Roll on, awards season. The Directors Guild of America will hand out awards in honor of the best directing of the year on February 3 at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles.
Game of Thrones is one of the most lavishly produced shows of the past decade. Accordingly, it’s almost always had a presence at this show, with an episode nominated in the “Dramatic Series” category every year since the first season, save season 2. It lost for its first four seasons, but took home the award after seasons 5 (David Nutter, for “Mother’s Mercy”) and 6 (Miguel Sapochnik, for “Battle of the Bastards”).
But until now, Game of Thrones only had one episode nominated per year. This year, Thrones directors take up three of the five slots in the “Dramatic Series” category. Check out the full field below:
The Duffer Brothers, Stranger Things, “Chapter Nine: The Gate” (Netflix)
- Unit Production Manager: Timothy Lonsdale
- First Assistant Director: Richard Denault
- Second Assistant Director: John R. Bonaccorse
- Second Second Assistant Directors: David Champion, Robert S. Hoffman
- Additional Second Assistant Directors: Clayton Thompson, Tyler Smith
Reed Morano, The Handmaid’s Tale, “Offred” (Hulu)
- Unit Production Manager: Joe Boccia
Jeremy Podeswa, Game of Thrones, “The Dragon and the Wolf” (HBO)
Matt Shakman, Game of Thrones, “The Spoils of War” (HBO)
Alan Taylor, Game of Thrones, “Beyond the Wall” (HBO)
- First Assistant Director: Toby Ford
So…I’d say the odds that Game of Thrones will win in this category are extremely good. The only question is which director will take it home. For my money, first-time DGA nominee Matt Shakman should win for his work on “The Spoils of War” — the Loot Train Battle is spectacular.
And after season 8, I fully expect to see Nutter and Sapochnik back in the mix.
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