"Dreamgirls," "Babel" Get Director's Nod
"The Departed" director Martin Scorsese got nominated for a seventh Directors Guild of America Award, but Tuesday's announcement was a first for directors of the four other films.
Besides Scorsese, the directors of "Dreamgirls," "Little Miss Sunshine," "The Queen" and "Babel" got nods for the DGA Award being presented Feb. 3 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel.
The DGA Award has traditionally been seen as a barometer for the Academy Award for best director. Fifty-two out of 58 winners of the DGA Award have gone on to win the Oscar.
Nominees were Bill Condon for "Dreamgirls," "Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris for "Little Miss Sunshine," "Stephen Frears for "The Queen," Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu for "Babel" and Scorsese for "The Departed."Photos: Getting Ready For The People's Choice Awards
"Each of these five nominees has demonstrated a remarkable ability to blend craft and vision in the pursuit of masterful storytelling," DGA president Michael Apted said in a statement announcing the five nominees for 2006 films.
While the nominations were a first for Condon, Dayton & Faris, Frears and Inarritu, it was the seventh time Scorsese has been nominated. He was previously nominated for "The Aviator" (2004), "Gangs of New York" (2002), "The Age of Innocence" (1993), "Goodfellas" (1990)," "Raging Bull" (1980) and "Taxi Driver" (1976).
Scorsese received the DGA's honorary Filmmaker Award in 1999 and the DGA's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003.