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 . Archived from the original on February 27, 2009. Retrieved January 18, 2018 .
^ "Academy Awards 2017: Complete list of Oscar winners and nominees" . Los Angeles Times . February 26, 2017. Archived from the original on February 28, 2017. Retrieved January 8, 2018 .
^ Hipes, Patrick (January 23, 2018). "Oscar Nominations: 'The Shape Of Water' Leads Way With 13" . Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on January 24, 2018. Retrieved January 23, 2018 .
^ "93rd Academy Award of Merit Rules" (PDF) . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . Archived (PDF) from the original on May 2, 2020. Retrieved May 3, 2020 .
^ a b Knegt, Peter (December 10, 2010). "Oscars Announce Visual Effects Shortlist" . IndieWire . Archived from the original on May 4, 2021. Retrieved May 4, 2021 .
^ Turner, George (April 1985). "Academy Visual Effects Nominees". American Cinematographer .
^ Mavity, Will (January 22, 2017). "A History of Visual Effects Shortlists & Bake-Offs" . Next Best Picture. Archived from the original on June 9, 2023. Retrieved May 4, 2020 .
^ "Behind the Illusion" . Variety . February 12, 1995. Archived from the original on July 25, 2020. Retrieved May 4, 2020 .
^ Ebert, Roger (March 17, 1996). "Movie Answer Man (03/17/1996)" . RogerEbert.com . Archived from the original on July 24, 2020. Retrieved May 4, 2020 .
^ Hindes, Andrew (January 8, 1997). "7 pix set to vie for 3 Oscar f/x noms" . Variety . Archived from the original on July 26, 2020. Retrieved May 4, 2020 .
^ "Silicon Graphics' Oscar-winning performance" . ITWeb . March 3, 1998. Archived from the original on July 24, 2020. Retrieved May 4, 2020 .
^ Olson, Eric J. (February 4, 1999). "Seven pics make the cut in Oscar f/x nominee race" . Variety . Archived from the original on July 26, 2020. Retrieved May 4, 2020 .
^ Graser, Marc (January 12, 2000). "Seven pics make the cut in Oscar f/x nominee race" . Variety . Archived from the original on July 25, 2020. 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. Retrieved May 3, 2020 .
^ "10 Contenders Remain in VFX Oscar Race" . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . December 5, 2013. Archived from the original on December 10, 2013. Retrieved May 3, 2020 .
^ "10 Contenders Remain in VFX Oscar Race" . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . December 5, 2014. Archived from the original on July 4, 2023. Retrieved May 3, 2020 .
^ " 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' and 'Jurassic World' Among Shortlist for 2016 VFX Oscar" . Collider . December 8, 2015. Archived from the original on December 12, 2015. Retrieved January 29, 2021 .
^ "10 Contenders Remain in VFX Oscar Race" . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . December 21, 2015. Archived from the original on May 5, 2020. Retrieved May 3, 2020 .
^ "20 Contenders Advance in VFX Oscar Race" . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . 2 December 2016. Archived from the original on 7 July 2020. Retrieved July 7, 2020 .
^ "10 Contenders Remain in VFX Oscar Race" . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . December 16, 2016. Archived from the original on May 4, 2020. Retrieved May 3, 2020 .
^ "20 Contenders Advance in VFX Oscar Race" . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . 4 December 2017. Archived from the original on 7 July 2020. Retrieved July 7, 2020 .
^ Erbland, Kate (December 18, 2017). "Oscars 2018: Academy Shortlist Names Contenders for Visual Effects, Including 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' and 'Dunkirk' " . IndieWire . Archived from the original on May 6, 2020. Retrieved May 3, 2020 .
^ "20 Contenders Advance in VFX Oscar Race" . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . 3 December 2018. Archived from the original on 7 July 2020. Retrieved July 6, 2020 .
^ "91st Oscar Shortlists" . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . 14 December 2018. Archived from the original on 1 January 2019. Retrieved May 3, 2020 .
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^ "92nd Oscar Shortlists" . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . 10 December 2019. Archived from the original on 17 December 2019. Retrieved May 3, 2020 .
^ "93rd Oscar Shortlists" . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . 5 February 2021. Archived from the original on 10 February 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2021 .
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^ Emily Garbutt (December 8, 2023). "Oppenheimer misses out on the Best Visual Effects Oscar shortlist – but Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania makes it through" . gamesradar . Archived from the original on January 6, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024 .
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^ Davis, Clayton (2024-12-17). "Oscars Shortlist Announced in 10 Categories: 'Emilia Pérez' and 'Wicked' Lead the Charge; Strong Showings for 'Dune 2' and 'Gladiator 2' " . Variety . Retrieved 2024-12-18 .
^ "Academy Award Statistics" . Archived from the original on March 1, 2009.
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