The Directors Guild of America has announced that Kumail Nanjiani, the actor, comedian, writer, and producer, will serve as host for the 78th Annual DGA Awards. The event is scheduled for Saturday, February 7, 2026, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, highlighting the significance of the Kumail Nanjiani DGA Awards in recognizing excellence in directing.
Kumail Nanjiani’s Acclaimed Career and Hosting Role
Kumail Nanjiani holds nominations for prestigious accolades including the Oscar, Golden Globe, and Emmy awards. His notable projects span film and television, featuring titles such as The Big Sick, Welcome to Chippendales, Silicon Valley, Eternals, and Only Murders in the Building. Recently, he resumed stand-up comedy with a new special called Kumail Nanjiani: Night Thoughts, further cementing his versatile career in entertainment.
I am honored to host the DGA Awards and celebrate the incredible work done across the art form,
Kumail Nanjiani said.
A director’s dedication, leadership, and creativity are what bring the most powerful stories – the ones that truly need to be told – to life.
Returning Leadership at the Ceremony
Beth McCarthy-Miller will once again chair the ceremony for a fifth consecutive year, playing a key role in overseeing the event’s flow and celebrating this year’s nominees. She expressed enthusiasm for the upcoming night and welcoming Nanjiani on stage.
I am proud to continue serving as DGA Awards Chair and to help celebrate the extraordinary projects of this year’s nominees,
Beth McCarthy-Miller said.
I look forward to a memorable night honoring the craft of directing and to welcoming Kumail Nanjiani to the DGA Awards stage.
Honoring Outstanding Directorial Achievements in Film and Television
The 78th Annual DGA Awards will recognize exceptional directing talent across multiple categories, including theatrical feature film, dramatic and comedy television series, documentary film and series, limited and anthology series, movies for television, variety programming, sports, reality and game shows, and commercials. The nominations cover a wide spectrum of projects highlighting creative leadership in storytelling.
Top Nominees for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film
The category for Theatrical Feature Film includes a distinguished group of nominees for their work on 2025 releases:
Paul Thomas Anderson for One Battle After Another (Warner Bros. Pictures), with a large production team including unit production manager Will Weiske and first assistant director Adam Somner.
Ryan Coogler for Sinners (Warner Bros. Pictures), supported by unit production managers Will Greenfield and Kenneth Yu, among others.
Guillermo del Toro nominated for Frankenstein (Netflix), with J. Miles Dale as unit production manager and Walter Gasparovic as first assistant director.
Josh Safdie for Marty Supreme (A24), with an extensive directorial team including Anthony Katagas and Joe Guest as unit production managers.
Chloé Zhao is recognized for Hamnet (Focus Features).
Emerging Talent: The Michael Apted Award for First-Time Feature Directors
Five first-time feature film directors have been nominated, signaling promising new talent. These include Hasan Hadi for The President’s Cake (Sony Pictures Classics), Harry Lighton for Pillion (A24), Charlie Polinger for The Plague (Independent Film Company), Alex Russell for Lurker (MUBI), and Eva Victor for Sorry, Baby (A24).
Outstanding Direction in Dramatic Television Series
The nominees here come from notable television works on platforms such as Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, and Apple TV+. They include Liza Johnson for The Diplomat (episode “Amagansett”), Amanda Marsalis for The Pitt (episode “6:00 P.M.”), Janus Metz for Andor (episode “Who Are You?”), Ben Stiller for Severance (episode “Cold Harbor”), and John Wells for The Pitt (episode “7:00 A.M.”).
Leading Nominees for Direction in Comedy Television
The Directors Guild recognizes the creative efforts behind comedy series with nominees such as Lucia Aniello for Hacks (episode “A Slippery Slope”), Janicza Bravo and Christopher Storer for different episodes of The Bear (FX on Hulu), Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg for The Studio (episode “The Oner”), and Mike White for The White Lotus (episode “Denials”).
Limited and Anthology Series Direction Contenders
This category features nominations for series with tightly woven narratives. Jason Bateman is recognized for Black Rabbit (episode “The Black Rabbits”), Antonio Campos for The Beast in Me (episode “Sick Puppy”), Lesli Linka Glatter for Zero Day (episode 6), Shannon Murphy for Dying for Sex (episode “It’s Not That Serious”), and Ally Pankiw for Black Mirror (episode “Common People”).
Films Made for Television Honors
The film category for television movies includes Jesse Armstrong for Mountainhead (HBO Max), Stephen Chbosky for Nonnas (Netflix), Scott Derrickson for The Gorge (Apple TV+), Michael Morris for Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (Peacock), and Kyle Newacheck for Happy Gilmore 2 (Netflix).
Variety Programs up for Directional Awards
Outstanding directing in variety shows features nominees such as Yvonne De Mare for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS), Andy Fisher for Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC) which notably featured guests Stephen Colbert, Kumail Nanjiani, and Reneé Rapp, Beth McCarthy-Miller for SNL50: The Homecoming Concert (Peacock), Liz Patrick for SNL50: The Anniversary Special (NBC), and Paul Pennolino for Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO Max).
Sports Direction and Live Event Coverage
The sports category honors directing of live, large-scale sporting events. Nominees include Matthew Gangl for the 2025 World Series Game 7 coverage between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays on FOX Sports, Steve Milton for the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club broadcast on CBS Sports, and Rich Russo for Super Bowl LIX between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs on FOX Sports.
Reality, Quiz, and Game Shows Recognized for Direction
Directors in unscripted and game show formats have nominations including Lucinda M. Margolis for Jeopardy! (Episode 9341), Adam Sandler for The Price is Right (10,000th Episode), and Mike Sweeney for Conan O’Brien Must Go (Austria) on HBO Max.
Commercial Direction Highlights
The category for commercials showcases creative directing across major campaigns. Nominees include Kim Gehrig for multiple Nike and Apple projects, Miles Jay for several ChatGPT campaigns by Isle of Any, Spike Jonze for Apple Airpods 4, Andreas Nilsson for commercial work including Apple iPhone 16 Pro ads, and Steve Rogers for campaigns for Amazon, Squarespace, and Coinbase.
Documentary and News Directing Nominations
The documentary film category includes nominees such as Mstyslav Chernov for 2000 Meters to Andriivka (PBS), Geeta Gandbhir for The Perfect Neighbor (Netflix), Sara Khaki and Mohammadreza Eyni for Cutting Through Rocks (Assembly Releasing), Elizabeth Lo for Mistress Dispeller (Oscilloscope Laboratories), and Laura Poitras and Mark Obenhaus for Cover-Up (Netflix).
For documentary series and news, nominees include Marshall Curry for SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night,
Written By: A Week Inside the SNL Writers Room
(Peacock), Susan Lacy and Jessica Levin for Billy Joel: And So It Goes (HBO Max), Rebecca Miller for Mr. Scorsese (Apple TV+), Alexandria Stapleton for Sean Combs: The Reckoning (Netflix), and Matt Wolf for Pee-Wee as Himself (HBO Max).
Significance of the 78th DGA Awards Night
The announcement of Kumail Nanjiani as host, alongside Beth McCarthy-Miller’s steadfast leadership, marks a moment of focused celebration for directors’ artistic achievements across diverse media formats. The extensive nomination roster reflects the robust storytelling coming from both established and emerging talents, spanning new films, television series, documentaries, and creative commercials.
This ceremony will not only spotlight individual excellence but also underscore the vital role directors play in shaping powerful narratives, amidst a rapidly changing entertainment landscape. With the event set for early February, anticipation grows for the recognition of those who guide vision and craft with creativity and dedication, further inspiring industry peers and audiences alike.
