Awards information, entries & categories
2020 BFDG AWARDS CRITERIA & ENTRY FORMS
Key Dates for the BFDG Awards were:
20 November – Entries open
31 December – Entries Close
22 January 2021 – Nomination Assets need to be uploaded and received
12 February 2021 – 1st Vote to establish the finalists
5th March – 1st Vote closes
12th March 2021 – Finalists announced & Final Vote opens
2 April 2021 – 2nd Vote closes
16th May 2021 – Winners Announced
To find the entry forms for each award, simply scroll down this page
Nominations
from 20th November
On the 20th November, the BFDG awards 2020 will be launched, and members will be asked for their project entries (which they should verify against the criteria for each award) after which the committee will send out a list of checked and verified entries but ask for amendments / omissions from members.
The initial entry will can be made here. Information required will be:Â project title, budget, release date & HoD information.
Once these details have been checked and verified each entry will be invited to support their entry with assets …
ENTRY SUBMISSION: This year we will be inviting members to submit assets to support their submission. Before submitting these assets permission must have been obtained from the BFDG. Full details of the submission requirements can be sought from the office [email protected]
Members may nominate a project that they have worked on.
1st Vote
From 12 February to establish the 3 finalists in each category
(except Short Film Spotlighting New Talent Outstanding Contribution to the Art Dept and Lifetime Achievement)
A voting link, together with a link to the project submission details will be sent to members on 12 February – members will be asked to vote in each category on either the list of candidates or project by ranking them
Members may vote for a project they have worked on.
2nd Vote
on 12 March to establish the 3 winners
(in each category except Short Film, Spotlighting New Talent, Outstanding Contribution to the Art Dept & Lifetime Achievement)
There will be 3 finalists in each category at the awards, except for Lifetime Achievement. The Short Film, Spotlighting Talent Outstanding Contribution to the Art Dept and the Lifetime Achievement awards will not be included in the 2nd vote as these awards, will be judged by committee members.
This link will be sent to members on 12 March together with a link to the voting submission details – members will be asked to vote on their 1st choice 2nd choice and 3rd choice by ranking them. If there is a tie, the winner will be the project which has received the most 1st choice votes
Members may vote for a project they have worked on.
The fourteen awards categories for 2020 are:
1. Peter Lamont Award – Spotlighting New Talent
This award’s intention is to highlight the future stars of the next generation of filmmakers.Â
This award has been renamed in honour of Production Designer and BFDG member Peter Lamont, who sadly passed away in December 2020. Peter was always keen to help and support young talent in the Art Department and as this award’s intention is to highlight the future stars of the next generation of filmmakers the BFDG thought it would be a fitting tribute to dedicate this award to him.
This award is now open to BFDG members and art department juniors outside of the BFDG
At a recent meeting of the committee, it was agreed that each BFDG HoD, should nominate 1 individual that they have worked with in the last year and who fits within the criteria below Â
The list of nominees would then be voted on just once by the membership and the resulting 3 finalists for this award will then be asked separately to send in a selection of specific work, and this will be judged by the committee rather than members
All candidates should at the time of entry, be a department juniorÂ
Suggested max credit junior so Jnr Draughtsman, or equivalent ie Set Dec Assist, Jnr Graphic Designer with less than 4 years working.
Each entry by an HOD should be accompanied by a paragraph of up to 100 words about why this person should be considered – a link to a form on our website will be sent to all HoDs.Â
Certificates will also be given to all finalist nominees
*NEW Award*
2. Â Commercial
Best Production Design
This Award is New in 2020 – this award is to recognise those working in the advertising industry art departments
To qualify for this award, a commercial must be at least 30 seconds in length.
This award relates to Commercials released in the UK (from 1st Dec 2019 to midnight on 31st December 2020Â based on data from IMDB and UK general release dates. (Release can mean theatrical or streamed / on-demand broadcast).
Any commercial must have at least one HoD who is also a full BFDG member on the crew: production designer (PD), supervising art director (SAD) or art director (AD), set decorator (SD) or stylist.  Trophies will be given to these senior members (PD, SAD, SD, AD or stylist) of the winning Commercial including non-BFDG members.  Up to 6 Certificates of Excellence will be given to members of the art department (whether Guild members or not) as advised by the PD(or AD) – numbers above that can be produced but will have to be paid for. Â
Certificates will also be given to all finalist nominees.
*NEW Award*
3. Short Film
Best Production Design
Another new award this year, which is intended to celebrate a wider group of BFDG members’ creativity, who work on smaller budget productions
This award relates to films with a max running time (incl credits) of 40 mins. Films may be fiction or non-fiction.
This award relates to films released in the UK (from 1st Dec 2019 to midnight on 31st December 2020Â based on data from IMDB and UK general release dates. (Release can mean theatrical or streamed / on-demand broadcast).
Any short film must have at least one HoD who is also a full BFDG member on the crew; production designer (PD) art director (AD) or set decorator (SD). Trophies will be given to these senior members (PD, SD or AD) of the winning Short film including non-BFDG members.  Up to 6 Certificates of Excellence will be given to members of the art department (whether Guild members or not) as advised by the PD – numbers above that can be produced but will have to be paid for. Â
Certificates will also be given to all finalist nominees
Voting: This award will be voted on by a committee of BDFG members only, headed up by Claire Levinson-Gendler. (if any BFDG member would like to join this committee, please contact the office [email protected])
4. Light Entertainment TV Programme
Includes comedy and general entertainment
Best Production Design
This award relates to general television entertainment programmes released in the UK (from 1st Dec 2019 to midnight on 31st December 2020)Â based on data from IMDB and UK general release dates. (Release can mean theatrical or streamed / on-demand broadcast).
Any nominated Light Entertainment TV Programme must have at least one HoD who is also a full BFDG member on the crew; production designer (PD), supervising art director (SAD), set decorator (SD) and art director (AD) if no supervising art director. Trophies will be given to these senior members (PD, SAD or AD, SD) of the winning Light Entertainment Programme including non-BFDG members.  Up to 6 Certificates of Excellence will be given to members of the art department (whether Guild members or not) as advised by the PD – numbers above that can be produced but will have to be paid for. Â
Certificates will also be given to all finalist nominees
5. Independent TV Drama including mini series, TV movie or limited series (Max budget £ 30M)
Best Production Design
6. International TV Drama including mini series, TV movie or limited series
Best Production Design
These last two awards relate to Television Dramas released in the UK (from 1st Dec 2019 to midnight on 31st December 2020Â based on data from IMDB and UK general release dates. (Release can mean theatrical or streamed / on-demand broadcast).
Any nominated Television Drama must have at least one HoD who is also a full BFDG member on the crew; production designer (PD), supervising art director (SAD) or set decorator (SD). Trophies will be given to these senior members (PD, SAD & SD) of the winning television drama including non-BFDG members.  Up to 6 Certificates of Excellence will be given to members of the art department (whether Guild members or not) as advised by the PD – numbers above that can be produced but will have to be paid for.
Certificates will also be given to all finalist nominees
7. Independent Feature Film – Period
Best Production Design (max budget £30M)
8. Independent Feature Film – Contemporary
Best Production Design (max budget £30M)
9. Independent Feature Film – Fantasy
Best Production Design (max budget £30M)
These three awards relate to International Feature Films released in the UK (from 1st Dec 2019 to midnight on 31st December 2020)Â based on data from IMDB and UK general release dates. (Release can mean theatrical or streamed / on-demand broadcast).
Nominated Feature Films must have at least one HoD who is also a full BFDG member on the crew; production designer (PD), supervising art director (SAD) or set decorator (SD). Trophies will be given to these senior members (PD, SAD & SD) of the winning feature film including non-BFDG members.  Up to 6 Certificates of Excellence will be given to members of the art department (whether Guild members or not) as advised by the PD – numbers above that can be produced but will have to be paid for. Â
Certificates will also be given to all finalist nominees.
10. International Studio Feature Film – Period
Best Production Design
11. International Studio Feature Film – Contemporary
Best Production Design
12. International Studio Feature Film – Fantasy
Best Production Design
These three awards relate to International Feature Films released in the UK (from 1st Dec 2019 to midnight on 31st December 2020)Â based on data from IMDB and UK general release dates. (Release can mean theatrical or streamed / on-demand broadcast).
Nominated Feature Films must have at least one HoD who is also a full BFDG member on the crew; production designer (PD), supervising art director (SAD) or set decorator (SD). Trophies will be given to these senior members (PD, SAD & SD) of the winning feature film including non-BFDG members.  Up to 6 Certificates of Excellence will be given to members of the art department (whether Guild members or not) as advised by the PD – numbers above that can be produced but will have to be paid for. Â
Certificates will also be given to all finalist nominees
*NEW Award*
13. Outstanding Contribution to the Art Department
This person will be chosen from the membership (not an HoD) of the Guild and will be nominated by BFDG members
This award is for BFDG members who have been deemed by their peers to have demonstrated that they have had a positive impact on colleagues or the Art Department in general. This could be in many ways for example in their creativity, mentorship of a colleague, or perhaps their kindness and thoughtfulness of others.
Each entry by a member should be accompanied by a paragraph, of up to 100 words about why their candidate should be considered – a link to a form on our website will be sent to all members.
Judging for this award will be made by the BFDG committee
14. Lifetime Achievement
This person will be chosen from both the BFDG membership & the wider art department
This award is for Art Department members who we would like to honour, having had a long and extensive career and who have made their creative mark on this industry, benefiting their department as a whole. Â
Each entry by a BFDG member should be accompanied by a paragraph, of up to 100 words about why their candidate should be considered – a link to a form on our website will be sent to all members.
Judging for this award, will be made by the committee
