Jackson takes DGA crown for directing

Peter Jackson’s victory Saturday at the Directors Guild of America Awards, along with his win two weeks ago of the Golden Globe for best director, makes the 42-year-old New Zealand filmmaker and his “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,” a front-runner for the Academy Awards.

The DGA and the Academy Awards have disagreed only six times since the DGA awards’ inception more than 50 years ago. However, in the last three years only one DGA winner, Ron Howard for 2001’s “A Beautiful Mind,” has gone on to win the Oscar. Last year, Rob Marshall picked up the DGA award for “Chicago,” but the Oscar went to Roman Polanski for “The Pianist.” And three years ago, Ang Lee was chosen best director by the DGA for “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” while Steven Soderbergh was the academy’s pick for “Traffic.”

Even when a director who wins the DGA award hasn’t won an Oscar, the film sometimes has gone on to win best picture, such as last year with “Chicago” and 1972’s “The Godfather,” whose DGA winner Francis Ford Coppola saw the Oscar go to Bob Fosse for “Cabaret.”

Other winners:

* Documentary: Nathaniel Kahn, “My Architect”

* Dramatic series: Christopher Misiano, “The West Wing” (NBC)

* Daytime serials: Larry Carpenter, “One Life to Live”

(ABC)

* Comedy series: Timothy M. Van Patten, “Sex and the City” (HBO)

* Children’s program: Kevin Lima, “Eloise at Christmastime” (ABC)

* Musical variety: David Mallet, “Cher: The Farewell Tour” (NBC)

* Movie for television: Mike Nichols, “Angels in America” (HBO)

* Lifetime achievement: Mike Nichols.