For momentum's sake at least, Mr. Cuaron is on a high after winning Best Director at the Golden Globes two days ago for "Roma", a very strong critical favorite.  Mr. Cuaron's prior DGA win may or may not work against him.  There is some sentiment in certain quarters for Mr. Lee, the most senior nominee of the five, and the most varied resume.  "BlacKkKlansman" has enjoyed strong critical acclaim as well, and has its share of support. 

Mr. Cuaron, Mr. Lee and perhaps Mr. Cooper (a dual first-time nominee) are the principal front-runners for the top DGA Award, with Mr. Cuaron probably out ahead. 

The DGA Awards are reliable indicators of the Best Director Oscar winner, and only seven times in the previous 70 years has the DGA winner not won Best Director at the Academy Awards.

The DGA first-time feature director nominees were Bo Burnham ("Eighth Grade"), Mr. Cooper ("A Star Is Born "), Carlos Lopez Estrada ("Blindspotting"), Matthew Heineman ("A Private War") and Boots Riley ("Sorry To Bother You").

The DGA Awards will be held in Los Angeles on February 2.


Related: The Case For Spike Lee as Best Director
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