The Academy Award for Best Production Design recognizes achievement for art direction in film. The category's original name was Best Art Direction, but was changed to its current name in 2012 for the 85th Academy Awards. This change resulted from the Art Directors' branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) being renamed the Designers' branch. Since 1947, the award is shared with the set decorators. It is awarded to the best interior design in a film.
The films below are listed with their production year (for example, the 2000 Academy Award for Best Art Direction is given to a film from 1999). In the lists below, the winner of the award for each year is shown first, followed by the other nominees in alphabetical order.
Superlatives Category Name Superlative Notes Most Awards Cedric Gibbons 11 awards Awards resulted from 39 nominations. Most Nominations 39 nominations Nominations resulted in 11 awards. Most Nominations (without ever winning) Roland Anderson 15 nominations Nominations resulted in no awards.
Winners and nominees
1920s Year Film Art director(s)1927/28 The Dove William Cameron Menzies Tempest 7th Heaven Harry Oliver Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans Rochus Gliese1928/29 The 2nd Academy Awards is unique in being the only occasion where there were no official nominees. Subsequent research by AMPAS has resulted in a list of unofficial or de facto nominees, based on records of which films were evaluated by the judges. The Bridge of San Luis Rey Cedric Gibbons Alibi William Cameron Menzies The Awakening Dynamite Mitchell Leisen The Patriot Hans Dreier Street Angel Harry Oliver
1930s Year Film Art director(s)1929/30 King of Jazz Herman Rosse Bulldog Drummond William Cameron Menzies The Love Parade Hans Dreier Sally Jack Okey The Vagabond King Hans Dreier1930/31 Cimarron Max Rée Just Imagine Stephen Goosson and Ralph Hammeras Morocco Hans Dreier Svengali Anton Grot Whoopee! Richard Day1931/32 Transatlantic Gordon Wiles Arrowsmith Richard Day À Nous la Liberté Lazare Meerson1932/33 Cavalcade William S. Darling A Farewell to Arms Hans Dreier and Roland Anderson When Ladies Meet Cedric Gibbons1934 The Merry Widow Cedric Gibbons and Fredric Hope The Affairs of Cellini Richard Day The Gay Divorcee Van Nest Polglase and Carroll Clark1935 The Dark Angel Richard Day The Lives of a Bengal Lancer Hans Dreier and Roland Anderson Top Hat Carroll Clark and Van Nest Polglase1936 Dodsworth Richard Day Anthony Adverse Anton Grot The Great Ziegfeld Cedric Gibbons, Eddie Imazu and Edwin B. Willis Lloyd's of London William S. Darling The Magnificent Brute Albert S. D'Agostino and Jack Otterson Romeo and Juliet Cedric Gibbons, Fredric Hope and Edwin B. Willis Winterset Perry Ferguson1937 Lost Horizon Stephen Goosson Conquest Cedric Gibbons and William A. Horning A Damsel in Distress Carroll Clark Dead End Richard Day Every Day's a Holiday Wiard Ihnen The Life of Emile Zola Anton Grot Manhattan Merry-Go-Round John Victor Mackay The Prisoner of Zenda Lyle R. Wheeler Souls at Sea Hans Dreier and Roland Anderson Walter Wanger's Vogues of 1938 Alexander Toluboff Wee Willie Winkie William S. Darling and David S. Hall You're a Sweetheart Jack Otterson1938 The Adventures of Robin Hood Carl Jules Weyl The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Lyle R. Wheeler Alexander's Ragtime Band Bernard Herzbrun and Boris Leven Algiers Alexander Toluboff Carefree Van Nest Polglase The Goldwyn Follies Richard Day Holiday Stephen Goosson and Lionel Banks If I Were King Hans Dreier and John B. Goodman Mad About Music Jack Otterson Marie Antoinette Cedric Gibbons Merrily We Live Charles D. Hall1939 Gone with the Wind Lyle R. Wheeler Beau Geste Hans Dreier and Robert Odell Captain Fury Charles D. Hall First Love Jack Otterson and Martin Obzina Love Affair Van Nest Polglase and Alfred Herman Man of Conquest John Victor Mackay Mr. Smith Goes to Washington Lionel Banks The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex Anton Grot The Rains Came William S. Darling and George Dudley Stagecoach Alexander Toluboff The Wizard of Oz Cedric Gibbons and William A. Horning Wuthering Heights James Basevi
1940s Year Film Art director(s) Interior decorator(s) 1940 Prior to 1941, only credited art directors and assistant art directors were eligible for nomination. Black-and-White Pride and Prejudice Cedric Gibbons and Paul Groesse — Arise, My Love Hans Dreier and Robert Usher — Arizona Lionel Banks and Robert Peterson The Boys from Syracuse Jack Otterson Dark Command John Victor Mackay Foreign Correspondent Alexander Golitzen Lillian Russell Richard Day and Joseph C. Wright My Favorite Wife Van Nest Polglase and Mark-Lee Kirk My Son, My Son! John DuCasse Schulze Our Town Lewis J. Rachmil Rebecca Lyle R. Wheeler The Sea Hawk Anton Grot The Westerner James Basevi Color The Thief of Bagdad Vincent Korda — Bitter Sweet Cedric Gibbons and John S. Detlie — Down Argentine Way Richard Day and Joseph C. Wright North West Mounted Police Hans Dreier and Roland Anderson 1941 Republic Pictures submitted Sis Hopkins and it was initially named as a nominee. However, the studio later withdrew the film from consideration and it is not considered an official nominee. Black-and-White How Green Was My Valley Richard Day and Nathan Juran Thomas Little Citizen Kane Perry Ferguson and Van Nest Polglase A. Roland Fields and Darrell Silvera The Flame of New Orleans Martin Obzina and Jack Otterson Russell A. Gausman Hold Back the Dawn Hans Dreier and Robert Usher Samuel M. Comer Ladies in Retirement Lionel Banks George Montgomery The Little Foxes Stephen Goosson Howard Bristol Sergeant York John Hughes Fred M. MacLean The Son of Monte Cristo John DuCasse Schulze Edward G. Boyle Sundown Alexander Golitzen Richard Irvine That Hamilton Woman Vincent Korda Julia Heron When Ladies Meet Cedric Gibbons and Randall Duell Edwin B. Willis Color Blossoms in the Dust Cedric Gibbons and Urie McCleary Edwin B. Willis Blood and Sand Richard Day and Joseph C. Wright Thomas Little Louisiana Purchase Raoul Pene Du Bois Stephen Seymour 1942 Black-and-White This Above All Richard Day and Joseph C. Wright Thomas Little George Washington Slept Here Max Parker and Mark-Lee Kirk Casey Roberts The Magnificent Ambersons Albert S. D'Agostino A. Roland Fields and Darrell Silvera The Pride of the Yankees Perry Ferguson Howard Bristol Random Harvest Cedric Gibbons and Randall Duell Edwin B. Willis and Jack Moore The Shanghai GestureBoris Leven Silver Queen Ralph Berger Emile Kuri The Spoilers John B. Goodman and Jack Otterson Russell A. Gausman and Edward Ray Robinson Take a Letter, Darling Hans Dreier and Roland Anderson Samuel M. Comer The Talk of the Town Lionel Banks and Rudolph Sternad Fay Babcock Color My Gal Sal Richard Day and Joseph C. Wright Thomas Little Arabian Nights Alexander Golitzen and Jack Otterson Russell A. Gausman and Ira S. Webb Captains of the Clouds Ted Smith Casey Roberts Jungle Book Vincent Korda Julia Heron Reap the Wild Wind Hans Dreier and Roland Anderson George Sawley 1943 Black-and-White The Song of Bernadette James Basevi and William S. Darling Thomas Little Five Graves to Cairo Hans Dreier and Ernst Fegté Bertram C. Granger Flight for Freedom Albert S. D'Agostino and Carroll Clark Darrell Silvera and Harley Miller Madame Curie Cedric Gibbons and Paul Groesse Edwin B. Willis and Hugh Hunt Mission to Moscow Carl Jules Weyl George James Hopkins The North Star Perry Ferguson Howard Bristol Color Phantom of the Opera Alexander Golitzen and John B. Goodman Russell A. Gausman and Ira S. Webb For Whom the Bell Tolls Hans Dreier and Haldane Douglas Bertram C. Granger The Gang's All Here James Basevi and Joseph C. Wright Thomas Little This Is the Army John Hughes George James Hopkins Thousands Cheer Cedric Gibbons and Daniel Cathcart Edwin B. Willis and Jacques Mersereau 1944 United Artists submitted Song of the Open Road and it was initially named as a nominee. However, the studio later withdrew the film from consideration and it is not considered an official nominee. Black-and-White Gaslight Cedric Gibbons and William Ferrari Paul Huldschinsky and Edwin B. Willis Address Unknown Lionel Banks and Walter Holscher Joseph Kish The Adventures of Mark Twain John Hughes Fred M. MacLean Casanova Brown Perry Ferguson Julia Heron Laura Lyle R. Wheeler and Leland Fuller Thomas Little No Time for Love Hans Dreier and Robert Usher Samuel M. Comer Since You Went Away Mark-Lee Kirk Victor A. Gangelin Step Lively Albert S. D'Agostino and Carroll Clark Darrell Silvera and Claude E. Carpenter Color Wilson Wiard Ihnen Thomas Little The Climax John B. Goodman and Alexander Golitzen Russell A. Gausman and Ira S. Webb Cover Girl Lionel Banks and Cary Odell Fay Babcock The Desert Song Charles Novi Jack McConaghy Kismet Cedric Gibbons and Daniel B. Cathcart Edwin B. Willis and Richard Pefferle Lady in the Dark Hans Dreier and Raoul Pene Du Bois Ray Moyer The Princess and the Pirate Ernst Fegté Howard Bristol 1945 Black-and-White Blood on the Sun Wiard Ihnen A. Roland Fields Experiment Perilous Albert S. D'Agostino and Jack Okey Darrell Silvera and Claude E. Carpenter The Keys of the Kingdom James Basevi and William S. Darling Thomas Little and Frank E. Hughes Love Letters Hans Dreier and Roland Anderson Samuel M. Comer and Ray Moyer The Picture of Dorian Gray Cedric Gibbons and Hans Peters Edwin B. Willis and John Bonar and Hugh Hunt Color Frenchman's Creek Hans Dreier and Ernst Fegté Samuel M. Comer Leave Her to Heaven Lyle R. Wheeler and Maurice Ransford Thomas Little National Velvet Cedric Gibbons and Urie McCleary Edwin B. Willis and Mildred Griffiths San Antonio Ted Smith Jack McConaghy A Thousand and One Nights Stephen Goosson and Rudolph Sternad Frank Tuttle 1946 Black-and-White Anna and the King of Siam William S. Darling and Lyle R. Wheeler Thomas Little and Frank E. Hughes Kitty Hans Dreier and Walter H. Tyler Samuel M. Comer and Ray Moyer The Razor's Edge Richard Day and Nathan H. Juran Thomas Little and Paul S. Fox Color The Yearling Cedric Gibbons and Paul Groesse Edwin B. Willis Caesar and Cleopatra John Bryan — Henry V Paul Sheriff and Carmen Dillon 1947 Black-and-White Great Expectations Wilfred Shingleton John Bryan The Foxes of Harrow Lyle R. Wheeler and Maurice Ransford Thomas Little and Paul S. Fox Color Black Narcissus Alfred Junge — Life with Father Robert M. Haas George James Hopkins 1948 Black-and-White Hamlet Roger K. Furse Carmen Dillon Johnny Belinda Robert M. Haas William O. Wallace Color The Red Shoes Hein Heckroth Arthur Lawson Joan of Arc Richard Day Edwin Casey Roberts and Joseph Kish 1949 Black-and-White The Heiress Harry Horner and John Meehan Emile Kuri Come to the Stable Lyle R. Wheeler and Joseph C. Wright Thomas Little and Paul S. Fox Madame Bovary Cedric Gibbons and Jack Martin Smith Edwin B. Willis and Richard A. Pefferle Color Little Women Cedric Gibbons and Paul Groesse Edwin B. Willis and Jack D. Moore Adventures of Don Juan Edward Carrere Lyle Reifsnider Saraband Jim Morahan and William Kellner Michael Relph
1950s