Outstanding achievement in cinematography was championed at the 35th annual American Society of Cinematographers Awards. Taking place at the the historic ASC Clubhouse in Hollywood and hosted by TCM’s Ben Mankiewicz, the virtual ceremony saw the nominees’ outstanding talent and creativity recognised and the winners revealed.
The live ceremony included the presentation of the ASC Outstanding Achievement Awards for best cinematography in feature and documentary films, and in four television categories, representing the organisation’s picks for the most compelling visual filmmaking over the past 14 months.
Erik Messerschmidt ASC won the Theatrical Release Award for his lensing of Mank. The award was presented by Roger Deakins, ASC BSC CBE and James Deakins. Steven Meizler was presented with the Motion Picture, Mini-Series or Pilot Made for Television Award by Polly Morgan BSC ASC for The Queen’s Gambit “End Game”. Aurélien Marra won the Spotlight Award for Two of Us, presented by Matthew Libatique ASC. Jon Joffin, ASC won the Episode of a One-Hour Television Series (Commercial) Award for for Motherland: Fort Salem “Up is Down”. Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw won the Documentary Award for The Truffle Hunters. Baz Idoine won the Episode of a half-hour series for Television Award for The Mandalorian “Chapter 13: The Jedi”.
Joffin and Wagner are the only two previous ASC winners. Joffin won the ASC Award for Beyond (2019) and earned nominations for Alice (2011) and The Andromeda Strain (2009). Wagner took ASC’s top TV prize for Game of Thrones (2017) and received an additional two nominations for his work on the show (2015, 2016).
Writer-producer-director Sofia Coppola was presented with the ASC Board of Governors Award by Ed Lachman, ASC and Philippe Le Sourd, ASC, AFC. The award recognises Coppola’s significant and indelible contributions to cinema. It is the only ASC Award not given to a cinematographer and is reserved for filmmakers who have been champions of the visual art form.
Last year’s ASC feature film winner was Roger Deakins, CBE, ASC, BSC for 1917, who went on to win the Oscar for Best Achievement in Cinematography.
The winners of the ASC Student Heritage Awards were announced in February. Ai Chung (Chapman University) received the The Michael Chapman & Allen Daviau Student Heritage Award for A Young Tough. Elias Ginsberg (University of Southern California) was awarded for Milk Teeth in the Allen Daviau Undergraduate Category. Melanie Grams (University of Southern California) for Driven won the Haskell Wexler Student Documentary Award.You can find out more about the student award winners by reading our news story.
The full list of ASC Award winners and nominees is:
THEATRICAL RELEASE
Presented by Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC, CBE and James Deakins. Category sponsored by Keslow Camera.
Winner: Erik Messerschmidt, ASC for Mank
Nominees:
Phedon Papamichael, ASC, GSC for The Trial of the Chicago 7
Joshua James Richards for Nomadland
Newton Thomas Sigel, ASC for Cherry
Dariusz Wolski, ASC for News of the World
MOTION PICTURE, MINISERIES, OF PILOT MADE FOR TELEVISION
Presented by Polly Morgan, ASC, BSC. Category sponsored by RED Digital Cinema
Winner: Steven Meizler for The Queen’s Gambit “End Game”
Nominees:
Martin Ahlgren, ASC for The Plot Against America “Part 6”
Anette Haellmigk for The Great “The Great”
Pete Konczal for Fargo “The Birthplace of Civilization”
Gregory Middleton, ASC, CSC for Watchmen “This Extraordinary Being”
SPOTLIGHT AWARD
Presented by Matthew Libatique, ASC. Category sponsored by Panavision.
Winner: Aurélien Marra for Two of Us
Nominees:
Andrey Naidenov for Dear Comrades!
Katelin Arizmendi for Swallow
EPISODE OF A ONE-HOUR TELEVISION SERIES – NON-COMMERCIAL
Presented by Paul Cameron, ASC. Category sponsored by Panavision.
Winner: Fabian Wagner, ASC, BSC for The Crown “Imbroglio”
Nominees:
David Franco for Perry Mason “Chapter 2”
Ken Glassing for Lucifer “It Never Ends Well for the Chicken”
Adriano Goldman, ASC, ABC, BSC for The Crown “Fairytale”
David Greene, ASC, CSC for Impulse “The Moroi”
David Mullen, ASC for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel “It’s Comedy or Cabbage”
EPISODE OF A ONE-HOUR TELEVISION SERIES – COMMERCIAL
Presented by James Whitaker, ASC. Category sponsored by FotoKem.
Winner: Jon Joffin, ASC for Motherland: Fort Salem “Up is Down”
Nominees:
Marshall Adams, ASC for Better Call Saul “Bagman”
Carlos Catalán for Killing Eve “Meetings Have Biscuits”
François Dagenais, CSC for Project Blue Book “Area 51”
Kim Miles, ASC, CSC, MySC for Project Blue Book “Operation Mainbrace”
DOCUMENTARY
Presented by Ellen Kuras, ASC. Category sponsored by Canon USA.
Winner: Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw for The Truffle Hunters
Nominees:
Egil Håskjold Larsen and Victor Kossakovsky for Gunda
Gianfranco Rosi for Notturno
EPISODE OF A HALF-HOUR SERIES FOR TELEVISION
Presented by Kira Kelly, ASC. Category sponsored by ARRI.
Winner: Baz Idoine for The Mandalorian “Chapter 13: The Jedi”
Nominees:
Ava Berkofsky for Insecure “Lowkey Lost”
Greig Fraser, ASC, ACS for The Mandalorian “Chapter 1: The Mandalorian”
Matthew Jensen, ASC for The Mandalorian “Chapter 15: The Believer”
Jas Shelton for Homecoming “Giant”
ASC HONOUREE:
Sofia Coppola — Board of Governors Award (presented by Ed Lachman, ASC and Philippe Le Sourd, ASC, AFC and sponsored by Picture Shop)
