The Directors Guild of America Awards are issued annually by the Directors Guild of America. The first DGA Award was an "Honorary Life Member" award issued in 1938 to D. W. Griffith. The statues are made by New York firm, Society Awards.

Categories

Competitive categories

• Feature Film: since 1948/49 • Documentary: since 1991 • First-Time Feature Film: since 2015 • Children's Programs: since 1996 • Comedy Series: since 1971 • Commercials: since 1979 • Drama Series: since 1971 • Miniseries or Movies for Television: since 1971 • Reality Programs: since 2005 • Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Regularly Scheduled Programming: since 2013 • Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Specials: since 2013

Special awards

• Lifetime Achievement in Feature Film: since 1952 (until 1999 as D.W. Griffith Award) • Lifetime Achievement in Television: since 2014 • Lifetime Achievement in News Direction: since 1995 • Lifetime Achievement in Sports Direction: since 1991 • Honorary Life Member • Frank Capra Achievement Award: since 1979 • Robert B. Aldrich Service Award: since 1983 • Franklin J. Schaffner Achievement Award: since 1990 • Presidents Award: since 1997 • Diversity Award: since 1996

Discontinued categories

• Actuality: 1977 to 1980 • Daytime Serials: 1991 to 2012 • Documentary / Actuality: 1982 to 1990 • Documentary / News: 1971 to 1981 • Documentary Television: 1977 to 1981 • Drama Show Day: 1983 to 1994 • Golden Jubilee Special Award: 1986 • Musical Variety: 1971 to 2012 • Outstanding Television Director: 1971 to 1975 • Preston Sturges Award: 1990, 1991, 1993 • Specials / Movies for TV / Actuality: 1976 to 1981 • Sports: 1984 to 1990 • Television: 1953 to 1970

Winners – Motion Picture

Lifetime Achievement Award

(formerly the D. W. Griffith Lifetime Achievement Award)

Outstanding Achievement in Feature Film

Outstanding Achievement in Documentary

Outstanding Achievement in First-Time Feature Film

Winners – Television

Lifetime Achievement Award

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children's Programs

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Daytime Serials (1991–2012)

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Reality Programs (2005–present)

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and Miniseries

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Variety/Talk/News/Sports Series (2013–present)

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Variety/Talk/News/Sports Special (2013–present)