Ryan Murphy, one of television’s busiest and most successful writers-directors-producers, whose shows have consistently reflected the highest quality of production design, will receive the esteemed Cinematic Imagery Award from the Art Directors Guild (ADG, IATSE, Local 800) at the 25th Annual Art Directors Guild’s Excellence in Production Design Awards. Murphy has created a profusion of award-winning shows, garnering him six Primetime Emmys®, 26 additional award wins, and an unprecedented 72 nominations. He is the originator of the popular American television programs American Horror Story, American Crime Story, Pose, Hollywood, Feud, Glee, and The New Normal, among many others. The ADG Awards ceremony, set for Saturday, April 10, 2021, will honor the extraordinary scope of Murphy’s prestigious, award-winning work.
“Ryan Murphy is a visionary whose impact spans a wide spectrum of film, television, and streaming projects, all the while creating memorable, visual story telling experiences as one of Hollywood’s most prolific and successful writers-directors-producers. His imagination and consistent emphasis on high production values have fostered the creation of worlds that will have lasting impact on the visual lexicon of entertainment for years to come. He personifies the very concept of cinematic imagery. The ADG is thrilled to recognize Murphy’s tremendous contributions to the art of narrative design,” said Nelson Coates, ADG president.
Murphy is an Emmy, Golden Globe®, Tony®, and Peabody® Award-winning screenwriter, producer, and director. He created the cult-favorite series Popular; Golden Globe-winning television drama Nip/Tuck; and Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning series Glee, Scream Queens, and 9-1-1. His additional highly successful series include The New Normal and the Emmy-winning film The Normal Heart, chronicling the story of the onset of the AIDS crisis in New York, which received Emmy and Golden Globe awards, including the Emmy for Outstanding Television Movie.
In 2016, Murphy’s first installment of American Crime Story, “The People vs O.J. Simpson,” won 10 Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Limited Series. His second installment of American Crime Story, “The Assassination of Gianni Versace,” won seven Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series and Outstanding Limited Series. In 2019, "Versace" won two Golden Globe Awards for Best Television Limited Series and Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series. FX’s Pose has been nominated for 13 Emmy awards and received several Golden Globe nominations. The show has made history by featuring the largest transgender series regular cast and the largest LGBTQ cast ever for a scripted series.
Murphy’s Netflix series Hollywood was nominated for 12 Emmy awards and The Politician was nominated for five Emmy awards and two Golden Globes, including Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy. He also co-wrote, directed, and produced the recent series Ratched, which received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Television Series – Drama. Murphy directed the HBO movie The Normal Heart, which received Emmy and Golden Globe awards, including the Emmy for Outstanding Television Movie. Upcoming television projects include Halston starring Ewan McGregor, and Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, both for Netflix.
Murphy also wrote and directed the Golden Globe-nominated film Running with Scissors, starring Annette Bening and Gwyneth Paltrow, and the box office hit Eat, Pray, Love, starring Julia Roberts and Javier Bardem, and produced the film adaptation of The Boys in the Band for Netflix. In addition, he recently directed the feature adaption of the Broadway hit The Prom, starring Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, and James Corden, which received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, and a Critics Choice nomination for Best Comedy.
In 2018, Murphy received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and in 2019, he was selected as a “Titan” for Time Magazine’s annual 100 Most Influential People list. On stage, he produced the Tony Award-winning Broadway hit The Boys in the Band, starring Jim Parsons, Zachary Quinto, and Matt Bomer.
The ADG’s Cinematic Imagery Award is given to those whose body of work in the film and television industry has richly enhanced the visual aspects of the viewer’s experience. Previous recipients have been Chuck Lorre, Rob Marshall, Kathleen Kennedy, Brad Bird, David O. Russell, Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan, Martin Scorsese, John Lasseter, George Lucas, Frank Oz, the production designers behind the James Bond franchise, the principal team behind the Harry Potter films, Bill Taylor, Syd Dutton, Warren Beatty, Allen Daviau, Clint Eastwood, Blake Edwards, Terry Gilliam, Ray Harryhausen, Norman Jewison, Robert S. Wise, and Zhang Yimou.
Producer of this year’s ADG Awards (#ADGawards) is production designer Scott Moses, ADG. Nomination balloting will be held February 1-24, 2021, and nominations will be announced Thursday, February 25, 2021. Final online voting will be held March 11-April 7, 2021, and winners will be announced at the digital gala ceremony on Saturday, April 10, 2021. ADG Awards are open only to productions when made within the U.S. by producers signatory to the IATSE agreement. Foreign entries are acceptable without restrictions.
