Director Spike Lee to receive Guild’s highest tribute at 74th annual DGA Awards

Directors Guild of America president Lesli Linka Glatter today announced that Spike Lee will receive the Guild’s top honour, the Lifetime Achievement Award for Distinguished Achievement in Motion Picture Direction.

“Icon. Trailblazer. Visionary. Spike Lee has changed the face of cinema, and there is no single word that encapsulates his significance to the craft of directing,” said Glatter. “From his ground-breaking Do the Right Thing, BlacKkKlansman, and everything in-between – to his signature ‘double dolly’ shot, Spike is an innovator on so many levels. His bold and passionate storytelling over the past three decades has masterfully entertained, as it held a stark mirror to our society and culture. And while he is no stranger to huge commercial success, he is also the beating heart of independent film. Even as countless filmmakers call Spike their mentor and inspiration, he continues to devote his time to teaching future generations how to make their mark. We are thrilled to present Spike with the DGA’s highest honour.”

The DGA Lifetime Achievement Award for Distinguished Achievement in Motion Picture Direction recognizes extraordinary efforts in the art of cinema.

Lee’s iconic body of storytelling has made an indelible mark on filmmaking. His feature directing career spans over 30 years and includes: She’s Gotta Have It, School Daze, Do the Right Thing, Mo’ Better Blues, Jungle Fever, Malcolm X, Crooklyn, Clockers, Girl 6, Get on the Bus, He Got Game, Summer of Sam, Bamboozled, 25th Hour, She Hate Me, Inside Man, Miracle at St. Anna, Red Hook Summer, Old Boy, and Chi-Raq. His 2018 critically acclaimed hit feature BlacKkKlansman earned him a DGA Award nomination for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film, an Academy Award and numerous nominations (see additional bio information below).

In 2002, the Guild awarded Lee with a DGA honour for his distinguished contributions to our nation’s culture in support of filmmaking.

The Award will be presented at the 74th Annual DGA Awards on Saturday, March 12, 2022.

The DGA Lifetime Achievement Award is selected by the present and past presidents of the Guild. In the Guild’s 86-year history, just 35 directors have been recognized with this honour including: Frank Capra (1959), Alfred Hitchcock (1968), Orson Welles (1984), Billy Wilder (1985), Steven Spielberg (2000), Martin Scorsese (2003), Miloš Forman (2013), and most recently Ridley Scott (2017).