This film image released by Sony - Columbia Pictures shows Tom Hanks, center, in a scene from "Captain Phillips." The film was nominated for a Directors Guild award on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2014. The winners will be announced on Jan. 25. (AP Photo/Sony - Columbia Pictures)
January 07, 2014 - 11:17 AM
LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Steve McQueen has gained his first directors guild nomination for his grimly historic saga "12 Years a Slave," substantiating the British director's place as a top contender at the Academy Awards.
Other first-time nominees announced on Tuesday were Alfonso Cuaron for his lost-in-space odyssey "Gravity" and Paul Greengrass for his Somali pirate thriller "Captain Phillips."
Past nominee David O. Russell also received a bid for his con-artist tale "American Hustle."
Earning his eleventh nomination, Martin Scorsese gained a nod for his high-finance extravaganza, "The Wolf of Wall Street."
If McQueen is the winner, he would be the first black director to earn the guild's feature film accolade.
Winners of the 66th annual awards will be announced at a dinner on Jan. 25 in Los Angeles.
News from © The Associated Press, 2014