Avatar: The Way of Water is named the Top Feature Film and Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio is named the Top Animated Film.
The Visual Effects Society (VES) held the 21st Annual VES Awards on 15 February 2023. This prestigious yearly celebration recognises outstanding visual effects artistry and innovation in film, animation, television, commercials, video games and special venues.
Industry guests gathered at the Beverly Hilton Hotel to celebrate VFX talent in 25 awards categories and special honorees. Avatar: The Way of Water was named the photoreal feature winner, garnering nine awards. Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio was named top animated film, winning three awards. The film’s iconic puppets were made by Mackinnon & Saunders, with MPC also working on the project. The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power was named best photoreal episode, winning three awards. The DNEG team worked on the popular series. Frito-Lay: Push It topped the commercial field.
Comedian and actor Patton Oswalt returned as host for the tenth time. Academy Award-winning filmmaker James Cameron presented the VES Lifetime Achievement award to acclaimed producer Gale Anne Hurd. The Society’s current and former Board Chairs presented the VES Board of Directors Award to former Executive Director Eric Roth. Award presenters included Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Rian Johnson and Academy Award-winning filmmaker Domee Shi. Dara Treseder, Autodesk’s Chief Marketing Officer, presented the VES-Autodesk Student Award.
As we celebrate the 21st Annual VES Awards, we’re honoured to keep shining a light on remarkable visual effects artistry and innovation. In all of our colleagues honoured tonight, we see best in class work that elevates the art of storytelling and exemplifies the spirit of adaptation and ingenuity — talents that have kept audiences engaged and uplifted, now, more than ever. The VES Awards is the only venue that showcases and honours these outstanding global artists across a wide range of disciplines, and we are extremely proud of all our winners and nominees!
Lisa Cooke, Chair of Visual Effects Society
The winners of the 21st Annual VES Awards are listed below. Congratulations to everyone involved in the mentioned projects!
For Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature, Avatar: The Way of Water (Richard Baneham, Walter Garcia, Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon and JD Schwalm) wins the award.
For Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature, Thirteen Lives (Jason Billington, Thomas Horton, Denis Baudin, Michael Harrison and Brian Cox) wins the award.
For Outstanding Visual Effects in an Animated Feature, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (Aaron Weintraub, Jeffrey Schaper, Cameron Carson and Emma Gorbey) wins the award.
For Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power; Udûn (Jason Smith, Ron Ames, Nigel Sumner, Tom Proctor and Dean Clarke) wins the award.
For Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode, Five Days at Memorial; Day Two (Eric Durst, Danny McNair, Matt Whelan, Goran Pavles and John MacGillivray) wins the award.
For Outstanding Visual Effects in a Real-Time Projects, The Last of Us Part 1 (Erick Pangilinan, Evan Wells, Eben Cook and Mary Jane Whiting) wins the award.
For Outstanding Visual Effects in a Commercial, Frito-Lay; Push It (Tom Raynor, Sophie Harrison, Ben Cronin and Martino Madeddu) wins the award.
For Outstanding Visual Effects in a Special Venue Project, ABBA Voyage (Ben Morris, Edward Randolph, Stephen Aplin and Ian Comley) wins the award.
For Outstanding Animated Character in a Photoreal Feature, Avatar: The Way of Water; Kiri (Anneka Fris, Rebecca Louise Leybourne, Guillaume Francois and Jung Rock Hwang) wins the award.
For Outstanding Animated Character in an Animated Feature, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio; Pinocchio (Oliver Beale, Richard Pickersgill, Brian Leif Hansen and Kim Slate) wins the award.
For Outstanding Animated Character in an Episode, Commercial or Real-Time Project, The Umbrella Academy; Pogo (Aidan Martin, Hannah Dockerty, Olivier Beierlein and Miae Kang) wins the award.
For Outstanding Created Environment in a Photoreal Feature, Avatar: The Way of Water; The Reef (Jessica Cowley, Joe W. Churchill, Justin Stockton and Alex Nowotny) wins the award.
For Outstanding Created Environment in an Animated Feature, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio; In the Stomach of a Sea Monster (Warren Lawtey, Anjum Sakharkar, Javier Gonzalez Alonso and Quinn Carvalho) wins the award.
For Outstanding Created Environment in an Episode, Commercial or Real-Time Project, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power; Adar; Númenor City (Dan Wheaton, Nico Delbecq, Dan Letarte and Julien Gauthier) wins the award.
For Outstanding Virtual Cinematography in a CG Project, Avatar: The Way of Water (Richard Baneham, Dan Cox, Eric Reynolds and AJ Briones) wins the award.
For Outstanding Model in a Photoreal or Animated Project, Avatar: The Way of Water; The Sea Dragon (Sam Sharplin, Stephan Skorepa, Ian Baker and Guillaume Francois) wins the award.
For Outstanding Effects Simulations in a Photoreal Feature, Avatar: The Way of Water; Water Simulations (Johnathan Nixon, David Moraton, Nicolas James Illingworth and David Caeiro Cebrian) wins the award.
For Outstanding Effects Simulations in an Animated Feature, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (Derek Cheung, Michael Losure, Kiem Ching Ong and Jinguang Huang) wins the award.
For Outstanding Effects Simulations in an Episode, Commercial or Real-Time Project, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power; Udûn; Water and Magma (Rick Hankins, Aron Bonar, Branko Grujcic and Laurent Kermel) wins the award.
For Outstanding Compositing and Lighting in a Feature, Avatar: The Way of Water; Water Integration (Sam Cole, Francois Sugny, Florian Schroeder and Jean Matthews) wins the award.
For Outstanding Compositing and Lighting in an Episode, Love, Death and Robots; Night of the Mini Dead (Tim Emeis, José Maximiano, Renaud Tissandié and Nacere Guerouaf) wins the award.
For Outstanding Compositing and Lighting in a Commercial, Ladbrokes; Rocky (Greg Spencer, Theajo Dharan, Georgina Ford and Jonathan Westley) wins the award.
For Outstanding Special (Practical) Effects in a Photoreal Project, Avatar: The Way of Water; Current Machine and Wave Pool (JD Schwalm, Richard Schwalm, Nick Rand and Robert Spurlock) wins the award.
For Outstanding Visual Effects in a Student Project, A Calling. From the Desert. To the Sea (Mario Bertsch, Max Pollmann, Lukas Löffler and Till Sander-Titgemeyer) wins the award, sponsored by Autodesk.
For Emerging Technology Award, Avatar: The Way of Water; Water Toolset (Alexey Stomakhin, Steve Lesser, Sven Joel Wretborn and Douglas McHale) wins the award.
