Canadian duo wins best production design Oscar for Frankenstein

Tuesday 17 March 2026 - 12:20

By: Dakir Madiha

Canadian duo wins best production design Oscar for Frankenstein

Canadian production designer Tamara Deverell and set decorator Shane Vieau won the Academy Award for best production design for Frankenstein at the 98th Oscars, marking a major achievement for Canada’s film industry.

The pair, both from Nova Scotia, capped a dominant awards season that included wins at the BAFTA, Critics Choice and Art Directors Guild Awards. They prevailed over competing films including Hamnet, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another and Sinners.

For Deverell, the win carried added significance after missing the Oscars ceremony during her previous nomination for Nightmare Alley due to COVID related restrictions. Ahead of the ceremony, she said their earlier awards had positioned them strongly for Oscar recognition.

Frankenstein, directed by Guillermo del Toro, also won Oscars for best makeup and hairstyling and best costume design. Despite nine nominations, it did not secure the award for best picture.

Deverell led the creation of 119 sets for the film, including 24 studio builds. The production recreated an Arctic environment in a parking area near Netflix’s Toronto studio, while exterior scenes were filmed at Lake Nipissing in northern Ontario.

Her collaboration with del Toro spans nearly three decades, beginning with Mimic in 1997 and continuing through projects such as Crimson Peak, The Shape of Water and Nightmare Alley.

For Vieau, the award marks his second Oscar following his win for The Shape of Water in 2018. He has also received nominations for Nightmare Alley and Dune Part Two.

Deverell has long advocated for Canada’s film crews, highlighting the strength of technical talent across the country. She credited her team and the broader Canadian industry for supporting large scale productions and helping bring international recognition to their work.