LOS ANGELES — Director Chloe Zhao won the top prize at the 73rd annual Directors Guild of America Awards on Saturday for "Nomadland," certifying the elegiac exploration of the lives of itinerant workers in the American West as the film to beat at the Academy Awards.

To "Promising Young Woman" director Emerald Fennell, Zhao said, "You're in such control of your craft, and with such unique voice.

Susanna Fogel won the first award of the night, for TV comedy for directing the premiere episode of HBO Max's "The Flight Attendant."

Scott Frank won the TV movie and limited series award for directing every episode of the Netflix limited series "The Queen's Gambit."

Don Roy King won his sixth consecutive Variety/Talk/News/Sports series award for "Saturday Night Live," for the episode hosted by Dave Chappelle