Academy Award given for the best achievement in visual effects
The Academy Award for Best Visual Effects is presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) for the best achievement in visual effects . It has been handed to four members of the team directly responsible for creating the film's visual effects since 1980 .
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences first recognized the technical contributions of special effects to movies at its inaugural dinner in 1929, presenting a plaque for "Best Engineering Effects" to the first Best Picture Oscar winner, the World War I flying drama Wings .
Producer David O. Selznick , then production head at RKO Studios , petitioned the Academy Board of Governors to recognize the work of animator Willis O'Brien for his groundbreaking work on 1933's King Kong .[ 1] However, the Academy did not have a category to acknowledge its visual achievements at the time.[ 2] [ 3]
It was not until 1938 when a film was actually recognized for its effects work, when a "Special Achievement Award for Special Effects " was given to the Paramount film Spawn of the North . The following year, "Best Special Effects " became a recognized category, although on occasion the Academy has chosen to honor a single film outright rather than nominate two or more films. From 1939 to 1963, it was an award for a film's visual effects as well as audio effects, so it was often given to two persons, although some years only one or the other type of effect was recognized. For the 22nd Academy Awards , RKO was nominated for the work done on Mighty Joe Young (1949), and when they won, it was Willis H. O'Brien who went on stage to accept the statue.[ 4] In 1964, it was given only for visual effects, and the following year the name of the category was changed to "Best Special Visual Effects ".
Honorees for this award have been bestowed several times as a Special Achievement Academy Award . In 1977, the category was given its current name "Best Visual Effects ." For decades, shortlisted finalists were selected by a steering committee. They are presently chosen by the visual effects branch executive committee.[ 5] 1990 was the last year there were no official nominees. Back to the Future Part III , Dick Tracy , Ghost and Total Recall advanced to a second stage of voting, but only Total Recall received a requisite average and it was given a special achievement Oscar.[ 6]
There have been three wholly animated films nominated in this category: The Nightmare Before Christmas in 1993, Kubo and the Two Strings in 2016, and The Lion King in 2019. There have been three semi-animated films nominated, which also won: Mary Poppins in 1964, Bedknobs and Broomsticks in 1971, and Who Framed Roger Rabbit in 1988.[ 7] In 2024 , Godzilla Minus One became the first non-English-language film ever to win in the category.[ 8]
In 1979, there were five films nominated. For most of the next three decades, there were three nominees a year, although at some times there were two and at others, a single film was given the award outright.
In 2007, it was decided that a list of no more than 15 eligible films would be chosen, from which a maximum of seven would be shortlisted for further consideration. A vote would then proceed, with a maximum of three nominees. Since 2010, there are ten shortlisted finalists which, using a form of range voting , produce five nominees.[ 9] No more than four people may be nominated for a single film.[ 10]
According to the official Academy Award rules , the criteria are:
(a) consideration of the contribution the visual effects make to the overall production and (b) the artistry, skill and fidelity with which the visual illusions are achieved.
A number of filmmakers have had their movies honored for their achievements in visual effects; i.e., six by director James Cameron (who began his career in Hollywood as an effects technician), five films produced by George Pal , five by director/producer George Lucas , four by directors Richard Fleischer , Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson , three by directors Robert Zemeckis and Christopher Nolan , and two by directors Clarence Brown , Cecil B. DeMille , Mark Robson , Ridley Scott , Robert Stevenson and Denis Villeneuve .
Only two directors have won in the same category: Four time Best Director nominee Stanley Kubrick 's only Oscar win for 1968's 2001: A Space Odyssey , and Japanese filmmaker Takashi Yamazaki 's first Oscar win for 2023's Godzilla Minus One .[ 8] [ 11] The credits for 2001 list four effects contributors, including Douglas Trumbull . However, according to the rules of the Academy in effect at the time, only three persons could be nominated for their work on a single film, which would have resulted in the omission of either Trumbull, Tom Howard , Con Pederson or Wally Veevers. Ultimately, it was Kubrick's name that was submitted as a nominee in this category, resulting in his winning the award, which many consider a slight to the four men whose work contributed to the film's success.[ 12]
Engineering Effects Award [ edit ] The table below display the Oscar nominees for Best Engineering Effects.
indicates competitive winner
indicates non-competitive winner
Special Effects Awards [ edit ] The tables below display the Oscar nominees for Best Special Effects including the recipients of the Special Achievement Awards.
Year Film Nominees 1940 (13th) The Thief of Bagdad Lawrence Butler (photographic) ; Jack Whitney (sound) The Blue Bird Fred Sersen (photographic) ; E. H. Hansen (sound) Boom Town A. Arnold Gillespie (photographic) ; Douglas Shearer (sound) The Boys from Syracuse John P. Fulton (photographic) ; Bernard B. Brown and Joseph Lapis (sound) Dr. Cyclops Gordon Jennings and Farciot Edouart (photographic) Foreign Correspondent Paul Eagler (photographic) ; Thomas T. Moulton (sound) The Invisible Man Returns John P. Fulton (photographic) ; Bernard B. Brown and William Hedgcock (sound) The Long Voyage Home R. T. Layton and R. O. Binger (photographic) ; Thomas T. Moulton (sound) One Million B.C. Roy Seawright (photographic) ; Elmer Raguse (sound) Rebecca Jack Cosgrove (photographic) ; Arthur Johns (sound) The Sea Hawk Byron Haskin (photographic) ; Nathan Levinson (sound) Swiss Family Robinson Vernon L. Walker (photographic) ; John O. Aalberg (sound) Typhoon Farciot Edouart and Gordon Jennings (photographic) ; Loren Ryder (sound) Women in War Howard J. Lydecker , William Bradford , and Ellis J. Thackery (photographic) ; Herbert Norsch (sound) 1941 (14th) I Wanted Wings Farciot Edouart and Gordon Jennings (photographic) ; Louis Mesenkop (sound) Aloma of the South Seas Farciot Edouart and Gordon Jennings (photographic) ; Louis Mesenkop (sound) Dive Bomber [ note 5] [ 13] Byron Haskin (photographic) ; Nathan Levinson (sound) Flight Command A. Arnold Gillespie (photographic) ; Douglas Shearer (sound) The Invisible Woman John Fulton (photographic) ; John Hall (sound) The Sea Wolf Byron Haskin (photographic) ; Nathan Levinson (sound) That Hamilton Woman Lawrence Butler (photographic) ; William H. Wilmarth (sound) Topper Returns Roy Seawright (photographic) ; Elmer Raguse (sound) A Yank in the R.A.F. Fred Sersen (photographic) ; E. H. Hansen (sound) 1942 (15th) Reap the Wild Wind Gordon Jennings , Farciot Edouart , and William Pereira (photographic) ; Louis Mesenkop (sound) The Black Swan Fred Sersen (photographic) ; Roger Heman and George Leverett (sound) Desperate Journey Byron Haskin (photographic) ; Nathan Levinson (sound) Flying Tigers Howard Lydecker (photographic) ; Daniel J. Bloomberg (sound) Invisible Agent John Fulton (photographic) ; Bernard B. Brown (sound) Jungle Book Lawrence Butler (photographic) ; William H. Wilmarth (sound) Mrs. Miniver A. Arnold Gillespie and Warren Newcombe (photographic) ; Douglas Shearer (sound) The Navy Comes Through Vernon L. Walker (photographic) ; James G. Stewart (sound) One of Our Aircraft Is Missing Ronald Neame (photographic) ; C. C. Stevens (sound) The Pride of the Yankees Jack Cosgrove and Ray Binger (photographic) ; Thomas T. Moulton (sound) 1943 (16th) Crash Dive Fred Sersen (photographic) ; Roger Heman (sound) Air Force Hans Koenekamp and Rex Wimpy (photographic) ; Nathan Levinson (sound) Bombardier Vernon L. Walker (photographic) ; James G. Stewart and Roy Granville (sound) The North Star Clarence Slifer and R. O. Binger (photographic) ; Thomas T. Moulton (sound) So Proudly We Hail! Gordon Jennings and Farciot Edouart (photographic) ; George Dutton (sound) Stand By for Action A. Arnold Gillespie and Donald Jahraus (photographic) ; Michael Steinore (sound) 1944 (17th) Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo A. Arnold Gillespie , Donald Jahraus , and Warren Newcombe (photographic) ; Douglas Shearer (sound) The Adventures of Mark Twain Paul Detlefsen and John Crouse (photographic) ; Nathan Levinson (sound) Days of Glory Vernon L. Walker (photographic) ; James G. Stewart and Roy Granville (sound) Secret Command David Allen , Ray Cory , and Robert Wright (photographic) ; Russell Malmgren and Harry Kusnick (sound) Since You Went Away Jack Cosgrove (photographic) ; Arthur Johns (sound) The Story of Dr. Wassell Farciot Edouart and Gordon Jennings (photographic) ; George Dutton (sound) Wilson Fred Sersen (photographic) ; Roger Heman (sound) 1945 (18th) Wonder Man John P. Fulton (photographic) ; Arthur Johns (sound) Captain Eddie Fred Sersen and Sol Halperin (photographic) ; Roger Heman and Harry Leonard (sound) Spellbound Jack Cosgrove (photographic) They Were Expendable A. Arnold Gillespie , Donald Jahraus , and Robert A. MacDonald (photographic) ; Michael Steinore (sound) A Thousand and One Nights Lawrence W. Butler (photographic) ; Ray Bomba (sound) 1946 (19th) Blithe Spirit Thomas Howard (visual) A Stolen Life William McGann (visual) ; Nathan Levinson (audible) 1947 (20th) Green Dolphin Street A. Arnold Gillespie and Warren Newcombe (visual) ; Douglas Shearer and Michael Steinore (audible) Unconquered Farciot Edouart , Devereux Jennings , Gordon Jennings , W. Wallace Kelley , and Paul Lerpae (visual) ; George Dutton (audible) 1948 (21st) Portrait of Jennie Paul Eagler , Joseph McMillan Johnson , Russell Shearman , and Clarence Slifer (visual) ; Charles Freeman , and James G. Stewart (audible) Deep Waters Ralph Hammeras , Fred Sersen , and Edward Snyder (visual) ; Roger Heman (audible) 1949 (22nd) Mighty Joe Young RKO Productions Tulsa Walter Wanger Pictures
Visual Effects Awards [ edit ] The tables below display the Oscar nominees for Best Visual Effects including the recipients of the Special Achievement Awards.
Year Film Nominees 1970 (43rd) Tora! Tora! Tora! A. D. Flowers and L. B. Abbott Patton Alex Weldon 1971 (44th) Bedknobs and Broomsticks Alan Maley , Eustace Lycett , and Danny Lee When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth Jim Danforth and Roger Dicken 1972 (45th) The Poseidon Adventure [ note 3] L. B. Abbott and A. D. Flowers 1974 (47th) Earthquake [ note 3] Frank Brendel , Glen Robinson , and Albert Whitlock 1975 (48th) The Hindenburg [ note 3] Albert Whitlock and Glen Robinson 1976 (49th) King Kong [ note 3] Carlo Rambaldi , Glen Robinson , and Frank Van der Veer Logan's Run [ note 3] L. B. Abbott , Glen Robinson , and Matthew Yuricich 1977 (50th) Star Wars John Stears , John Dykstra , Richard Edlund , Grant McCune , and Robert Blalack Close Encounters of the Third Kind Roy Arbogast , Douglas Trumbull , Matthew Yuricich , Greg Jein , and Richard Yuricich 1978 (51st) Superman [ note 3] Les Bowie , Colin Chilvers , Denys Coop , Roy Field , Derek Meddings , and Zoran Perisic 1979 (52nd) Alien H. R. Giger , Carlo Rambaldi , Brian Johnson , Nick Allder , and Dennis Ayling 1941 William A. Fraker , A. D. Flowers , and Greg Jein The Black Hole Peter Ellenshaw , Art Cruickshank , Eustace Lycett , Danny Lee , Harrison Ellenshaw , and Joe Hale Moonraker Derek Meddings , Paul Wilson, and John Evans Star Trek: The Motion Picture Douglas Trumbull , John Dykstra , Richard Yuricich , Robert Swarthe , David K. Stewart , and Grant McCune
Year Film Nominees 1980 (53rd) The Empire Strikes Back [ note 3] Brian Johnson , Richard Edlund , Dennis Muren , and Bruce Nicholson 1981 (54th) Raiders of the Lost Ark Richard Edlund , Kit West , Bruce Nicholson , and Joe Johnston Dragonslayer Dennis Muren , Phil Tippett , Ken Ralston , and Brian Johnson 1982 (55th) E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial Carlo Rambaldi , Dennis Muren , and Kenneth F. Smith Blade Runner Douglas Trumbull , Richard Yuricich , and David Dryer Poltergeist Richard Edlund , Michael Wood , and Bruce Nicholson 1983 (56th) Return of the Jedi [ note 3] Richard Edlund , Dennis Muren , Ken Ralston , and Phil Tippett 1984 (57th) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Dennis Muren , Michael J. McAlister , Lorne Peterson , and George Gibbs 2010 Richard Edlund , Neil Krepela , George Jenson , and Mark Stetson Ghostbusters Richard Edlund , John Bruno , Mark Vargo , and Chuck Gaspar 1985 (58th) Cocoon Ken Ralston , Ralph McQuarrie , Scott Farrar , and David Berry Return to Oz Will Vinton , Ian Wingrove , Zoran Perisic , and Michael Lloyd Young Sherlock Holmes Dennis Muren , Kit West , John R. Ellis , and David W. Allen 1986 (59th) Aliens Robert Skotak , Stan Winston , John Richardson , and Suzanne M. Benson Little Shop of Horrors Lyle Conway , Bran Ferren , and Martin Gutteridge Poltergeist II: The Other Side Richard Edlund , John Bruno , Garry Waller , and Bill Neil 1987 (60th) Innerspace Dennis Muren , William George , Harley Jessup , and Kenneth F. Smith Predator Joel Hynek , Robert M. Greenberg, Richard Greenberg , and Stan Winston 1988 (61st) Who Framed Roger Rabbit Ken Ralston , Richard Williams , Edward Jones , and George Gibbs Die Hard Richard Edlund , Al DiSarro , Brent Boates , and Thaine Morris Willow Dennis Muren , Michael J. McAlister , Phil Tippett , and Chris Evans 1989 (62nd) The Abyss John Bruno , Dennis Muren , Hoyt Yeatman , and Dennis Skotak The Adventures of Baron Munchausen Richard Conway and Kent Houston Back to the Future Part II Ken Ralston , Michael Lantieri , John Bell , and Steve Gawley
Year Film Nominees 1990 (63rd) Total Recall [ note 3] Eric Brevig , Rob Bottin , Tim McGovern , and Alex Funke 1991 (64th) Terminator 2: Judgment Day Dennis Muren , Stan Winston , Gene Warren Jr. , and Robert Skotak Backdraft Mikael Salomon , Allen Hall , Clay Pinney , and Scott Farrar Hook Eric Brevig , Harley Jessup , Mark Sullivan , and Michael Lantieri 1992 (65th) Death Becomes Her Ken Ralston , Doug Chiang , Douglas Smythe , and Tom Woodruff Jr. Alien 3 Richard Edlund , Alec Gillis, Tom Woodruff Jr. , and George Gibbs Batman Returns Michael L. Fink , Craig Barron , John Bruno , and Dennis Skotak 1993 (66th) Jurassic Park Dennis Muren , Stan Winston , Phil Tippett , and Michael Lantieri Cliffhanger Neil Krepela , John Richardson , John Bruno , and Pamela Easley The Nightmare Before Christmas Pete Kozachik, Eric Leighton, Ariel Velasco Shaw, and Gordon Baker 1994 (67th) Forrest Gump Ken Ralston , George Murphy , Stephen Rosenbaum , and Allen Hall The Mask Scott Squires , Steve 'Spaz' Williams , Tom Bertino , and Jon Farhat True Lies John Bruno , Thomas L. Fisher , Jacques Stroweis , and Patrick McClung 1995 (68th) Babe Scott E. Anderson , Charles Gibson , Neal Scanlan , and John Cox Apollo 13 Robert Legato , Michael Kanfer , Leslie Ekker , and Matt Sweeney 1996 (69th) Independence Day Volker Engel , Douglas Smith , Clay Pinney , and Joseph Viskocil Dragonheart Scott Squires , Phil Tippett , James Straus , and Kit West Twister Stefen Fangmeier , John Frazier , Habib Zargarpour , and Henry LaBounta 1997 (70th) Titanic Robert Legato , Mark Lasoff , Thomas L. Fisher , and Michael Kanfer The Lost World: Jurassic Park Dennis Muren , Stan Winston , Randal M. Dutra , and Michael Lantieri Starship Troopers Phil Tippett , Scott E. Anderson , Alec Gillis, and John Richardson 1998 (71st) What Dreams May Come Joel Hynek , Nicholas Brooks , Stuart Robertson , and Kevin Mack Armageddon Richard R. Hoover , Patrick McClung , and John Frazier Mighty Joe Young Rick Baker , Hoyt Yeatman , Allen Hall , and Jim Mitchell 1999 (72nd) The Matrix John Gaeta , Janek Sirrs , Steve Courtley , and Jon Thum Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace John Knoll , Dennis Muren , Scott Squires , and Rob Coleman Stuart Little John Dykstra , Jerome Chen , Henry F. Anderson III, and Eric Allard
Year Film Nominees 2000 (73rd) Gladiator John Nelson , Neil Corbould , Tim Burke , and Rob Harvey Hollow Man Scott E. Anderson , Craig Hayes , Scott Stokdyk , and Stan Parks The Perfect Storm Stefen Fangmeier , Habib Zargarpour , John Frazier , and Walt Conti 2001 (74th) The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Jim Rygiel , Randall William Cook , Richard Taylor , and Mark Stetson A.I. Artificial Intelligence Dennis Muren , Scott Farrar , Stan Winston , and Michael Lantieri Pearl Harbor Eric Brevig , John Frazier , Ed Hirsh , and Ben Snow 2002 (75th) The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Jim Rygiel , Joe Letteri , Randall William Cook , and Alex Funke Spider-Man John Dykstra , Scott Stokdyk , Anthony LaMolinara , and John Frazier Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones Rob Coleman , Pablo Helman , John Knoll , and Ben Snow 2003 (76th) The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Jim Rygiel , Joe Letteri , Randall William Cook , and Alex Funke Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World Dan Sudick , Stefen Fangmeier , Nathan McGuinness , and Robert Stromberg Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl John Knoll , Hal Hickel , Charles Gibson , and Terry Frazee 2004 (77th) Spider-Man 2 John Dykstra , Scott Stokdyk , Anthony LaMolinara , and John Frazier Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Roger Guyett , Tim Burke , John Richardson , and William George I, Robot John Nelson , Andrew R. Jones , Erik Nash , and Joe Letteri 2005 (78th) King Kong Joe Letteri , Brian Van't Hul , Christian Rivers , and Richard Taylor The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Dean Wright , Bill Westenhofer , Jim Berney , and Scott Farrar War of the Worlds Dennis Muren , Pablo Helman , Randal M. Dutra , and Dan Sudick 2006 (79th) Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest John Knoll , Hal Hickel , Charles Gibson , and Allen Hall Poseidon Boyd Shermis, Kim Libreri, Chas Jarrett, and John Frazier Superman Returns Mark Stetson , Neil Corbould , Richard R. Hoover , and Jon Thum 2007 (80th) The Golden Compass Michael L. Fink , Bill Westenhofer , Ben Morris , and Trevor Wood Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End John Knoll , Hal Hickel , Charles Gibson , and John Frazier Transformers Scott Farrar , Scott Benza , Russell Earl , and John Frazier 2008 (81st) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Eric Barba , Steve Preeg , Burt Dalton , and Craig Barron The Dark Knight Nick Davis , Chris Corbould , Tim Webber , and Paul Franklin Iron Man John Nelson , Ben Snow , Dan Sudick , and Shane Mahan 2009 (82nd) Avatar Joe Letteri , Stephen Rosenbaum , Richard Baneham , and Andrew R. Jones District 9 Dan Kaufman , Peter Muyzers , Robert Habros , and Matt Aitken Star Trek Roger Guyett , Russell Earl , Paul Kavanagh , and Burt Dalton
Year Film Nominees 2010 (83rd) Inception Paul Franklin , Chris Corbould , Andrew Lockley , and Peter Bebb Alice in Wonderland Ken Ralston , David Schaub , Carey Villegas , and Sean Phillips Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 Tim Burke , John Richardson , Christian Manz , and Nicolas Aithadi Hereafter Michael Owens , Bryan Grill , Stephan Trojansky , and Joe Farrell Iron Man 2 Janek Sirrs , Ben Snow , Ged Wright , and Dan Sudick 2011 (84th) Hugo Robert Legato , Joss Williams , Ben Grossmann , and Alex Henning Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 Tim Burke , David Vickery , Greg Butler , and John Richardson Real Steel Erik Nash , John Rosengrant , Dan Taylor , and Swen Gillberg Rise of the Planet of the Apes Joe Letteri , Dan Lemmon , R. Christopher White , and Daniel Barrett Transformers: Dark of the Moon Scott Farrar , Scott Benza , Matthew E. Butler , and John Frazier 2012 (85th) Life of Pi Bill Westenhofer , Guillaume Rocheron , Erik-Jan de Boer , and Donald R. Elliott The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Joe Letteri , Eric Saindon , David Clayton , and R. Christopher White Marvel's The Avengers Janek Sirrs , Jeff White , Guy Williams , and Dan Sudick Prometheus Richard Stammers , Trevor Wood , Charley Henley , and Martin Hill Snow White and the Huntsman Cedric Nicolas-Troyan , Philip Brennan, Neil Corbould , and Michael Dawson 2013 (86th) Gravity Tim Webber , Chris Lawrence , Dave Shirk , and Neil Corbould The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Joe Letteri , Eric Saindon , David Clayton , and Eric Reynolds Iron Man 3 Christopher Townsend , Guy Williams , Erik Nash , and Dan Sudick The Lone Ranger Tim Alexander , Gary Brozenich , Edson Williams , and John Frazier Star Trek Into Darkness Roger Guyett , Patrick Tubach , Ben Grossmann , and Burt Dalton 2014 (87th) Interstellar Paul Franklin , Andrew Lockley , Ian Hunter , and Scott R. Fisher Captain America: The Winter Soldier Dan DeLeeuw , Russell Earl , Bryan Grill , and Dan Sudick Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Joe Letteri , Dan Lemmon , Daniel Barrett , and Erik Winquist Guardians of the Galaxy Stéphane Ceretti , Nicolas Aithadi , Jonathan Fawkner , and Paul Corbould X-Men: Days of Future Past Richard Stammers , Lou Pecora , Tim Crosbie , and Cameron Waldbauer 2015 (88th) Ex Machina Mark Williams Ardington , Sara Bennett , Paul Norris , and Andrew Whitehurst Mad Max: Fury Road Andrew Jackson , Dan Oliver , Andy Williams , and Tom Wood The Martian Anders Langlands , Chris Lawrence , Richard Stammers , and Steven Warner The Revenant Richard McBride , Matt Shumway , Jason Smith , and Cameron Waldbauer Star Wars: The Force Awakens Chris Corbould , Roger Guyett , Patrick Tubach , and Neal Scanlan 2016 (89th) [ 14] The Jungle Book Robert Legato , Adam Valdez , Andrew R. Jones , and Dan Lemmon Deepwater Horizon Craig Hammack , Jason Snell , Jason Billington , and Burt Dalton Doctor Strange Stéphane Ceretti , Richard Bluff , Vincent Cirelli , and Paul Corbould Kubo and the Two Strings Steve Emerson , Oliver Jones , Brian McLean , and Brad Schiff Rogue One: A Star Wars Story John Knoll , Mohen Leo , Hal Hickel , and Neil Corbould 2017 (90th) [ 15] Blade Runner 2049 John Nelson , Gerd Nefzer , Paul Lambert , and Richard R. Hoover Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Christopher Townsend , Guy Williams , Jonathan Fawkner , and Dan Sudick Kong: Skull Island Stephen Rosenbaum , Jeff White , Scott Benza , and Mike Meinardus Star Wars: The Last Jedi Ben Morris , Mike Mulholland , Neal Scanlan , and Chris Corbould War for the Planet of the Apes Joe Letteri , Daniel Barrett , Dan Lemmon , and Joel Whist 2018 (91st) First Man Paul Lambert , Ian Hunter , Tristan Myles , and J. D. Schwalm Avengers: Infinity War Dan DeLeeuw , Kelly Port , Russell Earl , and Dan Sudick Christopher Robin Chris Lawrence , Mike Eames , Theo Jones, and Chris Corbould Ready Player One Roger Guyett , Grady Cofer , Matthew E. Butler , and David Shirk Solo: A Star Wars Story Rob Bredow , Patrick Tubach , Neal Scanlan , and Dominic Tuohy 2019 (92nd) 1917 Guillaume Rocheron , Greg Butler , and Dominic Tuohy Avengers: Endgame Dan DeLeeuw , Russell Earl , Matt Aitken , and Dan Sudick The Irishman Pablo Helman , Leandro Estebecorena , Nelson Sepulveda-Fauser, and Stephane Grabli The Lion King Robert Legato , Adam Valdez , Andrew R. Jones , and Elliot Newman Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Roger Guyett , Neal Scanlan , Patrick Tubach , and Dominic Tuohy
Year Film Nominees 2020 (93rd) Tenet Andrew Jackson , David Lee , Andrew Lockley , and Scott Fisher Love and Monsters Matt Sloan , Genevieve Camilleri , Matt Everitt , and Brian Cox The Midnight Sky Matt Kasmir , Chris Lawrence , Max Solomon , and David Watkins Mulan Sean Andrew Faden , Anders Langlands , Seth Maury , and Steve Ingram The One and Only Ivan Nick Davis , Greg Fisher, Ben Jones, and Santiago Colomo Martínez 2021 (94th) Dune Paul Lambert , Tristan Myles , Brian Connor , and Gerd Nefzer Free Guy Swen Gillberg , Bryan Grill , Nikos Kalaitzidis , and Dan Sudick No Time to Die Charlie Noble , Joel Green , Jonathan Fawkner , and Chris Corbould Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings Christopher Townsend , Joe Farrell , Sean Noel Walker , and Dan Oliver Spider-Man: No Way Home Kelly Port , Chris Waegner , Scott Edelstein , and Dan Sudick 2022 (95th) Avatar: The Way of Water Joe Letteri , Richard Baneham , Eric Saindon , and Daniel Barrett All Quiet on the Western Front Frank Petzold , Viktor Müller , Markus Frank , and Kamil Jafar The Batman Dan Lemmon , Russell Earl , Anders Langlands , and Dominic Tuohy Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Geoffrey Baumann , Craig Hammack , R. Christopher White , and Dan Sudick Top Gun: Maverick Ryan Tudhope , Seth Hill , Bryan Litson , and Scott R. Fisher 2023 (96th) Godzilla Minus One Takashi Yamazaki , Kiyoko Shibuya , Masaki Takahashi , and Tatsuji Nojima The Creator Jay Cooper , Ian Comley , Andrew Roberts and Neil Corbould Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Stéphane Ceretti , Alexis Wajsbrot , Guy Williams and Theo Bialek Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One Alex Wuttke , Simone Coco , Jeff Sutherland and Neil Corbould Napoleon Charley Henley , Luc-Ewen Martin-Fenouillet , Simone Coco and Neil Corbould
Shortlisted finalists [ edit ] Finalists for Best Visual Effects are selected by the Visual Effects Branch Executive Committee. Beginning with a long list of up to 20 titles, the committee then advances ten films to the shortlist.[ 16] Prior to the 83rd Academy Awards , only fifteen films were long-listed, and only seven films were shortlisted.[ 17] The full membership of the Visual Effects Branch is invited to view excerpts and is provided with supporting information at a "bake-off" where balloting determines the five nominees. These are the additional films that presented at the bake-off.
Year Finalists Ref 1984 Dune , Gremlins , The Last Starfighter , Star Trek III: The Search for Spock [ 18] 1993 Addams Family Values , Alive , Hocus Pocus , Super Mario Bros. [ 19] 1994 The Hudsucker Proxy , Interview with the Vampire , The Lion King , Speed [ 20] 1995 Batman Forever , Casper , Jumanji , The Indian in the Cupboard , Waterworld [ 21] 1996 Mars Attacks! , Mission: Impossible , The Nutty Professor , Star Trek: First Contact [ 22] 1997 Batman & Robin , Contact , The Fifth Element , Men in Black [ 23] 1998 Babe: Pig in the City , Godzilla , Small Soldiers , The Truman Show [ 24] 1999 The Mummy , Sleepy Hollow , Wild Wild West , The World Is Not Enough [ 25] 2000 Cast Away , Dinosaur , How the Grinch Stole Christmas , X-Men [ 26] 2001 Black Hawk Down , Cats & Dogs , The Fast and the Furious , Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone , Jurassic Park III [ note 7] [ 27] 2002 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets , Minority Report , Men in Black II , xXx [ 28] 2003 Hulk , Peter Pan , Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines , X2: X-Men United [ 29] 2004 The Aviator , The Day After Tomorrow , Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events , Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow [ 30] 2005 Batman Begins , Charlie and the Chocolate Factory , Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire , Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith [ 31] 2006 Casino Royale , Eragon , Night at the Museum , X-Men: The Last Stand [ 32] 2007 The Bourne Ultimatum , Evan Almighty , I Am Legend , 300 [ 33] 2008 Australia , Hellboy II: The Golden Army , Journey to the Center of the Earth , The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor [ 34] 2009 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince , Terminator Salvation , Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen , 2012 [ 35] 2010 First Round: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader , Clash of the Titans , The Last Airbender , Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief , Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time , Shutter Island , The Sorcerer's Apprentice , Unstoppable Second Round: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World , Tron: Legacy [ 17] 2011 First Round: Cowboys & Aliens , Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows , Sucker Punch , Super 8 , Thor Second Round: Captain America: The First Avenger , Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol , Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides , The Tree of Life , X-Men: First Class [ 36] [ 37] 2012 The Amazing Spider-Man , Cloud Atlas , The Dark Knight Rises , John Carter , Skyfall [ 38] 2013 Elysium , Oblivion , Pacific Rim , Thor: The Dark World , World War Z [ 39] 2014 Godzilla , The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies , Maleficent , Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb , Transformers: Age of Extinction [ 40] 2015 First Round: Bridge of Spies , Chappie , Everest , Furious 7 , The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 , In the Heart of the Sea , Jupiter Ascending , Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation , Spectre , Terminator Genisys Second Round: Ant-Man , Avengers: Age of Ultron , Jurassic World , Tomorrowland , The Walk [ 41] [ 42] 2016 First Round: Alice Through the Looking Glass , Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice , Deadpool , Independence Day: Resurgence , Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children , Star Trek Beyond , Suicide Squad , Sully , Warcraft , X-Men: Apocalypse Second Round: Arrival , The BFG , Captain America: Civil War , Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them , Passengers [ 43] [ 44] 2017 First Round: Beauty and the Beast , Ghost in the Shell , Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle , Justice League , Life , Logan , Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales , Spider-Man: Homecoming , Thor: Ragnarok , Wonder Woman Second Round: Alien: Covenant , Dunkirk , Okja , The Shape of Water , Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets [ 45] [ 46] 2018 First Round: Aquaman , Bumblebee , Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald , Incredibles 2 , Isle of Dogs , Mission: Impossible – Fallout , Mortal Engines , The Nutcracker and the Four Realms , Paddington 2 , A Quiet Place Second Round: Ant-Man and the Wasp , Black Panther , Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom , Mary Poppins Returns , Welcome to Marwen [ 47] [ 48] 2019 First Round: Ad Astra , The Aeronauts , Aladdin , Dumbo , Hobbs & Shaw , Ford v Ferrari , Jumanji: The Next Level , Men in Black: International , Midway , Spider-Man: Far From Home Second Round: Alita: Battle Angel , Captain Marvel , Cats , Gemini Man , Terminator: Dark Fate [ 49] [ 50] 2020 Birds of Prey , Bloodshot , Mank , Soul , Welcome to Chechnya [ 51] 2021 Black Widow , Eternals , Ghostbusters: Afterlife , Godzilla vs. Kong , The Matrix Resurrections [ 52] 2022 Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness , Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore , Jurassic World Dominion , Nope , Thirteen Lives [ 53] 2023 First Round: Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania , Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom , Barbie , The Boys in the Boat , Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves , Killers of the Flower Moon , The Marvels , Nyad , Transformers: Rise of the Beasts , Wonka Second Round: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny , Poor Things , Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire , Society of the Snow , Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse [ 54] [ 55] 2024 First Round : Beetlejuice Beetlejuice , The Fall Guy , Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga , Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire , Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire , Here , A Quiet Place: Day One , Spaceman , The Substance Second Round : Alien: Romulus , Better Man , Civil War , Deadpool & Wolverine , Dune: Part Two , Gladiator II , Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes , Mufasa: The Lion King , Twisters , Wicked [ 56] [ 57]
Artists with multiple awards [ edit ] 9 awards 5 awards 4 awards 3 awards
2 awards
Artists with multiple nominations [ edit ] 15 nominations 13 nominations 12 nominations 11 nominations 10 nominations 8 nominations 7 nominations 6 nominations
5 nominations 4 nominations
3 nominations
2 nominations
Multiple nominations [ edit ] 14 Nominations 10 Nominations 5 Nominations 4 Nominations 3 Nominations 2 Nominations
For this Academy Award category, the following superlatives emerge:[ 58]
^ The nomination for Ralph Hammeras was not associated with any individual film. ^ According to the Academy's in-house records, the nomination for Nugent Slaughter was most often connected with The Jazz Singer . It is not considered an official nomination for that film. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m This was presented as a Special Achievement Award , not as a competitive Academy Award of Merit . ^ From 1939 until 1962, visual effects and sound effects artists competed in a combined Best Special Effects category. ^ When nominations were announced on February 9, 1942, Dive Bomber was nominated in place of The Sea Wolf . Both were Warner Bros. productions with photographic effects by Byron Haskin and sound effects by Nathan Levinson . By February 19, the Dive Bomber nomination was replaced with The Sea Wolf . The reason for the substitution is unknown. ^ In 1957, The Enemy Below won the Best Special Effects Oscar for audible effects by Walter Rossi . It was not cited for its visual effects. ^ A tie resulted in eight finalists. ^ "10 Movies that Should Have Won A VFX Oscar, But Didn't" . Digital Trends . April 25, 2021. Retrieved May 27, 2024 . ^ "Oscars: Nominated for Nothing" . Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved May 27, 2024 . ^ Way, Jennifer (July 15, 2015). King Kong and Other Monstrous Apes . Rosen Publishing . p. 20. ISBN 978-1-4994-3539-9 . Retrieved May 27, 2024 . ^ "Willis O'Brien Wins Special Effects: 1950 Oscars" . YouTube . 10 May 2014. ^ "92nd Academy Awards of Merit" (PDF) . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . Archived (PDF) from the original on April 24, 2019. Retrieved May 25, 2019 . ^ Cohn, Lawrence (February 17, 1991). "Oscar Choices/Omissions Reflect Quirky Voting Rules" . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . Archived from the original on September 14, 2022. Retrieved May 25, 2019 . ^ Kois, Dan (24 January 2017). "How Kubo and the Two Strings Landed a Surprise Visual Effects Oscar Nomination" . Slate . Archived from the original on 21 February 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2017 . ^ a b McGovern, Joe (March 11, 2024). "Godzilla Minus One Record: 1st Director to Win VFX Oscar Since Kubrick" . TheWrap . Retrieved March 19, 2024 . ^ "89TH ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS OF MERIT" (PDF) . oscars.org . 2016. RULE TWENTY-TWO SPECIAL RULES FOR THE VISUAL EFFECTS AWARD. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 2, 2016. Five productions shall be selected using reweighted range voting to become the nominations for final voting for the Visual Effects award. ^ [1] Archived September 14, 2012, at the Wayback Machine ^ Goodfellow, Melanie (2024-03-11). "Record Number Of Non-English Language Movies Take Home Oscar Statuettes" . Deadline . Retrieved 2024-03-11 . ^ "1969 Winners and Nominees" . Oscars . 4 October 2014. Archived from the original on 2016-09-10. Retrieved 2019-07-24 . ^ "The Official Academy Awards Database" . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . 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Retrieved May 4, 2020 . ^ Graser, Marc (January 10, 2001). "Acad taps 7 for f/x bake-off" . Variety . Archived from the original on July 26, 2020. Retrieved May 4, 2020 . ^ Graser, Marc (February 27, 2002). "Short list for Oscar f/x gets physical" . Variety . Archived from the original on July 26, 2020. Retrieved May 4, 2020 . ^ "Effective Work" . Variety . January 20, 2003. Archived from the original on July 25, 2020. Retrieved May 4, 2020 . ^ Graser, Marc (January 7, 2004). "Threepeat feat?" . Variety . Archived from the original on July 26, 2020. Retrieved May 4, 2020 . ^ " 'Aviator' f/x flying high" . Variety . December 19, 2004. Archived from the original on July 26, 2020. Retrieved May 4, 2020 . ^ Chang, Justin (December 16, 2005). "Acad avoids 'Sin' as f/x race narrows to 7" . Variety . Archived from the original on July 25, 2020. Retrieved May 4, 2020 . ^ "Visual Effects Oscar contenders announced" . Variety . December 15, 2006. Archived from the original on July 26, 2020. Retrieved May 4, 2020 . ^ "Oscar's visual effects list set" . Variety . January 4, 2008. Archived from the original on July 25, 2020. Retrieved May 4, 2020 . ^ Kilday, Gregg (January 7, 2009). "Oscar's VFX shortlist" . The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on July 25, 2020. Retrieved May 4, 2020 . ^ Kilday, Gregg (January 6, 2010). "Seven films on Oscar's visual effects shortlist" . Reuters . Archived from the original on May 18, 2022. Retrieved May 4, 2020 . ^ The Deadline Team (January 9, 2011). "OSCARS: 15 Feature Films On VFX Shortlist" . Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on April 16, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2021 . ^ Chitwood, Adam (January 4, 2012). "Visual Effects Oscar Category Narrowed Down to 10 Choices" . Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on July 24, 2020. Retrieved May 3, 2020 . ^ Hammond, Pete (November 29, 2012). "Oscars: Visual Effects Finalists Named" . Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on July 24, 2020. 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1963–1980 Emil Kosa Jr. – Cleopatra (1963) Peter Ellenshaw , Eustace Lycett , and Hamilton Luske – Mary Poppins (1964) John Stears – Thunderball (1965) Art Cruickshank – Fantastic Voyage (1966) L. B. Abbott – Doctor Dolittle (1967) Stanley Kubrick – 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) Robie Robertson – Marooned (1969) A. D. Flowers and L. B. Abbott – Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) Alan Maley , Eustace Lycett , and Danny Lee – Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971) L. B. Abbott and A. D. Flowers – The Poseidon Adventure (1972) Frank Brendel , Glen Robinson , and Albert Whitlock – Earthquake (1974) Albert Whitlock and Glen Robinson – The Hindenburg (1975) Carlo Rambaldi , Glen Robinson , and Frank Van der Veer – King Kong (1976) John Stears , John Dykstra , Richard Edlund , Grant McCune , and Robert Blalack – Star Wars (1977) Les Bowie , Colin Chilvers , Denys Coop , Roy Field , Derek Meddings , and Zoran Perisic – Superman (1978) H. R. Giger , Carlo Rambaldi , Brian Johnson , Nick Allder , and Dennis Ayling – Alien (1979) Brian Johnson , Richard Edlund , Dennis Muren , and Bruce Nicholson – The Empire Strikes Back (1980) 1981–2000 Richard Edlund , Kit West , Bruce Nicholson , and Joe Johnston – Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) Carlo Rambaldi , Dennis Muren , and Kenneth F. Smith – E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) Richard Edlund , Dennis Muren , Ken Ralston , and Phil Tippett – Return of the Jedi (1983) Dennis Muren , Michael J. McAlister , Lorne Peterson , and George Gibbs – Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) Ken Ralston , Ralph McQuarrie , Scott Farrar , and David Berry – Cocoon (1985) Robert Skotak , Stan Winston , John Richardson , and Suzanne M. Benson – Aliens (1986) Dennis Muren , Bill George , Harley Jessup , and Kenneth F. Smith - Innerspace (1987) Ken Ralston , Richard Williams , Edward Jones , and George Gibbs – Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) John Bruno , Dennis Muren , Hoyt Yeatman , and Dennis Skotak – The Abyss (1989) Eric Brevig , Rob Bottin , Tim McGovern , and Alex Funke – Total Recall (1990) Dennis Muren , Stan Winston , Gene Warren Jr. , and Robert Skotak – Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) Ken Ralston , Doug Chiang , Douglas Smythe , and Tom Woodruff Jr. – Death Becomes Her (1992) Dennis Muren , Stan Winston , Phil Tippett , and Michael Lantieri – Jurassic Park (1993) Ken Ralston , George Murphy , Stephen Rosenbaum , and Allen Hall – Forrest Gump (1994) Scott E. Anderson , Charles Gibson , Neal Scanlan , and John Cox – Babe (1995) Volker Engel , Douglas Smith , Clay Pinney , and Joe Viskocil – Independence Day (1996) Robert Legato , Mark Lasoff , Thomas L. Fisher , and Michael Kanfer – Titanic (1997) Joel Hynek , Nicholas Brooks , Stuart Robertson , and Kevin Mack – What Dreams May Come (1998) John Gaeta , Janek Sirrs , Steve Courtley , and Jon Thum – The Matrix (1999) John Nelson , Neil Corbould , Tim Burke , and Rob Harvey – Gladiator (2000) 2001–2020 Jim Rygiel , Randall William Cook , Richard Taylor , and Mark Stetson – The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) Jim Rygiel , Joe Letteri , Randall William Cook , and Alex Funke – The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) Jim Rygiel , Joe Letteri , Randall William Cook , and Alex Funke – The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) John Dykstra , Scott Stokdyk , Anthony LaMolinara , and John Frazier – Spider-Man 2 (2004) Joe Letteri , Brian Van't Hul , Christian Rivers , and Richard Taylor – King Kong (2005) John Knoll , Hal Hickel , Charles Gibson , and Allen Hall – Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) Michael L. Fink , Bill Westenhofer , Ben Morris , and Trevor Wood – The Golden Compass (2007) Eric Barba , Steve Preeg , Burt Dalton , and Craig Barron – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) Joe Letteri , Stephen Rosenbaum , Richard Baneham , and Andrew R. Jones – Avatar (2009) Paul Franklin , Chris Corbould , Andrew Lockley , and Peter Bebb – Inception (2010) Robert Legato , Joss Williams , Ben Grossmann , and Alex Henning – Hugo (2011) Bill Westenhofer , Guillaume Rocheron , Erik-Jan de Boer , and Donald R. Elliott – Life of Pi (2012) Tim Webber , Chris Lawrence , Dave Shirk , and Neil Corbould – Gravity (2013) Paul Franklin , Andrew Lockley , Ian Hunter , and Scott R. Fisher – Interstellar (2014) Mark Williams Ardington , Sara Bennett , Paul Norris , and Andrew Whitehurst – Ex Machina (2015) Robert Legato , Adam Valdez , Andrew R. Jones , and Dan Lemmon – The Jungle Book (2016) John Nelson , Gerd Nefzer , Paul Lambert , and Richard R. Hoover – Blade Runner 2049 (2017) Paul Lambert , Ian Hunter , Tristan Myles , and J. D. Schwalm – First Man (2018) Guillaume Rocheron , Greg Butler , and Dominic Tuohy – 1917 (2019) Andrew Jackson , David Lee , Andrew Lockley , and Scott R. Fisher – Tenet (2020) 2021–present