DGA AWARD PACKS PUNCH FOR EASTWOOD.

Byline: Greg Hernandez Staff Writer

BEVERLY HILLS - Clint Eastwood was honored with the prestigious best director prize for ``Million Dollar Baby'' at the 57th Annual DGA Awards on Saturday night, making him the front-runner at next month's Academy Awards.

Eastwood last won the award from the Directors Guild of America in 1992 for ``The Unforgiven'' and was nominated last year for ``Mystic River.'' He edged out fellow finalists Martin Scorsese (``The Aviator''), Alexander Payne (``Sideways''), Taylor Hackford (``Ray'') and Marc Forster (``Finding Neverland'').

``I'm just pleased as punch,'' Eastwood said after receiving the prize from three-time winner Steven Spielberg. ``I'm very proud to be a member of this guild for 35 years.''

Only six times since the DGA award's inception in 1949 has the winner not gone on to win the Academy Award for best director. But two of those splits have occurred within the last five years. In 2001, Ang Lee took the DGA for ``Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,'' while Steven Soderbergh won the Oscar for ``Traffic,'' and two years ago ``Chicago'' director Rob Marshall won the DGA honor but Roman Polanski, director of ``The Pianist,'' won the Academy Award.

The DGA Awards were handed out before a star-studded crowd at the Beverly Hilton Hotel and hosted for the 19th time by Carl Reiner. Throughout the evening, nomination medallions were presented to each of the nominated feature film directors with Scorsese receiving a standing ovation when he took the stage to receive his from Leonardo DiCaprio and Cate Blanchett, whom he directed in ``The Aviator.''

Other presenters including Jamie Foxx, Halle Berry, Hilary Swank, Virginia Madsen and Morgan Freeman paid eloquent tribute to their directors from the stage.

Byambasuren Davaa and Luigi Falorni received the DGA prize for documentary direction for ``The Story of the Weeping Camel'' over a field of nominees that included ``Fahrenheit 9/11'' director Michael Moore.

Other DGA winners Saturday included Joe Sargent for the HBO movie ``Something the Lord Made,'' Walter Hill for the HBO drama series ``Deadwood,'' Tim Van Patten for the HBO comedy series ``Sex and the City,'' Bruce Gowers for the CBS musical variety special ``Genius: A Night for Ray Charles,'' Bruce Barry for the CBS daytime serial ``Guiding Light,'' Stuart Gillard for the children's program ``Going to the Mat,'' and Noam Murro for outstanding directorial achievement in commercials.

Honorary DAG awards were presented to Gilbert Cates, Herb Adelman, Stanley Faer, and Stephen McPherson.

Greg Hernandez, [phone]

greg.hernandez(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

2 photos