ADG Nominations - Good news and bad news for presumed Oscar Contenders

by Nathaniel R

Adam Stockhausen scored a double nomination at the ADG (French Dispatch and West Side Story)

The Art Directors Guild of America has released its nominations for the 2021 film (and television) year offering some surprise omissions (no Power of the Dog in period) and some delightful inclusions (In the Heights and The Green Knight for contemporary and fantasy respectively). The nominations for guild awards (any kind of guild awards) generally suggest as much about what the industry is watching as they do about whatever craft the awards are for. This is particularly true in "contemporary" categories, where we see year in and year out that the films are usually the ones with buzz in Best Picture, whereas in the Period of Fantasy category that's less important presumably because the work is so much more noticeable.

Their nominations plus punditry notes after the jump... 

FILM

PERIOD FEATURE FILM

 Licorice Pizza
“The French Dispatch” (Production Designer: Adam Stockhausen)
“Licorice Pizza” (Production Designer: Florencia Martin)
“Nightmare Alley” (Production Designer: Tamara Deverell)
“The Tragedy of Macbeth” (Production Designer: Stefan Dechant)
“West Side Story” (Production Designer: Adam Stockhausen)

Double Stockhausen is not the least bit surprising but can he pull off that same double -- The French Dispatch and West Side Story -- at the Oscars? The last Production Designer to pull off a double-Oscar nod was Sarah Greenwood in 2017 (Beauty and the Beast and Darkest Hour) though she lost the Oscar. It's not common! Most of the films that pull off an Oscar nod without the ADG's backing fall into the "Period" category so while this is bad news for Power of the Dog, Cyrano, and Belfast, (to name a few other 'Period' pieces) it isn't impossible for them to show up at the Oscars, especially Power of the Dog and Cyrano since they're both from designers Oscar already loves.

The biggest surprise here is surely Licorice Pizza. This might be a sign that it will do well at the Oscars (though we don't expect this nomination to transfer) 

FANTASY FEATURE FILM

The Green Knight

“Cruella” (Production Designer: Fiona Crombie)
“Dune” (Production Designer: Patrice Vermette)
“Ghostbusters: Afterlife” (Production Designer: François Audouy)
“The Green Knight” (Production Designer: Jade Healy)
“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” (Production Designer: Sue Chan)

We expected Cruella and Dune, which have to be considered major threats for Oscar nominations given that Oscar enjoys the work of Crombie & Vermette) but it's surprising and wonderful to see The Green Knight recognized! The biggest surprise for "Fantasy" is surely Ghostbusters Afterlife, though. 

CONTEMPORARY FEATURE FILM

In the Heights

“Candyman” (Production Designer: Cara Brower)
“Don’t Look Up” (Production Designer: Clayton Hartley)
“In the Heights” (Production Designer: Nelson Coates)
“The Lost Daughter” (Production Designer: Inbal Weinberg)
“No Time to Die” (Production Designer: Mark Tildesley)

Candyman was also a surprise on the Score longlist so the industry must be watching it (even though they rarely recognize horror films). It's not common for a Contemporary film to make Oscar's nomination list but when they do they are usually a major Best Picture player (like Parasite or La La Land).

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

Luca

“Encanto” (Production Designers: Ian Gooding, Lorelay Bové)
“Luca” (Production Designer: Daniela Strijleva)
“The Mitchells vs. the Machines” (Production Designer: Lindsey Olivares)
“Raya and the Last Dragon” (Production Designers: Paul Felix, Mingjue Helen Chen, Cory Loftis)
“Sing 2” (Art Director: Olivier Adam)

HOW DOES ALL THIS CORRELATE WITH OSCAR PUNDITRY?
Past history suggest that the Oscar lineup will choose 2 or, maximum, 3 of their "Period" nominees and 2 of their "Fantasy" nominees... give or take 1 contemporary option (40% of the time) or 1 film the ADG did not recognize (30% of time).

Past 10 Years of ADG vs Oscar history...
2020: Oscar chose 3 from ADG's period, 1 from fantasy, none from contemporary. and 1 film the ADG had not selected (The Father)
2019: Oscar chose 4 from ADG's period, none from fantasy, and 1 from contemporary
2018: Oscar chose 3 from ADG'S period, 2 from fantasy, none from contemporary
2017: Oscar chose 3 from ADG's period, 2 from fantasy, none from contemporary
2016: Oscar chose 1 from ADG's period, 3 from fantasy, and 1 from contemporary
2015: Oscar chose 3 from ADG's period, 1 each from their contemporary and fantasy selections
2014: Oscar chose 2 from ADG's period, 2 film from fantasy, none from contemporary and 1 film the ADG had not selected (Mr Turner)
2013: Oscar chose 3 from ADG's period, 1 each from their contemporary and fantasy selections
2012: Oscar chose 3 from ADG's period, 2 from fantasy, none from contemporary.
2011: Oscar chose 2 from ADG's period, 1 from fantasy, none from contemporary, and 2 films the ADG had not selected (Midnight in Paris & War Horse)

In only one case (Mr Turner) in the past ten years did the Academy's Production Design branch spring for a movie the ADG didn't recognize that did not have Best Picture heat. 

TELEVISION

 ONE-HOUR PERIOD OR FANTASY SINGLE-CAMERA SERIES

Foundation

“Foundation: The Emperor’s Peace” (Production Designer: Rory Cheyne)
“The Great: Dickhead,” “Seven Days,” “Wedding” (Production Designer: Francesca di Mottola)
“Loki: Glorious Purpose” (Production Designer: Kasra Farahani)
“Lost In Space: Three Little Birds” (Production Designer: Alec Hammond)
“The Witcher: A Grain of Truth” (Production Designer: Andrew Laws)

ONE-HOUR CONTEMPORARY SINGLE-CAMERA SERIES

Squid Game

“The Handmaid’s Tale: Chicago” (Production Designer: Elisabeth Williams)
“The Morning Show: My Least Favorite Year,” “It’s Like the Flu,” “A Private Person” (Production Designer: Nelson Coates)
“Squid Game: Gganbu” (Production Designer: Chae Kyoung-sun_
“Succession: “The Disruption,” “Too Much Birthday” (Production Designer: Stephen Carter)
“Yellowstone: No Kindness for the Coward” (Production Designer: Cary White_

 TELEVISION MOVIE OR LIMITED SERIES

Halston

“Halston” (Production Designer: Mark Ricker)
“Mare of Easttown” (Production Designer: Keith P. Cunningham)
“The Underground Railroad” (Production Designer: Mark Friedberg)
“WandaVision” (Production Designer: Mark Worthington)
“The White Lotus” (Production Designer: Laura Fox)

HALF HOUR SINGLE-CAMERA SERIES
“Hacks: Primm” (Production Designer: Jon Carlos)
“Only Murders in the Building: True Crime” (Production Designer: Curt Beech)
“Schmigadoon!: Schmigadoon!” (Production Designer: Bo Welch)
“Ted Lasso: “Carol of the Bells,” “Man City,” “Beard After Hours” (Production Designer: Paul Cripps)
“What We Do in the Shadows: “The Prisoner,” “The Cloak of Duplication,” “The Siren” (Production Designer: Kate Bunch)

MULTI-CAMERA SERIES 
“Bob ❤️ Abishola: Bowango” (Production Designer: Francoise Cherry-Cohen)
“Call Your Mother: Pilot” (Production Designer: Glenda Rovello)
“The Conners – Season 3: “A Stomach Ache, a Heartbreak and a Grave Mistake,” “An Old Dog, New Tricks and a Ticket to Ride”
(Production Designer: John Shaffner)
“Dave: “Ad Man,” “Enlightened Dave,” “Dave” (Production Designer: Almitra Corey)
“Family Reunion: Remember When M’Dear Changed History?” (Production Designer: Aiyana Trotter)
“Punky Brewster: Put a Ring on It” (Production Designer: Kristan Andrews)

COMMERCIALS 
Anhauser-Busch Super Bowl LV: “Let’s Grab a Beer” (Production Designer: Donald Graham Burt)
Apple: Introducing iPhone 13 Pro (Production Designer: Dylan Kahn)
Apple: “Saving Simon” Shot on iPhone 13 Pro (Production Designer: Chelsea Oliver)
Apple Music: “Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever” (Production Designer: François Audouy)
Gucci: “Aria” (Production Designer: Jeremy Reed)
Neom: “Made to Change” (Production Designer: François Audouy)

MUSIC VIDEOS
Coldplay “Higher Power” (Production Designer: Patrick Tatopoulos)
Coldplay X BTS: “My Universe” (Production Designer: François Audouy)
Ed Sheeran: “Shivers” (Production Designer: François Audouy)
P!nk: “All I Know So Far” (Production Designer: François Audouy)
Taylor Swift: “All Too Well” (Production Designer: Ethan Tobman)

VARIETY, REALITY OR COMPETITION SERIES
“A Black Lady Sketch Show: “If I’m Paying These Chili’s Prices, You Cannot Taste My Steak!” (Production Designers: Cindy Chao, Michele Yu)
“Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament of Houses: “Gryffindor vs. Hufflepuff” (Production Designer: John Janavs)
“RuPaul’s Drag Race: “Condragulations,” “Bossy Rossy Rubot,” “Gettin’ Lucky” (Production Designer: James McGowan)
“Saturday Night Live: “Host: Dan Levy + Music: Phoebe Bridgers,” “Host: Maya Rudolph + Music: Jack Harlow,” “Host: Kim Kardashian West + Music: Halsey” (Production Designers: Keith Raywood, Eugene Lee, Akira Yoshimura, N. Joseph De Tullio)
“Waffles + Mochi:  Tomato” (Production Designers: Cindy Chao, Michele Yu)

VARIETY SPECIAL
American Express – Unstaged (with SZA) (Production Designer: Carlos Laszlo)
Jim Gaffigan: Comedy Monster (Production Designer: James Kronzer)
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: “Facts of Life – Kids Can Be Cruel (320) & Diff’rent Strokes – Willis’ Privacy (115) (Production Designer: Stephan Olson)
Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 3 (Supervising Art Director: Steve Morden)
Yearly Departed (Production Designer: Frida Oliva)

Comments

[Robert G]

I really do think that Candyman is going to sneak into a category. I think score is more likely. Horror films do occasionally sneak in there and Candyman's score makes itself known. I'm getting The Village vibes from its position in the race right now. The music of Candyman is integral to the storytelling, just like it was in The Village.

Production Design would be awesome and might happen because of the layers of design. The film heavily features two art galleries with very different aesthetics, plus all of Michael's paintings. This is a film as much about contemporary art as it is about gentrification, being haunted by history, and paranormal slasher elements. Then there's the papercut/silhouette puppets and the past/present production design elements. Candyman is beautiful, combining contemporary, period, fantasy, and puppetry design into a cohesive vision and story.

I mean, in my fantasy, Candyman and The Night House would be nominated for Production Design (among many other prizes), so I'm quite pleased to see Candyman make it in the ADG nominations. Candyman is a longshot because it is a slasher sequel, but it's so good at what it does.

[Glenn Dunks]

To be perfectly honest, I'll be disappointed if Stockhausen is nominated for WEST SIDE STORY and not THE FRENCH DISPATCH, which may be my favourite production design of the year. Praying for a GREEN KNIGHT nomination *somewhere*.