The Directors Guild of America has announced its nominees for the best television direction of 2025, and The Pitt stands out as a top contender. The HBO Max medical drama secured two nominations in the competitive Dramatic Series category. These nominations recognize individual episodes directed by Amanda Marsalis and John Wells, putting the show in a strong position as awards season begins.
The Pitt shares the spotlight with FX’s The Bear, which also earned two nominations in the Comedy Series category. The full list of nominees across nine television categories was released on January 7, 2026. The winners will be announced at the 78th Annual DGA Awards ceremony on February 7, 2026, held at The Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills.
The Pitt’s Nominated Episodes and Directors
The two nominations for The Pitt celebrate distinct episodes that showcased different directorial visions within the show’s intense hospital setting.
One nomination is for director Amanda Marsalis, recognized for her work on the episode titled “6:00 P.M.”. Marsalis is known for her sharp visual style and has directed episodes for series like Ozark and Westworld before joining The Pitt.
The second nomination went to veteran producer and director John Wells for the episode “7:00 A.M.”. Wells, the series creator and showrunner, has a long history in television drama, most famously as the executive producer of ER and The West Wing. Both episodes highlight the relentless, round-the-clock pressure of emergency medicine, a central theme of the series.
Interestingly, both episodes shared key members of their directorial team, including Unit Production Manager Michelle Lankwarden and First Assistant Director Eric Tignini. This indicates a consistent production framework that allowed each director to bring their unique perspective to the screen.
Competition in the Dramatic Series Category
The Pitt faces tough competition in the Dramatic Series category. The other nominees represent some of the most acclaimed television of the past year.
- Liza Johnson is nominated for directing the “Amagansett” episode of Netflix’s political thriller The Diplomat.
- Janus Metz earned a nod for the “Who Are You?” installment of the Disney+ Star Wars series Andor.
- Ben Stiller is nominated for the “Cold Harbor” episode of Apple TV+’s mind-bending workplace series Severance.
This category often predicts success at later awards shows like the Emmys, making these nominations particularly significant for the careers of the directors and the profiles of their shows.
A Strong Year for Comedy and Saturday Night Live
While The Pitt leads in drama, the comedy field is dominated by The Bear. The FX restaurant drama secured two of the five Comedy Series nomination slots. Janicza Bravo was nominated for directing the episode “Worms,” and series co-creator Christopher Storer was nominated for the episode “Bears”.
The other comedy nominees are Lucia Aniello for Hacks, the team of Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg for The Studio, and Mike White for The White Lotus.
A major story from the nominations is the strong showing for Saturday Night Live’s 50th-anniversary celebrations. The franchise collected a total of three nominations across different categories. Beth McCarthy-Miller is nominated for SNL50: The Homecoming Concert, and Liz Patrick is nominated for SNL50: The Anniversary Special, both in the Variety category. Additionally, Marshall Curry is nominated in the Documentary Series/News category for SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night, an inside look at the show’s writers’ room.
Complete List of 2026 DGA Television Nominees
The DGA Awards honor directorial achievement across all major types of television programming. Here is a breakdown of the nominees in key categories beyond Drama and Comedy.
Movies for Television and Limited Series
This category features directors for standalone films and limited series. The nominees are:
- 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)
- Kyle Newacheck for Happy Gilmore 2 (Netflix)
The Limited & Anthology Series nominees include Jason Bateman for Black Rabbit, Antonio Campos for The Beast in Me, and Lesli Linka Glatter for Zero Day, all streaming on Netflix.
Variety, Sports, and Reality Programming
The Variety category pits the SNL specials against late-night direction from Yvonne De Mare (The Late Show with Stephen Colbert), Andy Fisher (Jimmy Kimmel Live!), and Paul Pennolino (Last Week Tonight with John Oliver).
Major sporting events are recognized in the Sports category. The nominees are Matthew Gangl for the 2025 World Series Game 7, Steve Milton for the 2025 Masters Tournament, and Rich Russo for Super Bowl LIX.
In Reality/Quiz and Game shows, the nominees are Lucinda M. Margolis for Jeopardy!, Adam Sandler for a milestone episode of The Price is Right, and Mike Sweeney for Conan O’Brien Must Go.
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What These Nominations Mean for The Pitt
Earning two DGA nominations is a major accomplishment for The Pitt, especially in its first season. The DGA Awards are voted on solely by fellow directors, making this peer recognition particularly meaningful. It signals that the show’s technical execution, pacing, and visual storytelling have resonated strongly within the industry.
Historically, a DGA nomination is a strong indicator of future success at the Primetime Emmy Awards, particularly in the directing categories. For HBO Max, these nominations help solidify The Pitt as a prestige drama that can compete with established favorites like The Diplomat and Severance.
The full list of nominees for theatrical feature films and first-time directors will be announced on January 8, 2026. The film nominations are typically watched even more closely as indicators of the upcoming Academy Awards race.
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