Captions list all members of each Award-winning team even if some members of the team were not present or out of frame. For more Show photos and a complete list of nominees and winners of the 23rd Annual VES Awards, visit vesglobal.org.
All photos by Moloshok Photography.
A Night to Remember. Nearly 1,200 guests filled The Beverly Hilton on February 11th, coming together to honor the best in VFX across 25 award categories – celebrating innovation, artistry and cinematic magic.
A Warm Welcome. Nancy Ward, Executive Director of the Visual Effects Society, took the stage with a heartfelt greeting, celebrating an incredible year for the VES and the groundbreaking achievements of the visual effects community.
Kicking Off the Celebration. Kim Davidson, founder of SideFX and Chair of the Visual Effects Society, took the stage to present the first round of awards, setting the tone for an unforgettable night of VFX excellence.
On February 11, the VES hosted the 23rd Annual VES Awards, the prestigious yearly celebration that recognizes 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. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes received the top photoreal feature award. The Wild Robot was named top animated film, winning four awards. Shōgun; Anjin was named best photoreal episode, winning three awards.
The Sklar Brothers (Randy and Jason) brought their signature wit and energy to their debut as VES Awards hosts.
Comedy duo The Sklar Brothers made their debut as VES Awards hosts. Acclaimed actor Keanu Reeves presented Golden Globe-winning actor-producer Hiroyuki Sanada with the VES Award for Creative Excellence. Chief Research Officer of Eyeline Studios Paul Debevec, VES, presented Virtual Reality/Immersive Technology Pioneer Dr. Jacquelyn Ford Morie with the Georges Méliès Award. Writer-director Michael Dougherty presented Academy Award-winning filmmaker and VFX Supervisor Takashi Yamazaki with the Visionary Award. Award presenters included: Kelvin Harrison, Jr., Krys Marshall, Mary Mouser, Russell Hornsby, Tanner Buchanan, Eric Winter, Tia Carrere, and Autodesk’s Senior Director, Business Strategy Rachael Appleton presented the VES-Autodesk Student Award.
“As we celebrate the 23rd Annual VES Awards, we’re honored to shine a light on outstanding visual effects artistry and innovation,” said VES Chair Kim Davidson. “The honorees and their work represent best-in-class visual effects – work that engages audiences and enhances the art of storytelling. The VES Awards is the only venue that showcases and honors these outstanding global artists across a wide range of disciplines, and we are extremely proud of all our winners and nominees.”
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes won the Award for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature, led by the team of Erik Winquist, Julia Neighly, Paul Story, Danielle Immerman and Rodney Burke.
The Award for Outstanding Visual Effects in an Animated Feature went to The Wild Robot and the team of Chris Sanders, Jeff Hermann, Jeff Budsberg and Jakob Hjort Jensen.
The Award for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode went to Shōgun; Anjin and the team of Michael Cliett, Melody Mead, Philip Engström, Ed Bruce and Cameron Waldbauer.
Cobra Kai stars Tanner Buchanan and Mary Mouser brought energy and charm to the stage, acting as an engaging duo of presenters.
The Award for Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode went to The Penguin; Bliss and the team of Johnny Han, Michelle Rose, Goran Pavles, Ed Bruce and Devin Maggio.
The Award for Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature went to Civil War and the team of David Simpson, Michelle Rose, Freddy Salazar, Chris Zeh and J.D. Schwalm.
Lisa Cooke, former VES Chair and the first woman ever elected to the role, took the stage to present multiple VES Awards.
The Award for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Commercial went to Coca-Cola; The Heroes and the team of Greg McKneally, Antonia Vlasto, Ryan Knowles and Fabrice Fiteni.
The Award for Outstanding Character in a Photoreal Feature went to Better Man; Robbie Williams and the team of Milton Ramirez, Andrea Merlo, Seoungseok Charlie Kim and Eteuati Tema.
Actress and singer Tia Carrere took the stage to present several awards, bringing charm, energy and star power to the celebration.
The Award for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Special Venue Project went to D23; Real-Time Rocket and the team of Evan Goldberg, Alyssa Finley, Jason Breneman and Alice Taylor.
The Award for Outstanding Character in an Animated Feature went to The Wild Robot; Roz and the team of Fabio Lignini, Yukinori Inagaki, Owen Demers and Hyun Huh.
The Award for Outstanding Character in an Episode, Commercial, Game Cinematic or Real-Time Project went to Ronja the Robber’s Daughter; Vildvittran the Queen Harpy and the team of Nicklas Andersson, David Allan, Gustav Åhren and Niklas Wallén.
The Award for Outstanding Environment in a Photoreal Feature was won by Dune: Part Two; The Arrakeen Basin and the team of Daniel Rhein, Daniel Anton Fernandez, Marc James Austin and Christopher Anciaume.
The Award for Outstanding Environment in an Episode, Commercial, Game Cinematic or Real-Time Project went to Shōgun; Osaka and the team of Manuel Martinez, Phil Hannigan, Keith Malone and Francesco Corvino.
Liv Hewson, star of Yellowjackets, was a captivating presenter in celebrating VFX, as she bestowed multiple awards.
The Award for Outstanding Environment in an Animated Feature was presented to The Wild Robot; The Forest and the team of John Wake, He Jung Park, Woojin Choi and Shane Glading.
The Award for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Real-Time Project went to Star Wars Outlaws and the team of Stephen Hawes, Lionel Le Dain, Benedikt Podlesnigg and Andi-Bogdan Draghici. Presenter Kelvin Harrison, Jr. accepted the Award.
The Award for Outstanding Effects Simulations in a Photoreal Feature went to Dune: Part Two; Atomic Explosions and Wormriding and the team of Nicholas Papworth, Sandy la Tourelle, Lisa Nolan and Christopher Phillips.
Krys Marshall, known for her role in For All Mankind, lit up the stage with her charisma and grace as she presented multiple awards.
The Award for Outstanding CG Cinematography went to Dune: Part Two; Arrakis and the team of Greig Fraser, Xin Steve Guo, Sandra Murta and Ben Wiggs.
The Award for Outstanding Model in a Photoreal or Animated Project went to Alien: Romulus; Renaissance Space Station and the team of Waldemar Bartkowiak, Trevor Wide, Matt Middleton and Ben Shearman.
The Award for Outstanding Effects Simulations in an Animated Feature went to The Wild Robot and the team of Derek Cheung, Michael Losure, David Chow and Nyoung Kim.
The Award for Outstanding Effects Simulations in an Episode, Commercial, Game Cinematic or Real-Time Project was won by Shōgun; Broken to the Fist; Landslide and the team of Dominic Tiedeken, Heinrich Löwe, Charles Guerton and Timmy Lundin.
The Award for Outstanding Compositing & Lighting in a Feature went to Dune: Part Two; Wormriding, Geidi Prime and the Final Battle and the team of Christopher Rickard, Francesco Dell’Anna, Paul Chapman and Ryan Wing.
Actor Russell Hornsby, featured in The Woman in the Yard, showcased his charisma and love for VFX as a standout presenter.
The Award for Outstanding Special (Practical) Effects in a Photoreal Project went to The Penguin; Safe Guns and the team of Devin Maggio, Johnny Han, Cory Candrilli and Alexandre Prod’homme.
The Award for Outstanding Compositing & Lighting in an Episode was presented to The Penguin; After Hours and the team of Jonas Stuckenbrock, Karen Cheng, Eugene Bondar and Miky Girón.
The Award for Outstanding Compositing & Lighting in a Commercial went to Coca-Cola; The Heroes and the team of Ryan Knowles, Alex Gabucci, Jack Powell and Dan Yargici.
The Emerging Technology Award went to Here; Neural Performance Toolset and the team of Jo Plaete, Oriel Frigo, Tomas Koutsky and Matteo Olivieri-Dancey.
Championing the Next Generation. Rachael Appleton, Autodesk’s Senior Director of Business Strategy, took the stage to present the prestigious VES Autodesk Student Award, honoring emerging talent in the world of VFX.
Keanu Reeves honors his friend, award-winning actor-producer Hiroyuki Sanada, and presents him with the distinguished VES Award for Creative Excellence, a tribute to his extraordinary contributions to film, VFX and storytelling.
Paul Debevec, VES, Chief Research Officer at Eyeline Studios, presents Virtual Reality and Immersive Technology pioneer Dr. Jacquelyn Ford Morie with the VES Georges Méliès Award, recognizing her trailblazing contributions to immersive storytelling.
The Award for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Student Project went to Pittura (entry from ARTFX, The Schools of Digital Arts) and the team of Adam Lauriol, Titouan Lassère, Rémi Vivenza and Helloïs Marre.
Golden Globe-winning actor-producer Hiroyuki Sanada, one of Japan’s most celebrated actors, proudly holds his VES Award for Creative Excellence. Known for his unforgettable portrayal of Lord Toranaga in the acclaimed series Shōgun, Sanada continues to leave an indelible mark on cinema and television.
Virtual Reality/Immersive Technology Pioneer Dr. Jacquelyn Ford Morie was honored with the VES’s prestigious Georges Méliès Award.
Writer-director Michael Dougherty presented Academy Award-winning filmmaker and VFX Supervisor Takashi Yamazaki with the VES Visionary Award.
Hosts The Sklar Brothers share a laugh backstage with award presenter Tia Carrere.
Takashi Yamazaki, recipient of the Visionary Award, is one of Japan’s leading filmmakers and VFX supervisors, earned the 2024 Academy Award for Best Visual Effects for his groundbreaking work on Godzilla Minus One.
The celebrated group of Keanu Reeves, VES Executive Director Nancy Ward, Takashi Yamazaki, Hiroyuki Sanada and VES Chair Kim Davidson share a star-studded backstage moment, radiating talent and camaraderie
The dedicated volunteers of the VES Awards Committee – Prashant Agrawal, Stephen Chiu, Olun Riley, Michael Ramirez, Kathryn Brillhart, Dave Gouge, Sarah McGrail, Den Serras (Chair), Lopsie Schwartz (Co-Chair), Scott Kilburn (Co-Chair), Eric Greenlief, Dylen Velasquez, Rob Blau, Pramita Mukherjee, Sarah McGee, Brad Simonsen – turned their hard work into a spectacular evening celebrating the VES and the best in VFX.
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