Production design is the art of building a film’s world and the job of production designers is to shape the environments that define a story’s tone, time period, and atmosphere. Often, the interiors we see on screen reveal more about a character’s personality, background, and emotional state than a script does, serving as visual metaphors that deepen the audience’s understanding.

At the Academy Awards, the Best Production Design category recognizes the artists responsible for creating these immersive cinematic spaces—often working alongside art directors, set decorators, and construction teams to bring a director’s vision to life. The category was first introduced at the 1948 awards as Best Art Direction before being renamed Best Production Design in 2012, reflecting the broader creative leadership behind a film’s visual world-building. Over the decades, the award has honored some of the industry’s most influential designers, such as Cedric Gibbons, who won the award 11 times and is also the man responsible for the design of the Oscar statuette. Legends Edward B. Willis, Richard Day, and Ken Adam, whose bold work defined the look of the James Bond franchise, also had their work recognised several times over, as well as modern masters Rick Carter and Hannah Beachler.

Below, we've compiled every winner for Best Production Design (formerly Best Art Direction) in Oscars history—from the earliest honorees to the most recent winner.

2026

“Frankenstein” (2025) — Tamara Deverell (production designer) and Shane Vieau (set decorator)

2025

"Wicked" (2024) — Nathan Crowley (production designer) and Lee Sandales (set decorator)

2024

"Poor Things" (2023) — James Price (production designer) and Shona Heath (set decorator)

2023

"All Quiet on the Western Front" (2022) — Christian M. Goldbeck (production designer) and Ernestine Hipper (set decorator)

2022

"Dune" (2021) — Patrice Vermette (production designer) and Zsuzsanna Sipos (set decorator)

2021

"Mank" (2020) — Donald Graham Burt (production designer) and Jan Pascale (set decorator)

2020

"Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" (2019) — Barbara Ling (production designer) and Nancy Haigh (set decorator)

2019

"Black Panther" (2018) — Hannah Beachler (production designer) and Jay Hart (set decorator)

2018

"The Shape of Water" (2017) — Paul Denham Austerberry (production designer) and Shane Vieau and Jeff Melvin (set decorators)

2017

"La La Land" (2016) — David Wasco (production designer) and Sandy Reynolds-Wasco (set decorator)

2016

"Mad Max: Fury Road" (2015) — Colin Gibson (production designer) and Lisa Thompson (set decorator)

2015

"The Grand Budapest Hotel" (2014) — Adam Stockhausen (production designer) and Anna Pinnock (set decorator)

2014

"The Great Gatsby" (2013) — Catherine Martin (production designer) and Beverley Dunn (set decorator)

2013

"Lincoln" (2012) — Rick Carter (production designer) and Jim Erickson (set decorator)

2012

"Hugo" (2011) — Dante Ferretti (production designer) and Francesca Lo Schiavo (set decorator)

2011

"Alice in Wonderland" (2010) — Robert Stromberg (production designer) and Karen O'Hara (set decorator)

2010

"Avatar" (2009) — Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg (production designers) and Kim Sinclair (set decorator)

2009

"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (2008) — Donald Graham Burt (production designer) and Victor J. Zolfo (set decorator)

2008

"Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (2007) — Dante Ferretti (production designer) and Francesca Lo Schiavo (set decorator)

2007

"Pan’s Labyrinth" (2006) — Eugenio Caballero (production designer) and Pilar Revuelta (set decorator)

2006

"Memoirs of a Geisha" (2005) — John Myhre (production designer) and Gretchen Rau (set decorator)

2005

"The Aviator" (2004) — Dante Ferretti (production designer) and Francesca Lo Schiavo (set decorator)

2004

"The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" (2003) — Grant Major and Dan Hennah (production designer) and Alan Lee (set decorators)

2003

"Chicago" (2002) — John Myhre (production designer) and Gordon Sim (set decorator)

2002

"Moulin Rouge!" (2001) — Catherine Martin (production designer) and Brigitte Broch (set decorator)

2001

"Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" (2000) — Tim Yip (production designer)

2000

"Sleepy Hollow" (1999) — Rick Heinrichs (production designer) and Peter Young (set decorator)

1999

"Shakespeare in Love" (1998) — Martin Childs (production designer) and Jill Quertier (set decorator)

1998

"Titanic" (1997) — Peter Lamont (production designer) and Michael Ford (set decorator)

1997

"The English Patient" (1996) — Stuart Craig (production designer) and Stephenie McMillan (set decorator)

1996

"Restoration" (1995) — Eugenio Zanetti (production designer)

1995

"Madness of King George" (1994) — Ken Adam (production designer) and Carolyn Scott

1994

"Schindler’s List" (1993) — Allan Starski (production designer) and Ewa Braun (set decorator)

1993

"Howards End" (1992) — Luciana Arrighi (production designer) and Ian Whittaker (set decorator)

1992

"Bugsy" (1991) — Dennis Gassner (production designer) and Nancy Haigh (set decorator)

1991

"Dick Tracy" (1990) — Richard Sylbert (production designer) and Rick Simpson (set decorator)

1990

"Batman" (1989) — Anton Furst (production designer) and Peter Young (set decorator)

1989

"Dangerous Liasons" (1988) — Stuart Craig (production designer) and Gérard James (set decorator)

1988

"The Last Emperor" (1987) — Ferdinando Scarfiotti and Bruno Cesari (production designers) and Osvaldo Desideri (set decorator)

1987

"A Room with a View" (1986) — Gianni Quaranta and Brian Ackland-Snow (production designer) and Brian Savegar and Elio Altramura (set decorators)

1986

"Out Of Africa" (1985) — Stephen B. Grimes (production designer) and Josie MacAvin (set decorator)

1985

"Amadeus" (1984) — Patrizia von Brandenstein & Karel Černý (production designers)

1984

"Fanny and Alexander" (1983) — Anna Asp (production designer)

1983

"Gandhi" (1982) — Stuart Craig and Bob Laing (production designers) and Michael Seirton (set decorator)

1982

"Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1981) — Norman Reynolds and Leslie Dilley (production designers) and Michael D. Ford (set decorator)

1981

"Tess" (1979) — Pierre Guffroy and Jack Stephens (production designers)

1980

"All That Jazz" (1979) — Philip Rosenberg and Tony Walton (production designers) and Edward Stewart and Gary J. Brink (set decorators)

1979

"Heaven Can Wait" (1978) — Paul Sylbert and Edwin O'Donovan (production designers) and George Gaines (set decorators)

1978

"Star Wars" (1977) — John Barry, Norman Reynolds, and Leslie Dilley (production designers) and Roger Christian (set decorators)

1977

"All the President's Men" (1976) — George Jenkins (production designer) and George Gaines (set decorator)

1976

"Barry Lyndon" (1975) — Ken Adam and Roy Walker (production designers) and Vernon Dixon (set decorator)

1975

"The Godfather Part II" (1974) — Dean Tavoularis and Angelo P. Graham (production designers) and George R. Nelson (set decorator)

1974

"The Sting" (1973) — Henry Bumstead (production designer) and James W. Payne (set decorator)

1973

"Cabaret" (1972) — Rolf Zehetbauer and Hans Jürgen Kiebach (production designers) and Herbert Strabel (set decorator)

1972

"Nicholas and Alexandra" (1971) — John Box, Ernest Archer, Jack Maxsted, and Gil Parrondo (production designers) and Vernon Dixon (set decorator)

1971

"Patton" (1970) — Urie McCleary and Gil Parrondo (production designers) and Antonio Mateos and Pierre-Louis Thévenet (set decorators)

1970

"Hello, Dolly!" (1969) — John DeCuir, Jack Martin Smith and Herman A. Blumenthal (production designers) and Walter M. Scott, George James Hopkins and Raphaël Bretton (set decorators)

1969

"Oliver!" (1968) — John Box and Terence Marsh (production designers) and Vernon Dixon and Ken Muggleston (set decorators)

1968

"Caemlot" (1967) — John Truscott and Edward Carrere (production designers) and John W. Brown (set decorator)

1967

"Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" (1966, B&W) — Richard Sylbert (production designer) and George James Hopkins (set decorator)

"Fantastic Voyage" (1966, Color) — Jack Martin Smith and Dale Hennesy (production designers) and Walter M. Scott and Stuart A. Reiss (set decorators)

1966

"Ship of Fools" (1965, B&W) — Robert Clatworthy (production designer) and Joseph Kish (set decorator)

Doctor Zhivago" (1965, Color) — John Box and Terence Marsh (production designer) and Dario Simoni (set decorator)

1965

"Zorba the Greek" (1964, B&W) — Vassilis Photopoulos (production designer)

"My Fair Lady" (1964, Color) — Gene Allen and Cecil Beaton (production designers) and George James Hopkins (set decorator)

1964

"America America" (1963, B&W) — Gene Callahan (production designer)

"Cleopatra" (1963, Color) — John DeCuir, Jack Martin Smith, Hilyard M. Brown, Herman A. Blumenthal, Elven Webb, Maurice Pelling, and Boris Juraga (production designers) and Walter M. Scott, Paul S. Fox, and Ray Moyer (set decorators)

1963

"To Kill a Mockingbird" (1962, B&W) — Alexander Golitzen and Henry Bumstead (production designers) and Oliver Emert (set decorator)

"Lawrence of Arabia" (1962, Color) — John Box and John Stoll (production designers) and Dario Simoni (set decorator)

1962

"The Hustler" (1961, B&W) — Harry Horner (production designer) and Gene Callahan (set decorator)

"West Side Story" (1961, Color) — Boris Leven (production designer) and Victor A. Gangelin (set decorator)

1961

"The Apartment" (1961, B&W) — Alexandre Trauner (production designer) and Edward G. Boyle (set decorator)

"Spartacus" (1961, Color) — Alexander Golitzen and Eric Orbom (production designers) and Russell A. Gausman and Julia Heron (set decorators)