10th Anniversary APDG Awards Announced

The Australian Production Design Guild is thrilled to announce that we will be proceeding with the awards in 2021. The awards were originally scheduled for August 22, 2021 and have now been rescheduled as a virtual event for November 7, 2021 at 7pm. This year is a very special year for the guild, as we will be celebrating the 10th Anniversary APDG Awards. 


Entries closed on May 23rd, 2021. Due to the postponement of the 2020 awards, the APDG will be accepting works that were first screened, broadcasted, shown or performed between July 1, 2019 and February 1, 2021. The APDG will also be accepting works that were designed for that period, but were then cancelled due to Covid-19. 

The APDG are proud to celebrate the 10th Anniversary APDG Awards in 2021. The inaugural APDG Awards were held on Wednesday 21st September 2011 in Sydney at NIDA’s Parade Theatres. Renowned film critic and presenter Margaret Pomeranz hosted the evening, which was attended by some of the best, most innovative, most exciting designers in the world.

The very first awards featured 13 awards categories, which have now grown to beyond 20 each year. The winners of the first APDG awards were, Clayton Jauncey APDG, Jane Shadbolt, Herbert Pinter APDG, Leigh Tierney, Michael Scott-Mitchel APDG, Karen Murphy, Julie Lynch APDG, Bill McGuire, Lesley Vanderwalt APDG, Simon Wood, Adam Rickwood, Peter Sheehan APDG and Roger Ford APDG.  

A special thank you to Dockland Studios Melbourne, Next Printing, Photoplay, Hero Frock Hire, M.A.C Australia, WYSIWYG and Cameron Creswell Agency who sponsored the first awards in 2011 and continue to sponsor the awards today. Without their continued support, the awards would not be possible.

The APDG would like to thank AFTRS and NIDA for supporting our emerging designers and the many other businesses and individuals that have partnered, sponsored and supported the awards over the last decade, especially those continuing to support us this year. A full list of 10th Anniversary APDG Awards sponsors and partners will be announced in the coming weeks. 

The APDG has had some wonderful award hosts over the years, Adam Elliot, Fernella Kernebone, Russell Cheek, Gretel Killeen and Phil Scott. The APDG would like to thank Jane Healy, Tamara Popper and Ashleigh Morton for making the awards run to such a high standard. There have been numerous dedicated volunteers, staff and committee members who have given countless hours to ensure recognition for the outstanding achievements of our amazing design community.