Australian Directors Guild Awards 2022: winners

Winners have been announced in the Australian Directors Guild Awards 2022.

They include a double win for Sian Davies (pictured right) for Surviving Summer and Spreadsheet, Thomas M. Wright for The Stranger, Corrie Chen for New Gold Mountain, and Emma Freeman for The Newsreader.

Leah Purcell (pictured left) was awarded Best Direction in a Debut Feature Film for The Drover’s Wife.

“It is fantastic to see this year’s ADG Awards reflect that diversity is now a reality amongst Australian directors. My congratulations to all the winners and my thanks to all those ADG nominees and members who celebrated our craft at today’s gala awards ceremony,” said ADG Executive Director Alaric McAusland.

The Cecil Holmes Award which recognises exceptional individuals who have advocated for Australian directors’ advanced craft and careers went to Samantha Lang.

Veteran first assistant director Peter McLennan received The ‘JC’ John Clabburn Award, awarded annually to a 1st AD.

TV and related categories: (winners in bold)

Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Mini-Series Episode

Ana Kokkinos
Fires Episode 2 – Everything’s Gone

Corrie Chen
New Gold Mountain Episode 2 – Righteousness

Kim Mordaunt
Fires Episode 3 – Stay or Leave

Michael Rymer
Fires Episode 6 – A Summer Lost

Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Drama Series Episode

Emma Freeman
The Newsreader Episode 1 Three, Two, One…

Arnie Custo
Home And Away Episode 7621

Arnie Custo
Home And Away Episode 7745

Daina Reid
Shining Girls Series 1, Episode 3 – Overnight

Fadia Abboud
Five Bedrooms Series 2, Episode 6 – Twenty-Seven Weeks

Kevin Carlin
Wentworth Series 8, Episode 20 – Legacy

Sian Davies
The Twelve, Episode 8

Wayne Blair
Total Control Season 2, Episode 4

Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Documentary Series Episode or Documentary One-Off

Chris Thorburn
The Family Court Murders Episode 3 – Outwitted

Dena Curtis
Back To Nature Episode 8 – Red Earth Heart

Ella Wright
Stage Changers

Nick Robinson
Puff: Wonders of the Reef

Rhian Skirving & John Harvey
Off Country

Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Comedy Series Episode

Darren Ashton
Spreadsheet Episode 2 – Whose Dick is This?

Jeffrey Walker
Young Rock Season 2 – Let the People Decide

Matthew Moore
The Great Season 2, Episode 6 – A Simple Jape

Shaun Wilson
Frayed Series 2, Episode 2

Sian Davies
Spreadsheet Episode 5 – Banjos and Dirty Duck

Best Direction in a Feature Film (Budget $1M or over)

Cate Shortland
Black Widow

Christine Luby
The Curious Case of Dolphin Bay

Claire McCarthy
The Colour Room

Justin Kurzel
Nitram

Leah Purcell
The Drover’s Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson

Sophie Hyde
Good Luck To You, Leo Grande

Thomas M Wright
The Stranger

Best Direction in a Documentary Feature

Alec Morgan and Tiriki Onus
Ablaze

Ben Lawrence
Ithaka

Daniella Ortega
Carbon – The Unauthorised Biography

Jennifer Peedom & Joseph Nizeti
River

John Hughes & Tom Zubrycki
Senses of Cinema

Penelope McDonald
Audrey Napanangka

Rogue Rubin
Lion Spy

Tosca Looby
Strong Female Lead

Best Direction in Animation

Sarah Harper
Monkie Kid – Season 3

Ian Brown
Alien TV – Season 2

Tom Noakes, Will Goodfellow & Greg Sharp.
Fight Dirty – Salvatore Ganacci

Best Direction in an Online Series Episode

Liam Fitzgibbon
Hot Department: Dark Web Episode 4 – Sad Women

Aaron McCann
Hug the Sun Episode 4 – The Dark World

Laura Clelland & Gabriel Willie
Long Black

Monica Zanetti
Iggy & Ace Episode 4

Sam Rogers
Discontent Series 1, Episode 1 – Sandra Part 1

Stef Smith
It’s Fine, I’m Fine – Series 1, Episode 1 – Have You Had A Cry Today?

Best Direction in Commercial Content

James Chappell
The Voice – 2022 Promo

Jasmin Tarasin
Bianca Spender- Online Brand Film

Matisse Ruby
Tabula Rasa

Matisse Ruby
Beethoven and Bridgetower

Stef Smith
Baroque In Bloom – Australian Brandenburg Orchestra

Tak Nakano
The Rookies 2021 Episode 5 – The Art of Suffering

The Esben Storm Award for Best Direction in a Children’s TV or SVOD Drama Series Episode

Sian Davies
Surviving Summer Episode 7 – For Laynah

Erin White
The PM’s Daughter Series 1, Episode 9 – A Date with Destiny

Isaac Elliott
MaveriX Season 1, Episode 5

Isaac Elliott
MaveriX Season 1, Episode 3

Julie Kalceff
First Day Season 2, Episode 1

Julietta Boscolo
The PM’s Daughter Series 1, Episode 2 – It’s Complicated

Richard Jeffery
Bluey Season 3, Episode 26 – Fairytale