CDG Awards 2026: ‘Frankenstein’, ‘Wicked’ & ‘The Gilded Age’ Lead Predictions
Los Angeles, CA – The 28th annual Costume Designers Guild Awards (CDGA) are set to take place February 12th at the Ebell of Los Angeles, honoring the best in film, television, and short-form costume design for 2025. Predictions from Gold Derby indicate strong potential wins for Frankenstein, Wicked: For Good, and One Battle After Another in the film categories, whereas The Gilded Age, Andor, and Wednesday are favored to win in television.
James Cameron will receive the Distinguished Collaborator Award at the ceremony, recognizing his consistent support of costume design and collaborative partnerships with designers throughout his career. The CDGA noted Cameron’s recognition of costume design as integral to storytelling, bringing identity and character to life through clothing. Past recipients of the Distinguished Collaborator Award include Clint Eastwood, Guillermo del Toro, and Meryl Streep.
The nominations, announced December 12, 2025, reveal a competitive field. Colleen Atwood leads with three nominations for her work on One Battle After Another, the Wednesday episode “Woe Me The Money,” and Lady Gaga’s “The Dead Dance” music video. Lindsay Pugh garnered two nominations for Hedda and How to Train Your Dragon, while Steven Norman Lee received two nods for his work on Dancing With the Stars and The Masked Singer.
Notably, four of the five nominees for Best Costume Design at the upcoming Academy Awards – Frankenstein, Hamnet, and Sinners – received nominations from the CDGA. Avatar: Fire and Ash, the fourth Oscar nominee, was likewise recognized by the guild. The fifth Oscar nominee, Marty Supreme, was not selected for a CDGA award.
The CDGA nominations reflect a diverse range of projects. In the film categories, Weapons is nominated for Excellence in Contemporary Film alongside Bugonia, F1 The Movie, One Battle After Another, and Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. The Excellence in Period Film category pits Sinners against Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, Frankenstein, Hamnet, and Hedda. The Sci-Fi/Fantasy Film category includes Avatar: Fire and Ash, How to Train Your Dragon, Thunderbolts*, Tron: Ares, and Wicked: For Good.
Beyond film, the awards will also recognize excellence in television costume design. Weapons, Sinners, and Palm Royale are also nominated for Excellence in Costume Illustration, competing with On Swift Horses.
Kate Hudson will be presented with the Spotlight Award, while Teyana Taylor will receive the Vanguard Spotlight Award, and Michelle Cole will be honored with the Career Achievement Award. CDGA President Terry Ann Gordon stated the guild is proud to celebrate the nominees and their contributions to the art of costume design.