Dune and its cinematographer Greig Fraser won the top prize from the American Society of Cinematographers at the 36th Annual ASC Awards, which were held at the ASC Clubhouse on Sunday.
Last year’s ASC winner, Erik Messerschmidt, went on to win the Best Cinematography Oscar for Mank, beating out Nomadland‘s Joshua James Richards… just in case you put stock in such omens.
Fraser held off stiff competition from The Power of the Dog cinematographer Ari Wegner, who is just the second woman ever nominated by both the ASC and the Academy following Mudbound DP Rachel Morrison.
All five of this year’s ASC nominees, a group that also included Belfast, Nightmare Alley, and The Tragedy of Macbeth, were fairly divisive films, to be frank, but there’s no denying that each and every one of them delivered visual excellence on impressive scale. For instance, Bruno Delbonnel‘s work in Joel Coen‘s black-and-white adaptation of Macbeth is absolutely gorgeous. But Fraser delivered the spectacle required of a Dune adaptation, and from a visual perspective, the movie is just stunning.
Speaking of which, Pig cinematographer Pat Scola won the ASC’s Spotlight Award, which recognizes cinematography in independent, foreign, or arthouse-type films, and I think it’s well-deserved given the exemplary job Scola did up in Oregon with Nicolas Cage… and Brandy, of course.
On the TV side of the ledger, James Laxton won for The Underground Railroad while Tommy Maddox-Upshaw won for Snowfall, Jon Joffin won for Titans, and Michael Berlucchi won for Mythic Quest. Finally, Jessica Beshir won for the black-and-white documentary Faya Dayi.
A full list of ASC winners can be found below:
Feature Film (sponsored by Keslow Camera)
Bruno Delbonnel, ASC, AFC for The Tragedy of Macbeth
Greig Fraser, ASC, ACS for Dune (WINNER)
Dan Laustsen, ASC, DFF for Nightmare Alley
Ari Wegner, ACS for The Power of the Dog
Haris Zambarloukos, BSC, GSC for Belfast
Spotlight (sponsored by Panavision)
Ruben Impens, SBC for Titane
Pat Scola for Pig (WINNER)
Adolpho Veloso, ABC for Jockey
Documentary (sponsored by Sony)
Jessica Beshir for Faya Dayi (WINNER)
Isabel Bethencourt and Parker Hill for Cusp
Daniel Schönauer for The Hidden Life of Trees
Motion Picture, Limited Series, or Pilot Made for Television (sponsored by ARRI)
Steve Annis for Foundation – Pilot Episode: “The Emperor’s Peace”
Tim Ives, ASC for Halston – Episode: “The Party’s Over”
James Laxton, ASC for The Underground Railroad – Episode: “Chapter 9: Indiana Winter” (WINNER)
Christophe Nuyens, SBC for Lupin – Pilot Episode: “Chapter 1”
Ben Richardson, ASC for Mare of Easttown – Episode: “Illusions”
Episode of a One-Hour Television Series – Non-Commercial (sponsored by Panavision)
Stuart Biddlecombe for The Handmaid’s Tale– Episode: “The Wilderness”
David Garbett for Sweet Tooth – Episode: “Big Man”
David Greene, ASC, CSC for Chaplewaite – Episode: “The Promised”
Jon Joffin, ASC for Titans – Episode: “Souls” (WINNER)
Boris Mojsovski, ASC, CSC for Titans – Episode: “Home”
Kate Reid, BSC for The Nevers – Episode: “Hanged”
Episode of a One-Hour Television Series – Commercial (sponsored by Red Digital Cinema)
Thomas Burstyn, CSC, NZSC for Snowpiercer – Episode: “Our Answer for Everything”
Tommy Maddox-Upshaw, ASC for Snowfall – Episode: “Weight” (WINNER)
Ronald Paul Richard for Riverdale – Episode: “Chapter Eighty-Nine: Reservoir Dogs”
Brendan Steacy, CSC for Clarice – Episode: “Silence is Purgatory”
David Stockton, ASC for Mayans M.C. – Episode: “The Orneriness of Kings”
Gavin Struthers, ASC, BSC for Superman & Lois – Episode: “Heritage”
Episode of a Half-Hour Television Series (sponsored by Picture Shop)
Marshall Adams, ASC for Servant – Episode: “2:00”
Michael Berlucchi for Mythic Quest – Episode: “Backstory!” (WINNER)
Adam Bricker for Hacks – Episode: “There is No Line”
Paula Huidobro for Physical – Episode: “Let’s Get Together”
Jaime Reynoso, AMC for The Kominsky Method – Episode: “And it’s Getting More and More Absurd”
