Speculative fiction sweeps movie categories at the Art Directors Guild Awards

It was an outstanding night for speculative fiction at the Art Directors Guild Awards last night.  Speculative fiction films swept all four movie categories and half of the six television catgories as well as capturing the short format category.  That means science fiction, fantasy, and superhero movies, shows, and commercials won eight of the eleven awards.  The most that genre films and shows could have won was nine.

Deadline Hollywood has the names of the winners.

The Shape of Water, Blade Runner 2049, Logan and Coco took top film honors tonight at the 22nd annual ADG Awards. Blade Runner 2049 and The Shape of Water will face off for the Production Design Oscar March 3. Logan was not nominated.

For the first time, the Art Directors Guild included animated feature in its film categories. Coco added to its early awards season wins, taking home the inaugural trophy.
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On the TV side, Game Of Thrones won for One-Hour Period or Fantasy Single-Camera Series, The Handmaid’s Tale’s Julie Berghoff took the trophy for One-Hour Single Camera Series, beating itself. The praised Hulu drama series was nominated twice in the category. Other TV winners were Will & Grace, GLOW, Black Mirror and Portlandia.

ADG Award career honorees tonight included Kathleen Kennedy (Cinematic Imagery Award), Ron Clements and John Musker (William Cameron Menzies Award), guild president Matthew D. Loeb (Leadership Award) and Michael Baugh (Outstanding Creative Achievement Award). Four men will receive Lifetime Achievement Awards –Norm Newberry, James Murikami, John Moffitt and Martin Kline — and Sir Ken Adam and Tyrus Wong were inducted into the ADG Hall of Fame.

In addition, Star Wars Battlefront II: “Rivalry / PS4” won for Short Format: Web Series, Music Video or Commercial.  Even though "The Last Jedi" did not win, the Star Wars franchise still took home a trophy, two when one counts Kathleen Kennedy's Cinematic Imagery Award.

Follow over the jump to see how my wishes and predictions fared.

1.    PERIOD FILM

DARKEST HOUR
Production Designer: SARAH GREENWOOD
DUNKIRK
Production Designer: NATHAN CROWLEY
MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
Production Designer: JIM CLAY
THE POST
Production Designer: RICK CARTER
THE SHAPE OF WATER
Production Designer: PAUL DENHAM AUSTERBERRY

While "The Shape of Water" is a fantasy film, it's also a period one, so it earned a nomination here.  While it won Best Production Designt at the Critics' Choice Movie Awards, those are the critics, not the Hollywood professionals, so it might lose to "Murder on the Orient Express."  I hope it doesn't; I'm rooting for the monster.

Lucky me, I got my wish.

2.    FANTASY FILM

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
Production Designer: SARAH GREENWOOD
BLADE RUNNER 2049
Production Designer: DENNIS GASSNER
STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI
Production Designer: RICK HEINRICHS
WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES
Production Designer: JAMES CHINLUND
WONDER WOMAN
Production Designer: ALINE BONETTO

Here it is, the first nomination for "The Last Jedi."  It's also up against a slew of speculative fiction films here.  I'm not sure who to root for, although I really enjoyed "Wonder Woman."

I didn't mention "Blade Runner 2049" as a possibility when I wrote about the nominations, but I listed both it and "The Shape of Water" as front runners in 'The Shape of Water' and 'Blade Runner 2049' lead speculative fiction nominees at the Oscars.  Unfortunately, I can't call that race, as both films won different categories.

3.    CONTEMPORARY FILM

DOWNSIZING
Production Designer: STEFANIA CELLA
GET OUT
Production Designer: RUSTY SMITH
LADY BIRD
Production Designer: CHRIS JONES
LOGAN
Production Designer: FRANÇOIS AUDOUY
THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI
Production Designer: INBAL WEINBERG

Two speculative fiction films were nominated as Contemporary Films, "Downsizing" and "Logan."  The first works for me, while I found the latter a bit suspect.  Doesn't this film happen in 2029?  Still, I'm glad to see nominations for both, making a total of eight speculative fiction live-action films nominated out of possible fifteen.

Much to my surprise, "Logan" won.  I suspect it will get nominated in this category at the Saturn Awards based on this win.

4.    ANIMATED FILM

CARS 3
Production Designers: WILLIAM CONE, JAY SHUSTER
COCO
Production Designer: HARLEY JESSUP
DESPICABLE ME 3
Art Director: OLIVIER ADAM
THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE
Production Designer: GRANT FRECKELTON
LOVING VINCENT
Production Designer: MATTHEW BUTTON

I'm glad to see "Cars 3" get some recognition.  It's been generally ignored by the awards shows I've covers so far, although it has received some recognition from the Annie Awards and the Sound Editors Guild.  It might get into the Academy Awards because of all the Disney/Pixar voters.  If so, a worthy film will not make the cut.  Speaking of which, "Loving Vincent" is the one nominee that I don't consider to be speculative fiction.

I didn't make a call, but I'm not surprised that "Coco" win.  It's won every other award for animation I've seen it compete in.

Now for the television nominees.

5.    One-Hour Period or Fantasy Single-Camera Series

A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS: “The Bad Beginning: Part One,” “The Reptile
Room: Part One,” “The Wide Window: Part One”
Production Designer: BO WELCH
THE CROWN: “A Company of Men,” “Beryl,” “Dear Mrs. Kennedy”
Production Designer: MARTIN CHILDS
GAME OF THRONES: “Dragonstone,” “The Queen`s Justice,” “Eastwatch”
Production Designer: DEBORAH RILEY
MINDHUNTER: “S1:E1,” “S1:E4,” “S1:E9”
Production Designer: STEVE ARNOLD
STRANGER THINGS: “Chapter Six: The Spy,” “Chapter Eight: The Mind Flayer,”
“Chapter Nine: The Gate”
Production Designer: CHRIS TRUJILLO

Three speculative fiction nominees in this category, "A Series of Unfortunate Events," "Game of Thrones," and "Stranger Things."  Out of those three, I'd pick "Game of Thrones," although I'm pleased to see Netflix's adaptation of "A Series of Unfortunate Events" earn a nomination.  However, I suspect all of them will lose to "The Crown."

I was glad to be wrong and have "Game of Thrones" beat "The Crown."

6.    One-Hour Contemporary Single-Camera Series

AMERICAN GODS: “The Bone Orchard,” “The Secret of Spoons,” “Head Full of Snow”
Production Designer: PATTI PODESTA
THE HANDMAID’S TALE: “Pilot, Offred,” “Birth Day,” “Nolite Te Bastardes
Carborundorum”
Production Designer: JULIE BERGHOFF
THE HANDMAID’S TALE: “The Bridge”
Production Designer: ANDREW STEARN
MR. ROBOT: “eps3.0_power-saver-mode.h,” “eps3.1_undo.gz,” “eps3.2_legacy.so”
Production Designer: ANASTASIA WHITE
TWIN PEAKS: “Ep. 1: Part 1,” “Ep. 8: Part 8,” “Ep. 15: Part 15”
Production Designer: RUTH DE JONG

The category may say contemporary, but every single one of these series is speculative fiction or speculative fiction adjacent in the case of "Mr. Robot."  I'm particularly pleased to see both "American Gods" and "Twin Peaks" recognized.  For the sake of "The Handmaid's Tale," I hope the two nominated episodes don't split its vote.

They didn't; "The Handmaid's Tale" won.

7.    Television Movie or LIMITED Series

AMERICAN HORROR STORY: CULT: “Election Night,” “Winter of Our Discontent”
Production Designer: JEFF MOSSA
BIG LITTLE LIES: “Somebody`s Dead,” “Living the Dream,” “You Get What You Need”
Production Designer: JOHN PAINO
BLACK MIRROR: “USS Callister”
Production Designer: JOEL COLLINS
FARGO: “The Narrow Escape Problem,” “The Law of Inevitability,” “Who Rules the
Land of Denial?”
Production Designer: ELISABETH WILLIAMS
FEUD: BETTE AND JOAN: “Pilot,” “And the Winner is…,” “You Mean All This Time
We Could Have Been Friends?”
Production Designer: JUDY BECKER

While there are two speculative fiction shows here, "American Horror Story: Cult" and "Black Mirror," I think "Big Little Lies" is the favorite.

Surprise, "Big Little Lies" didn't win and "Black Mirror" did.  Once again, I'm glad to be wrong.

8.    Half Hour Single-Camera Series

FUTURE MAN: “Pandora’s Mailbox,” “Beyond The Truffledome,” “A Date With Destiny”
Production Designer: JESSICA KENDER
GLOW: “Pilot,” “The Wrath of Kuntar,” “The Dusty Spur”
Production Designer: TODD FJELSTED
MASTER OF NONE: “Le Nozze,” “Thanksgiving,” “Amarsi Un Po”
Production Designer: AMY WILLIAMS
SILICON VALLEY: “Hooli-Con,” “Server Error”
Production Designer: RICHARD TOYON
VEEP: “Omaha”
Production Designer: JIM GLOSTER

While there are enough speculative fiction shows among half-hour comedies to give one of them a chance to be nominated, speculative fiction comedies normally don't get nominated other than "The Good Place."  So I was pleasantly surprised to see "Future Man" earn a nomination.  I think it deserves it, but I didn't think it would get recognized.  Congratulations!

It lost to "Glow," which doesn't surprise me.  This is the one category with a speculative fiction nominee in which there wasn't a speculative fiction winner.  Just the same, no surprise, as speculative fiction is weak in half-hour comedies right now.  This isn't the 1960s, with "Batman," "Bewitched," "I Dream of Jeannie," "The Addams Family," and "The Munsters" all on the air at the same time.

9.    MULTI-CAMERA Series

9JKL: “Pilot,” “Lovers Getaway,” “Set Visit”
Production Designer: STEPHAN OLSON
THE BIG BANG THEORY: “The Romance Recalibration,” “The Separation Agitation,”
“The Explosion Implosion”
Production Designer: JOHN SHAFFNER
THE RANCH: “My Best Friend,” “Last Dollar (Fly Away),” “Wrapped Up in You”
Production Designer: JOHN SHAFFNER
SUPERIOR DONUTS: “Pilot,” “Crime Time,” “Arthur`s Day Off”
Production Designer: STEPHAN OLSON
WILL & GRACE: “Eleven Years Later,” “A Gay Olde Christmas”
Production Designer: GLENDA ROVELLO

Oh, look, the first category with no speculative fiction nominees.  It still has one about scientists, "The Big Bang Theory," which has lots of speculative fiction references and will do in a pinch.  As for which one will win, my gut says "Will & Grace" for nostalgic reasons.

My gut was right.

10.  Short Format: Web Series, Music Video or Commercial

APPLE: “Bulbs”
Production Designer: JAMES CHINLUND
CHANEL: “Gabrielle”
Production Designer: SHANE VALENTINO
KATY PERRY: “Bon Appétit”
Production Designer: NATALIE GROCE
NIKE: “Equality”
Production Designer: RUTH DE JONG
STAR WARS BATTLEFRONT II: “Rivalry / PS4”
Production Designer: JASON EDMONDS

Katy Perry's music video is surreal enough, but the real speculative fiction nominee is "Star Wars Battlefront II."  Star Wars gets two nominations!

And it won one of them and also, through Kathleen Kennedy's Cinematic Imagery Award, won two trophies.  So "The Last Jedi" didn't beat "Blade Runner 2049."  It still won twice.

11.  Variety or Competition Series/AWARDS OR EVENT SPECIAL

BILL NYE SAVES THE WORLD: “Earth Is A Hot Mess”
Production Designer: JAMES PEARSE CONNELLY
GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS: “74th Annual”
Production Designer: BRIAN STONESTREET
PORTLANDIA: “Portland Secedes,” “Ants,” “Fred`s Cell Phone Company”
Production Designer: SCHUYLER TELLEEN
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE: “Aziz Ansari + Big Sean,” “Alec Baldwin + Ed Sheeran,”
“Larry David + Miley Cyrus”
Production Designers: KEITH IAN RAYWOOD, EUGENE LEE, AKIRA
YOSHIMURA, N. JOSEPH DeTULLIO
SUPER BOWL HALFTIME SHOW: “STARRING LADY GAGA”
Production Designer: BRUCE RODGERS

No speculative fiction here, but "Bill Nye Saves the World" earned a nomination, repeating its Creative Arts Emmy nomination.  Science!

And it lost again, this time to "Portlandia" instead of "Saturday Night Live."  Oh, well, at least it's staying in the running.

That's a wrap for the Art Directors Guild Awards.  Tonight is the Grammy Awards and I'll report tomorrow on the fate of the speculative fiction and science nominees.  Stay tuned.