The Directors Guild of America honored directors from both the film and television industry on January 28, 2012. Some of the top directors competing for the titles of Outstanding Achievement in Feature Film, Comedy Series, Musical Variety, Dramatic Series, and Mini-Series, gathered their casts and crews at the Grand Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland in Los Angeles.

Some of the big names that were vying for awards this year were 30 Rock, Modern Family and Curb Your Enthusiasm. In addition to honorees, stars filled the event as well: Demi Moore, Jennifer Aniston, Alicia Keys and Fred Savage to name a few.

Though Michael Hazanavicius took the coveted award for Feature Film, this year’s comedy series category proved to be one of the most competitive:

30 Rock  (NBC)
30 Rock is a television comedy that was created by Tina Fey. The whole series is based on her experiences as the head writer for Saturday Night Live. A show with-in a show, the series takes place behind the scenes based of a fictional comedy sketch show. 30 Rock actually refers to the building where the program is produced, the GE Building at 30 Rockefeller Plaza.

Modern Family (ABC)
Modern Family is centered on the lives of three branches of the same family. This comedy does a beautiful job of comically portraying the things that plague most of our families. There are running bits about old grudges, broken stairs and the odd quirks every family tries to hide. The show is shot as if it were a documentary, so there is plenty of footage of the characters doing normal activities such as eating breakfast, running the washing machine or playing ball. This series does a beautiful job of balancing outrageously funny moments with touching scenes that showcase the good in families.

Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)
This series is focused on Larry David’s life as a producer and writer in New York City. It revolves around his many personalities and problems with social conventions and their expectations of him. He is easily annoyed by the way other people behave and has a hard time letting go of anything. The whole show is filmed without a script, so it can often take a hilarious turn that even the producers didn’t originally see coming.

All three shows are ratings-toppers and fan favorites, but only one could take home the prize. With his second DGA, director Robert Weide’s directorial team took home the prize for Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Danielle is an avid writer and blogs on behalf of Sears and other prestigious brands. Read her work at eatbreatheblog.com.

Tags: 30 Rock, Comedy, Curb Your Enthusiasm, dga awards, Modern Family