Academy Award given for the best achievement in visual effects
The Academy Award for Best Visual Effects is an
Academy Award given for the best achievement in
visual effects .
History of the award
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 .
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. 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.
[1] 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.
[2]
To date, 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.
[3] In
2024 ,
Godzilla Minus One became the first non-English-language film ever to win in the category.
[4]
Rules
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.
[5] No more than four people may be nominated for a single film.
[6]
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.
Filmmakers
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 .
[4]
[7] 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.
[8]
Engineering Effects Award
The table below display the Oscar nominees for Best Engineering Effects.
indicates competitive winner
indicates non-competitive winner
1920s
Special Effects Awards
The tables below display the Oscar nominees for Best Special Effects including the recipients of the Special Achievement Awards.
1930s
1940s
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]
[9]
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
1950s
1960s
Visual Effects Awards
The tables below display the Oscar nominees for Best Visual Effects including the recipients of the Special Achievement Awards.
1960s
1970s
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 ,
Gregory 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
Gregory 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
1980s
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 Gutterridge
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
1990s
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 La Bounta
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
2000s
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
2010s
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
Stephane 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)
[10]
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
Stephane 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)
[11]
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
Christopher 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
2020s
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 ,
Christopher Lawrence ,
Max Solomon , and
David Watkins
Mulan
Sean 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
Stephane 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
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.
[12] Prior to the
83rd Academy Awards , only fifteen films were long-listed, and only seven films were shortlisted.
[13] 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
[14]
1993
Addams Family Values ,
Alive ,
Hocus Pocus ,
Super Mario Bros.
[15]
1994
The Hudsucker Proxy ,
Interview with the Vampire ,
The Lion King ,
Speed
[16]
1995
Batman Forever ,
Casper ,
Jumanji ,
The Indian in the Cupboard ,
Waterworld
[17]
1996
Mars Attacks! ,
Mission: Impossible ,
The Nutty Professor ,
Star Trek: First Contact
[18]
1997
Batman & Robin ,
Contact ,
The Fifth Element ,
Men in Black
[19]
1998
Babe: Pig in the City ,
Godzilla ,
Small Soldiers ,
The Truman Show
[20]
1999
The Mummy ,
Sleepy Hollow ,
Wild Wild West ,
The World Is Not Enough
[21]
2000
Cast Away ,
Dinosaur ,
How the Grinch Stole Christmas ,
X-Men
[22]
2001
Black Hawk Down ,
Cats & Dogs ,
The Fast and the Furious ,
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone ,
Jurassic Park III
[note 7]
[23]
2002
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets ,
Minority Report ,
Men in Black II ,
xXx
[24]
2003
Hulk ,
Peter Pan ,
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines ,
X2: X-Men United
[25]
2004
The Aviator ,
The Day After Tomorrow ,
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events ,
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
[26]
2005
Batman Begins ,
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ,
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire ,
Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith
[27]
2006
Casino Royale ,
Eragon ,
Night at the Museum ,
X-Men: The Last Stand
[28]
2007
The Bourne Ultimatum ,
Evan Almighty ,
I Am Legend ,
300
[29]
2008
Australia ,
Hellboy II: The Golden Army ,
Journey to the Center of the Earth ,
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
[30]
2009
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince ,
Terminator Salvation ,
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen ,
2012
[31]
2010
[13]
2011
[32]
[33]
2012
The Amazing Spider-Man ,
Cloud Atlas ,
The Dark Knight Rises ,
John Carter ,
Skyfall
[34]
2013
Elysium ,
Oblivion ,
Pacific Rim ,
Thor: The Dark World ,
World War Z
[35]
2014
Godzilla ,
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies ,
Maleficent ,
Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb ,
Transformers: Age of Extinction
[36]
2015
[37]
[38]
2016
[39]
[40]
2017
[41]
[42]
2018
[43]
[44]
2019
[45]
[46]
2020
Birds of Prey ,
Bloodshot ,
Mank ,
Soul ,
Welcome to Chechnya
[47]
2021
Black Widow ,
Eternals ,
Ghostbusters: Afterlife ,
Godzilla vs. Kong ,
The Matrix Resurrections
[48]
2022
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness ,
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore ,
Jurassic World Dominion ,
Nope ,
Thirteen Lives
[49]
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
[50]
[51]
Artists with multiple awards
9 awards
5 awards
4 awards
3 awards
2 awards
Artists with multiple nominations
15 nominations
13 nominations
12 nominations
11 nominations
10 nominations
8 nominations
7 nominations
6 nominations
5 nominations
4 nominations
3 nominations
2 nominations
Franchises
Multiple awards
Multiple nominations
14 Nominations
10 Nominations
5 Nominations
4 Nominations
3 Nominations
2 Nominations
Superlatives
For this Academy Award category, the following superlatives emerge:
[52]
Most awards:
Dennis Muren – 8 awards (resulting from 15 nominations)
Most nominations:
Dennis Muren – 15 nominations (resulting in 8 awards)
See also
Notes
^ 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.
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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