LOS ANGELES — The Visual Effects Society (www.visualeffectssociety.com) held its 18th Annual VES Awards last night, recognizing outstanding visual effects artistry and innovation in film, animation, television, commercials, video games and special venues. Comedian Patton Oswalt served as host for the ninth time, entertaining the more than one thousand guests gathered at the Beverly Hilton, who were there to celebrate VFX talent in 25 awards categories.
The Lion King was named the photoreal feature winner, garnering three awards. Missing Link was named top animated film, winning two awards. The Mandalorian was named best photoreal episode and garnered two awards, with Game of Thrones and Stranger Things 3 also winning two awards each. Hennessy: The Seven Worlds topped the commercial field with two wins.
Andy Serkis presented the VES Award for Creative Excellence to acclaimed visual effects supervisor Sheena Duggal. Joey King presented the VES Visionary Award to acclaimed director/producer/screenwriter Roland Emmerich. And VFX supervisor Pablo Helman presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to Academy-, DGA- and Emmy Award-winning director/producer/screenwriter Martin Scorsese, who accepted via video from New York. Scorsese’s The Irishman also picked up two awards, including Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature.
Presenters also included: directors JJ Abrams, Jon Favreau, Rian Johnson and Josh Cooley; and actors Storm Reid, Madeline Brewer, Janina Gavankar, Sophie Skelton and Maxwell Jenkins. Lisa Campbell, Autodesk’s chief marketing office and SVP, presented the Autodesk Student Award.
Winners of the 18th Annual VES Awards are as follows:
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature
THE LION KING
Robert Legato
Tom Peitzman
Adam Valdez
Andrew R. Jones
Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature
THE IRISHMAN
Pablo Helman
Mitchell Ferm
Jill Brooks
Leandro Estebecorena
Jeff Brink
Outstanding Visual Effects in an Animated Feature
MISSING LINK
Brad Schiff
Travis Knight
Steve Emerson
Benoit Dubuc
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode
THE MANDALORIAN; The Child
Richard Bluff
Abbigail Keller
Jason Porter
Hayden Jones
Roy K. Cancino
Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode
CHERNOBYL; 1:23:45
Max Dennison
Lindsay McFarlane
Clare Cheetham
Paul Jones
Claudius Christian Rauch
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Real-Time Project
Control
Janne Pulkkinen
Elmeri Raitanen
Matti Hämäläinen
James Tottman
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Commercial
Hennessy: The Seven Worlds
Carsten Keller
Selçuk Ergen
Kiril Mirkov
William Laban
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Special Venue Project
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
Jason Bayever
Patrick Kearney
Carol Norton
Bill George
Outstanding Animated Character in a Photoreal Feature
ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL; Alita
Michael Cozens
Mark Haenga
Olivier Lesaint
Dejan Momcilovic
Outstanding Animated Character in an Animated Feature
MISSING LINK; Susan
Rachelle Lambden
Brenda Baumgarten
Morgan Hay
Benoit Dubuc
Outstanding Animated Character in an Episode or Real-Time Project
STRANGER THINGS 3; Tom/Bruce Monster
Joseph Dubé-Arsenault
Antoine Barthod
Frederick Gagnon
Xavier Lafarge
Outstanding Animated Character in a Commercial
Cyberpunk 2077; Dex
Jonas Ekman
Jonas Skoog
Marek Madej
Grzegorz Chojnacki
Outstanding Created Environment in a Photoreal Feature
THE LION KING; The Pridelands
Marco Rolandi
Luca Bonatti
Jules Bodenstein
Filippo Preti
Outstanding Created Environment in an Animated Feature
TOY STORY 4; Antiques Mall
Hosuk Chang
Andrew Finley
Alison Leaf
Philip Shoebottom
Outstanding Created Environment in an Episode, Commercial, or Real-Time Project
GAME OF THRONES; The Iron Throne; Red Keep Plaza
Carlos Patrick DeLeon
Alonso Bocanegra Martinez
Marcela Silva
Benjamin Ross
Outstanding Virtual Cinematography in a CG Project
THE LION KING
Robert Legato
Caleb Deschanel
Ben Grossmann
AJ Sciutto
Outstanding Model in a Photoreal or Animated Project
THE MANDALORIAN; The Sin; The Razorcrest
Doug Chiang
Jay Machado
John Goodson
Landis Fields IV
Outstanding Effects Simulations in a Photoreal Feature
STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER
Don Wong
Thibault Gauriau
Goncalo Cababca
François-Maxence Desplanques
Outstanding Effects Simulations in an Animated Feature
FROZEN 2
Erin V. Ramos
Scott Townsend
Thomas Wickes
Rattanin Sirinaruemarn
Outstanding Effects Simulations in an Episode, Commercial, or Real-Time Project
STRANGER THINGS 3; Melting Tom/Bruce
Nathan Arbuckle
Christian Gaumond
James Dong
Aleksandr Starkov
Outstanding Compositing in a Feature
THE IRISHMAN
Nelson Sepulveda
Vincent Papaix
Benjamin O'Brien
Christopher Doerhoff
Outstanding Compositing in an Episode
GAME OF THRONES; The Long Night; Dragon Ground Battle
Mark Richardson
Darren Christie
Nathan Abbott
Owen Longstaff
Outstanding Compositing in a Commercial
Hennessy: The Seven Worlds
Rod Norman
Guillaume Weiss
Alexander Kulikov
Alessandro Granella
Outstanding Special (Practical) Effects in a Photoreal or Animated Project
THE DARK CRYSTAL: THE AGE OF RESISTANCE; She Knows All the Secrets
Sean Mathiesen
Jon Savage
Toby Froud
Phil Harvey
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Student Project
THE BEAUTY
Marc Angele
Aleksandra Todorovic
Pascal Schelbli
Noel Winzen