The 9th Annual Australian Production Design Guild’s APDG Awards were held December 1, 2019 at The Melba Spiegeltent in Collingwood, Melbourne and hosted by MC Adam Eliot. The APDG President, George Liddle APDG, Vice-President Fiona Donovan APDG, State Committees, the Awards Committee and judges released the nominations for the 2019 APDG Awards on November 1st.
“The Guild is thrilled to represent all the talent from the diverse areas of design and to highlight and award the outstanding work produced.”
George Liddle APDG had this to say, “The Guild is thrilled to represent all the talent from the diverse areas of design and to highlight and award the outstanding work produced over the last year in our annual awards. With 140 nominees across 19 categories we thank you all for your support of the APDG Awards and for showcasing your inspiring work. We look forward to celebrating with nominees, friends and family and our valued sponsors, existing and new, who make staging the awards possible. Congratulations to everyone involved.”
The Awards principal sponsor Docklands Studios Melbourne celebrated their new sound stage with the Australian Production Design Guild. AFTRS and Next Printing were also major sponsors of the event who have been supporters of the Guild from the beginning. Leading sponsors included NIDA, Australian Cinematographer Society, Cameron’s Management, Design Awards, HLA Management, Photoplay, Lisa Mann Creative Management and WYSIWYG 3D. The annual APDG Awards exist and continue to thrive due to the generosity of these creative companies and organisations.
Nominees were judged by a new judging panel, as they are formed each new year. Judges are invited to the panel by the directors of the APDG. The panel comprises industry professionals from relevant industries and where possible judges are APDG accredited. Each entry receives up to 7 appraisals.
Judges use the following standardized criteria:
- Integrity: the contribution of the design to the excellence of the whole production
- Quality: depth of subtlety, sophistication, inventiveness, intelligence and/or technical mastery
- Skill: The design showcases a high level of creativity, originality and craft skills that support the project
Congratulations to all of the winners listed below. For more information on the Australian Production Design Guild, click here.
The 2019 Australian Production Design Guild APDG Awards Winners Announced Share on XThe 2019 APDG Award Winners
AFTRS Award for Student and Emerging Designer for Screen
‘Sweet Tooth’
WINNER
Emma Bourke, Production Designer
Sabina Myers, Costume Designer
Barry Jarrot, Art Director
A Mouth To Feed
Production Designer
Elena Lyons-Dawson
Pseudomonas
Production Designer
Esther Rosenberg
The NIDA Foundation Trust Award for Emerging Designer for Live Performance
‘Wake in Fright’
WINNER
Brianna Russell, Set and Costume Designer
Animal Farm (by George Orwell, adapted by Geordie Brookman)
Set and Costume Designer
Bianka Kennedy
pool (no water)
Set, Costume & Co-Video Designer
Aislinn King
Stay Happy Keep Smiling
Set and Costume Designer
Emma White
Title Design – Sponsored by Design Awards
‘TEDx: Legacy’
WINNER
Scott Geersen, Title Design Director
Substance, 3D / Cinematography
Joseph Morris, Editor
Michael Yezerski, Original Music Composition
Dave Robertson, Sound Design
Harrow: Season 2 Opening Titles
Zenon Kohler
Nodefest: Explore, Connect, Create
Scott Geersen
Tidelands Opening Titles
Zenon Kohler
WYSIWYG 3D Award for Visual Effects Design
‘Aquaman’
WINNER
Josh Simmonds, VFX Supervisor
Christopher Robin
Glenn Melenhorst
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum
Glenn Melenhorst
Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr Fox
Craig Wilkinson
Animation Design for Screen
‘The Twist’
WINNER
Broken Yellow
Mario Lendvai, Art Director and Master Illustrator
Vanessa St Pier, Motion Designer and Animator
Francobollo – We’re Dead
Samuel Lewis
The Amazing True Story of How Babies are Made
Jonathan Nix
ACS Award for Concept Design Visualisation
‘Tidelands’
WINNER
Bowen Ellames, Concept Artist
I Am Mother
Bowen Ellames
Madama Butterfly
Sabina Myers
Madame Butterfly
Jennifer Irwin APDG
M.A.C Cosmetics Award for Make-Up and Hair Design: for Film, Television or Live Performance
‘Danger Close – The Battle of Long Tan’
WINNER
Tess Natoli, Make-up, Hair and Make-up Effects Designer
Sean Genders, Key Make-up Effects
Anita Morgan, Key Make-up and Hair
Bloom
Tess Natoli
Mystery Road
John Logue
Hero Frock Hire Award for Costume Design for a Feature Film
‘Judy and Punch’
WINNER
Edie Kurzer APDG, Costume Designer
Animals
Renate Henschke
I Am Mother
Mariot Kerr
Ladies in Black
Wendy Cork APDG
Lisa Mann Creative Management Award for Costume Design on a Television Production or Web Series
‘Ms Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries’
WINNER
Maria Pattison, Costume Designer
On The Ropes
Amelia Gebler
Sheilas
Teresa Negroponte
Wrong Kind Of Black
Oriana Merullo
The Jennie Tate Award for Costume Design for a Live Performance – Sponsored by HLA Management
’30 Years of 65 Thousand Years’
WINNER
Jennifer Irwin APDG, Costume Designer
Accidental Death of an Anarchist
Jonathon Oxlade
Madame Butterfly
Jennifer Irwin APDG
The Harp in the South: Part One & Two
Renée Mulder
HME Services Award for Design for a Live Event
‘Aura: Bunjil Story’
WINNER
Nicholas Tory, Director of Projection Show and Design Director
Andrew Walsh, Artistic Director
Jonathan Nix, Director of Animation
Oliver Abbott, Senior Designer, Animator
Julian Reinhold, Senior Designer Animator
Atticus Gough, Designer Animator
Kieran Kenny, 3D Scan & Prelim Design Template Build
Larger Than Life: Backstreet Boys Las Vegas Residency
Richard Neville
Light For The Wild – Taronga VividSydney 2019
Ample Projects
Lighting Design for a Live Performance
‘Death of a Salesman’
WINNER
Verity Hampson, Lighting Designer
A View From The Bridge
Niklas Pajanti
Saint Joan
Nick Schlieper
The Harp In The South
Nick Schlieper
Photoplay Award for Design for a Commercial
‘Enter Asahi’
WINNER
Michael Iacono, Production Designer
Joanna Mae Park, Costume Designer
CHALLENGER “A Lot of Living Left” TVC
Aaron Crothers APDG
Guide to Sydney Film Festival 2019 – Program Launch
Esther Rosenberg
Koala – Mattress (Ex)orcism
Isabella Andronos
Docklands Studios Melbourne Award for Set Decoration for a Feature Film or Television
‘Ladies in Black’
WINNER
Katie Sharrock, Set Decorator
Felicity Abbott APDG, Production Designer
Sophie Nash, Art Director
Joanna Pullen, Property Master
Tania Einberg, Senior Buyer Dresser
Hotel Mumbai
Nicki Gardiner APDG
I Am Mother
Lisa Brennan
Tidelands
Justine Dunn
Next-Printing Award for Set Design for a Live Performance
‘Madama Butterfly’
WINNER
Michael Scott-Mitchell APDG, Production Designer
Accidental Death of an Anarchist
Jonathon Oxlade
Counting and Cracking
Dale Ferguson
The Harp In The South
David Fleischer
New York Film Academy Australia Award for Production Design for a Television Drama or Web Series
‘A Place to Call Home, Series 6’
WINNER
Fiona Donovan APDG, Production Designer
Diana Robertson, Set Decorator
Black Mirror: Striking Vipers Season 5
Annie Beauchamp APDG
Bloom
Carrie Kennedy APDG
Tidelands
Matt Putland APDG
AFTRS Award for Design for a Short Film or Music Clip
‘The Egg’
WINNER
Jacqui Schofield, Production Designer
Merryn Schofield, Set Decorator
Amour
Steven Jones-Evans APDG
Hilltop Hoods – Exit Sign feat. Illy & Ecca Vandal
Hannah Sitters
Strangers
Isabella Andronos
The Australian Ballet Award for Design for Live Performance
‘Welcome the Bright World’
WINNER
Karla Urizar, Designer
Billionaire Boy
Set, Costume and Prop Designer
Isabella Andronos
La La Luna
Designer
Cornelis (Casey) Van Sebille
The Selfish Giant
Designer
Charlotte Lane
Docklands Studios Melbourne Award for Production Design for a Feature Film
‘Hotel Mumbai’
WINNER
Steven Jones-Evans APDG, Production Designer
Nicki Gardiner APDG, Set Decorator
Marita Musset, Art Director
Dilip Moore, Art Director
Judy And Punch
Jo Ford
Ladies In Black
Felicity Abbot APDG
Storm Boy
Melinda Doring
Canal Road Film Centre Artisan Award for Lifetime Achievement for Screen
Grant Slotboom
Construction Manager, Illusions
Artisan Award for Lifetime Achievement for Live Performance
Laurel Frank
Costume Designer and Maker, Circus Oz
Cameron Creswell Award for Outstanding Contribution to Design
Hugh Colman
Theatre Designer
What do you think of the winners of the Australian Production Design Guild’s APDG Awards? I’ve been meaning to watch Hotel Mumbai and this gives me another reason to watch it. Have any of you seen it? As always, I’d love to know your thoughts in the comments below.
For more awards season news on Art Departmental, click here.
