Entry Criteria:

Director Eligibility:

• Entry submissions must be covered under a DGA Agreement and directed by a DGA member with a Deal Memorandum on file.
• A Director may only submit one entry for consideration.
• Entries are accepted only from the Director of the program. An entry found to be submitted without the Director’s knowledge will be immediately disqualified.

Program Eligibility:

• Only comedy series that have originally aired on television or on streaming services during the period of January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025 are eligible.
• Entries must be an episode of a series.
• Programs exhibited theatrically prior to television or streaming are not eligible.
• Programs that are only broadcast locally (even if available on the Internet) are not eligible.

Length:
• Entries must have a minimum broadcast format length of approximately one half hour.

Credit:
• The Director must have exercised all traditional directorial functions in connection with original photography and received an on-screen “Directed By” credit.

Entry Requirements:
• The Director must submit a completed DGA Awards entry form. A confirmation e-mail will be sent upon receipt of the entry form.

Category Classification:
• The episode must be entered in the same category as the corresponding series' most recent filing for the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences’ Primetime Emmy Awards. In the event that a new series is entered that has not previously filed a category classification with A.T.A.S., the DGA will ask the producers of the new series how they intend to file with A.T.A.S.
• If you have questions about this requirement, please call the DGA Awards Office at (310) 289-2038.

Entry Deadline:

• All Comedy Series entry forms must be received in the Awards office by 5:00 p.m. PT on FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2025. No entries will be accepted after the deadline.

Judging Process:

• Comedy Series entries will be placed on a nomination ballot that will be available to the DGA membership for voting online, starting Monday, December 15, 2025. The entries that receive the highest number of votes will be announced as the 2025 DGA Comedy Series Nominees on Wednesday, January 7, 2026.
• Nominees will be required to immediately provide a secure password protected HD link of the nominated project with the following specifications: QuickTime Movie in Apple ProRes, 1920 x 1080. A Blue Ribbon Panel will then vote by secret ballot to select the Winner of the 2025 DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series. The Winner will be announced at the 78th Annual DGA Awards on Saturday, February 7, 2026.

Should you have any questions, please contact the DGA Awards Office at Awards@dga.org or (310) 289-2038.