Parasite and Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood were among the major feature film winners at the Art Directors Guild (ADG, IATSE Local 800) 24th annual Excellence in Production Design Awards held on Saturday night (2/1) in Los Angeles. Production designers Lee Ha-Jun and Barbara Ling were recognized for Parasite and Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood, respectively.
Other feature winners were Avengers: Endgame (production designer Charles Wood) and Toy Story 4 (Bob Pauley).
Television winners included The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Bill Groom), The Big Bang Theory (John Shaffner), The Umbrella Academy (Mark Worthington), Russian Doll (Michael Bricker), and Chernobyl (Luke Hull). Additional winners include MedMen's "The New Normal" commercial (James Chinlund) and Drunk History (Monica Sotto).
The awards took place before an audience of more than 950, including guild members, industry executives and press. ADG president Nelson Coates, ADG, and Art Directors Council chair Worthington, ADG, presided over the awards ceremony with actress/comedian Debra Wilson serving as host. Producer of this year’s ADG Awards (#ADGawards) was production designer Scott Moses, ADG.
Chuck Lorre, award-winning television producer, writer and director, received the esteemed Cinematic Imagery Award, honoring his prestigious spectrum of extraordinary work over the past 20 years, and for keeping the multi-camera sitcom alive in creating hit series that generate mass appeal. A clip reel was presented, spotlighting the spectrum of Lorre’s award-winning work including the acclaimed comedies Young Sheldon, Mom, The Kominsky Method, The Big Bang Theory, Mike & Molly, Cybill, Dharma & Greg and Grace Under Fire.
The late Oscar®-nominated production designers William J. Creber, best known for his work on the Irwin Allen disaster flicks The Poseidon Adventure and The Towering Inferno and the first three Planet of the Apes movies, and Roland Anderson, best known for his work on Breakfast at Tiffany’s, White Christmas and Cecil B. DeMille’s Cleopatra, were inducted into the ADG Hall of Fame for their extraordinary contributions to the visual art of storytelling with a special presentation by production designer Jack Taylor, ADG.
Syd Mead, the “visual futurist” and concept artist known for his design contributions to science-fiction films such as Star-Trek: The Motion Picture, Aliens, and Blade Runner, was honored with the esteemed William Cameron Menzies Award posthumously by director Denis Villeneuve (Blade Runner 2049). Receiving a standing ovation, Mead’s longtime partner Roger Servick accepted the special award recognizing his innovative neo-futuristic concept artwork on numerous legendary movies.
The Lifetime Achievement Awards were presented to outstanding individuals in each of the guild’s four crafts. Oscar®-nominated production designer Joe Alves, ADG, best known for his work on Close Encounters of the Third Kind and the three Jaws films, received the ADG Lifetime Achievement Award from the Art Directors Council (AD), presented by makeup artist Greg Nicotero (Watchmen, The Walking Dead). Denis Olsen, a prolific artist on movies, television, theater and commercials known for his work on Ghostbusters, Rocky 2 & 3, The Muppet Movie, Romancing the Stone and Poltergeist, was honored by the Scenic, Title and Graphic Artists Council (STG), presented by scenic artist Jim Fiorito, ADG (Patriot Games). Stephen Myles Berger, ADG, spotlighted for his work in theme parks around the world and on films such as Sunshine Boys, Basic Instinct and Robin Hood: Men in Tights, was awarded by the Set Designers and Model Makers (SDMM) Council, presented by production designer Norm Newberry, ADG (Avatar). Jack Johnson, ADG, best known for his work on films such as Edward Scissorhands, Toys and Jurassic Park III, was honored by the Illustrators and Matte Artists (IMA) Council, presented by production designer Bo Welch, ADG (A Series of Unfortunate Events).
Here are the category-by-category winners at the 24th Annual Art Directors Guild Awards:
EXCELLENCE IN PRODUCTION DESIGN FOR A FEATURE FILM:
PERIOD FILM
Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
Production Designer: Barbara Ling
FANTASY FILM
Avengers: Endgame
Production Designer: Charles Wood
CONTEMPORARY FILM
Parasite
Production Designer: Lee Ha-Jun
ANIMATED FILM
Toy Story 4
Production Designer: Bob Pauley
EXCELLENCE IN PRODUCTION DESIGN FOR TELEVISION:
ONE-HOUR PERIOD OR FANTASY SINGLE-CAMERA SERIES
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: “Ep. 305, Ep. 308”
Production Designer: Bill Groom
ONE-HOUR CONTEMPORARY SINGLE-CAMERA SERIES
The Umbrella Academy: “We Only See Each Other at Weddings and Funerals”
Production Designer: Mark Worthington
TELEVISION MOVIE OR LIMITED SERIES
Chernobyl
Production Designer: Luke Hull
HALF HOUR SINGLE-CAMERA SERIES
Russian Doll: “Nothing in This World is Easy”
Production Designer: Michael Bricker
MULTI-CAMERA SERIES
The Big Bang Theory: “The Stockholm Syndrome,” “The Conference Valuation,” “The Propagation Proposition”
Production Designer: John Shaffner
SHORT FORMAT: WEB SERIES, MUSIC VIDEO OR COMMERCIAL
MedMen: “The New Normal”
Production Designer: James Chinlund
VARIETY, REALITY OR EVENT SPECIAL
Drunk History: “Are You Afraid of the Drunk?”
Production Designer: Monica Sotto
