Legendary Director Spike Lee to Become First Black Director to Win Prestigious Award

The Directors Guild of America will honor Spike Lee with a lifetime achievement award for extraordinary achievement in motion film direction. On January 19, the organization announced Lee as the recipient of its highest honor. Lee is the first Black person to acquire this award.

“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 the president of the DGA, Lesli Linka Glatter. “From his groundbreaking ‘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.”