The Visual Effects Society Award for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode is one of the annual awards given by the Visual Effects Society starting in 2002. While the award's title has changed several time within this period, the recipient has always been a visual effects-heavy television episode. Episodes with more background effects work have their own category, the Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode. Until 2012, miniseries and television movies had their own category.
Best Visual Effects in a Television Series
| Year | Program | Episode(s) | Nominees | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 [1] [2] | Firefly | "Serenity" | Emile Smith, Rocco Passionino, Loni Peristere, Kristen Branan | Fox |
| Dinotopia | "Marooned/Making Good" | Guy Hudson, Sharon Fitzgerald, Frazer Churchill, David Hulin | ABC | |
| Star Trek: Enterprise | "Shockwave, Part I" | Dan Curry, Ronald B. Moore, Liz Castro | UPN | |
| 2003 [3] [4] | Buffy the Vampire Slayer | "Chosen" | Loni Peristere, Patti Gannon, Ronald Thornton, Chris Zapara | UPN |
| Carnivàle | "Milfay" | David T. Altenau, Ariel V. Shaw, Thomas L. Bellissimo, Barbara J. Marshall | HBO | |
| ER | "Freefall" | Sam Nicholson, Kyle J. Healey, Eric Grenaudier, Anthony Ocampo | NBC | |
| Sea Monsters | Max Tyrie, Timothy Greenwood, Darren Byford, Mike Milne | BBC/Discovery Channel | ||
Best Visual Effects in a Broadcast Series
| Year | Program | Episode(s) | Nominees | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 [5] | Star Trek: Enterprise | "Storm Front, Part 2" | Dan Curry, Ronald B. Moore, David Takemura, Fred Pienkos | UPN |
| Stargate Atlantis | "Rising" | John Gajdecki, Bruce Woloshyn, Jinnie Pak, Tara Conley | Sci Fi | |
| Stargate SG-1 | "Lost City, Part 2" | James Tichenor, Shannon Gurney, Craig Van Den Biggelaar, Bruce Woloshyn | ||
| 2005 [6] [7] | Rome | "The Stolen Eagle" | Barrie Hemsley, James Madigan, Duncan Kinnaird, Joe Pavlo | HBO |
| Invasion | "Origin of Species" | Armen V. Kevorkian, John Karner, Neal Sopata | ABC | |
| Smallville | "Commencement" | Mat Beck, John H. Han, Trent Smith, John C. Wash | The WB | |
| 2006 [8] [9] | Battlestar Galactica | "Exodus" | Gary Hutzel, Michael Gibson, Alec McClymont, Brenda Campbell | Sci Fi |
| Prehistoric Park | "Episode 4" | George Roper, Matt Fox, Laurent Hugueniot, Kevin Spruce | Animal Planet/National Geographic | |
| Smallville | "Zod" | Mat Beck, Brian Ali Harding, Trent Smith, John C. Wash | The WB | |
| 2007 [10] [11] | Fight for Life | "Episode 4" | Philip Dobree, Nicola Instone, Marco Iozzi, Matt Chandler | BBC One |
| Battlestar Galactica | "Maelstrom" | Michael Gibson, Gary Hutzel, Michael Davidson, Kyle Toucher | Sci Fi | |
| Doctor Who | "Last of the Time Lords" | Dave Houghton, Will Cohen, Jean-Claude Deguara, Nicolas Hernandez | BBC One | |
| Heroes | "Four Months Ago..." | Eric Grenaudier, Mark Spatny, Diego Galtieri, Michael Enriquez | NBC | |
| Stargate Atlantis | "Adrift" | Mark Savela, Shannon Gurney, Erica Henderson, James Kawano | Sci Fi | |
| 2008 [12] [13] | Battlestar Galactica | "Revelations" | Gary Hutzel, Michael Gibson, Doug Drexler, Kyle Toucher | Sci Fi |
| Ghost Whisperer | "Ghost in the Machine" | Armen V. Kevorkian, Arthur J. Codron, Matt Scharf, Stefan Bredereck | CBS | |
| Heroes | "The Second Coming" | Eric Grenaudier, Mark Spatny, Diego Galtieri, Michael Cook | NBC | |
| Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles | "Vick's Chip" | James Lima, Raoul Bolognini, Andrew Orloff, Steven Meyer | Fox | |
| 2009 [14] [15] | Battlestar Galactica | "Daybreak" | Gary Hutzel, Michael Gibson, David R. Morton, Jess Tove | Syfy |
| Defying Gravity | "Pilot" | Dale Fay, Jared Jones, Sam Nicholson, Mike Yip | ABC | |
| Fringe | "Earthling" | Robert Habros, Eric Hance, Andrew Orloff, Jay Worth | Fox | |
| Stargate Universe | "Air" | Shannon Gurney, Andrew Karr, Mark Savela, Craig Van Den Biggelaar | Syfy | |
| V | "Pilot" | Johnathan R. Banta, Karen Czukerberg, Andrew Orloff, Chris Zapara | ABC |
Best Visual Effects in a Television Miniseries, Movie, or Special
| Year | Program | Nominees | Network |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 [1] [2] | Dinotopia | Mike McGee, Tim Webber, Alec Knox, Ben Morris | ABC |
| Expedition: Bismarck | Dean Lewis | Discovery Channel | |
| Rose Red | Robin Griffin, Stuart Robertson, Dion Hatch, Nelson Sepulveda | ABC | |
| 2003 [3] [4] | Battlestar Galactica | Gary Hutzel, Kristen L. Branan, Emile E. Smith, Lee Stringer | Sci Fi |
| Dinosaur Planet | Sebastien Dostie, Claude Precourt, Isabelle Riva | Discovery Channel | |
| Frank Herbert's Children of Dune ("Night 1") | Ernest Farino, Tim McHugh, Chris Q. Zapara, Glenn A. Campbell | Sci Fi | |
| Helen of Troy | Sam Nicholson, Adam Ealovega, Joshua Hatton, Tim Donahue | USA |
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Miniseries, Movie, or Special
| Year | Program | Nominees | Network |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 [5] | Virtual History: The Secret Plot to Kill Hitler | Jim Radford, Tom Beckwith Phillips, Simon Thomas, Loraine Cooper | BBC Two |
| Earthsea | Peter V. Ware, Eric Grenaudier, Jared Jones, Earl Paraszczynec | Sci Fi | |
| The Last Dragon | Sirio Quintavalle, Alex Knox, Neil Glaseby | Animal Planet | |
| 2005 [6] [7] | Walking with Monsters | Timothy Greenwood, Joanna Nodwell, Neil Glasbey, Darren Byford | BBC One |
| Comet Collision! | John Gross, Nick Black, Christian Bloch, Casey Benn | Discovery Channel | |
| Super Bowl XXXIX ("Opening") | Benoit Girard, Jason Crosby, Jerome Morin, Chris Del Conte | Fox | |
| 2006 [8] [9] | Nightmares & Dreamscapes (" Battleground ") | Eric Grenaudier, Sam Nicholson, Mark Spatny, Adalberto Lopez | TNT |
| Fight Science | Mat Beck, Kymber Lim, Manny Wong, Jack Matsumoto | National Geographic | |
| Hogfather ("Episode 1") | Oliver Money, Simon Thomas, Kim Stevenson, Stephen Jolley | Sky One | |
| 2007 [10] [11] | Battlestar Galactica: Razor | Michael Gibson, Gary Hutzel, Sean M. Jackson, Pierre Drolet | Sci Fi |
| Ben 10: Race Against Time (VFX Compilation) | Dina Benadon, Evan Jacobs, Brent Young, Chris Christman | Cartoon Network | |
| Doctor Who: Voyage of the Damned | Dave Houghton, Will Cohen, Nicolas Hernandez, Sara Bennett | BBC One | |
| Race to Mars ("Getting to Mars") | Manon Barriault, Jacques Levesque, Olivier Goulet, Benoit Girard | Discovery Channel Canada | |
| Tin Man ("Night One") | Lee Wilson, Lisa K. Sepp, Sébastien Bergeron | Sci Fi |
| Year | Program | Episode(s) | Nominees | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 [12] [13] | John Adams | "Join or Die" | Steve Kullback, Eric Henry, Robert Stromberg, Jeff Goldman | HBO |
| Doctor Who: The Next Doctor (Cyber King) | Dave Houghton, Marie Jones, Matt McKinney, Murray Barber | BBC One | ||
| Generation Kill | "The Cradle of Civilization" | Adam McInnes, Anthony Bluff, Stephane Paris, David Sewell | HBO | |
| Knight Rider (Prometheus) | Sam Nicholson, Scott Ramsey, Chris Martin, Mike Enriquez | NBC | ||
| 2009 [14] [15] | Prep & Landing (Gadgets, Gloves and other Garish Gizmos) | Dorothy McKim, Scott Kersavage, David Hutchins, Kee Suong | ABC | |
| Alice | "Night 2" | Lee Wilson, Lisa Sepp-Wilson, Sebastien Bergeron, Les Quinn | Syfy | |
| Ben 10: Alien Swarm (Montage) | Evan Jacobs, Sean McPherson, Andrew Orloff | Cartoon Network | ||
| Infestation | PJ Foley, Efram Potelle, James May, Dan DeEnremont | Syfy | ||
| Skellig | Sara Bennett, Jenna Powell, David Houghton, Jean-Claude Deguara | Sky One | ||
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Series
| Year | Program | Nominees | Network |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 [16] [17] | Caprica | Michael Gibson, Gary Hutzel, Davey Morton, Jesse Mesa Toves | Syfy |
| The Event | Victor Scalise, Jason Spratt, Diego Galtieri, Mike Enriquez | NBC | |
| No Ordinary Family | Andrew Orloff, Curt Miller, Paul Linden, Scott Tinter | ABC | |
| Stargate Universe | Mark Savela, James Rorick, Craig Vanden Biggelaar, Adam de Bosch Kemper | Syfy | |
| V | Andrew Orloff, Nathan Overstrom, Karen Czukerberg, Roberto Biagi | ABC | |
| 2011 [18] [19] | Terra Nova | Kevin Blank, Colin Brady, Adica Manis, Jason Zimmerman | Fox |
| Falling Skies | Roberto Biagi, Curt Miller, Andrew Orloff, Sean Tompkins | TNT | |
| Fringe | Robert Habros, Andrew Orloff, Jay Worth, Chris Wright | Fox | |
| Once Upon a Time | Nathan Overstrom, Laura Jones Turner, Andrew Orloff, Doug Ludwig | ABC | |
| Planet Dinosaur | Phil Dobree, Luke Dodd, Hasraf Dulull, Mark Sherwood | BBC One |
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Miniseries, Movie or Special
| Year | Program | Nominees | Network |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 [16] [17] | The Pacific | John Sullivan, David Taritero, William Mesa, Marco Requay | HBO |
| America: The Story of Us | Philip Dobree, Sophie Orde, Eloi Brunelle, Hasraf Dulull | History | |
| Inside the Perfect Predator | Philip Dobree, Richard Costin, Sam Meisels | BBC | |
| Last Day of the Dinosaurs | Arnaud Brisebois, Louis Desrochers, Alain Lachance, Marc A. Rousseau | Discovery Channel | |
| Prep & Landing: Operation: Secret Santa | Dorothy McKim, Kyle Odermatt, Andy Harkness, Adolph Lusinsky | ABC | |
| 2011 [18] [19] | Inside the Human Body | Philip Dobree, Sophie Orde, Dan Upton | BBC |
| The Bomber | Igor Gotsulyak, Dmitriy Kolesnik, Egor Olesov, Dmitry Ovcharenko | ||
| Finding Life Beyond Earth: Are We Alone? | Simon Clarke, Hasraf Dulull, Vikas Gandhi, Francisco Lima | PBS | |
| Gettysburg | J. David Everhart, Kent Johnson, Jon Rhinehardt, Jon Rosenthal | History | |
| Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice | Kevin Deters, Dorothy McKim, John Murrah, Stevie Wermers-Skelton | ABC |
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Program
| Year | Program | Episode(s) | Nominees | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 [20] [21] | Game of Thrones | "Valar Morghulis" | Rainer Gombos, Steve Kullback, Sven Martin, Juri Stanossek | HBO |
| Curiosity | "Battlefield Cell" | Nathan Larouche, Lon Molnar, Geoff Scott, Bojan Zoric | Discovery | |
| Falling Skies | "Worlds Apart (Falling Skies)" | James Hattin, Suzanne MacLennan, Curt Miller, Andrew Orloff | TNT | |
| Mockingbird Lane | Leslie Ekker, Jonah Hall, Livia Hanich, Jason Zimmerman | NBC | ||
| Once Upon a Time | "The Stranger" | Dale Fay, Laura Jones Turner, Nathan Matsuda, Andrew Orloff | ABC | |
| 2013 [22] [23] | Game of Thrones | "Valar Dohaeris" | Steve Kullback, Joe Bauer, Jörn Großhans, Sven Martin | HBO |
| Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. | "Pilot" | Mark Kolpack, Sabrina Arnold, David Altenau, H Haden Hammond | ABC | |
| Almost Human | Jay Worth, Robert Habros, Michael Cliett, David Beedon | Fox | ||
| Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome | Gary Hutzel, Michael Gibson, Derek Ledbetter, Heather McAuliff | Syfy | ||
| Inseparable | "Chernobyl" | Egor Olesov, Egor Borschevsky, Dmitry Ovcharenko, Mykhailo Datsyk |
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Photoreal/Live Action Broadcast Program
| Year | Program | Episode(s) | Nominees | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 [24] [25] | Game of Thrones | "The Children" | Joe Bauer, Steve Kullback, Stuart Brisdon, Thomas Schelesny, Sven Martin | HBO |
| Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. | Mark Kolpack, Sabrina Arnold, Gary D'Amico, Kevin Lingenfelser, David Beedon | ABC | ||
| Constantine | "A Feast of Friends" | Kevin Blank, Elizabeth Castro, Yafei Wu, Chris LeDoux | NBC | |
| The Flash | Armen V. Kevorkian, James Baldanzi, Jeremy Jozwik, Andranik Taranyan | The CW | ||
| Hemlock Grove | Matt Whelan, Chris Brown, Todd Masters, Jonathan Banta, Eric McAvoy | Netflix | ||
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode
| Year | Program | Episode(s) | Nominees | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 [26] [27] | Game of Thrones | "The Dance of Dragons" | Joe Bauer, Steve Kullback Eric Carney, Derek Spears, Stuart Brisdon | HBO |
| Battle for Sevastopol | "Sea Dogfight" | Dmitry Ovcharenko, Igor Klimovsky, Egor Borschevsky, Vladimir Mikheyenko | ||
| Childhood's End | "The Children" | Kevin Blank, Addie Manis, Niklas Jacobson, Glenn Melenhorst | Syfy | |
| Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell | "Arabella" | Jean-Claude Deguara, Natalie Reid, Nicolas Hernandez, Sara Bennett | BBC One | |
| The Strain | "Identity" | Dennis Berardi, Luke Groves, Matt Glover, Trey Harrell, Warren Appleby | FX | |
| 2016 [28] [29] | Game of Thrones | "Battle of the Bastards" | Joe Bauer, Steve Kullback, Glenn Melenhorst, Matthew Rouleau, Sam Conway | HBO |
| Black Mirror | "Playtest" | Justin Hutchinson-Chatburn, Russell McLean, Grant S.L. Walker, Christopher Gray | Netflix | |
| The Expanse | "Salvage" | Bob Munroe, Clint Green, Kyle Menzies, Tom Turnbull | Syfy | |
| Stranger Things (Demogorgon) | Marc Kolbe, Aaron Sims, Olcun Tan | Netflix | ||
| Westworld | "The Bicameral Mind" | Jay Worth, Elizabeth Castro, Bobo Skipper, Gustav Ahren | HBO | |
| 2017 [30] [31] | Game of Thrones | "Beyond the Wall" | Joe Bauer, Steve Kullback, Christopher S. Baird, David Ramos, Sam Conway | HBO |
| Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. | "Orientation: Part 1" | Mark Kolpack, Sabrina Arnold, David Rey, Kevin Yuille, Gary D'Amico | ABC | |
| Legion | "Chapter 1" | John Ross, Eddie Bonin, Sébastien Bergeron, Lionel Lim, Paul Benjamin | FX | |
| Star Trek: Discovery | "The Vulcan Hello" | Jason Michael Zimmerman, Aleksandra Kochoska, Ante Dekovic, Mahmoud Rahnama | CBS All Access | |
| Stranger Things | "Chapter Nine: The Gate" | Paul Graff, Christina Graff, Seth Hill, Joel Sevilla, Caius Man | Netflix | |
| 2018 [32] [33] | Lost in Space | "Danger, Will Robinson" | Jabbar Raisani, Terron Pratt, Niklas Jacobson, Joao Sita | Netflix |
| Altered Carbon | "Out of the Past" | Everett Burrell, Tony Meagher, Steve Moncur, Christine Lemon, Joel Whist | Netflix | |
| Krypton | "The Phantom Zone" | Ian Markiewicz, Jennifer Wessner, Niklas Jacobson, Martin Pelletier | Syfy | |
| The Terror | "Go for Broke" | Frank Petzold, Lenka Likarova, Viktor Muller, Pedro Sabrosa | AMC | |
| Westworld | "The Passenger" | Jay Worth, Elizabeth Castro, Bruce Branit, Joe Wehmeyer, Michael Lantieri | HBO | |
| 2019 [34] [35] | The Mandalorian | "Chapter 2: The Child" | Richard Bluff, Abbigail Keller, Jason Porter, Hayden Jones, Roy K. Cancino | Disney+ |
| Game of Thrones | "The Bells" | Joe Bauer, Steve Kullback, Ted Rae, Mohsen Mousavi, Sam Conway | HBO | |
| His Dark Materials | "The Fight to the Death" | Russell Dodgson, James Whitlam, Shawn Hillier, Robert Harrington | ||
| Lady and the Tramp | Robert Weaver, Christopher Raimo, Arslan Elver, Michael Cozens, Bruno Van Zeebroeck | Disney+ | ||
| Lost in Space | "Ninety-Seven" | Jabbar Raisani, Terron Pratt, Niklas Jacobson, Juri Stanossek, Paul Benjamin | Netflix | |
| Stranger Things | "Chapter Six: E Pluribus Unum" | Paul Graff, Thomas F. Ford IV, Mike Maher, Martin Pelletier, Andi Sowers | ||
| Year | Program | Episode(s) | Nominees | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 [36] | The Mandalorian | "Chapter 9: The Marshal" | Joe Bauer, Abbigail Keller, Hal Hickel, Richard Bluff, Roy Cancino | Disney+ |
| Lovecraft Country | "Jig-a-Bobo" | Kevin Blank, Robin Griffin, Pietro Ponti, Francois Dumoulin | HBO | |
| Star Trek: Discovery | "Su'Kal" | Jason Michael Zimmerman, Aleksandra Kochoska, Ante Dekovic, Ivan Kondrup Jensen | CBS All Access | |
| Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made | Rich McBride, Leslie Lerman, Nicolas Chevallier, Anders Beer, Tony Lazarowich | Disney+ | ||
| Westworld | "Crisis Theory" | Jay Worth, Elizabeth Castro, Bruce Branit, Joe Wehmeyer, Mark Byers | HBO | |
| 2021 [37] | Foundation | "The Emperor's Peace" | Chris MacLean, Addie Manis, Mike Enriquez, Chris Keller, Paul Byrne | Apple TV+ |
| Loki | "Journey Into Mystery" | Dan DeLeeuw, Allison Paul, Sandra Balej, David Seager | Disney+ | |
| Lost in Space | "Trust" | Jabbar Raisani, Terron Pratt, Juri Stanossek, Niklas Jacobson, Paul Benjamin | Netflix | |
| The Nevers | "Ignition" | Johnny Han, Jack Geist, Justin Mitchell, Emanuel Fuchs, Michael Dawson | HBO | |
| The Stand | Jake Braver, Phillip Hoffman, Laurent Hugueniot, Vincent Papaix | CBS All Access | ||
| 2022 [38] | The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power | "Udûn" | Jason Smith, Ron Ames, Nigel Sumner, Tom Proctor, Dean Clarke | Amazon |
| The Boys | "Payback" | Stephan Fleet, Shalena Oxley-Butler, Tristan Zerafa, Anthony Paterson, Hudson Kenny | Amazon | |
| House of the Dragon | "The Black Queen" | Angus Bickerton, Nikeah Forde, Sven Martin, Michael Bell, Michael Dawson | HBO | |
| Prehistoric Planet | "Ice Worlds" | Lindsay McFarlane, Fay Hancocks, Elliot Newman, Kristin Hall | Apple TV+ | |
| Stranger Things 4 | "The Piggyback" | Jabbar Raisani, Terron Pratt, Niklas Jacobson, Justin Mitchell, Richard E. Perry | Netflix | |
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The Visual Effects Society Award for Outstanding Animated Character in a Photoreal Feature is one of the annual awards given by the Visual Effects Society starting from 2002. Since its inception, the award's title has gone through six different title changes, and one major category shift. First awarded in 2002, the award was titled "Outstanding Character Animation in a Live Action Motion Picture" and given to the best character animation in a live action film, with no specific character cited. This would change in 2004, when the category was re-titled "Outstanding Performance by an Animated Character in a Live Action Motion Picture", and given to visual effects artists for work on a specified character. The category was again re-titled in 2008, this time to "Outstanding Animated Character in a Live Action Feature Motion Picture". In 2014, it was titled "Outstanding Performance of an Animated Character in a Photoreal/Live Action Feature Motion Picture", but changed in 2016 to "Outstanding Animated Performance in a Photoreal Feature" and once again in 2017 to its current title.
The Visual Effects Society Award for Outstanding Created Environment in a Photoreal Feature is one of the annual awards given by the Visual Effects Society starting from 2004. The award was originally titled "Outstanding Created Environment in a Live Action Motion Picture", and changed in 2007 to "Outstanding Created Environment in a Live Action Feature Motion Picture". It was again changed in 2009, this time to "Outstanding Created Environment in a Feature Motion Picture", and again in 2011 to "Outstanding Created Environment in a Live Action Feature Motion Picture". Before its final change in 2015, to its current title, it was re-titled in 2014 to "Outstanding Created Environment in a Photoreal/Live Action Feature Motion Picture".
The Visual Effects Society Award for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Picture is one of the annual awards given by the Visual Effects Society starting in 2002. While the award's title has changed several time within this period, the recipient has always been a visual effects-heavy feature film; film's with more background effects work have their own category, the Visual Effects Society Award for Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Feature Motion Picture.
The Visual Effects Society Award for Outstanding Animated Character in an Animated Feature is one of the annual awards given by the Visual Effects Society starting from 2002. Since its inception, the award's title has gone through six title changes, and one major category shift. First awarded in 2002, the award was titled "Best Character Animation in an Animated Motion Picture" and given to the best character animation in an animated film, with no specific character cited. This would change in 2004, when the category was re-titled "Outstanding Performance by an Animated Character in an Animated Motion Picture", and given to visual effects artists for work on a specified character. as well as the voice actor for the character. The category was again re-titled in 2008, this time to "Outstanding Animated Character in an Animated Feature Motion Picture". In 2015, it was titled "Outstanding Animated Performance in an Animated Feature", but changed in 2017 to "Outstanding Animated Character in an Animated Feature", its current title.
The Visual Effects Society Award for Outstanding Created Environment in an Animated Feature is one of the annual awards given by the Visual Effects Society starting from 2011. The award was originally titled "Outstanding Created Environment in an Animated Feature Motion Picture", before being re-titled in 2016.
The Visual Effects Society Award for Outstanding Model in a Photoreal or Animated Project is one of the annual awards given by the Visual Effects Society. The award goes to artists whose work in models, miniatures, have been deemed worthy of recognition. Originally, the award was given separately to artists in both film and television, with the categories "Best Models and Miniatures in a Motion Picture" and "Best Models and Miniatures in a Televised Program, Music Video or Commercial". In 2004, there was only one category, recognizing only work in motion pictures with "Outstanding Models and Miniatures in a Motion Picture". In 2005, television was honored, once again, with "Outstanding Models and Miniatures in a Broadcast Program, Commercial or Music Video". Television series and/or televised content would be honored, intermittently, until 2015, when the category was redesigned to honor any motion media project. It has continued to do so since then.
The Visual Effects Society Award for Outstanding Virtual Cinematography in a CG Project is one of the annual awards given by the Visual Effects Society. The award goes to artists whose work in virtual cinematography. It was first awarded in 2003 and 2004 for, under the title "Best Visual Effects Photography in a Motion Picture", before being scrapped from the ceremony. The award was given separately to artists in live-action film, animated film, and commercials/television. These categories were first awarded in 2012. The following year, the category specifically awarding animated film was dropped, with only live-action film and commercial/television being awarded. In 2015, only live-action films were awarded. The following year, the category's title changed to "Outstanding Virtual Cinematography in a Photoreal Project". It has held its current title since 2020.
The Visual Effects Society Award for Outstanding Compositing in a Photoreal Feature is one of the annual awards given by the Visual Effects Society, starting in 2002. It is awarded to visual effects artists for their work in compositing.
The Visual Effects Society Award for Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode is one of the annual awards given by the Visual Effects Society, starting in 2004. While the award's title has changed several time within this period, the recipients have been television episodes and/or movies or specials with less prominent, more subtle visual effects work.
The Visual Effects Society Award for Outstanding Compositing in a Photoreal Feature is one of the annual awards given by the Visual Effects Society, starting in 2012. It is awarded to visual effects artists for their work in effects simulations.
The Visual Effects Society Award for Outstanding Special (Practical) Effects in a Photoreal or Animated Project is one of the annual awards given by the Visual Effects Society. The award goes to artists whose work in special/practical effects, have been deemed worthy of recognition. The award has been handed out intermittently since the first VES awards. Only twice was it awarded to television broadcasts or commercials, and was award for film from 2003 to 2009, with the exception being 2006. It was reintroduced in 2020, awarding any photoreal and/or animated project.
The Visual Effects Society Award for Outstanding Compositing in a Photoreal Episode is one of the annual awards given by the Visual Effects Society, starting in 2003. It is awarded to visual effects artists for their work in compositing. It has gone through several title changes over the years; from 2003 to 2012, the category included commercials in the category, before refocusing in 2013, specifically nominating television programs.
The Visual Effects Society Award for Outstanding Animated Character in an Episode or Real-Time Project is one of the annual awards given by the Visual Effects Society, starting from 2002. Since its inception, the award's title has gone through several title changes, and one major category shift. First awarded in 2002, the award was titled "Best Character Animation in a Live Action Televised Program, Music Video or Commercial" and given to the best character animation in a televised program, with no specific character cited. This would change in 2004, when the category was re-titled "Outstanding Performance by an Animated Character in a Live Action Broadcast Program", and given to visual effects artists for work on a specified character. The category was again re-titled the following year, this time to "Outstanding Performance by an Animated Character in a Live Action Broadcast Program, Commercial, or Music Video". In 2008, it was titled "Outstanding Animated Character in a Live Action Broadcast Program or Commercial", but changed in 2014 to "Outstanding Performance of an Animated Character in a Commercial, Broadcast Program, or Video Game" and once again the next year to "Outstanding Animated Performance in an Episode, Commercial, or Real-Time Project". In the title changed to "Outstanding Animated Performance in an Episode or Real-Time Project" and, finally, in 2017 to "Outstanding Animated Character in an Episode or Real-Time Project"
The Visual Effects Society Award for Outstanding Effects Simulations in an Episode, Commercial, or Real-Time Project is one of the annual awards given by the Visual Effects Society, starting in 2012. It is awarded to visual effects artists for their work in effects simulations.
The Visual Effects Society Award for Outstanding Created Environment in an Episode, Commercial, or Real-Time Project is one of the annual awards given by the Visual Effects Society starting from 2004. The award was originally titled "Outstanding Created Environment in a Live Action Broadcast Program", and changed in 2005 to "Outstanding Created Environment in a Live Action Broadcast Program, Commercial, or Music Video". It was again changed in 2009, this time to "Outstanding Created Environment in a Feature Motion Picture", and again in 2011 to "Outstanding Created Environment in a Live Action Feature Motion Picture". Before its final change in 2015, to its current title, it was re-titled in 2014 to "Outstanding Created Environment in a Photoreal/Live Action Feature Motion Picture".
The American Society of Cinematographers Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Motion Picture, Limited Series, or Pilot Made for Television is an annual award given by the American Society of Cinematographers to cinematographers working in the field of television film, limited series or television pilots. It has been awarded, in some capacity, since 1986. From 2009 to 2013, pilot episodes were moved in competition with regular series, but returned in 2014, where it has since remained.
The American Society of Cinematographers Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in an Episode of a One-Hour Television Series – Commercial is an annual award given by the American Society of Cinematographers to cinematographers working in commercial television. It was first awarded in 2016, when the awards separated it Regular Series award, splitting ad-sponsored television programs and non-sponsored, cable or streaming series into two categories. In 2020, the distinction of "One-Hour" was added, as half-hour programs were given their own categories.
The American Society of Cinematographers Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in an Episode of a One-Hour Television Series – Non-Commercial is an annual award given by the American Society of Cinematographers to cinematographers working in non-commercial television. It was first awarded in 2016, when the awards separated it Regular Series award, splitting ad-sponsored television programs and non-sponsored, cable or streaming series into two categories. In 2020, the distinction of "One-Hour" was added, as half-hour programs were given their own categories.
The American Society of Cinematographers Spotlight Award is an annual award given by the American Society of Cinematographers to cinematographers working in features and documentaries that are typically screened at film festivals, in limited theatrical release, or outside the United States. It was first awarded in 2014.
The 21st Visual Effects Society Awards is an awards ceremony presented by the Visual Effects Society to recognize the best in visual effects in film, television and other media in 2022. Nominations were announced on January 17, 2023, and the ceremony took place on February 15, 2023. Avatar: The Way of Water received a record number of nominations with fourteen, surpassing the number of previous nominations for film (Avatar) and television. The society introduced a new "Emerging Technology Award" this year.