Academy Award for Best Visual Effects

The Academy Award for Best Visual Effects is an Academy Award given for the best achievement in visual effects.

Academy Award for Best Visual Effects
CountryUnited States
Presented byAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS)
First awarded1929
Most recent winnerGuillaume Rocheron
Greg Butler
Dominic Tuohy
1917 (2019)
Websitehttp://www.oscars.org 

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 has been one semi-animated film nominated, which also won: Who Framed Roger Rabbit in 1988.[3]

Rules

Usually, there are three nominated films. In 1979, there were five films nominated. Sometimes, no award is given. Other times, a single film is 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.[4][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., five films produced by George Pal, five by director/producer George Lucas, five by director James Cameron (who began his career in Hollywood as an effects technician), four by directors Richard Fleischer, Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson, three by director Robert Zemeckis, and two by directors Christopher Nolan and Ridley Scott.

Stanley Kubrick's only Oscar win was in this category, for 1968's 2001: A Space Odyssey. The film's credits 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.[7]

Engineering Effects Award

The table below display the Oscar nominees for Best Engineering Effects.

  indicates the winner

1920s
Year Film Nominees
1927-28
(1st)
Wings Roy Pomeroy
Ralph Hammeras (photographic) [note 1]
Nugent Slaughter (photographic) [note 2]

Special Effects Awards

The tables below display the Oscar nominees for Best Special Effects including the recipients of the Special Achievement Awards.

1930s
Year Film Nominees
1938
(11th)
Spawn of the North [note 3] For outstanding achievement in creating Special Photographic and Sound Effects in the Paramount production Spawn of the North. Special Effects by Gordon Jennings, assisted by Jan Domela, Dev Jennings, Irmin Roberts and Art Smith. Transparencies by Farciot Edouart, assisted by Loyal Griggs. Sound Effects by Loren Ryder, assisted by Harry Mills, Louis Mesenkop and Walter Oberst.
1939
(12th)
[note 4]
The Rains Came Fred Sersen (photographic); E. H. Hansen (sound)
Gone with the Wind Jack Cosgrove (photographic); Fred Albin and Arthur Johns (sound)
Only Angels Have Wings Roy Davidson (photographic); Edwin C. Hahn (sound)
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex Byron Haskin (photographic); Nathan Levinson (sound)
Topper Takes a Trip Roy Seawright (photographic)
Union Pacific Farciot Edouart and Gordon Jennings (photographic); Loren Ryder (sound)
The Wizard of Oz A. Arnold Gillespie (photographic); Douglas Shearer (sound)

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 (Nomination withdrawn) [note 5][8] Byron Haskin (photographic); Nathan Levinson (sound)
Flight Command A. Arnold Gillespie (photographic); Douglas Shearer (sound)
The Invisible Woman Lawrence Butler (photographic); William H. Wilmarth (sound)
The Sea Wolf Byron Haskin (photographic); Nathan Levinson (sound)
That Hamilton Woman John Fulton (photographic); John Hall (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
Year Film Nominees
1950
(23rd)
Destination Moon George Pal Productions
Samson and Delilah Cecil B. DeMille Productions
1951
(24th)
When Worlds Collide [note 3] Paramount
1952
(25th)
Plymouth Adventure [note 3] Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
1953
(26th)
The War of the Worlds [note 3] Paramount Studio
1954
(27th)
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Walt Disney Studios
Hell and High Water 20th Century-Fox Studio
Them! Warner Bros. Studio
1955
(28th)
The Bridges at Toko-Ri Paramount Studio
The Dam Busters Associated British Picture Corporation, Ltd.
The Rains of Ranchipur 20th Century-Fox Studio
1956
(29th)
The Ten Commandments John P. Fulton
Forbidden Planet A. Arnold Gillespie, Irving G. Ries and Wesley C. Miller
1957
(30th)
The Enemy Below [note 6] Walter Rossi (audible)
The Spirit of St. Louis Louis Lichtenfield (visual)
1958
(31st)
Tom Thumb Tom Howard (visual)
Torpedo Run A. Arnold Gillespie (visual); Harold Humbrock (audible)
1959
(32nd)
Ben-Hur A. Arnold Gillespie and Robert MacDonald (visual); Milo B. Lory (audible)
Journey to the Center of the Earth L. B. Abbott and James B. Gordon (visual); Carl Faulkner (audible)

1960s
Year Film Nominees
1960
(33rd)
The Time Machine Gene Warren and Tim Baar (visual)
The Last Voyage Augie Lohman (visual)
1961
(34th)
The Guns of Navarone Bill Warrington (visual); Vivian C. Greenham (audible)
The Absent-Minded Professor Robert A. Mattey and Eustace Lycett (visual)
1962
(35th)
The Longest Day Robert MacDonald (visual); Jacques Maumont (audible)
Mutiny on the Bounty A. Arnold Gillespie (visual); Milo B. Lory (audible)

Visual Effects Awards

The tables below display the Oscar nominees for Best Visual Effects including the recipients of the Special Achievement Awards.

1960s
Year Film Nominees
1963
(36th)
Cleopatra Emil Kosa Jr.
The Birds Ub Iwerks
1964
(37th)
Mary Poppins Peter Ellenshaw, Eustace Lycett and Hamilton Luske
7 Faces of Dr. Lao Jim Danforth
1965
(38th)
Thunderball John Stears
The Greatest Story Ever Told Joseph McMillan Johnson
1966
(39th)
Fantastic Voyage Art Cruickshank
Hawaii Linwood G. Dunn
1967
(40th)
Doctor Dolittle L. B. Abbott
Tobruk Howard A. Anderson and Albert Whitlock
1968
(41st)
2001: A Space Odyssey Stanley Kubrick
Ice Station Zebra Hal Millar and Joseph McMillan Johnson
1969
(42nd)
Marooned Robie Robertson
Krakatoa, East of Java Eugène Lourié and Alex Weldon

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
1973
(46th)
No award given
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 William 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, Doug Smythe and Tom Woodruff Jr.
Alien 3 Richard Edlund, Alec Gillis, Tom Woodruff Jr. and George Gibbs
Batman Returns Michael 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 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 Trojanski 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)
[9]
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)
[10]
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, Michael 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

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.[11] Prior to the 83rd Academy Awards, only fifteen films were long-listed, and only seven films were shortlisted.[12] 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
1984 Dune, Gremlins, The Last Starfighter, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock[13]
1993 Addams Family Values, Alive, Hocus Pocus, Super Mario Bros.[14]
1994 The Hudsucker Proxy, Interview with the Vampire, The Lion King, Speed[15]
1995 Batman Forever, Casper, Jumanji, The Indian in the Cupboard, Waterworld[16]
1996 Mars Attacks!, Mission: Impossible, The Nutty Professor, Star Trek: First Contact[17]
1997 Batman & Robin, Contact, The Fifth Element, Men in Black[18]
1998 Babe: Pig in the City, Godzilla, Small Soldiers, The Truman Show[19]
1999 The Mummy, Sleepy Hollow, Wild Wild West, The World Is Not Enough[20]
2000 Cast Away, Dinosaur, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, X-Men[21]
2001 Black Hawk Down, Cats & Dogs, The Fast and the Furious, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Jurassic Park III[22][note 7]
2002 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Minority Report, Men in Black II, xXx[23]
2003 Hulk, Peter Pan, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, X2: X-Men United[24]
2004 The Aviator, The Day After Tomorrow, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow[25]
2005 Batman Begins, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith[26]
2006 Casino Royale, Eragon, Night at the Museum, X-Men: The Last Stand[27]
2007 The Bourne Ultimatum, Evan Almighty, I Am Legend, 300[28]
2008 Australia, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Journey to the Center of the Earth, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor[29]
2009 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Terminator Salvation, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, 2012[30]
2010 Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Tron: Legacy[12]
2011 Captain America: The First Avenger, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, The Tree of Life, X-Men: First Class[31]
2012 The Amazing Spider-Man, Cloud Atlas, The Dark Knight Rises, John Carter, Skyfall[32]
2013 Elysium, Oblivion, Pacific Rim, Thor: The Dark World, World War Z[33]
2014 Godzilla, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, Maleficent, Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb, Transformers: Age of Extinction[34]
2015 First Round: Bridge of Spies, Chappie, Everest, Furious Seven, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2, In the Heart of the Sea, Jupiter Ascending, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, Spectre, Terminator Genisys[35]

Second Round: Ant-Man, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Jurassic World, Tomorrowland, The Walk[36]

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[37]

Second Round: Arrival, The BFG, Captain America: Civil War, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Passengers[38]

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[39]

Second Round: Alien: Covenant, Dunkirk, Okja, The Shape of Water, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets[40]

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[41]

Second Round: Ant-Man and the Wasp, Black Panther, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Mary Poppins Returns, Welcome to Marwen[42]

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[43]

Second Round: Alita: Battle Angel, Captain Marvel, Cats, Gemini Man, Terminator: Dark Fate[44]

Multiple awards

Multiple awards

See also

Notes
  1. The nomination for Ralph Hammeras was not associated with any individual film.
  2. 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.
  3. This was presented as a Special Achievement Award, not as a competitive Academy Award of Merit.
  4. From 1939 until 1962, visual effects and sound effects artists competed in a combined Best Special Effects category.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. A tie resulted in eight finalists.

Superlatives

For this Academy Award category, the following superlatives emerge:[45]

  • Most awards: Dennis Muren – 8 awards (resulting from 15 nominations)
  • Most nominations: Dennis Muren – 15 nominations (resulting in 8 awards)

References
  1. "92nd Academy Awards of Merit" (PDF). Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  2. Cohn, Lawrence (February 17, 1991). "Oscar Choices/Omissions Reflect Quirky Voting Rules". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  3. "How Kubo and the Two Strings Landed a Surprise Visual Effects Oscar Nomination".
  4. "89TH ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS OF MERIT" (PDF). oscars.org. 2016. RULE TWENTY-TWO SPECIAL RULES FOR THE VISUAL EFFECTS AWARD. Five productions shall be selected using reweighted range voting to become the nominations for final voting for the Visual Effects award.
  5. "RangeVoting.org - Reweighted Range Voting - a PR voting method that feels like range voting". rangevoting.org. Retrieved January 13, 2017.
  6. Archived September 14, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  7. "1969 Winners and Nominees". Oscars.
  8. "The Official Academy Awards Database". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on February 27, 2009. Retrieved January 18, 2018.
  9. "Academy Awards 2017: Complete list of Oscar winners and nominees". Los Angeles Times. February 26, 2017. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  10. Hipes, Patrick (January 23, 2018). "Oscar Nominations: 'The Shape Of Water' Leads Way With 13". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
  11. "93rd Academy Award of Merit Rules" (PDF). Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
  12. Fleming Jr., Mike (January 5, 2011). "Academy Narrows Visual Effects Oscar Field". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
  13. Turner, George (April 1985). "Academy Visual Effects Nominees". American Cinematographer.
  14. Mavity, Will (January 22, 2017). "A History of Visual Effects Shortlists & Bake-Offs". Next Best Picture. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  15. "Behind the Illusion". Variety. February 12, 1995. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  16. Ebert, Roger (March 17, 1996). "Movie Answer Man (03/17/1996)". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  17. Hindes, Andrew (January 8, 1997). "7 pix set to vie for 3 Oscar f/x noms". Variety. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  18. "Silicon Graphics' Oscar-winning performance". ITWeb. March 3, 1998. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  19. Olson, Eric J. (February 4, 1999). "Seven pics make the cut in Oscar f/x nominee race". Variety. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  20. Graser, Marc (January 12, 2000). "Seven pics make the cut in Oscar f/x nominee race". Variety. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  21. Graser, Marc (January 10, 2001). "Acad taps 7 for f/x bake-off". Variety. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  22. Graser, Marc (February 27, 2002). "Short list for Oscar f/x gets physical". Variety. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  23. "Effective Work". Variety. January 20, 2003. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  24. Graser, Marc (January 7, 2004). "Threepeat feat?". Variety. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  25. "'Aviator' f/x flying high". Variety. December 19, 2004. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  26. Chang, Justin (December 16, 2005). "Acad avoids 'Sin' as f/x race narrows to 7". Variety. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  27. "Visual Effects Oscar contenders announced". Variety. December 15, 2006. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  28. "Oscar's visual effects list set". Variety. January 4, 2008. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  29. Kilday, Gregg (January 7, 2009). "Oscar's VFX shortlist". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  30. Kilday, Gregg (January 6, 2010). "Seven films on Oscar's visual effects shortlist". Reuters. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  31. Chitwood, Adam (January 4, 2012). "Visual Effects Oscar Category Narrowed Down to 10 Choices". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
  32. Hammond, Pete (November 29, 2012). "Oscars: Visual Effects Finalists Named". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
  33. "10 Contenders Remain in VFX Oscar Race". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. December 5, 2013. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
  34. "10 Contenders Remain in VFX Oscar Race". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. December 5, 2014. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
  35. "'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' and 'Jurassic World' Among Shortlist for 2016 VFX Oscar". Collider. December 8, 2015. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  36. "10 Contenders Remain in VFX Oscar Race". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. December 21, 2015. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
  37. "20 Contenders Advance in VFX Oscar Race". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  38. "10 Contenders Remain in VFX Oscar Race". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. December 16, 2016. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
  39. "20 Contenders Advance in VFX Oscar Race". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  40. Erbland, Kate (December 18, 2017). "Oscars 2018: Academy Shortlist Names Contenders for Visual Effects, Including 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' and 'Dunkirk'". IndieWire. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
  41. "20 Contenders Advance in VFX Oscar Race". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  42. "91st Oscar Shortlists". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
  43. "20 Contenders Advance in VFX Oscar Race". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  44. "92nd Oscar Shortlists". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
  45. Academy Award Statistics Archived 2009-03-01 at the Wayback Machine
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