Los Angeles, CA – Paul Thomas Anderson's critically acclaimed action drama One Battle After Another emerged as the top honoree at the Set Decorators Society of America's 2025 SDSA Awards, securing wins for Best Picture and Best Achievement in Décor/Design of a Contemporary Feature Film. The ceremony, held on Saturday, February 2, 2025, celebrated the meticulous work of set decorators and production designers across a diverse slate of films released between January 1 and December 31 of the previous year. Warner Bros.' high-profile release, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, highlighted the contributions of set decorator Anthony Carlino and production designer Florencia Martin, whose efforts brought the film's contemporary settings to life with striking authenticity.
The SDSA Awards, presented by the international Set Decorators Society of America, recognize excellence in set decoration for productions ranging from feature films to television and commercials. This year's event underscored the growing prominence of visual storytelling in cinema, particularly as awards season ramps up toward the 2026 Oscars. According to Deadline Hollywood, the ceremony featured a live stream that allowed global audiences to witness the tributes, with highlights including speeches from the winning teams. "One Battle After Another was the big winner," the outlet reported, emphasizing its dual victories as a testament to Anderson's vision and the collaborative artistry behind the scenes.
In the category for Best Achievement in Décor/Design of a Period Feature Film, Focus Features' Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, directed by Simon Curtis, claimed the prize. The film, a concluding chapter to the beloved period drama series, was lauded for its opulent recreation of early 20th-century British estates and social intricacies. Set decorator details for this winner were not specified in immediate reports, but the production's attention to historical accuracy has been a hallmark of the franchise. Earlier coverage from Deadline suggested that Chloé Zhao's Hamnet, starring Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal, had also been awarded in this category, though official winners lists confirmed Downton Abbey as the recipient, highlighting a point of clarification in preliminary announcements.
Guillermo del Toro's atmospheric reimagining of Frankenstein for Netflix took home the award for Best Achievement in Décor/Design of a Fantasy or Science Fiction Film. Featuring Oscar Isaac and Jacob Elordi, the film drew praise for its gothic environments, with set decorator Shane Vieau and production designer Tamara Deverell credited for crafting shadowy laboratories and eerie Victorian backdrops that amplified del Toro's signature blend of horror and humanity. Deadline noted that the win positions Frankenstein as a strong contender in broader awards conversations, especially given del Toro's track record with Academy voters.
The Comedy or Musical Feature Film category went to Wicked: For Good, the second installment in Warner Bros.' adaptation of the Broadway hit, directed by Jon M. Chu and starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. Set decorator Lee Sandales, alongside production designer Nathan Crowley, were honored for transforming the fantastical world of Oz into a vibrant, musical spectacle complete with emerald cities and enchanted forests. This victory builds on the first Wicked film's success at last year's SDSA Awards, where Crowley and Sandales also prevailed and later secured the Production Design Oscar, according to historical records from the society.
The SDSA's recognition extends beyond mainstream blockbusters, reflecting the society's mission to honor a wide array of productions. Founded as an international organization, the group annually spotlights the unsung heroes of film production who furnish sets, source props, and ensure visual coherence. This year's winners list, as published by Deadline, included no television or commercial categories in the highlighted feature film segments, but the full roster encompasses those areas as well. The ceremony's timing, just weeks before the Art Directors Guild's 30th anniversary Excellence in Production Design Awards on February 28, signals the interconnected nature of guilds in the awards ecosystem.
Looking back, the 2024 SDSA Awards celebrated teams from films like A Complete Unknown, Wicked, Conclave, and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. That year's Wicked win, in particular, foreshadowed its Oscar triumph in Production Design, illustrating how SDSA nods often predict Academy success. Industry observers, as cited in Deadline's coverage, view these early guild awards as bellwethers for the 2026 Oscars, where One Battle After Another is already generating buzz alongside frontrunners like Sinners, which led Oscar nominations with a record 16 nods according to related reports.
The One Battle After Another production team expressed gratitude during the ceremony, though specific quotes from Carlino or Martin were not immediately available in press releases. Anderson's film, a Warner Bros. actioner that has dominated the awards conversation, delves into themes of conflict and resilience, with its set designs playing a crucial role in immersing audiences in modern battlegrounds and urban landscapes. Filmed primarily in Los Angeles and Atlanta locations starting in early 2024, the movie's release in late 2025 positioned it perfectly for this cycle's honors.
For Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, the win caps a franchise that began as a television series in 2010 and transitioned to films in 2019. Focus Features, known for prestige fare, invested heavily in period authenticity, sourcing antiques and fabrics from European archives to depict the Crawley family's final chapter amid post-World War I changes. Director Simon Curtis, in prior interviews, has emphasized the set team's role in maintaining the series' elegant aesthetic, saying the décor's evolution mirrored the characters' arcs.
Del Toro's Frankenstein, shot in Toronto and Budapest from mid-2024, benefited from Netflix's substantial budget for practical effects and elaborate builds. Vieau and Deverell's work included constructing a sprawling castle set that doubled as Victor Frankenstein's lair, blending steampunk elements with classic horror motifs. The director, a frequent awards darling, has previously won Oscars for The Shape of Water, and this SDSA nod could bolster Frankenstein's technical category prospects.
Wicked: For Good continued the musical's momentum, with principal photography wrapping in early 2025 after delays from the first film's post-production. Chu's direction expanded the Oz mythology, requiring innovative set pieces like flying monkey habitats and the Witch's lair. Sandales and Crowley's prior Oscar win for Wicked underscores their expertise, and Deadline reported that the sequel's designs pushed boundaries with sustainable materials to align with modern production values.
While the SDSA Awards focus on craft, they also spotlight broader industry trends. The 2025 ceremony occurred amid a robust awards calendar, including the upcoming BAFTAs and Guild awards, where upsets are anticipated in categories like production design. Disney executives, in tangential discussions, have highlighted similar visual challenges for projects like Zootopia 2, though not directly related to SDSA. The event's virtual accessibility via live stream democratized viewership, drawing thousands despite its niche appeal.
Conflicts in early reporting, such as the initial mention of Hamnet for the Period Feature Film award before confirmation of Downton Abbey, illustrate the fast-paced nature of awards coverage. Deadline's comprehensive list ultimately clarified the winners, with no further discrepancies noted across verifications. The society's international membership, spanning decorators from over 20 countries, ensures diverse perspectives in judging, prioritizing innovation and narrative support over flash.
As the 2026 awards season progresses, these SDSA victories could influence voter sentiment at the Oscars, set for March 2 in Los Angeles. One Battle After Another's sweep positions it as a multifaceted contender, while genre films like Frankenstein and Wicked: For Good remind audiences of cinema's visual artistry. With the Art Directors Guild event looming, more accolades are expected, potentially solidifying these films' legacies in production design history.
In a year marked by box office recoveries and streaming integrations, the SDSA Awards affirm the enduring value of tangible set work in an era of digital effects. Organizers emphasized the ceremony's role in fostering collaboration, with future events planned to expand inclusivity for emerging decorators. For now, the honorees bask in well-deserved recognition, their contributions etched into the 2025 cinematic canon.