# Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Musical Variety

The Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Musical Variety was an annual award given by the Directors Guild of America between 1971 and 2012. In 2013, the guild announced the creation of two new accolades to replace the award: the Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Regularly Scheduled Programming and the Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Specials.

## Winners and nominees
### 1970s

| Year | Program | Episode | Winners and nominees | Network |
| 1971 (24th) | The Flip Wilson Show | – | Timothy Kiley | NBC |
| 1971 (24th) | The Dean Martin Show | – | Greg Garrison | NBC |
| 1971 (24th) | The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour | – | Arthur Fisher | CBS |
| 1972 (25th) | Liza with a Z | – | Bob Fosse | NBC |
| 1972 (25th) | The Julie Andrews Hour | – | Bill Davis | ABC |
| 1972 (25th) | The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour | – | Arthur Fisher | CBS |
| 1973 (26th) | Barbra Streisand and Other Musical Instruments | – | Dwight Hemion | NBC |
| 1973 (26th) | The Carol Burnett Show | – | Dave Powers | CBS |
| 1973 (26th) | The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour | – | Arthur Fisher | CBS |
| 1974 (27th) | New York Philharmonic Young People's Concerts | "What Makes a Gershwin Tune a Gershwin Tune?" | Roger Englander | CBS |
| 1974 (27th) | The Perry Como Christmas Show | – | Nick Vanoff | CBS |
| 1974 (27th) | The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour | – | Arthur Fisher | CBS |
| 1975 (28th) | The Lily Tomlin Special | – | Jay Sandrich | ABC |
| 1975 (28th) | John Denver: Rocky Mountain Christmas | – | Bill Davis | ABC |
| 1975 (28th) | Steve and Eydie: Our Love Is Here to Stay | – | Dwight Hemion | CBS |
| 1976 (29th) | Shirley Maclaine: Gypsy in My Soul | – | Tony Charmoli | CBS |
| 1976 (29th) | The Dorothy Hamill Special | – | Dwight Hemion | ABC |
| 1976 (29th) | Sills and Burnett at the Met | – | Dave Powers | CBS |
| 1977 (30th) | Neil Diamond: I'm Glad You're Here with Me Tonight | – | Arthur Fisher | NBC |
| 1977 (30th) | Mitzi...Zings Into Spring | – | Tony Charmoli | CBS |
| 1977 (30th) | Sinatra and Friends | – | Bill Davis | ABC |
| 1978 (31st) | Great Performances: Dance in America | "Choreography by Balanchine: Part 3" | Merrill Brockway | PBS |
| 1978 (31st) | The Second Barry Manilow Special | – | George Schaefer | ABC |
| 1978 (31st) | Steve Martin: A Wild and Crazy Guy | – | Gary Weis | NBC |
| 1979 (32nd) | John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together | – | Tony Charmoli | ABC |
| 1979 (32nd) | The 3rd Barry Manilow Special | – | Don Mischer | ABC |
| 1979 (32nd) | In Performance at the White House | "Segovia at the White House" | David Deutsch | PBS |

### 1980s

| Year | Program | Episode | Winners and nominees | Network |
| 1980 (33rd) | IBM Presents Baryshnikov on Broadway | – | Dwight Hemion | ABC |
| 1980 (33rd) | Barry Manilow: One Voice | – | George Schaefer | ABC |
| 1980 (33rd) | Goldie and Liza Together | – | Don Mischer | CBS |
| 1981 (34th) | Great Performances: Dance in America | "The Spellbound Child" | Emile Ardolino | PBS |
| 1981 (34th) | Lily: Sold Out | – | Bill Davis and Tony Charmoli | CBS |
| 1981 (34th) | Sinatra: The Man and His Music | – | Clark Jones | NBC |
| 1982 (35th) | Shirley MacLaine: Illusions | – | Don Mischer | CBS |
| 1982 (35th) | Night of 100 Stars | – | Clark Jones | ABC |
| 1982 (35th) | Second City Television | "The Days Of The Week/Street Beef" | Jim Drake | NBC |
| 1983 (36th) | Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever | – | Don Mischer | NBC |
| 1983 (36th) | Eubie Blake: A Century of Music | – | Daniel Feldman | PBS |
| 1983 (36th) | Live from Lincoln Center | "NYC Ballet Salute to George Balanchine" | Emile Ardolino | PBS |
| 1984 (37th) | Great Performances: Dance in America | "Baryshnikov By Tharp" | Don Mischer and Twyla Tharp | PBS |
| 1984 (37th) | Opening Ceremonies: The Olympics | – | Terry Jastrow | ABC |
| 1984 (37th) | Olympic Gala | – | Tony Charmoli | ABC |
| 1985 (38th) | Motown Returns to the Apollo | – | Don Mischer | NBC |
| 1985 (38th) | The 57th Annual Academy Awards | – | Marty Pasetta | ABC |
| 1985 (38th) | Live Aid | – | Tony Verna, Sandi Fullerton, Louis J. Horvitz, and Wendy Acey | MTV |
| 1986 (39th) | Liberty Weekend | – | Walter C. Miller | ABC |
| 1986 (39th) | Great Performances: Dance in America | "Choreography by Jerome Robbins with the New York City Ballet" | Emile Ardolino | PBS |
| 1986 (39th) | Neil Diamond...Hello Again | – | Dwight Hemion | CBS |
| 1987 (40th) | Julie Andrews... The Sound Of Christmas | – | Dwight Hemion | ABC |
| 1987 (40th) | Great Performances: Dance in America | "Made in USA with Mikhail Baryshnikov" | Don Mischer | PBS |
| 1987 (40th) | Late Night with David Letterman | "5th Anniversary Special" | Hal Gurnee | NBC |
| 1988 (41st) | Irving Berlin's 100th Birthday Celebration | – | Walter C. Miller | CBS |
| 1988 (41st) | Late Night with David Letterman | "6th Anniversary Special" | Hal Gurnee | NBC |
| 1988 (41st) | The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour: The 20th Reunion | – | David Grossman | CBS |
| 1989 (42nd) | Great Performances: Dance in America | "Gregory Hines: Tap Dance in America" | Don Mischer | PBS |
| 1989 (42nd) | Billy Crystal: Midnight Train to Moscow | – | Paul Flaherty | HBO |
| 1989 (42nd) | Late Night with David Letterman in Chicago | – | Hal Gurnee | NBC |

### 1990s

| Year | Program | Episode | Winners and nominees | Network |
| 1990 (43rd) | The 62nd Annual Academy Awards | – | Jeff Margolis | ABC |
| 1990 (43rd) | In Living Color | "Pilot" | Paul Miller | Fox |
| 1990 (43rd) | Late Night with David Letterman | "8th Anniversary Special" | Hal Gurnee | NBC |
| 1991 (44th) | The 45th Annual Tony Awards | – | Walter C. Miller | CBS |
| 1991 (44th) | The 63rd Annual Academy Awards | – | Jeff Margolis | ABC |
| 1991 (44th) | Late Night with David Letterman | – | Hal Gurnee | NBC |
| 1992 (45th) | The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | "Robin Williams/Bette Midler" | Bobby Quinn | NBC |
| 1992 (45th) | The 64th Annual Academy Awards | – | Jeff Margolis | ABC |
| 1992 (45th) | Late Night with David Letterman | "10th Anniversary Special" | Hal Gurnee | NBC |
| 1993 (46th) | The 65th Annual Academy Awards | – | Jeff Margolis | ABC |
| 1993 (46th) | 1993 Kennedy Center Honors | – | Louis J. Horvitz | CBS |
| 1993 (46th) | Late Show with David Letterman | – | Hal Gurnee | CBS |
| 1993 (46th) | Leonard Bernstein Place | – | Humphrey Burton | A&E |
| 1993 (46th) | Tracey Ullman Takes on New York | – | Don Scardino | HBO |
| 1994 (47th) | Barbra Streisand: The Concert | – | Dwight Hemion and Barbra Streisand | HBO |
| 1994 (47th) | The 66th Annual Academy Awards | – | Jeff Margolis | ABC |
| 1994 (47th) | Great Performances | "Natalie Cole's Untraditional Traditional Christmas" | Patricia Birch | PBS |
| 1994 (47th) | Late Show with David Letterman | "#160" | Hal Gurnee | CBS |
| 1994 (47th) | The Three Tenors in Concert | – | William Cosel | PBS |
| 1995 (48th) | Great Performances | "Some Enchanted Evening: Celebrating Oscar Hammerstein" | Matthew Diamond | PBS |
| 1995 (48th) | The 67th Annual Academy Awards | – | Jeff Margolis | ABC |
| 1995 (48th) | Late Show with David Letterman from London | – | Hal Gurnee | CBS |
| 1995 (48th) | Sinatra: 80 Years My Way | – | Louis J. Horvitz | ABC |
| 1995 (48th) | The Tonight Show With Jay Leno from Las Vegas | – | Ellen Brown | NBC |
| 1996 (49th) | Opening Ceremonies: Atlanta Olympic Games | – | Don Mischer | NBC |
| 1996 (49th) | The 68th Annual Academy Awards | – | Jeff Margolis | ABC |
| 1996 (49th) | Sergei Grinkov: Celebration of a Life | – | Robert Fishman | CBS |
| 1996 (49th) | The Tonight Show With Jay Leno from Chicago | – | Ellen Brown | NBC |
| 1996 (49th) | Tracey Takes On... | "Romance" | Thomas Schlamme | HBO |
| 1997 (50th) | 1997 Kennedy Center Honors | – | Louis J. Horvitz | CBS |
| 1997 (50th) | Fleetwood Mac Reunion Special | – | Bruce Gowers | MTV |
| 1997 (50th) | The Rosie O'Donnell Show | – | Arthur Forrest | Syndicated |
| 1997 (50th) | Tracey Takes On... | "Vegas" | Don Scardino | HBO |
| 1997 (50th) | Tracey Takes On... | "1976" | Thomas Schlamme | HBO |
| 1998 (51st) | The 52nd Annual Tony Awards | – | Paul Miller | CBS |
| 1998 (51st) | The 70th Annual Academy Awards | – | Louis J. Horvitz | ABC |
| 1998 (51st) | I'm Telling You for the Last Time | – | Marty Callner | HBO |
| 1998 (51st) | In Performance at the White House | "Savion Glover – Stomp, Slide & Swing" | Matthew Diamond | PBS |
| 1998 (51st) | Late Show with David Letterman | "Episode #958" | Jerry Foley | CBS |
| 1999 (52nd) | Tracey Takes On... | "The End of the World" | Dennie Gordon | HBO |
| 1999 (52nd) | The 71st Annual Academy Awards | – | Louis J. Horvitz | ABC |
| 1999 (52nd) | Annie | – | Rob Marshall | ABC |
| 1999 (52nd) | Late Show with David Letterman | "Episode #1294" | Jerry Foley | CBS |
| 1999 (52nd) | Saturday Night Live: 25th Anniversary | – | Beth McCarthy-Miller | NBC |

### 2000s

| Year | Program | Episode | Winners and nominees | Network |
| 2000 (53rd) | Saturday Night Live | "Val Kilmer/U2" | Beth McCarthy-Miller | NBC |
| 2000 (53rd) | The 72nd Annual Academy Awards | – | Louis J. Horvitz | ABC |
| 2000 (53rd) | ABC 2000 Today | – | Roger Goodman | ABC |
| 2000 (53rd) | Late Show with David Letterman | "Episode #1527" | Jerry Foley | CBS |
| 2000 (53rd) | The Tonight Show with Jay Leno | "Episode #1938" | Ellen Brown | NBC |
| 2001 (54th) | America: A Tribute to Heroes | – | Joel Gallen and Beth McCarthy-Miller | |
| 2001 (54th) | The 55th Annual Tony Awards | – | Glenn Weiss | CBS |
| 2001 (54th) | 2001 Kennedy Center Honors | – | Louis J. Horvitz | CBS |
| 2001 (54th) | Barbra Streisand: Timeless | – | Barbra Streisand and Don Mischer | Fox |
| 2001 (54th) | Late Show with David Letterman | "Episode #1634" | Jerry Foley | CBS |
| 2002 (55th) | From Broadway: Fosse | – | Matthew Diamond | PBS |
| 2002 (55th) | The 56th Annual Tony Awards | – | Glenn Weiss | CBS |
| 2002 (55th) | The 74th Annual Academy Awards | – | Louis J. Horvitz | ABC |
| 2002 (55th) | Late Show with David Letterman | "Episode #1876" | Jerry Foley | CBS |
| 2002 (55th) | Robin Williams: Live On Broadway | – | Marty Callner | HBO |
| 2003 (56th) | Cher: The Farewell Tour | – | David Mallet | NBC |
| 2003 (56th) | The 75th Annual Academy Awards | – | Louis J. Horvitz | ABC |
| 2003 (56th) | The Daily Show with Jon Stewart | – | Chuck O'Neil | Comedy Central |
| 2003 (56th) | Rolling Stones: Licks World Tour Live at Madison Square Garden | – | Marty Callner | HBO |
| 2003 (56th) | Saturday Night Live | "Christopher Walken/The Foo Fighters" | Beth McCarthy-Miller | NBC |
| 2004 (57th) | Genius: A Night for Ray Charles | – | Bruce Gowers | CBS |
| 2004 (57th) | The 76th Annual Academy Awards | – | Louis J. Horvitz | ABC |
| 2004 (57th) | The Daily Show with Jon Stewart | – | Chuck O'Neil | Comedy Central |
| 2004 (57th) | Great Performances | "Eric Clapton: Crossroads Guitar Festival" | Ron de Moraes | PBS |
| 2004 (57th) | Late Show with David Letterman | "Episode #2187" | Jerry Foley | CBS |
| 2005 (58th) | Great Performances: Dance in America | "Swan Lake with American Ballet Theater" | Matthew Diamond | PBS |
| 2005 (58th) | The 59th Annual Tony Awards | – | Glenn Weiss | CBS |
| 2005 (58th) | The 77th Annual Academy Awards | – | Louis J. Horvitz | ABC |
| 2005 (58th) | The Daily Show with Jon Stewart | – | Chuck O'Neil | Comedy Central |
| 2005 (58th) | Late Show with David Letterman | "Episode #2452" | Jerry Foley | CBS |
| 2005 (58th) | Live from Lincoln Center | "Higher Ground Hurricane Relief Benefit" | Alan Skog | PBS |
| 2006 (59th) | Tony Bennett: An American Classic | – | Rob Marshall | NBC |
| 2006 (59th) | The 60th Annual Tony Awards | – | Glenn Weiss | CBS |
| 2006 (59th) | American Idol | "Season 5 Finale: Episode #534/535" | Bruce Gowers | Fox |
| 2006 (59th) | The Daily Show with Jon Stewart | – | Chuck O'Neil | Comedy Central |
| 2006 (59th) | Saturday Night Live | "Alec Baldwin/Christina Aguilera" | Don Roy King | NBC |
| 2007 (60th) | The 61st Annual Tony Awards | – | Glenn Weiss | CBS |
| 2007 (60th) | The 79th Annual Academy Awards | – | Louis J. Horvitz | ABC |
| 2007 (60th) | The Colbert Report | "Episode #3052" | Jim Hoskinson | Comedy Central |
| 2007 (60th) | The Daily Show with Jon Stewart | – | Chuck O'Neil | Comedy Central |
| 2007 (60th) | Late Show with David Letterman | "Episode #2773" | Jerry Foley | CBS |
| 2008 (61st) | Opening Ceremony Beijing 2008 Olympic Summer Games | – | Bucky Gunts | NBC |
| 2008 (61st) | The 62nd Annual Tony Awards | – | Glenn Weiss | CBS |
| 2008 (61st) | The 80th Annual Academy Awards | – | Louis J. Horvitz | ABC |
| 2008 (61st) | The Daily Show with Jon Stewart | "Episode #13107" | Chuck O'Neil | Comedy Central |
| 2008 (61st) | Saturday Night Live | – | Don Roy King | NBC |
| 2009 (62nd) | We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial | – | Don Mischer | HBO |
| 2009 (62nd) | 2009 Kennedy Center Honors | – | Louis J. Horvitz | CBS |
| 2009 (62nd) | The 25th Anniversary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concert | – | Joel Gallen | HBO |
| 2009 (62nd) | The 81st Annual Academy Awards | – | Roger Goodman | ABC |
| 2009 (62nd) | Saturday Night Live | "Justin Timberlake/Ciara" | Don Roy King | NBC |

### 2010s

| Year | Program | Episode | Winners and nominees | Network |
| 2010 (63rd) | The 64th Annual Tony Awards | – | Glenn Weiss | CBS |
| 2010 (63rd) | Bill Maher ...But I'm Not Wrong | – | John C. Moffit | HBO |
| 2010 (63rd) | In Performance at The White House | "Paul McCartney: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song" | Linda Mendoza | PBS |
| 2010 (63rd) | Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear | – | Chuck O'Neil | Comedy Central |
| 2010 (63rd) | Saturday Night Live | "Betty White/Jay-Z" | Don Roy King | NBC |
| 2011 (64th) | The 65th Annual Tony Awards | – | Glenn Weiss | CBS |
| 2011 (64th) | 2011 Kennedy Center Honors | – | Louis J. Horvitz | CBS |
| 2011 (64th) | The 83rd Annual Academy Awards | – | Don Mischer | ABC |
| 2011 (64th) | The Daily Show with Jon Stewart | "Episode #16070" | Chuck O'Neil | Comedy Central |
| 2011 (64th) | Saturday Night Live | "Justin Timberlake/Lady Gaga" | Don Roy King | NBC |
| 2012 (65th) | The 66th Annual Tony Awards | – | Glenn Weiss | CBS |
| 2012 (65th) | 12-12-12: The Concert for Sandy Relief | – | Michael Dempsey | |
| 2012 (65th) | The 84th Annual Academy Awards | – | Don Mischer | ABC |
| 2012 (65th) | The Daily Show with Jon Stewart | "Episode #17153" | Chuck O'Neil | Comedy Central |
| 2012 (65th) | Saturday Night Live | "Mick Jagger" | Don Roy King | NBC |

## Individuals with multiple awards
### 7 awards

* Don Mischer

### 4 awards

* Dwight Hemion
* Glenn Weiss

### 3 awards

* Walter C. Miller
* Matthew Diamond

### 2 awards

* Jeff Margolis
* Beth McCarthy-Miller

## Individuals with multiple nominations
### 16 nominations

* Louis J. Horvitz

### 13 nominations

* Don Mischer

### 9 nominations

* Hal Gurnee
* Chuck O'Neil
* Glenn Weiss

### 8 nominations

* Jerry Foley

### 7 nominations

* Dwight Hemion
* Jeff Margolis

### 6 nominations

* Don Roy King

### 5 nominations

* Tony Charmoli
* Arthur Fisher

### 4 nominations

* Bill Davis
* Matthew Diamond
* Beth McCarthy-Miller

### 3 nominations

* Emile Ardolino
* Ellen Brown
* Marty Callner
* Bruce Gowers
* Walter C. Miller

### 2 nominations

* Joel Gallen
* Roger Goodman
* Clark Jones
* Rob Marshall
* Paul Miller
* Dave Powers
* Don Scardino
* George Schaefer
* Thomas Schlamme
* Barbra Streisand

## Total awards by network

* CBS – 12
* NBC – 12
* ABC – 7
* PBS – 7
* HBO – 3