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.

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. 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.
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.

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. No more than four people may be nominated for a single film.
According to the official Academy Award , the criteria are:
' consideration of the contribution the visual effects make to the overall production and

' 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, four by directors Richard Fleischer, Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson, and three by director Robert Zemeckis.
Stanley Kubrick's only Oscar win was in this category, for 1968's . 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.

Engineering Effects Award

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

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

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

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

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. Prior to the 83rd Academy Awards, only fifteen films were long-listed, and only seven films were shortlisted. 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.
YearFinalists
1984Dune, Gremlins, The Last Starfighter, '
1993Addams Family Values, Alive, Hocus Pocus, Super Mario Bros.
1994The Hudsucker Proxy, Interview with the Vampire, The Lion King, Speed
1995Batman Forever, Casper, Jumanji, The Indian in the Cupboard, Waterworld
1996Mars Attacks!, ', The Nutty Professor, '
1997Batman & Robin, Contact, The Fifth Element, Men in Black
1998', Godzilla, Small Soldiers, The Truman Show
1999The Mummy, Sleepy Hollow, Wild Wild West, The World Is Not Enough
2000Cast Away, Dinosaur, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, X-Men
2001Black Hawk Down, Cats & Dogs, The Fast and the Furious, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Jurassic Park III
2002Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Minority Report, Men in Black II, xXx
2003Hulk, Peter Pan, ', X2: X-Men United
2004The Aviator, The Day After Tomorrow, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
2005Batman Begins, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, '
2006Casino Royale, Eragon, Night at the Museum, '
2007The Bourne Ultimatum, Evan Almighty, I Am Legend, 300
2008Australia, ', Journey to the Center of the Earth, '
2009Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Terminator Salvation, ', 2012
2010Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, '
2011', ', ', The Tree of Life, '
2012The Amazing Spider-Man, Cloud Atlas, The Dark Knight Rises, John Carter, Skyfall
2013Elysium, Oblivion, Pacific Rim, ', World War Z
2014Godzilla, ', Maleficent, ', '
2015Ant-Man, ', Jurassic World, Tomorrowland, The Walk
2016First Round: Alice Through the Looking Glass, ', Deadpool, ', Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, Star Trek Beyond, Suicide Squad, Sully, Warcraft, '
Second Round: Arrival, The BFG, ', Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Passengers
2017First Round: Beauty and the Beast, Ghost in the Shell, ', Justice League, Life, Logan, ', ', ', Wonder Woman
Second Round: ', Dunkirk, Okja, The Shape of Water, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
2018First Round: Aquaman, Bumblebee, ', Incredibles 2, Isle of Dogs, ', Mortal Engines, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, Paddington 2, A Quiet Place
Second Round: Ant-Man and the Wasp, Black Panther, ', Mary Poppins Returns, Welcome to Marwen
2019First Round: Ad Astra, The Aeronauts, Aladdin, Dumbo, Hobbs & Shaw, Ford v Ferrari, ', ', Midway, '
Second Round: ', Captain Marvel, Cats, Gemini Man,

Multiple awards

Multiple awards

;8 awards
;5 awards
;4 awards
;3 awards
;2 awards
For this Academy Award category, the following superlatives emerge: