Article by RCRs Entertainment Host and Reporter, Kristyn Burtt. Check out her “To The Pointe With Kristyn Burtt: Mary Murphy” site focused on Dance and follow her on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook
The 22nd Costume Designers Guild Awards on Tuesday night at The Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, celebrated the industry’s best work from 2019. The evening’s highlight was the Spotlight Award presented to Oscar nominee for Bombshell, Charlize Theron.
Theron highlighted the importance of costume designers like Colleen Atwood, whom she met on That Thing You Do! in 1996. The duo continued their working relationship on Snow White and the Huntsman and The Huntsman: Winter’s War.
Theron shared the anecdote that Atwood turned her “into the Evil Queen twice in the Huntsman movies via some epic royal gowns and a crown that I still wear around my house. I’m not going f**king lie, almost every day. My kids dig it.”
Their work tougher is also represented this year in Bombshell where Theron had to morph into former FOX News personality Megyn Kelly. Even though the Spotlight Award was honoring Theron, the Oscar winner sang the praises of Atwood.
“Her work on Bombshell astounded me in an entirely new way,” Theron praised Atwood. “She knew that we needed to completely disappear in our characters for the story to work and stepping into those costumes was everything for me to be able to wrap my head around this character.”
In addition to Theron’s honor, a big discussion of the night was pay equality. The charge was led by Costume Designers Guild president Salvador Perez, who emphasized that rates of costume designers are low in comparison to other industry artists. The sector of their industry is dominated by women so the call for pay parity is an important one.
“The issue of pay equality is something we know everyone in this room supports,” Perez said. “Last year I was so happy to see you raising your fans so I ask you to raise your fans again this year. Time is up. Pay equity now.”
Negotiations for a new contract will begin sometime this year with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The hope is to have a new contract secured for 2021.
As the entertainment industry moves into Oscars week, all eyes will be on Mayes C. Rubeo for Jojo Rabbit, who walked away with the CDG Award on Tuesday in the Excellence in Period Film category. While the contenders are slightly different in the Oscars category, Rubeo is still one of the frontrunners to win. Mark Bridges for Joker and Arianne Phillips for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood could be spoilers in this category.
Winners List
Excellence in Contemporary Film
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood – Arjun Bhasin
Hustlers – Mitchell Travers
Knives Out – Jenny Eagan — WINNER
The Laundromat – Ellen Mirojnick
Queen & Slim – Shiona Turini
Excellence in Period Film
Dolemite is My Name – Ruth E. Carter
Downton Abbey – Anna Mary Scott Robbins
Jojo Rabbit – Mayes C. Rubeo — WINNER
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood – Arianne Phillips
Rocketman – Julian Day
Excellence in Sci-Fi / Fantasy Film
Aladdin – Michael Wilkinson
Avengers: Endgame – Judianna Makovsky
Captain Marvel – Sanja M. Hays
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil – Ellen Mirojnick — WINNER
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker – Michael Kaplan
Excellence in Contemporary Television
Big Little Lies: #204, “She Knows” – Alix Friedberg
Fleabag: #201, “2.1” – Ray Holman
Killing Eve: #204, “Desperate Times” – Charlotte Mitchell
Russian Doll: #105, “Superiority Complex” – Jennifer Rogien
Schitt’s Creek: #504, “The Dress” – Debra Hanson — WINNER
Excellence in Period Television
Chernobyl: #102, “Please Remain Calm” – Odile Dicks-Mireaux
The Crown: #310, “Cri De Coeur” – Amy Roberts
Fosse/Verdon: #101, “Life is a Cabaret” – Melissa Toth & Joseph La Corte
GLOW: #305, “Freaky Tuesday” – Beth Morgan
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: #305, “It’s Comedy or Cabbage – Donna Zakowska — WINNER
Excellence in Sci-Fi / Fantasy Television
Carnival Row: #102, “Aisling” – Joanna Eatwell
Game of Thrones: #806, “The Iron Throne” – Michele Clapton — WINNER
The Handmaid’s Tale: #306, “Household” – Natalie Bronfman
A Series of Unfortunate Events: #306, “Penultimate Peril: Part 2” – Cynthia Summers
Watchmen: #101, “It’s Summer and We’re Running Out of Ice” – Sharen Davis
Excellence in Variety, Reality-Competition, Live Television
Dancing with the Stars: #2802, “First Elimination” – Daniela Gschwendtner & Steven Norman Lee
The Late Late Show with James Corden: #4123, “Crosswalk the Musical: Aladdin” – Lauren Shapiro
The Masked Singer: #213, “Season Finale: And The Winner Takes It All And Takes It Off” – Marina Toybina — WINNER
RuPaul’s Drag Race: #1101, “Whatcha Unpackin?” – Zaldy for RuPaul
Saturday Night Live: #4416, “Sandra Oh / Tame Impala” – Tom Broecker & Eric Justian
Excellence in Short Form Design
Katy Perry: “Small Talk,” music video – Phoenix Mellow
Kohler Verdera Voice Smart Mirror: “Mirror, Mirror,” commercial – Ami Goodheart
Lil Nas X: “Old Town Road,” music video – Catherine Hahn
Madonna: “God Control,” music video – B. Åkerlund
United Airlines: “Star Wars Wing Walker,” commercial – Christopher Lawrence — WINNER
