50th Directors Guild of America Awards

The 50th Directors Guild of America Awards, honoring the outstanding directorial achievements in films, documentary and television in 1997, were presented on March 7, 1998 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza and the Windows on the World. The nominees in the feature film category were announced on January 26, 1998 and the other nominations were announced starting on February 3, 1998.

Winners and nominees

Film

Feature Film
James Cameron – Titanic James L. Brooks – As Good as It Gets Curtis Hanson – L.A. Confidential Steven Spielberg – Amistad Gus Van Sant – Good Will Hunting
Documentaries
Michael Uys and Lexy Lovell – Riding the Rails Ellen Hovde and Muffie Meyer – Liberty! The American Revolution for "Blows Must Decide" John O'Hagan – Wonderland Michèle Ohayon – Colors Straight Up Peter Rosen – First Person Singular: I.M. Pei

Television

Drama Series
Barbara Kopple – Homicide: Life on the Street for "The Documentary" Chris Carter – The X-Files for "The Post-Modern Prometheus" Christopher Chulack – ER for "Fathers and Sons" James Frawley – Ally McBeal for "Pilot" Mark Tinker – Brooklyn South for "Pilot"
Comedy Series
Andy Ackerman – Seinfeld for "The Betrayal" James Burrows – Dharma & Greg for "Pilot" Pamela Fryman – Frasier for "Halloween (Part I)" Gordon Hunt – Mad About You for "The Birth" Gil Junger – Ellen for "The Puppy Episode"
Miniseries or TV Film
John Herzfeld – Don King: Only in America John Frankenheimer – George Wallace William Friedkin – 12 Angry Men Charles Haid – Buffalo Soldiers Joseph Sargent – Miss Evers' Boys
Musical Variety
Louis J. Horvitz – 1997 Kennedy Center Honors Arthur Forrest – The Rosie O'Donnell Show Bruce Gowers – Fleetwood Mac Reunion Special Don Scardino – Tracey Takes On... for "Vegas" Thomas Schlamme – Tracey Takes On... for "1976"
Daytime Serials
Scott McKinsey – General Hospital for "Episode #8883" Susan Flannery – The Bold and the Beautiful for "Episode #2580" Christopher Goutman, Charles C. Dyer, and Maria Wagner – As the World Turns for "Episode #10446" Deveney Kelly – The Bold and the Beautiful for "Episode #2681" Frank Pacelli – The Young and the Restless for "Episode #6032"
Children's Programs
Brian Robbins – Nickelodeon's Sports Theater with Shaquille O'Neal for "First Time" Shawn Levy – The Secret World of Alex Mack for "Lies and Secrets" Melanie Mayron – The Wonderful World of Disney for "Toothless" Ron Oliver – Goosebumps for "The Perfect School" Howard Storm – Kenan and Kel for "Haven't Got Time for the Paint"

Commercials

Commercials

Bruce Dowad – Isuzu's "Giant", Mercedes-Benz' "Don't Fence Me In", and Coca-Cola's "World Dance" Robert Black – Lay's' "Antonio", Rite Aid's "Firefighter", and Southwestern Bell's "Rancher" Thom Higgins – Weyerhaeuser's "Love Note", Oreo's "Basketball", and Ford's "Generations" Erich Joiner – Smith & Wesson's "Bonus", "Yacht" and "Grandma" David Wild – Washington's Lottery's "Born to be Wild", Zima's "Sticky Shoes", and Saturn's "Doc Payne"

D.W. Griffith Award

• Francis Ford Coppola

Lifetime Achievement in Sports Direction

• Craig Janoff

Lifetime Achievement in News Direction

• Robert E. Vitarelli

Frank Capra Achievement Award

• Bob Jeffords

Robert B. Aldrich Service Award

• Martha Coolidge

Franklin J. Schaffner Achievement Award

• C.J. Rapp Pittman

Presidents Award

• George Sidney