The Art Directors Guild (ADG, IATSE Local 800) has announced that filmmaker Jon M. Chu will receive the 2026 Cinematic Imagery Award.
“Between imagination and the screen, there is an entire world built by artists,” said Chu. “On Wicked and Wicked: For Good, I witnessed firsthand how production designers, art directors, set decorators, and extraordinary crews created Oz not just as a setting, but as a living, breathing emotional landscape. I share this honor with the countless craftspeople who poured their hearts into those worlds, and I am deeply grateful to the Art Directors Guild and its members for this recognition.”
The ADG also announced last week that Wicked: For Good and the TV special Wicked: One Wonderful Night garnered nominations for Excellence in Production Design Awards.
The ADG’s Cinematic Imagery Award is given to a filmmaker whose body of work has significantly enriched the visual experience of storytelling and elevated the visibility of the art department. Previous recipients include Jason Reitman, Baz Luhrmann, Jane Campion, Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan, Martin Scorsese, and George Lucas.
“Jon M. Chu’s work exemplifies the power of cinematic imagery to move audiences and deepen storytelling,” said Dina Lipton, president of the Art Directors Guild. “His bold visual language and unwavering commitment to collaboration have helped shine a spotlight on the essential role of the art department, and we are thrilled to recognize his remarkable contributions with the 2026 Cinematic Imagery Award.”
Jon M. Chu
Chu is known for his visually stunning blockbuster films, as well as his kinetic work across various genres from groundbreaking series to commercials and films.
Most recently, Chu directed Universal Pictures’ Wicked: For Good, which opened #1 in the global box office after its premiere on November 21. Oscar-nominated actresses Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande star in the epic conclusion to Part 1, which garnered an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture and quickly became the highest-grossing Broadway musical adaptation in box office history.
His recent projects include the critically acclaimed adaptation of the musical In the Heights for Warner Bros. as well as the worldwide phenomenon Crazy Rich Asians, which was nominated for numerous awards, including a SAG Award, a Golden Globe, and a PGA Award. It was the first contemporary studio picture in more than 25 years to feature an all-Asian cast and opened a new chapter in Asian American representation in Hollywood.
Upcoming, Chu is attached to develop and direct the highly anticipated biopic for Britney Spears based on her memoir, “The Woman in Me,” with Universal as well as Dr. Seuss’ Oh, the Places You’ll Go! with Warner Bros and JJ Abrams’ Bad Robot, and the Crazy Rich Asians Broadway musical. Chu’s previous films include GI. Joe: Retaliation, Now You See Me 2, Justin Bieber’s Never Say Never and many more representing over 1.3 billion dollars in the worldwide box office. His memoir, “Viewfinder,” is his journey from growing up in Silicon Valley to transitioning to Hollywood and helming major studio projects, released Summer 2024.
Event info
Previously announced honorees for the 30th Annual Excellence in Production Design Awards include Bo Welch, Jann Engel, Tom Southwell, and Stephen McNally, who will receive the ADG’s Lifetime Achievement Awards.
The ceremony will take place on February 28 at the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown.
