23rd Annual Visual Effects Society Awards

Yesterday, January 14, the Visual Effects Society (VES) announced the nominations for the 2025 edition of the awards that recognizes outstanding visual effects artistry and innovation in features, animation, television, commercials, games and new media, and the VFX Supervisors, VFX Producers and hands-on Artists who bring this work to life.

Nominees in 25 categories were selected by VES members at 49 in-person and virtual nomination panels conducted around the world over a 30-hour continuous process. The distinctive and thoughtful VES Awards nominations protocol included a review of each awards submission including “Befores and Afters” by a minimum of three different judging panels. Participating VES members on the panels represented 307 cities in 24 countries, highlighting the full breadth of the Society’s diverse global membership.

“Whether it’s through a fully immersive environment, realistic characters, or jaw-dropping action sequences, visual effects artists continue to push the boundaries of creativity and transform the way stories are told,” said Diana Colella, Executive Vice President of Media & Entertainment at Autodesk, sponsor of the VES-Autodesk Student Award.

It was previously announced Hiroyuki Sanada will receive the VES Award for Creative Excellence, while VFX supervisor Takashi Yamazaki will receive the VES Visionary Award and VR/Immersive Technology pioneer Dr. Jacquelyn Ford Morie will receive the VES Georges Méliès Award.

Dune: Part Two leads the photoreal feature film field with seven (7) nominations. The Wild Robot is the top animated contender with five (5) nominations.

Awards will be presented at the 23rd Annual VES Awards ceremony on February 11, 2025 at The Beverly Hilton hotel.

The Nominations

Live Action Feature Motion Picture (Photoreal Feature)

Outstanding Visual Effects
Better Man
Dune: Part Two
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Mufasa: The Lion King
Twisters

Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects
Blitz
Civil War
Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1
Nosferatu
Young Woman and the Sea

Outstanding Character 
Better Man; Robbie Williams
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes; Noa
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes; Raka
Mufasa: The Lion King; Taka

Outstanding Environment 
Civil War; Washington, D.C.
Dune: Part Two; The Arrakeen Basin
Gladiator II; Rome
Wicked; The Emerald City

Outstanding Effects Simulations
Dune: Part Two; Atomic Explosions and Wormriding
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes; Burning Village, Rapids and Floods
Twisters
Venom: The Last Dance; Water, Fire & Symbiote Effects

Outstanding Special (Practical) Effects 
Blitz
Constellation
The Penguin; Safe Guns

Animated Motion Pictures

Outstanding Visual Effects
Inside Out 2
Moana 2
The Wild Robot
Transformers One
Ultraman: Rising

Outstanding Character 
Inside Out 2; Anxiety
The Wild Robot; Roz
Thelma The Unicorn; Vic Diamond
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl; Gromit

Outstanding Environment
Kung Fu Panda 4; Juniper City
The Wild Robot; The Forest
Transformers One; Iacon City
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl; Aqueduct

Outstanding Effects Simulations
Kung Fu Panda 4
Moana 2
The Wild Robot
Ultraman: Rising

Mix Categories

Outstanding CG Cinematography
Better Man
Dune: Part Two; Arrakis
House of the Dragon; Season 2; The Red Dragon and the Gold; Battle at Rook’s Rest
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes; Egg Climb

Outstanding Model in a Photoreal or Animated Project
Alien: Romulus; Renaissance Space Station
Deadpool & Wolverine; Ant-Man Arena
Dune: Part Two; The Harkonnen Harvester
Gladiator II; The Colosseum

Outstanding Compositing and Lighting in a Feature
Better Man
Dune: Part Two; Wormriding, Geidi Prime, and the Final Battle
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
The Wild Robot

Emerging Technology Award
Dune: Part Two; Nuke CopyCat
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga; Artist-driven Machine Learning Character
Here; Neural Performance Toolset
Mufasa: The Lion King; Real-Time Interactive Filmmaking, From Stage To Post
The Penguin; Phase Synced Flash-Gun System

To check nominations for all categories go official site here.