HBO, Starz Lead the Pack as Broadcast Networks Come Up Short

Game of Thrones ruled the kingdom of nominees for the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography for television programming today, with three-time ASC Award-winner Jonathan Freeman, ASC, and first-time nominee Anette Haellmigk receiving nominations for their work in the One-hour Episodic Television Series category.

HBO was well represented, with a third nomination going to David Franco, a five-time ASC nominee, for an episode of the premium channel's Boardwalk Empire, but Starz came on strong with its own trio of nominees: Steven Bernstein, ASC, for an episode of Magic City, David Luther for an episode of the miniseries The White Queen, and Ashley Rowe, BSC, for the first episode of miniseries Dancing on the Edge. Of those three, only Rowe had been nominated previously.

Showtime's The Borgias and House of Lies were both nominated, for episodes shot by Pierre Gill, CSC, and Peter Levy, ACS, ASC, respectively, while Amazon.com got a nod for the work of Matthew J. Lloyd, CSC, on its first original series, Alpha House. And Comedy Central scored a nomination for Blake McClure's work shooting an episode of Drunk History.

Only three nominations — one each to Fox, NBC, and The CW — went to shows on broadcast networks.

The award-winners will be announced at the ASC's award ceremony on February 1 at the Hollywood & Highland Ray Dolby Ballroom. Here is the full list of TV ASC nominees:

One-hour Episodic Television Series

  • Steven Bernstein, ASC, for Starz Network’s Magic City (“The Sins of the Father”)
  • David Franco for HBO’s Boardwalk Empire (“Erlkönig”)
  • Jonathan Freeman, ASC, for HBO’s Game of Thrones (“Valar Dohaeris”)
  • Pierre Gill, CSC, for Showtime’s The Borgias (“The Purge”)
  • David Greene, CSC, for The CW’s Beauty and the Beast (“Tough Love”)
  • Anette Haellmigk for HBO’s Game of Thrones (“Kissed by Fire”)
  • Kramer Morgenthau, ASC, for Fox’s Sleepy Hollow (“Pilot”)
  • Ousama Rawi, BSC, CSC, for NBC’s Dracula (“The Blood is the Life”)

Half-hour Episodic Series

  • Peter Levy, ACS, ASC, for Showtime’s House of Lies (“The Runner Stumbles”)
  • Matthew J. Lloyd, CSC, for Amazon’s Alpha House (“Pilot”)
  • Blake McClure for Comedy Central’s Drunk History (“Detroit”)

Television Movie/Miniseries

  • Jeremy Benning, CSC, for National Geographic Channel’s Killing Lincoln
  • David Luther for Starz Network’s The White Queen (“War at First Hand”)
  • Ashley Rowe, BSC, for Starz Network’s Dancing on the Edge (Episode 1.1)