Spike Lee To Become First Black Director Honored With DGA Lifetime Achievement Award

The accolades and acknowledgments keep coming for legendary director Spike Lee.

The Directors Guild of America (DGA) will present Brooklyn’s best and the die-hard Knicks fan with the guild’s top honor, the Lifetime Achievement Award for Distinguished Achievement in Motion Picture Direction. This makes Lee the first Black person to receive this honor.

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

Academy Award-Winning Director Spike Lee

“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,” DGA President Lesli Linka Glatter said in a written statement. “From his groundbreaking Do the Right Thing, BlacKkKlansman,

anner ampforwp-incontent-ad2"> 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 honor.”

Lee will receive this award when it is presented at the 74th Annual DGA Awards on Saturday, March 12.

In 2018, Lee’s critically acclaimed hit feature film BlacKkKlansman resulted in him earning a DGA award nomination for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film. In 2021, his directed version of David Byrne’s American Utopia, which was also released by HBO in 2020 earned him a DGA Award nomination for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Variety/Talk/News/Sports–Specials.

Lee, whose other works include She’s Gotta Have It, Malcolm X, and Inside Man, is the 36th person to receive this honor.