Clint Eastwood, MarcForster, Taylor Hackford, Alexander Payne and Martin Scorsese have beennominated for the Directors Guild of America's DGA Award for OutstandingDirectorial Achievement in Feature Film for 2004.

Eastwood is nominated for MillionDollar Baby, Forster for FindingNeverland, Hackford for Ray, Payne for Sideways, and Scorsese for The Aviator.

The winner will be announcedat the 57th Annual DGA Awards Dinner on Jan 29 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel inLos Angeles.

The pictures are almostidentical to those announced by the Producers Guild of America a day earlier,except that Ray replaces The Incredibles.

Eastwood previously won theaward with 1992's Unforgiven andearned a nomination last year for Mystic River. This is Scorsese's sixth nomination followingothers for Gangs Of New York in2002, The Age Of Innocence in1993, Goodfellas in 1990, RagingBull in 1980, and Taxi Driver in 1976.

Hackford has earned onenomination prior to this for An Officer And A Gentleman in 1982, while Forster and Payne are debutants.

The DGA Award forOutstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film is a strong Oscarbarometer. Since its inception in 1949, 50 out of 56 DGA winners have gone onto claim the Academy Award for best director.