# Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Children's Programs

The Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children's Programs is one of the annual Directors Guild of America Awards given by the Directors Guild of America. It was first awarded at the 49th Directors Guild of America Awards in 1997. Before 1996, most children's programs competed in the Drama Show Day category before it retired in 1994.

## Winners and nominees
### 1990s

| Year | Program | Winners and nominees | Network |
| 1996 (49th) | Salt Water Moose | Stuart Margolin | Showtime |
| 1996 (49th) | ABC Afterschool Special (Episode: "Educating Mom") | Kristoffer Tabori | ABC |
| 1996 (49th) | Bailey Kipper's P.O.V. (Episode: "Talk Ain't Cheap") | Arthur Albert | CBS |
| 1996 (49th) | Robin of Locksley | Michael Kennedy | Showtime |
| 1996 (49th) | Sports Theater with Shaquille O'Neal (Episode: "4 Points") | Brian Robbins | Nickelodeon |
| 1997 (50th) | Sports Theater with Shaquille O'Neal (Episode: "First Time") | Brian Robbins | Nickelodeon |
| 1997 (50th) | Goosebumps (Episode: "The Perfect School") | Ron Oliver | Fox |
| 1997 (50th) | Kenan & Kel (Episode: "Haven't Got Time for the Paint") | Howard Storm | Nickelodeon |
| 1997 (50th) | The Secret World of Alex Mack (Episode: "Lies and Secrets") | Shawn Levy | Nickelodeon |
| 1997 (50th) | The Wonderful World of Disney (Episode: "Toothless") | Melanie Mayron | ABC |
| 1998 (51st) | Bear in the Big Blue House (Episode: "Love is All You Need") | Mitchell Kriegman | Disney Channel |
| 1998 (51st) | Goosebumps (Episode: "Cry of the Cat") | Ron Oliver | Fox |
| 1998 (51st) | Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (Episode: "From Honey with Love") | Victoria Hochberg | First-run syndication |
| 1998 (51st) | The Sweetest Gift | Stuart Margolin | Showtime |
| 1998 (51st) | The Teen Files (Episode: "Smoking: Truth or Dare") | Allison Grodner | First-run syndication |
| 1999 (52nd) | Goodnight Moon and Other Sleepy Time Tales | Amy Schatz | HBO |
| 1999 (52nd) | Bear in the Big Blue House (Episode: "A Berry Merry Christmas") | Mitchell Kriegman | Disney Channel |
| 1999 (52nd) | CinderElmo | Bruce Leddy | Fox |
| 1999 (52nd) | Cousin Skeeter (Episode: "Dirty Laundry") | Jonathan Winfrey | Nickelodeon |
| 1999 (52nd) | The Wonderful World of Disney (Episode: "H-E Double Hockey Sticks") | Randall Miller | ABC |

### 2000s

| Year | Program | Winners and nominees | Network |
| 2000 (53rd) | Miracle in Lane 2 | Greg Beeman | Disney Channel |
| 2000 (53rd) | Even Stevens (Episode: "Easy Way") | Sean McNamara | Disney Channel |
| 2000 (53rd) | Even Stevens (Episode: "Take My Sister...Please") | Paul Hoen | Disney Channel |
| 2000 (53rd) | The Color of Friendship | Kevin Hooks | Disney Channel |
| 2000 (53rd) | The Wonderful World of Disney (Episode: "Santa Who?") | William Dear | ABC |
| 2001 (54th) | 'Twas the Night: A Holiday Celebration | Amy Schatz | HBO |
| 2001 (54th) | Even Stevens (Episode: "Very Scary Story") | Sean McNamara | Disney Channel |
| 2001 (54th) | My Louisiana Sky | Adam Arkin | Showtime |
| 2001 (54th) | They Call Me Sirr | Robert Munic | Showtime |
| 2001 (54th) | Walter and Henry | Daniel Petrie | Showtime |
| 2002 (55th) | Bang Bang You're Dead | Guy Ferland | Showtime |
| 2002 (55th) | Even Stevens (Episode: "Band on the Roof") | Gregory Hobson | Disney Channel |
| 2002 (55th) | I Was a Teenage Faust | Thom Eberhardt | Showtime |
| 2002 (55th) | A Ring of Endless Light | Greg Beeman | Disney Channel |
| 2002 (55th) | Through a Child's Eyes: September 11, 2001 | Amy Schatz | HBO |
| 2003 (56th) | The Wonderful World of Disney (Episode: "Eloise at Christmastime") | Kevin Lima | ABC |
| 2003 (56th) | The Cheetah Girls | Oz Scott | Disney Channel |
| 2003 (56th) | The Even Stevens Movie | Sean McNamara | Disney Channel |
| 2003 (56th) | The Wonderful World of Disney (Episode: "Sounder") | Kevin Hooks | ABC |
| 2003 (56th) | A Time for Dancing | Peter Gilbert | Showtime |
| 2004 (57th) | Going to the Mat | Stuart Gillard | Disney Channel |
| 2004 (57th) | Crown Heights | Jeremy Kagan | Showtime |
| 2004 (57th) | Jack | Lee Rose | Showtime |
| 2004 (57th) | Searching for David's Heart | Paul Hoen | ABC Family |
| 2004 (57th) | Tiger Cruise | Duwayne Dunham | Disney Channel |
| 2005 (58th) | Edge of America | Chris Eyre | Showtime |
| 2005 (58th) | Buffalo Dreams | David Jackson | Disney Channel |
| 2005 (58th) | Flight 29 Down (Episode: "The Pits") | D. J. MacHale | NBC |
| 2005 (58th) | I Have Tourette's but Tourette's Doesn't Have Me | Ellen Goosenberg Kent | HBO |
| 2005 (58th) | Speak | Jessica Sharzer | Showtime |
| 2006 (59th) | High School Musical | Kenny Ortega | Disney Channel |
| 2006 (59th) | The Cutting Edge: Going for the Gold | Sean McNamara | ABC Family |
| 2006 (59th) | Molly: An American Girl on the Home Front | Joyce Chopra | Disney Channel |
| 2006 (59th) | Phil of the Future (Episode: "Not So Great Great Great Grandpa") | Fred Savage | Disney Channel |
| 2006 (59th) | The Year Without a Santa Claus | Ron Underwood | NBC |
| 2007 (60th) | Jump In! | Paul Hoen | Disney Channel |
| 2007 (60th) | GoingGreen: Every Home an Eco-Home | Judith Vogelsang | PBS |
| 2007 (60th) | High School Musical 2 | Kenny Ortega | Disney Channel |
| 2007 (60th) | Lincoln Heights (Episode: "That Feeling We Have") | Andy Wolk | ABC Family |
| 2007 (60th) | Wizards of Waverly Place (Episode: "The Crazy 10-Minute Sale") | Fred Savage | Disney Channel |
| 2008 (61st) | Classical Baby (Episode: "The Poetry Show") | Amy Schatz | HBO |
| 2008 (61st) | The American Mall | Shawn Ku | MTV |
| 2008 (61st) | Camp Rock | Matthew Diamond | Disney Channel |
| 2008 (61st) | The Cheetah Girls: One World | Paul Hoen | Disney Channel |
| 2008 (61st) | Minutemen | Lev L. Spiro | Disney Channel |
| 2009 (62nd) | Princess Protection Program | Allison Liddi-Brown | Disney Channel |
| 2009 (62nd) | An American Girl: Chrissa Stands Strong | Martha Coolidge | HBO |
| 2009 (62nd) | Zeke and Luther (Episode: "Pilot") | Fred Savage | Disney XD |
| 2009 (62nd) | Hard Times for an American Girl: The Great Depression | Amy Schatz | HBO |
| 2009 (62nd) | Lincoln Heights (Episode: "Time To Let Go") | Andy Wolk | ABC Family |

### 2010s

| Year | Program | Winners and nominees | Network |
| 2010 (63rd) | The Boy Who Cried Werewolf | Eric Bross | Nickelodeon |
| 2010 (63rd) | Avalon High | Stuart Gillard | Disney Channel |
| 2010 (63rd) | Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam | Paul Hoen | Disney Channel |
| 2010 (63rd) | Secrets of the Mountain | Douglas Barr | NBC |
| 2010 (63rd) | StarStruck | Michael Grossman | Disney Channel |
| 2010 (63rd) | Unnatural History (Episode: "Pilot") | Mikael Salomon | Cartoon Network |
| 2011 (64th) | A Child's Garden of Poetry | Amy Schatz | HBO |
| 2011 (64th) | Best Player | Damon Santostefano | Nickelodeon |
| 2011 (64th) | Fred 2: Night of the Living Fred | John Fortenberry | Nickelodeon |
| 2011 (64th) | Geek Charming | Jeffrey Hornaday | Disney Channel |
| 2011 (64th) | Lemonade Mouth | Patricia Riggen | Disney Channel |
| 2011 (64th) | Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure | Michael Lembeck | Disney Channel |
| 2012 (65th) | Let It Shine | Paul Hoen | Disney Channel |
| 2012 (65th) | Big Time Movie | Savage Steve Holland | Nickelodeon |
| 2012 (65th) | Don't Divorce Me! Kids' Rules for Parents on Divorce | Amy Schatz | HBO |
| 2012 (65th) | Fred 3: Camp Fred | Jonathan Judge | Nickelodeon |
| 2012 (65th) | Girl vs. Monster | Stuart Gillard | Disney Channel |
| 2013 (66th) | An Apology to Elephants | Amy Schatz | HBO |
| 2013 (66th) | A.N.T. Farm (Episode: "influANTces") | Adam Weissman | Disney Channel |
| 2013 (66th) | Jinxed | Stephen Herek | Nickelodeon |
| 2013 (66th) | Swindle | Jonathan Judge | Nickelodeon |
| 2013 (66th) | Teen Beach Movie | Jeffrey Hornaday | Disney Channel |
| 2014 (67th) | 100 Things to Do Before High School (Episode: "Pilot") | Jonathan Judge | Nickelodeon |
| 2014 (67th) | An American Girl: Isabelle Dances Into the Spotlight | Vince Marcello | Disney Channel |
| 2014 (67th) | How to Build a Better Boy | Paul Hoen | Disney Channel |
| 2014 (67th) | Saving My Tomorrow (Episodes: "Part 1" and "Part 2") | Amy Schatz | HBO |
| 2014 (67th) | Sesame Street (Episode: "4504 Numericon") | Joey Mazzarino | PBS |
| 2015 (68th) | Descendants | Kenny Ortega | Disney Channel |
| 2015 (68th) | Gortimer Gibbon's Life on Normal Street (Episode: "Gortimer and the Vengeful Violinist") | Sasie Sealy | Amazon |
| 2015 (68th) | Invisible Sister | Paul Hoen | Disney Channel |
| 2015 (68th) | Saving My Tomorrow (Episode: "Part 3") | Amy Schatz | HBO |
| 2015 (68th) | Sesame Street (Episode: "The Cookie Thief") | Joey Mazzarino | PBS |
| 2016 (69th) | An American Girl Story – Melody 1963: Love Has to Win | Tina Mabry | Amazon |
| 2016 (69th) | Adventures in Babysitting | John Schultz | Disney Channel |
| 2016 (69th) | Gortimer Gibbon's Life on Normal Street (Episode: "Gortimer and the Jacks of All Trades") | Alethea Jones | Amazon |
| 2016 (69th) | The Kicks (Episode: "Pilot") | Liz Allen | Amazon |
| 2016 (69th) | A Nutcracker Christmas | Michael Lembeck | Hallmark Channel |
| 2017 (70th) | Anne with an E (Episode: "Your Will Shall Decide Your Destiny") | Niki Caro | Netflix |
| 2017 (70th) | 15: A Quinceañera Story: Zoey | Matthew O'Neill and Thalia Sodi | HBO |
| 2017 (70th) | An American Girl Story: Summer Camp, Friends for Life | Alison McDonald | Amazon |
| 2017 (70th) | Just Add Magic (Episode: "Just Add Meddling") | Lily Mariye | Amazon |
| 2017 (70th) | The Magical Wand Chase: A Sesame Street Special | Benjamin Lehmann | HBO |
| 2018 (71st) | When You Wish Upon a Pickle: A Sesame Street Special | Jack Jameson | HBO |
| 2018 (71st) | The Dangerous Book for Boys (Episode: "How to Walk on the Moon") | Greg Mottola | Amazon |
| 2018 (71st) | A Series of Unfortunate Events (Episode: "The Ersatz Elevator: Part 1") | Bo Welch | Netflix |
| 2018 (71st) | A Series of Unfortunate Events (Episode: "The Hostile Hospital: Part 1") | Allan Arkush | Netflix |
| 2018 (71st) | A Series of Unfortunate Events (Episode: "The Vile Village: Part 1") | Barry Sonnenfeld | Netflix |
| 2019 (72nd) | Song of Parkland | Amy Schatz | HBO |
| 2019 (72nd) | Are You Afraid of the Dark? (Episode: "Part One: Submitted for Your Approval") | Dean Israelite | Nickelodeon |
| 2019 (72nd) | Ghostwriter (Episode: "Ghost in Wonderland: Part 1") | Luke Matheny | Apple TV+ |
| 2019 (72nd) | A Series of Unfortunate Events (Episode: "Penultimate Peril: Part 1") | Barry Sonnenfeld | Netflix |
| 2019 (72nd) | Sesame Street's 50th Anniversary Special | Jack Jameson | HBO |

### 2020s

| Year | Program | Winners and nominees | Network |
| 2020 (73rd) | We Are the Dream: The Kids of the Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest | Amy Schatz | HBO |
| 2020 (73rd) | The Astronauts (Episode: "Countdown") | Dean Israelite | Nickelodeon |
| 2020 (73rd) | The Healing Powers of Dude (Episode: "Second Step: Homeroom") | Richie Keen | Netflix |
| 2020 (73rd) | High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (Episode: "Opening Night") | Kabir Akhtar | Disney+ |
| 2020 (73rd) | On Pointe (Episode: "Showtime!") | Larissa Bills | Disney+ |
| 2021 (74th) | Through Our Eyes (Episode: "Shelter") | Smriti Mundhra | HBO Max |
| 2021 (74th) | Are You Afraid of the Dark? (Episode: "The Tale of the Darkhouse") | Jeff Wadlow | Nickelodeon |
| 2021 (74th) | Head of the Class (Episode: "Three More Years") | Phill Lewis | HBO Max |
| 2021 (74th) | The J Team | Michael Lembeck | Paramount+ |
| 2021 (74th) | The Mysterious Benedict Society (Episode: "A Bunch of Smart Orphans") | James Bobin | Disney+ |
| 2022 (75th) | Best Foot Forward (Episode: "Halloween") | Anne Renton | Apple TV+ |
| 2022 (75th) | Amber Brown (Episode: "I, Amber Brown") | Bonnie Hunt | Apple TV+ |
| 2022 (75th) | Are You Afraid of the Dark? (Episode: "The Tale of Room 13") | Dean Israelite | Nickelodeon |
| 2022 (75th) | Better Nate Than Ever | Tim Federle | Disney+ |
| 2022 (75th) | Snow Day | Michael Lembeck | Paramount+ |
| 2023 (76th) | Stand Up & Shout: Songs from a Philly High School | Amy Schatz | HBO |
| 2023 (76th) | American Born Chinese (Episode: "A Monkey on a Quest") | Dinh Thai | Disney+ |
| 2023 (76th) | American Born Chinese (Episode: "What Guy Are You") | Destin Daniel Cretton | Disney+ |
| 2023 (76th) | Goosebumps (Episode: "Say Cheese and Die") | Rob Letterman | Disney+ |
| 2023 (76th) | Percy Jackson and the Olympians (Episode: "I Accidentally Vaporize My Pre-Algebra Teacher") | James Bobin | Disney+ |
| 2024 (77th) | Out of My Mind | Amber Sealey | Disney+ |
| 2024 (77th) | Avatar: The Last Airbender (Episode: "Aang") | Michael Goi | Netflix |
| 2024 (77th) | Descendants: The Rise of Red | Jennifer Phang | Disney+ |
| 2024 (77th) | The Spiderwick Chronicles (Episode: "Welcome to Spiderwick") | Kat Coiro | Roku Channel |
| 2024 (77th) | Sweet Tooth (Episode: "This Is a Story") | Jim Mickle | Netflix |

## Programs with multiple nominations
### 5 nominations

* The Wonderful World of Disney

### 4 nominations

* Even Stevens
* A Series of Unfortunate Events

### 3 nominations

* Are You Afraid of the Dark?

### 2 nominations

* American Born Chinese
* Bear in the Big Blue House
* Gortimer Gibbon's Life on Normal Street
* Goosebumps
* Lincoln Heights
* Saving My Tomorrow
* Sesame Street
* Sports Theater with Shaquille O'Neal

## Individuals with multiple awards
### 8 awards

* Amy Schatz

### 2 awards

* Paul Hoen
* Kenny Ortega

## Total awards by network

* HBO – 9
* Disney Channel – 8
* Nickelodeon – 3
* Showtime – 3
* ABC – 1
* Amazon – 1
* Apple TV+ – 1
* Disney+ – 1
* HBO Max – 1
* Netflix – 1