Legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins was knighted Feb. 1 by Prince Charles at Windsor Castle. He is the first cinematographer to receive this recognition.
“The knighthood was an incredible honor that must be shared with my crew and collaborators. They are the reason I have been able to do what I’ve done. It’s a wonderful recognition that we all share,” said Deakins in a statement provided to The Hollywood Reporter.
Joining Deakins at the ceremony was his wife and collaborator, digital workflow specialist James Ellis Deakins. The pair are in the U.K. prepping for Sam Mendes’ England-set Empire of Light.
Born in Torquay in the English county of Devon, Roger Deakins was appointed CBE in 2013 and in the 2021 New Years Honors, it was announced that he would be knighted.
An Oscar winner for Mendes’ 1917 and Denis Villeneuve’s Blade Runner 2049, Deakins has been nominated 15 times for films including The Shawshank Redemption; Fargo; Kundun; O Brother, Where Art Thou?; The Man Who Wasn’t There; No Country for Old Men; The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford; The Reader; True Grit; Skyfall; Prisoners; Unbroken; and Sicario.
He has also received five BAFTAs and five competitive American Society of Cinematographers Awards, in addition to the 2011 ASC Lifetime Achievement Award.
