Academy Award for Best Production Design


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 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. In the lists below, the winner of the award for each year is shown first, followed by the other nominees in alphabetical order.

Superlatives

Winners and nominees

1920s

1930s

1940s

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

2020s

Shortlisted finalists

Finalists for Best Production Design were selected by branch members, who voted for ten finalists which were screened to determine the five nominees.
YearFinalistsRef
1967Barefoot in the Park, Bonnie and Clyde, The Flim-Flam Man, The Happiest Millionaire, In Like Flint
1968Funny Girl, The Killing of Sister George, Never a Dull Moment, The Odd Couple, Planet of the Apes
1969The April Fools, Marooned, The Secret of Santa Vittoria, Topaz, What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice?
1970Cromwell, Darling Lili, Fellini Satyricon, The Great White Hope, M*A*S*H
1971Carnal Knowledge, A Clockwork Orange, The French Connection, The Mephisto Waltz, Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me?
1972Butterflies Are Free, The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean, Slaughterhouse-Five, Snowball Express, The War Between Men and Women
197340 Carats, Jesus Christ Superstar, Lost Horizon, Papillon, The World's Greatest Athlete
1974The Dion Brothers, The Front Page, The Great Gatsby, Mame, Young Frankenstein
1975At Long Last Love, Escape to Witch Mountain, Jaws, Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in New York, Tommy
1976Freaky Friday, From Noon till Three, Harry and Walter Go to New York, King Kong, A Star Is Born
1977Looking for Mr. Goodbar, New York, New York, 1900, Pete's Dragon, Sorcerer
1978The Boys from Brazil, Foul Play, Gray Lady Down, Grease, House Calls
1979The Black Hole, Manhattan, Moonraker, 10, Winter Kills

Individuals with multiple wins

;11 wins
;8 wins
  • Edwin B. Willis
;7 wins
;6 wins
;5 wins
  • Lyle R. Wheeler
;4 wins
;3 wins
;2 wins
;39 nominations
  • Cedric Gibbons
;32 nominations
  • Edwin B. Willis
;29 nominations
  • Lyle R. Wheeler
;26 nominations
  • Samuel M. Comer
;23 nominations
  • Hans Dreier
;21 nominations
  • Thomas Little
  • Walter M. Scott
;20 nominations
  • Richard Day
;17 nominations
  • George Davis
;15 nominations
;14 nominations
  • Alexander Golitzen
;13 nominations
;12 nominations
  • Ray Moyer
  • Joseph C. Wright
;11 nominations
  • Stuart Craig
  • John DeCuir
  • Paul Groesse
;10 nominations
  • Edward Carfagno
;9 nominations
;8 nominations
;7 nominations
;6 nominations
;5 nominations
;4 nominations
;3 nominations
;2 nominations