# Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Drama Series

The Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series is one of the annual Directors Guild of America Awards given by the Directors Guild of America. It was first presented at the 24th Directors Guild of America Awards in 1972. The current eligibility period is the calendar year.

## Winners and nominees
### 1970s

| Year | Program | Episode | Winners and nominees | Network |
| 1971 (24th) | The Man and the City | "Hands of Love" | Daniel Petrie | ABC |
| 1971 (24th) | Birdbath | – | Lamont Johnson | PBS |
| 1971 (24th) | Samuel Beckett's Beginning to End | – | Lewis Freedman | PBS |
| 1972 (25th) | The Waltons | "Dust Bowl Cousins" | Robert Butler | CBS |
| 1972 (25th) | Hawaii Five-O | "V for Fashion" | Charles S. Dubin | CBS |
| 1972 (25th) | Marcus Welby, M.D. | "Love is When They Say They Need You" | Marc Daniels | ABC |
| 1973 (26th) | Kojak | "Knockover" | Charles S. Dubin | CBS |
| 1973 (26th) | Kung Fu | "Eye for an Eye" | Jerry Thorpe | ABC |
| 1973 (26th) | The Waltons | "The Journey" | Harry Harris | CBS |
| 1974 (27th) | Kojak | "Cross Your Heart, Hope to Die" | David Friedkin | CBS |
| 1974 (27th) | The Streets of San Francisco | "Cry Help" | Corey Allen | ABC |
| 1974 (27th) | The Streets of San Francisco | "Mask of Death" | Harry Falk | ABC |
| 1975 (28th) | Jennie: Lady Randolph Churchill | | James Cellan Jones | PBS |
| 1975 (28th) | Carl Sandburg's Lincoln | | George Schaefer | NBC |
| 1975 (28th) | Kojak | "How Cruel The Frost, How Bright The Stars" | David Friedkin | CBS |
| 1976 (29th) | Family | "Rites of Friendship" | Glenn Jordan | ABC |
| 1976 (29th) | The Adams Chronicles | "Chapter III: John Adams, Diplomat" | James Cellan Jones | PBS |
| 1976 (29th) | Rich Man, Poor Man Book II | "Chapter III" | Bill Bixby | ABC |
| 1977 (30th) | Roots | "Part II" | John Erman | ABC |
| 1977 (30th) | Family | "Acts of Love: Part 1" & "Acts of Love: Part 2" | E. W. Swackhamer | ABC |
| 1977 (30th) | James at 15 | "Friends" | Joseph Hardy | NBC |
| 1978 (31st) | Lou Grant | "Prisoner" | Gene Reynolds | CBS |
| 1978 (31st) | Laurence Olivier Presents | "The Collection" | Michael Apted | PBS |
| 1978 (31st) | The Paper Chase | "Pilot" | Joseph Hardy | CBS |
| 1979 (32nd) | Lou Grant | "Cop" | Roger Young | CBS |
| 1979 (32nd) | Lou Grant | "Bomb" | Gene Reynolds | CBS |
| 1979 (32nd) | The White Shadow | "Pregnant Pause" | Jackie Cooper | CBS |

### 1980s

| Year | Program | Episode | Winners and nominees | Network |
| 1980 (33rd) | Lou Grant | "Lou" | Roger Young | CBS |
| 1980 (33rd) | Dallas | "House Divided" | Irving Moore | CBS |
| 1980 (33rd) | Lou Grant | "Nightside" | Gene Reynolds | CBS |
| 1981 (34th) | Hill Street Blues | "Hill Street Station" | Robert Butler | NBC |
| 1981 (34th) | Hill Street Blues | "The Last White Man on East Ferry" | David Anspaugh | NBC |
| 1981 (34th) | Hill Street Blues | "Up in Arms" | Georg Stanford Brown | NBC |
| 1982 (35th) | Hill Street Blues | "Personal Foul" | David Anspaugh | NBC |
| 1982 (35th) | American Playhouse | "Weekend" | Paul Bogart | PBS |
| 1982 (35th) | Fame | "And the Winner Is" | Marc Daniels | NBC |
| 1983 (36th) | Hill Street Blues | "Life in the Minors" | Jeff Bleckner | NBC |
| 1983 (36th) | Hill Street Blues | "Goodbye, Mr. Scripps" | Corey Allen | NBC |
| 1983 (36th) | Hill Street Blues | "Here's Adventure, Here's Romance" | Christian Nyby | NBC |
| 1984 (37th) | Hill Street Blues | "The Rise and Fall of Paul the Wall" | Thomas Carter | NBC |
| 1984 (37th) | St. Elsewhere | "Fade to White" | David Anspaugh | NBC |
| 1984 (37th) | St. Elsewhere | "Sweet Dreams" | Mark Tinker | NBC |
| 1985 (38th) | Moonlighting | "My Fair David" | Will Mackenzie | ABC |
| 1985 (38th) | Cagney & Lacey | "Who Said it's Fair? (Part 2)" | Ray Danton | CBS |
| 1985 (38th) | Miami Vice | "Smuggler's Blues" | Paul Michael Glaser | NBC |
| 1986 (39th) | Moonlighting | "Atomic Shakespeare" | Will Mackenzie | ABC |
| 1986 (39th) | L.A. Law | "The Venus Butterfly" | Donald Petrie | NBC |
| 1986 (39th) | St. Elsewhere | "Afterlife" | Mark Tinker | NBC |
| 1987 (40th) | thirtysomething | "Pilot" | Marshall Herskovitz | ABC |
| 1987 (40th) | Cagney & Lacey | "Turn, Turn, Turn (Part 1)" | Sharron Miller | CBS |
| 1987 (40th) | St. Elsewhere | "Weigh In, Weigh Out" | Mark Tinker | NBC |
| 1988 (41st) | thirtysomething | "Therapy" | Marshall Herskovitz | ABC |
| 1988 (41st) | St. Elsewhere | "The Last One" | Mark Tinker | NBC |
| 1988 (41st) | thirtysomething | "Accounts Receivable, Michael's Brother" | Edward Zwick | ABC |
| 1989 (42nd) | L.A. Law | "I'm in the Nude for Love" | Eric Laneuville | NBC |
| 1989 (42nd) | L.A. Law | "Lie Down and Deliver" | Gabrielle Beaumont | NBC |
| 1989 (42nd) | L.A. Law | "To Live and Diet in L.A." | John Pasquin | NBC |
| 1989 (42nd) | thirtysomething | "Love & Sex" | Marshall Herskovitz | ABC |

### 1990s

| Year | Program | Episode | Winners and nominees | Network |
| 1990 (43rd) | Quantum Leap | "The Leap Home (Part 2)" | Michael Zinberg | NBC |
| 1990 (43rd) | thirtysomething | "The Go-Between" | Scott Winant | ABC |
| 1990 (43rd) | Twin Peaks | "Episode 5" | Lesli Linka Glatter | ABC |
| 1991 (44th) | I'll Fly Away | "All God's Children" | Eric Laneuville | NBC |
| 1991 (44th) | Northern Exposure | "Goodbye to All That" | Stuart Margolin | CBS |
| 1991 (44th) | Northern Exposure | "Jules & Joel" | James Hayman | CBS |
| 1992 (45th) | Northern Exposure | "Cicely" | Rob Thompson | CBS |
| 1992 (45th) | I'll Fly Away | "The Way Things Are" | Roy Campanella II | NBC |
| 1992 (45th) | Northern Exposure | "Thanksgiving" | Michael Fresco | CBS |
| 1993 (46th) | NYPD Blue | "Pilot" | Gregory Hoblit | ABC |
| 1993 (46th) | Homicide: Life on the Street | "Gone for Goode" | Barry Levinson | NBC |
| 1993 (46th) | NYPD Blue | "From Hare to Eternity" | Eric Laneuville | ABC |
| 1993 (46th) | NYPD Blue | "True Confessions" | Charles Haid | ABC |
| 1993 (46th) | Picket Fences | "The Dancing Bandit" | Lou Antonio | CBS |
| 1994 (47th) | ER | "Into That Good Night" | Charles Haid | NBC |
| 1994 (47th) | Chicago Hope | "Pilot" | Michael Pressman | CBS |
| 1994 (47th) | ER | "Blizzard" | Mimi Leder | NBC |
| 1994 (47th) | ER | "The Gift" | Félix Enríquez Alcalá | NBC |
| 1994 (47th) | NYPD Blue | "Simon Says" | Gregory Hoblit | ABC |
| 1995 (48th) | ER | "Hell and High Water" | Christopher Chulack | NBC |
| 1995 (48th) | ER | "Do One, Teach One, Kill One" | Félix Enríquez Alcalá | NBC |
| 1995 (48th) | ER | "Love's Labor Lost" | Mimi Leder | NBC |
| 1995 (48th) | Murder One | "Pilot" | Charles Haid | ABC |
| 1995 (48th) | The X-Files | "The List" | Chris Carter | Fox |
| 1996 (49th) | ER | "Fear of Flying" | Christopher Chulack | NBC |
| 1996 (49th) | ER | "Ask Me No Questions, I'll Tell You No Lies" | Paris Barclay | NBC |
| 1996 (49th) | ER | "The Healers" | Mimi Leder | NBC |
| 1996 (49th) | NYPD Blue | "A Death in the Family" | Mark Tinker | ABC |
| 1996 (49th) | NYPD Blue | "These Old Bones" | Donna Deitch | ABC |
| 1997 (50th) | Homicide: Life on the Street | "The Documentary" | Barbara Kopple | NBC |
| 1997 (50th) | Ally McBeal | "Pilot" | James Frawley | Fox |
| 1997 (50th) | Brooklyn South | "Pilot" | Mark Tinker | CBS |
| 1997 (50th) | ER | "Fathers and Sons" | Christopher Chulack | NBC |
| 1997 (50th) | The X-Files | "The Post-Modern Prometheus" | Chris Carter | Fox |
| 1998 (51st) | NYPD Blue | "Hearts and Souls" | Paris Barclay | ABC |
| 1998 (51st) | Homicide: Life on the Street | "Finnegan's Wake" | Steve Buscemi | NBC |
| 1998 (51st) | Law & Order | "Under the Influence" | Adam Davidson | NBC |
| 1998 (51st) | NYPD Blue | "Danny Boy" | Mark Tinker | ABC |
| 1998 (51st) | The X-Files | "Triangle" | Chris Carter | Fox |
| 1999 (52nd) | The Sopranos | "Pilot" | David Chase | HBO |
| 1999 (52nd) | The Sopranos | "46 Long" | Daniel Attias | HBO |
| 1999 (52nd) | The Sopranos | "College" | Allen Coulter | HBO |
| 1999 (52nd) | The Sopranos | "Nobody Knows Anything" | Henry J. Bronchtein | HBO |
| 1999 (52nd) | The West Wing | "Pilot" | Thomas Schlamme | NBC |

### 2000s

| Year | Program | Episode | Winners and nominees | Network |
| 2000 (53rd) | The West Wing | "Noël" | Thomas Schlamme | NBC |
| 2000 (53rd) | The Sopranos | "From Where to Eternity" | Henry J. Bronchtein | HBO |
| 2000 (53rd) | The Sopranos | "Funhouse" | John Patterson | HBO |
| 2000 (53rd) | The Sopranos | "The Knight in White Satin Armor" | Allen Coulter | HBO |
| 2000 (53rd) | The West Wing | "The Portland Trip" | Paris Barclay | NBC |
| 2001 (54th) | Six Feet Under | "Pilot" | Alan Ball | HBO |
| 2001 (54th) | 24 | "12:00 a.m. – 1:00 a.m." | Stephen Hopkins | Fox |
| 2001 (54th) | The Sopranos | "Pine Barrens" | Steve Buscemi | HBO |
| 2001 (54th) | The West Wing | "The Indians in the Lobby" | Paris Barclay | NBC |
| 2001 (54th) | The West Wing | "Two Cathedrals" | Thomas Schlamme | NBC |
| 2002 (55th) | The Sopranos | "Whitecaps" | John Patterson | HBO |
| 2002 (55th) | Six Feet Under | "Back to the Garden" | Daniel Attias | HBO |
| 2002 (55th) | The Sopranos | "Whoever Did This" | Tim Van Patten | HBO |
| 2002 (55th) | The West Wing | "Debate Camp" | Paris Barclay | NBC |
| 2002 (55th) | The West Wing | "Posse Comitatus" | Alex Graves | NBC |
| 2003 (56th) | The West Wing | "Twenty Five" | Christopher Misiano | NBC |
| 2003 (56th) | 24 | "Day 2: 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m." | Jon Cassar | Fox |
| 2003 (56th) | Six Feet Under | "I'm Sorry, I'm Lost" | Alan Ball | HBO |
| 2003 (56th) | Six Feet Under | "Nobody Sleeps" | Alan Poul | HBO |
| 2003 (56th) | Six Feet Under | "Twilight" | Kathy Bates | HBO |
| 2004 (57th) | Deadwood | "Deadwood" | Walter Hill | HBO |
| 2004 (57th) | ER | "Time of Death" | Christopher Chulack | NBC |
| 2004 (57th) | Lost | "Pilot (Part 1)" | J. J. Abrams | ABC |
| 2004 (57th) | The Sopranos | "All Due Respect" | John Patterson | HBO |
| 2004 (57th) | The Sopranos | "Long Term Parking" | Tim Van Patten | HBO |
| 2005 (58th) | Rome | "The Stolen Eagle" | Michael Apted | HBO |
| 2005 (58th) | Grey's Anatomy | "A Hard Day's Night" | Peter Horton | ABC |
| 2005 (58th) | Grey's Anatomy | "Into You Like a Train" | Jeff Melman | ABC |
| 2005 (58th) | House | "Three Stories" | Paris Barclay | Fox |
| 2005 (58th) | Six Feet Under | "Everyone's Waiting" | Alan Ball | HBO |
| 2006 (59th) | 24 | "Day 5: 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m." | Jon Cassar | Fox |
| 2006 (59th) | Grey's Anatomy | "It's the End of the World" & "As We Know It" | Peter Horton | ABC |
| 2006 (59th) | The Sopranos | "Join the Club" | David Nutter | HBO |
| 2006 (59th) | The Sopranos | "Members Only" | Tim Van Patten | HBO |
| 2006 (59th) | Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip | "Pilot" | Thomas Schlamme | NBC |
| 2007 (60th) | Mad Men | "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" | Alan Taylor | AMC |
| 2007 (60th) | Lost | "The Brig" | Eric Laneuville | ABC |
| 2007 (60th) | Lost | "Through the Looking Glass" | Jack Bender | ABC |
| 2007 (60th) | The Sopranos | "Made in America" | David Chase | HBO |
| 2007 (60th) | The Sopranos | "Soprano Home Movies" | Tim Van Patten | HBO |
| 2008 (61st) | The Wire | "Transitions" | Dan Attias | HBO |
| 2008 (61st) | In Treatment | "Week 8: Alex" | Paris Barclay | HBO |
| 2008 (61st) | Lost | "The Constant" | Jack Bender | ABC |
| 2008 (61st) | Mad Men | "Meditations in an Emergency" | Matthew Weiner | AMC |
| 2008 (61st) | Mad Men | "The Mountain King" | Alan Taylor | AMC |
| 2009 (62nd) | Mad Men | "Guy Walks Into an Advertising Agency" | Lesli Linka Glatter | AMC |
| 2009 (62nd) | In Treatment | "Week 4: Gina" | Paris Barclay | HBO |
| 2009 (62nd) | Lost | "The Incident" | Jack Bender | ABC |
| 2009 (62nd) | Mad Men | "The Gypsy and the Hobo" | Jennifer Getzinger | AMC |
| 2009 (62nd) | Mad Men | "Shut the Door. Have a Seat." | Matthew Weiner | AMC |

### 2010s

| Year | Program | Episode | Winners and nominees | Network |
| 2010 (63rd) | Boardwalk Empire | "Boardwalk Empire" | Martin Scorsese | HBO |
| 2010 (63rd) | Boardwalk Empire | "Paris Green" | Allen Coulter | HBO |
| 2010 (63rd) | Lost | "The End" | Jack Bender | ABC |
| 2010 (63rd) | Mad Men | "The Suitcase" | Jennifer Getzinger | AMC |
| 2010 (63rd) | The Walking Dead | "Days Gone Bye" | Frank Darabont | AMC |
| 2011 (64th) | The Killing | "Pilot" | Patty Jenkins | AMC |
| 2011 (64th) | Breaking Bad | "Face Off" | Vince Gilligan | AMC |
| 2011 (64th) | Friday Night Lights | "Always" | Michael Waxman | The 101 Network / NBC |
| 2011 (64th) | Game of Thrones | "Winter Is Coming" | Tim Van Patten | HBO |
| 2011 (64th) | Homeland | "Pilot" | Michael Cuesta | Showtime |
| 2012 (65th) | Breaking Bad | "Fifty-One" | Rian Johnson | AMC |
| 2012 (65th) | Homeland | "The Choice" | Michael Cuesta | Showtime |
| 2012 (65th) | Homeland | "Q&A" | Lesli Linka Glatter | Showtime |
| 2012 (65th) | Mad Men | "A Little Kiss" | Jennifer Getzinger | AMC |
| 2012 (65th) | The Newsroom | "We Just Decided To" | Greg Mottola | HBO |
| 2013 (66th) | Breaking Bad | "Felina" | Vince Gilligan | AMC |
| 2013 (66th) | Breaking Bad | "Blood Money" | Bryan Cranston | AMC |
| 2013 (66th) | Game of Thrones | "The Rains of Castamere" | David Nutter | HBO |
| 2013 (66th) | Homeland | "The Star" | Lesli Linka Glatter | Showtime |
| 2013 (66th) | House of Cards | "Chapter 1" | David Fincher | Netflix |
| 2014 (67th) | Homeland | "From A to B and Back Again" | Lesli Linka Glatter | Showtime |
| 2014 (67th) | Game of Thrones | "The Children" | Alex Graves | HBO |
| 2014 (67th) | Homeland | "13 Hours in Islamabad" | Dan Attias | Showtime |
| 2014 (67th) | House of Cards | "Chapter 22" | Jodie Foster | Netflix |
| 2014 (67th) | True Detective | "Who Goes There" | Cary Joji Fukunaga | HBO |
| 2015 (68th) | Game of Thrones | "Mother's Mercy" | David Nutter | HBO |
| 2015 (68th) | Downton Abbey | "Episode Eight" | Michael Engler | PBS |
| 2015 (68th) | Homeland | "The Tradition of Hospitality" | Lesli Linka Glatter | Showtime |
| 2015 (68th) | The Knick | "Williams and Walker" | Steven Soderbergh | Cinemax |
| 2015 (68th) | Mad Men | "Person to Person" | Matthew Weiner | AMC |
| 2016 (69th) | Game of Thrones | "Battle of the Bastards" | Miguel Sapochnik | HBO |
| 2016 (69th) | The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story | "From the Ashes of Tragedy" | Ryan Murphy | FX |
| 2016 (69th) | The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story | "The Race Card" | John Singleton | FX |
| 2016 (69th) | Stranger Things | "Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers" | The Duffer Brothers | Netflix |
| 2016 (69th) | Westworld | "The Original" | Jonathan Nolan | HBO |
| 2017 (70th) | The Handmaid's Tale | "Offred" | Reed Morano | Hulu |
| 2017 (70th) | Game of Thrones | "Beyond the Wall" | Alan Taylor | HBO |
| 2017 (70th) | Game of Thrones | "The Dragon and the Wolf" | Jeremy Podeswa | HBO |
| 2017 (70th) | Game of Thrones | "The Spoils of War" | Matt Shakman | HBO |
| 2017 (70th) | Stranger Things | "Chapter Nine: The Gate" | The Duffer Brothers | Netflix |
| 2018 (71st) | Succession | "Celebration" | Adam McKay | HBO |
| 2018 (71st) | The Americans | "START" | Chris Long | FX |
| 2018 (71st) | The Handmaid's Tale | "Holly" | Daina Reid | Hulu |
| 2018 (71st) | Homeland | "Paean to the People" | Lesli Linka Glatter | Showtime |
| 2018 (71st) | Ozark | "Reparations" | Jason Bateman | Netflix |
| 2019 (72nd) | Watchmen | "It's Summer and We're Running Out of Ice" | Nicole Kassell | HBO |
| 2019 (72nd) | Game of Thrones | "The Last of the Starks" | David Nutter | HBO |
| 2019 (72nd) | Game of Thrones | "The Long Night" | Miguel Sapochnik | HBO |
| 2019 (72nd) | Succession | "This Is Not for Tears" | Mark Mylod | HBO |
| 2019 (72nd) | Watchmen | "This Extraordinary Being" | Stephen Williams | HBO |

### 2020s

| Year | Program | Episode | Winners and nominees | Network |
| 2020 (73rd) | Homeland | "Prisoners of War" | Lesli Linka Glatter | Showtime |
| 2020 (73rd) | Better Call Saul | "Bagman" | Vince Gilligan | AMC |
| 2020 (73rd) | Bridgerton | "Diamond of the First Water" | Julie Anne Robinson | Netflix |
| 2020 (73rd) | The Mandalorian | "Chapter 9: The Marshal" | Jon Favreau | Disney+ |
| 2020 (73rd) | Ozark | "Wartime" | Jason Bateman | Netflix |
| 2021 (74th) | Succession | "All the Bells Say" | Mark Mylod | HBO |
| 2021 (74th) | Succession | "Retired Janitors of Idaho" | Kevin Bray | HBO |
| 2021 (74th) | Succession | "What It Takes" | Andrij Parekh | HBO |
| 2021 (74th) | Succession | "Lion in the Meadow" | Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman | HBO |
| 2021 (74th) | Succession | "Too Much Birthday" | Lorene Scafaria | HBO |
| 2022 (75th) | Euphoria | "Stand Still Like the Hummingbird" | Sam Levinson | HBO |
| 2022 (75th) | Better Call Saul | "Waterworks" | Vince Gilligan | AMC |
| 2022 (75th) | Ozark | "A Hard Way To Go" | Jason Bateman | Netflix |
| 2022 (75th) | Severance | "Hide and Seek" | Aoife McArdle | Apple TV+ |
| 2022 (75th) | Severance | "The We We Are" | Ben Stiller | Apple TV+ |
| 2023 (76th) | The Last of Us | "Long, Long Time" | Peter Hoar | HBO |
| 2023 (76th) | Succession | "Rehearsal" | Becky Martin | HBO |
| 2023 (76th) | Succession | "Connor's Wedding" | Mark Mylod | HBO |
| 2023 (76th) | Succession | "America Decides" | Andrij Parekh | HBO |
| 2023 (76th) | Succession | "Tailgate Party" | Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman | HBO |
| 2024 (77th) | Shōgun | "Crimson Sky" | Frederick E. O. Toye | FX |
| 2024 (77th) | The Diplomat | "Dreadnought" | Alex Graves | Netflix |
| 2024 (77th) | Shōgun | "Anjin" | Jonathan Van Tulleken | FX |
| 2024 (77th) | Shōgun | "Ladies of the Willow World" | Hiromi Kamata | FX |
| 2024 (77th) | True Detective | "Part 6" | Issa López | HBO |

## Individuals with multiple wins
### 3 wins

* Lesli Linka Glatter

### 2 wins

* Robert Butler (consecutive)
* Christopher Chulack (consecutive)
* Marshall Herskovitz (consecutive)
* Eric Laneuville
* Will Mackenzie (consecutive)
* Roger Young (consecutive)

## Total awards by network

* HBO – 14
* NBC – 13
* ABC – 9
* CBS – 7
* AMC – 5
* Showtime – 2
* Fox – 1
* FX – 1
* Hulu – 1
* PBS – 1