BENJAMONSTER AWARDS 2026: Outstanding Directing of a Drama Series

Today's award is Outstanding Directing of a Drama Series!

Past Awards in This Category: 2025   2024   2023   2022   2021   2020

This year's nominees are...















MACON BLAIR, The Lowdown "This Land?" (FX)
BRADLEY BUECKER, 9-1-1 "Hearts and Flowers" (ABC)
VINCE GILLIGAN, Pluribus "We Is Us" (Apple TV)
STERLIN HARJO, The Lowdown "The Sensitive Kind" (FX)
GORDON SMITH, Pluribus "Got Milk" (Apple TV)
JOHN WELLS, The Pitt "9:00 P.M." (HBO Max)
SALLI RICHARDSON WHITFIELD, Task "Out Beyond Ideas of Wrongdoing and Rightdoing, There is a River" (HBO)

And the Winner Is...
VINCE GILLIGAN
Pluribus "We Is Us" (Apple TV)
The first episode of Pluribus was very different from the rest of the series so that might be a knock against it if it wasn't incredibly compelling. The episode took some hallmarks of the apocalyptic event tropes but made it much eerier and more compelling than something like a zombie or alien invasion. Nothing really made sense and nothing quite fit into the usual trappings we know with episodes like this. The incredible set pieces and the building tension was a credit to series creator Vince Gilligan, who had a very specific vision for the first episode and executed it brilliantly. Even though the rest of the season was quite different, it was somehow still an impressive tone-setter.

Thoughts on the Rest of the Nominees:
The first episode was one of two Pluribus contenders in this category. Gordon Smith's direction of "Got Milk" was a great mix of visual flourishes and gags and tension-building. There were also two episodes of The Lowdown nominated. I've already sang the praises of "This Land?" which included a brilliantly directed final sequence. The finale was also a perfect cap to the season. Speaking of finales, The Pitt had a very strong finale with one of the most harrowing medical emergencies yet. It's not too often you see a broadcast drama in this category, but I thought the finale of 9-1-1 was one of the most heart-pounding episodes I've seen on TV this year. Finally, the penultimate episode of Task had an expertly directed long action sequence through the Pennsylvania woods.

Tomorrow: Outstanding Directing of a Comedy Series!

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