The camera operators behind A Complete Unknown and Yellowstone won big at the Society of Camera Operators (SOC) Awards.
The Society of Camera Operators revealed the recipients of Camera Operator of the Year in Film and Television during the 2025 SOC Lifetime Achievement Awards at the Loews Hollywood Hotel on Saturday.
The SOC Awards honor the craft of camera operation and celebrate the vital role camera operators and crews play in storytelling.
P. Scott Sakamoto took Camera Operator of the Year in Film for A Complete Unknown, the biopic about Bob Dylan starring Timothée Chalamet as the singer.
Sakamoto was the top contender among an impressive lineup of nominees for the Camera Operator of the Year in Film award. The nominees included Bianca Butti for Challengers, accompanied by Terrence Hayes, B camera operator, and Patrick Quinn, C camera operator.
Michael Fuchs for Wolfs was also nominated, with Rebecca Rajadnya, B camera operator, and Keith Dunkerley, B camera operator. Karsten Bloch Jacobsen was nominated for Wicked alongside Simon Finney, B camera operator. Lastly, David J. Thompson for Civil War, with Hugh Braselton, B camera operator, completed the group of film nominees.
Meanwhile, the Camera Operator of the Year in Television winners were Scott Dropkin for the Yellowstone episode “Life is a Promise” with Abby Linne as B Camera Operator and Jed Seus as C Camera Operator.
Alongside Dropkin, the nominees for Camera Operator of the Year in Television also featured a strong lineup. Sam Ellison was nominated for The Penguin episode “Cent’Anni,” alongside Eli Aronoff, B camera operator. Michael Fuchs was nominated for the Mr. & Mrs. Smith episode “First Date,” along with Rebecca Rajadnya, B camera operator.
Chris Haarhoff was nominated for Fallout episode “The End” with Robert Campbell, B camera operator. Gary Malouf for The Bear episode “Tomorrow,” with Chris Dame, B camera operator, rounded out the television nominees.
“On behalf of all of us at the SOC, congratulations to our Camera Operators of the Year and all of tonight’s honorees. Your artistry and dedication to the craft are truly inspiring,” Matthew Moriarty, The Society of Camera Operators’ president.
“This year’s awards not only celebrate excellence in our field, but also recognize the courage of our first responders and the dedication of visual storytellers who document history as it unfolds.”
Hundreds of guests, nominees, and decorated industry leaders attended the Awards. Following the recent devastation of the Los Angeles wildfires, this year’s SOC Lifetime Achievement Awards placed a special focus on honoring those who have made a significant impact during the events.
Image credits: Header photo licensed via Searchlight Pictures.
