William Friedkin – The French Connection

• Peter Bogdanovich – The Last Picture Show
• Stanley Kubrick – A Clockwork Orange
• Robert Mulligan – Summer of '42
• John Schlesinger – Sunday Bloody Sunday

Daniel Petrie – The Man and the City for "Hands of Love"

• Lewis Freedman – Beginning to End
• Lamont Johnson – Birdbath

John Rich – All in the Family for "Meet the Bunkers"

• Bruce Bilson – The Odd Couple for "Being Divorced is Never Having to Say I Do"
• Jay Sandrich – Mary Tyler Moore for "Baby Sit-Com"

Buzz Kulik – Brian's Song

• Fielder Cook – The Price
• Delbert Mann – Jane Eyre

Timothy Kiley – The Flip Wilson Show

• Arthur Fisher – The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour
• Greg Garrison – The Dean Martin Show

Phillip Beigel – Anatomy of a Decision: The FBI and the Great American Dream Machine

• Joel Banow – Louis Armstrong
• Anthony Messuri – Apollo: A Trip to the Moon