AceShowbiz - The 30th annual Art Directors Guild Excellence in Production Design Awards took place this past Saturday in Los Angeles, spotlighting outstanding achievements in film and television production design. Leading the feature film categories were Frankenstein, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and One Battle After Another, each winning top honors in their respective genres.

Frankenstein secured the award for Period Feature Film, with production designer Tamara Deverell recognized for her exceptional work recreating the historical setting. The Fantasy Feature Film category was won by The Fantastic Four: First Steps, designed by Kasra Farahani, while One Battle After Another earned the Contemporary Feature Film award, with Florencia Martin leading the production design team.

In the Animated Feature Film category, KPop Demon Hunters was celebrated for its innovative design, with Mingjue Helen Chen and Dave Bleich credited for their work.

Since the awards were established in 1996, the Art Directors Guild has proved to be a strong indicator of future Oscar success for production design. Over 29 years, 21 winners at the ADG Awards have gone on to win the Academy Award for Best Production Design or its predecessor, Best Art Direction. Notably, 11 of the last 12 Oscar winners have been among the ADG honorees. Historically, the period film category dominated these Oscar wins, though recent years have seen a shift with three consecutive fantasy category winners earning the Oscar.

Turning to television, the awards recognized a diverse range of series and specials. Winners included Palm Royale for One-Hour Period Single-Camera Series, designed by Jon Carlos, and Andor in the One-Hour Fantasy Single Camera Series category, with Luke Hull as production designer. The One-Hour Contemporary Single Camera Series award went to Severance, designed by Jeremy Hindle.

In the Television Movie or Limited Series category, Monster: The Ed Gein Story took home honors, with Matthew Flood Ferguson leading the design. The Half Hour Single-Camera Series award was given to The Studio, with Julie Berghoff as production designer, while Mid-Century Modern won for Multi-Camera Series, thanks to Glenda Rovello’s design work.

The Variety or Reality Series award went to a regular episode of Saturday Night Live, specifically the "Lady Gaga Host" episode, with Akira Yoshimura, Keith Ian Raywood, N. Joseph De Tullio, and Andrea Purcigliotti as production designers. Additionally, the SNL 50: The Anniversary Special won for Variety Special, sharing the same design team.

Commercial and short format categories were also recognized, with Florencia Martin designing the Prada "Galleria Bag" commercial, and Shane Valentino honored for his work on Apple’s "Someday by Spike Jonze," featuring the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation.

The awards ceremony was held at the InterContinental Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, providing a glamorous setting to celebrate the art and craft of production design.

Honorary awards were presented to industry veterans, including production designer and director Bo Welch, set designer and art director Jann Engel, illustrator and production designer Tom Southwell, and scenic artist Stephen McNally. During his acceptance, Welch, known for his work on films such as Beetlejuice, Batman Returns, Men in Black, and The Birdcage, paid a heartfelt tribute to his late wife, Catherine O'Hara, who passed away in January. "You're up there somewhere," he said, acknowledging their marriage and their two sons as his greatest achievements.

Below is the complete list of winners:

Feature Film Categories

• Period Feature Film: Frankenstein – Production Designer: Tamara Deverell
• Fantasy Feature Film: The Fantastic Four: First Steps – Production Designer: Kasra Farahani
• Contemporary Feature Film: One Battle After Another – Production Designer: Florencia Martin
• Animated Feature Film: KPop Demon Hunters – Production Designers: Mingjue Helen Chen, Dave Bleich

Television Categories

• One-Hour Period Single-Camera Series: Palm Royale ("Maxine Drinks Martini's Now," "Maxine Serves a Swerve") – Production Designer: Jon Carlos
• One-Hour Fantasy Single Camera Series: Andor ("Who Are You?") – Production Designer: Luke Hull
• One-Hour Contemporary Single Camera Series: Severance ("Chikhai Bardo") – Production Designer: Jeremy Hindle
• Television Movie or Limited Series: Monster: The Ed Gein Story – Production Designer: Matthew Flood Ferguson
• Half Hour Single-Camera Series: The Studio ("The Note") – Production Designer: Julie Berghoff
• Multi-Camera Series: Mid-Century Modern ("Bye, George") – Production Designer: Glenda Rovello
• Variety or Reality Series: Saturday Night Live ("Lady Gaga Host") – Production Designers: Akira Yoshimura, Keith Ian Raywood, N. Joseph De Tullio, Andrea Purcigliotti
• Variety Special: SNL 50: The Anniversary Special – Production Designers: Akira Yoshimura, Keith Ian Raywood, N. Joseph De Tullio
• Commercials: Prada: "Galleria Bag" – Production Designer: Florencia Martin
• Short Format & Music Videos: Apple - "Someday by Spike Jonze": "AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancelation" – Production Designer: Shane Valentino

The ADG Awards continue to highlight the vital role production design plays in storytelling, honoring creativity across genres and formats with a track record of predicting Oscar success. This year’s winners reflect a vibrant mix of historical, fantastical, and contemporary narratives, showcasing the industry's evolving artistry and craftsmanship.