Australian Directors Guild Awards 2021: nominees

The Australian Director’s Guild has announced nominees for the 2021 ADG Awards.

Nominations include directors for Wakefield, Mr Inbetween, Halifax: Retribution, Mystery Road, The Unusual Suspects, Rosehaven, Bluey, Hardball, and Hating Peter Tatchell.

ADG Awards recognise works by guild members regardless of whether productions were filmed in Australia or internationally, hence Line of Duty, Killing Eve and The Good Lord Bird are also noted.

“The ADG Awards received a record number of nominations this year from our members – up 50% on the previous year. It’s thrilling to see the breadth and depth of Australian directorial talent across such a range of productions,” said Alaric McAusland, Executive Director of the ADG.

Winners will be announced at a gala luncheon ceremony on Friday December 3 at the Actor’s Centre in Leichhardt, Sydney.

TV and related categories:

Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Drama Series episode
Shannon Murphy – Killing Eve, Series 3 Episode 5
Jocelyn Moorhouse – Wakefield, Series 1 Episode 8
Nash Edgerton – Mr Inbetween, Series 3 Episode 1
Daniel Nettheim – Halifax: Retribution, Series 1 Episode 7
Wayne Blair – Mystery Road, Series 2 Episode 4
Gracie Otto -Bump, Series 1 Episode 6

Best Direction in a Movie Made for TV or SVOD
Christiaan Van Vuuren – A Sunburnt Christmas
Chrys Phillips – Madison and the Happiness Jar
Rosie Lourde – Romance on the Menu

Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Drama Serial episode
David Gould – Home and Away – E7591
Scott Major – Neighbours – E8573
Tenika Smith – Neighbours – E8490
Tenika Smith – The Heights – S2 E24

Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Miniseries Episode
Daniel Nettheim – Line of Duty – S6 E1
Natalie Bailey – Run– E5
Kate Woods – The Good Lord Bird – E6
Claire McCarthy – The Luminaries – E2
Natalie Bailey – The Unusual Suspects – E3

Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Comedy Program episode
Jonathan Brough – Aftertaste S1 E1
Max Miller – Aunty Donna’s Big Ol’ House of Fun – S1 E1
Helena Brooks – Drunk History: Australia – S1 E3
Jonathan Brough – Rosehaven – S4 E1
Jessie Oldfield and Adam Murfet – Why Are You Like This? – E3
Shaun Wilson – The Young Offenders – S3 E3

Best Direction in a Children’s TV or SVOD Drama Program Episode
Richard Jeffery – Bluey – Sleepytime
Peter Andrikidis – The New Legends of Monkey
Hayley MacFarlane – Dive Club
Darren Ashton – Hardball – Staties!
Guy Edmonds – Hardball – You’re A Star

Best Direction in a Documentary Feature
Catherine Dwyer – Brazen Hussies
Wayne Blair & Nel Minchin – Firestarter: The Story of Bangarra
Christopher Amos – Hating Peter Tatchell
Matthew Walker – I’m Wanita
Kriv Stenders – Slim & I

Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Documentary Series Episode or Documentary One-Off (TV one-hour)
Laurence Billiet – Freeman
Cathy Henkel and Sam Lara – Laura’s Choice
Cian O’Clery – Love on the Spectrum
Nial Fulton & Sarah Ferguson – Revelation
Tosca Looby – See What You Made Me Do

Best Direction in an Animation Project
Alexs Stadermann – 100% Wolf
Jacquie Trowell – 100% Wolf: Legend of the Moonstone – S1 E22
Jake Duczynski – Cooked
David Webster – Kangaroo Beach
Sarah Harper – LEGO: Monkie Kid – S2 E10
Pablo de la Torre – SPACE NOVA – S1 E7

Best Direction in a Web/Online Comedy Series Episode
Megan Riakos – Deadhouse Dark – E2
Libby Butler – Loving Captivity E5
Logan Mucha – Scattered – E33
Stevie Cruz-Martin – The Tailings – S1 E5
Hannah Lehmann – Two Sides – S2 E8

Best Direction in a Web/Online Drama Series Episode
Henry Stone – A Life in Questions: Wisdom School with Aaron Chen
Joelene Crnogorac – All the Way to the Top – E1
Grace Feng Fang Juan – Girl, Interpreted
Joshua Longhurst – Ding Dong I’m Gay S1 E6
Nick Kozakis – Earners
Jenna Owen & Vic Zerbst – The War on 2020

The ADG takes the opportunity to extend its sincere thanks to its award sponsors for their extraordinary commitment in supporting last year’s Covid-impacted event and their continued support for this year, in particular our Principal Partner ASDACS, our Major Partner Media Super and our Awards Venue Partner Actors Centre Australia.