Best Director

Lee Daniels, Precious  

First-time Oscar®  nominee Lee Daniels has been lauded for his work on Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire, about an illiterate teenager who is pregnant with her second baby. Daniels made his directorial debut in 2005 with Shadowboxer, about a female assassin diagnosed with terminal cancer, where he worked with actress Mo'Nique for the first time. For his work on Precious, Daniels has been credited with bringing out stellar performances from actresses Mo'Nique, Mariah Carey and newcomer Gabby Sidibe. Daniels has said he felt compelled to bring Precious to the big screen to help heal the scars from his relationship with his own abusive father.