At the 28th annual Art Directors Guild (ADG) Excellence in Production Design Awards, Wicked, Conclave, and Nosferatu took home top honors in their respective categories. The ceremony, held at the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown, celebrated the artistry behind these films with Nosferatu winning in the Period Film category for Craig Lathrop’s haunting designs, Wicked capturing the Fantasy Film award for Nathan Crowley’s stunning recreation of the Land of Oz, and Conclave taking home the Contemporary Film prize for Suzie Davies’ intricately detailed Vatican sets.
These films, along with nominees like The Brutalist and Dune: Part Two, are also vying for an Oscar in Production Design. Last year, Poor Things won the ADG Award for Fantasy Film and went on to claim the Oscar in the same category.
In the animated feature category, The Wild Robot triumphed with Raymond Zibach’s imaginative production design, continuing its winning streak after recently claiming multiple awards.
Television series also garnered recognition, with Shogun, Fallout, The Penguin, and Squid Game taking home awards across various categories.
Special honors included Jason Reitman receiving the Cinematic Imagery Award, and a Lifetime Achievement Award presented to Lisa Frazza, Barbara Mesney, Dan Sweetman, and J. Dennis Washington. Legendary production designer Carl Jules Weyl was inducted into the ADG Hall of Fame.
In a heartfelt moment, many attendees acknowledged the challenges posed by recent wildfires in Los Angeles, with calls for greater support for local production. The evening served as a fundraising event, benefiting below-the-line workers impacted by the fires, with a portion of proceeds supporting disaster relief efforts.
This year’s ADG Awards highlighted the crucial role of production designers in bringing visual storytelling to life, showcasing their talent across both feature films and television.