Director Ang Lee wins the 2025 DGA Awards Lifetime Achievement Award

The news was announced via the DGA’s official social media channels and the award, presented by DGA Presidents and Past Presidents, recognizes individuals for their outstanding contributions to film. Lesli Linka Glatter, the current president of the DGA, praised Lee as a “true master of filmmaking” and noted his outstanding and diverse body of work, which spans period dramas, comedies, superhero epics and martial arts and other genres. Glatt highlighted Lee’s ability to constantly challenge himself and push creative boundaries, citing his fearless exploration of complex characters and unforgettable stories.

“For more than 30 years, he constantly challenged himself, never repeated himself, and always achieved outstanding film achievements,” Glatt said. “Through his films, Ahn invites audiences to explore complex characters who linger in you long after the screen goes dark.”

Lee’s career began in the early 1990s, photographing films such as wedding banquetrelying on things like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Brokeback Mountainand The life of pi– The latter earned him an Academy Award for Best Director. Lee has been a member of the DGA since 1996. He has been nominated for the DGA Feature Film Award several times and won the DGA Award in 2000. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and again in 2005 Brokeback Mountain.

In 2018, the DGA also singled out Lee for his contributions to American culture through his work in film and television. Speaking about the upcoming award, Lee expressed his gratitude: “I am honored to be recognized in such an incredible way by my beloved Guild. Receiving the DGA Lifetime Achievement Award is a big deal for me personally. An achievement, but also an opportunity to reflect on what my work means to this amazing community of filmmakers.”

The DGA Lifetime Achievement Award was first awarded to Cecil B. DeMille in 1953 and has since been awarded to many legendary directors, including Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Welles, Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Ridley Scott Scott, and most recently Spike Lee. This honor recognizes directors who have made extraordinary contributions to the art of filmmaking, and Ang Lee is the perfect candidate to receive this recognition.