Chloe Zhao wins top prize at Directors Guild of America awards for Nomadland

Nomadland director Chloe Zhao won the top prize at the 73rd edition of Directors Guild of America (DGA) Awards for the Frances McDormand-starrer.

Zhao is the first Asian woman to win the trophy for best feature directing at the the awards. She is also the second woman to earn the top DGA Award after Kathryn Bigelow's win for The Hurt Locker (2009). 

Nomadland features Academy Award-winner McDormand as a woman who leaves home to travel around the American West after losing her job.

In her acceptance speech, Zhao also gave a shout out to her fellow nominees (David Fincher - Mank, Aaron Sorkin - The Trial of the Chicago 7, Lee Isaac Chung - Minari and Emerald Fennell - Promising Young Woman).

Sound of Metal director Darius Marder won the first-time feature film directing award. In the television segment, Scott Frank (The Queen's Gambit) won the directing award for TV movie and limited series. While Susanna Fogel won the best directorial achievement for a comedy series for The Flight Attendant, Lesli Linka Glatter took the drama series award for Homeland.

Michael Dweck, Gregory Kershaw won in the best documentary directing category for Sony Pictures Classics' The Truffle Hunters.