20th Annual Art Directors Guild Excellence in Production Design Awards Winners

Last night the production designers guild had their award ceremony where the winners for 11 categories of film, television, commercials and music videos were announced.

The Revenant, The Martian and the last installment of Mad Max were honored this year with an ADG award. All three film winners are Oscar-nominated and worth-noting is that the ADG period winner often has gone on to win the Oscar in the production design category.

To check winners in all categories go official site here. Winners are in *BLUE.

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1/5/16
Will share that have been traveling for the last two months but today I'm back home; tired, but ready to update this blog more often and on time. So let's start as today was a busy day.

Today the guild announced their nominations for 11 categories of Production Design for theatrical motion pictures, television, commercials and music videos; the announcement was done by ADG Council Chair Marcia Hinds and Awards Producer Thomas Wilkins. As happens this is a movie blog so will list only the film categories and will include link to check the rest.

Have no doubt that Carol was snubbed as according to IMDb Judy Becker did the Production Design and she is nominated for Joy; not so sure about Brooklyn as François Séguin perhaps is not a guild member. But no matter whatever reason, it is inexplicable why Carol and Brooklyn, two outstanding period films with worth-honoring production design were not considered for a nomination.

On more positive note, admit that I'm glad The Danish Girl was honored as production design in this movie was truly breathtaking for me, as a matter of fact hope film gets the Oscar as undoubtedly deserves the high honor.

Contemporary Film
Mark Digby for Ex Machina
Judy Becker for Joy
*Arthur Max for The Martian
Patrice Vermette for Sicario
Dennis Gassner for Spectre

Period Film
Adam Stockhausen for Bridge of Spies
Thomas E. Sanders for Crimson Peak
Eve Stewart for The Danish Girl
*Jack Fisk for The Revenant
Mark Ricker for Trumbo

Fantasy Film
Dante Ferretti for Cinderella
Edward Verreaux for Jurassic World
*Colin Gibson for Mad Max: Fury Road
Rick Carter and Darren Gilford for Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Scott Chambliss for Tomorrowland

To remind everyone here is the rule number four that makes many films to be out-of-consideration to the guild.

4. TO BE ELIGIBLE, A FEATURE FILM THAT IS MADE WITHIN THE U.S. MUST BE PRODUCED UNDER AN IATSE AGREEMENT. FOREIGN ENTRIES ARE ACCEPTABLE WITHOUT RESTRICTIONS.

Category I - Period Film
To qualify in this category, a feature film must have the majority of its sets and locations designed to portray a time period at least 20 years prior to the present awards year.

Category II - Fantasy Film
To qualify in this category, a feature film must have the majority of its sets and locations designed to portray places of an imaginative and inventive nature.

Category III - Contemporary Film
To qualify in this category, a feature film must have the majority of its sets and locations designed to portray places of a realistic nature within 20 years either side of the present awards year.

To check nominees in categories not related to film go official site here. The Awards ceremony will take place on Sunday, January 31, 2016 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel with Owen Benjamin serving as host.

As previously announced, director David O. Russell will receive the Guild’s prestigious Cinematic Imagery Award. Turner Classic Movies (TCM) host Robert Osborne will be the first to receive ADG’s newly created William Cameron Menzies Award for his work in championing classic motion pictures.

Recipients of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Awards include Scenic Artist Bill Anderson, Matte Artist Harrison Ellenshaw, Set Designer William J. Newmon, II and Production Designer Patrizia von Brandenstein,

Four legendary women – Production Designer Carmen Dillon, Production Designer and Illustrator Dorothea Holt Redmond, Production and Costume Designer Patricia Norris, and Art Director and Set Designer Dianne Wager – will be inducted into the Art Directors Guild (ADG) Hall of Fame.