The Art Directors Guild (ADG, IATSE Local 800) has announced that the late production designer Thomas E. Sanders will be inducted into the ADG Hall of Fame at the 30th Annual Excellence in Production Design Awards on February 28 at the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown. Actor, comedian, and writer Ron Funches will serve as host of the ceremony.
“Thomas E. Sanders’ legacy is etched into the very fabric of production design history,” said Dina Lipton, president of the Art Directors Guild. “His visionary work created worlds that elevated storytelling and set a standard of excellence that continues to inspire generations of designers, artists and filmmakers. We are deeply honored to induct him into the ADG Hall of Fame and celebrate the lasting impact of his extraordinary career.”
From the 1990s through the 2010s, Sanders was celebrated for his visionary work on films including Braveheart, Saving Private Ryan, and Bram Stoker’s Dracula, earning Academy Award® nominations for the latter two.
One of his proudest achievements was his work with Guillermo del Toro on the period horror-thriller Crimson Peak, whose gothic, richly textured and haunting production design defined the film’s tone and atmosphere. For this work, Sanders received the 2016 Saturn Award from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films.
His final project was Justin Lin’s Star Trek Beyond. Other landmark credits include Mission: Impossible II, directed by John Woo, and a career-long legacy of elevating cinematic storytelling through immersive, emotionally resonant visual worlds. Sanders passed away in 2017, and this honor celebrates his enduring influence on the art of production design.
Sanders will be inducted by long-time collaborator Kevin de la Noy.
Ron Funches
Of his upcoming ceremony hosting gig, Funches said, “Production designers and their teams are the unsung heroes of film and television, creating the worlds we get to live in on screen. Their imagination, artistry and craftsmanship inspire me, and I’m thrilled to help celebrate their incredible work.”
Funches is a nationally beloved stand-up comedian, actor and writer. He has appeared in numerous memorable television roles, including The Goldbergs, Black-ish, New Girl, Transparent, Single Drunk Female, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Powerless and Undateable. He currently stars on Loot on Apple TV+, and will appear in Season 4 of The Traitors on Peacock in 2026.
Funches has co-starred in feature films including Get Hard (alongside Will Ferrell), Lexi, Noelle, 6 Underground and 80 for Brady.
He is also a prolific voice actor, with credits that include DreamWorks’ Trolls, Pixar’s Inside Out 2, Nickelodeon’s Rock Paper Scissors, Ivan the Great, Harley Quinn, Bob’s Burgers, Adventure Time, Final Space and The Great North, among many others.
His personal television appearances include Conan, The Tonight Show, Hollywood Squares, Match Game, To Tell the Truth, Chopped, Cupcake Wars, Celebrity Family Feud, Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, Celebrity Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Nailed It, Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity and more.
In addition to his on-screen work, Funches is an accomplished writer who has written for The Eric Andre Show, Kroll Show and several television pilots.
He is also deeply involved in philanthropic work, volunteering regularly with School on Wheels and Hilarity for Charity, and designing special-edition sneakers for Puma/Foot Locker, with proceeds benefiting Next for Autism.
