One of cinema’s most decorated costume designers is returning to her roots. Sandy Powell, the three-time Oscar winner, will present this year’s Film London Jarman Award on November 24, where she will also serve as the guest of honor.
Sandy Powell (Credits: Variety)
The pairing is deeply personal. Powell was mentored by and frequently collaborated with the late Derek Jarman, the experimental filmmaker and artist in whose honor the award was established in 2008 to celebrate U.K.-based artist-filmmakers.
“Derek was a one-of-a-kind artist, filmmaker, activist and writer whose work had a profound impact on British culture,” Powell said in a statement. “He was also my friend and mentor, and I couldn’t be happier to share in an event that seeks to not only preserve his memory but also carry his ideals forward. Dealing as they do in themes of memory, history and identity, this year’s nominees certainly speak to the truths that Derek strove to tell.”
From Jarman’s Art Films to Hollywood Glory
Powell’s journey is one of the great career arcs in film craft. She cut her teeth designing for Jarman’s films like Caravaggio and Edward II before becoming one of Hollywood’s most in-demand costume designers, collaborating with directors including Martin Scorsese, Neil Jordan, Todd Haynes, and Yorgos Lanthimos.
Her trophy case is stacked. Powell has won the Academy Award for Best Costume Design three times, for Shakespeare in Love, The Aviator, and The Young Victoria, with her work on films like Cinderella, The Wolf of Wall Street, and Mary Poppins Returns further cementing her legacy.
“From her days collaborating with Derek Jarman to the peerless design she has brought to a staggering array of modern classics, her work is bold, beautiful and boundlessly creative,” said Adrian Wootton, chief executive of Film London. “She has long been vocal in her support of Derek’s cultural legacy, and I don’t think we could ask for a more fitting guest of honor.”
This Year’s Nominees
The 2026 award’s shortlisted artists are Sadia Pineda Hameed, Ilona Sagar, Rhea Storr, and Alia Syed. The winner will be announced in London on November 24, with a nationwide touring program of their work running through venues including the Barbican in London and BALTIC in Gateshead, plus a major exhibition at Whitechapel Gallery from November 17 to December 13.
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Source: Variety — read the full story there.
