In the first year of this award it referred to no specific film.

• 1933 winners
  • Charles Barton (Paramount)
  • Rick James (Universal)
  • Charles Dorian (MGM)
  • Fred Fox (United Artists)
  • Gordon Hollingshead (Warner Bros. )
  • Dewey Starkey (RKO Radio)
  • William Tummel (Fox)

• 1933 additional nominees
  • Al Alleborn (Warner Bros.)
  • Sid Brod (Paramount)
  • Orville O. Dull (M-G-M)
  • Percy Ikerd (Fox)
  • Arthur Jacobson (Paramount)
  • Edward Killy (RKO Radio)
  • Joseph A. McDonough (Universal)
  • William J. Reiter (Universal)
  • Frank Shaw (Warner Bros.)
  • Ben Silvey (UA)
  • John Waters (M-G-M)

• 1934 John Waters - Viva Villa!
  • Scott Beal - Imitation of Life
  • Cullen Tate - Cleopatra

• 1935 Clem Beauchamp and Paul Wing - The Lives of a Bengal Lancer
  • Joseph Newman - David Copperfield
  • Eric G. Stacey - Les Misérables
  • Sherry Shourds - A Midsummer Night's Dream (Write In)

• 1936 Jack Sullivan - The Charge of the Light Brigade
  • Clem Beauchamp - The Last of the Mohicans
  • William Cannon - Anthony Adverse
  • Joseph Newman - San Francisco
  • Eric G. Stacey - The Garden of Allah

• 1937 Robert Webb - In Old Chicago
  • Charles C. Coleman - Lost Horizon
  • Russ Saunders - The Life of Emile Zola
  • Eric Stacey - A Star Is Born
  • Hal Walker - Souls at Sea