LA La Land, Hidden Figures and Passengers took the top film prizes tonight at the Art Directors Guild’s 21st annual ADG Awards in Hollywood. La La Land and Passengers will face off for the Production Design Oscar in two weeks, but Hidden Figures is not nominated. See the full winners list below.
The ADGs break the top movie prizes into three categories: fantasy film (Passengers), contemporary film (La La Land) and period film (Hidden Figures). La La Land goes into the Oscars as the front-runner, but a nod from the Art Directors is no guarantee of future gold: Only 13 of the 20 previous top ADG Award winners — spanning all three top categories — have gone on to claim the Oscars. Last year’s top ADG winners were The Martian, Mad Max: Fury Road and The Revenant, which later claimed the Academy Award.
On the TV side, Westworld was the upset winner for One-Hour Period or Fantasy Single-Camera Series, denying fellow HBO drama Game of Thrones a fifth straight trophy. It was a big night for the premium service, which also saw The Night Of and Beyoncé’s Lemonade pick up trophies. Other TV winners were Mr. Robot, Mozart in the Jungle and Saturday Night Live.
Patton Oswalt hosted the ceremony at the Ray Dolby Ballroom. “I’m a little nervous,” he said. “As a host, it’s very nerve-wracking to perform for people who have literally watched paint dry for a living.”
Oscar-winning My Fair Lady production designer Gene Allen was inducted into the ADG Hall of Fame posthumously tonight, and two-time Oscar-winning filmmaker Brad Bird received the Cinematic Imagery Award, which is given to “those whose body of work in the film industry has richly enhanced the visual aspects of the moviegoing experience.” Four Lifetime Achievement Awards also were presented, for production designer René Lagler, scenic artist Albert Obregon, set designer Cate Bangs and senior illustrator Joseph Musso.
“I love the arts, all of the arts,” Bird said from the stage. “Honestly, I have no idea what I’d be if art didn’t exist — probably a bag man or a reality TV star or an annoying street lunatic who yells at people about the end of the world. I chose movies because they’re the only form that contains all of the other arts. Every art is represented in movies; movies are the salad bar of the arts. Most artists who choose to work in film are multi-talents.”
Said Bangs: “I wish to thank the Guild for this great honor — a lifetime achievement award makes one take stock,” “I believe that the workforce here in Hollywood is, and continues to be, the best in the world. We, the artists of the art department, are Renaissance people. We tell stories, and we create worlds.”
“That’s 52 years of sharpening half pencils,” Lagler said, referring to his show reel. Lagler was production designer for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Musso said in his speech: “Looking back, I remember when I started working at Warner Brothers and having Frank [Sinatra] bum a cigarette from me. Over the years, other cherished moments came into being.” He added, “I’d like to leave you with something John Wayne said—”It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice.”
Said Obregon: “I feel blessed to have worked in a time when television was in its bloom. … I first fell in love with television back in 1947 when my dad bought our first TV set. I remember running home every day after school to watch Western movies. One good thing about TV in those days, no commercials. It was wonderful.”
During his opening monologue Oswalt called out a couple of the night’s top contenders: “Rogue One is the perfect Star Wars movie for our times, because just like in that movie, we’re all going to die,” and “You Game of Thrones art directors, where are you? I feel like no one is more prepared to face the next four years than the Game of Thrones art directors.”
The host, who has been vocal in his opposition to the new president, got off a few shots at him. “This is the 21st year for these awards. To put that in perspective, 21 years ago Donald Trump was still married to Marla Maples, and Melania had yet to be rescued by Liam Neeson.”
Here is the full list of winners for the Art Directors Guild’s 21st annual Excellence in Production Design Awards, following by our archived live blog:
Period Film
HIDDEN FIGURES
Production Designer: WYNN THOMAS
Fantasy Film
PASSENGERS
Production Designer: GUY HENDRIX DYAS
Contemporary Film
LA LA LAND
Production Designer: DAVID WASCO
One-Hour Period Or Fantasy Single-Camera Series
WESTWORLD: “Pilot”
Production Designer: NATHAN CROWLEY
One-Hour Contemporary Single-Camera Series
MR. ROBOT: “Eps2.0_unm4sk-pt1.tc,” “Eps2.4_m4ster-slave.aes,” “Eps2.9_pyth0n-pt1.p7z”
Production Designer: ANASTASIA WHITE
Television Movie Or Limited Series
THE NIGHT OF: “Pilot”
Production Designer: PATRIZIA VON BRANDENSTEIN
Half Hour Single-Camera Series
MOZART IN THE JUNGLE: “Now I Will Sing”
Production Designer: TOMMASO ORTINO
Multi-Camera Series
THE GREAT INDOORS: “Pilot”
Production Designer: GLENDA ROVELLO
Awards Or Event Special
BEYONCÉ: LEMONADE
Production Designer: HANNAH BEACHLER
Short Format: Web Series, Music Video Or Commercial
iPHONE 7: BALLOONS
Production Designer: JAMES CHINLUND
Variety, Reality Or Competition Series
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE: “Larry David/The 1975,” “Peter Dinklage/Gwen Stefani,” “Tom Hanks/Lady Gaga”
Production Designers: KEITH IAN RAYWOOD, EUGENE LEE, AKIRA YOSHIMURA, N. JOSEPH DeTULLIO
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