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Visual Effects Society announces nominees for 21st Annual VES Awards; ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ grabs 14 nominations

AnimationXpress Team

The Visual Effects Society (VES) announced the nominees for the 21st Annual VES Awards, the prestigious yearly celebration that recognises outstanding visual effects artistry and innovation in features, animation, television, commercials and video games and the VFX supervisors, VFX producers and hands-on artists who bring this work to life. Awards will be presented at the 21st Annual VES Awards on 15 February 2023 at The Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles. 

Avatar: The Way of Water leads the feature film field with a VES Awards record-breaking 14 nominations. Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio is the top animated contender with five nominations. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power leads the broadcast field with seven nominations. Nominees in 25 categories were selected by VES members at 27 in-person and virtual nomination events conducted worldwide. This year marks the presentation of the first VES Emerging Technology Award, which celebrates the creators of the technology behind the visuals and honors the inventors of a novel and uniquely innovative tool, device, software or methodology of outstanding value to the art and science of visual effects, gaming or animation.

“We’re honoured to keep shining a light on remarkable visual effects artistry and innovation. In all of our nominees, 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 honors these outstanding global artists across a wide range of disciplines, and we are extremely proud of all our nominees,” said VES chair Lisa Cooke. 

“For more than 16 years, since the founding of the VES Student Award, Autodesk has proudly ushered in and supported the rise of a new generation of VFX Talent.Visual effects are critical. They enable us to bring stories alive in ways that inspire, move, and challenge us. This year’s student film submissions showcase the power of artistry, the mastery of technical innovation, and the beauty of sophistication. Together with the VES, we are thrilled to celebrate these talented up-and-coming visual effects artists,” said chief marketing officer Autodesk and sponsor of the VES-Autodesk Student Award Dara Treseder. 

The nominees for the 21st Annual VES Awards in 25 categories are as follow:

OUTSTANDING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A PHOTOREAL FEATURE

Avatar: The Way of Water

Avatar: The Way of Water | Official Trailer

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore

Jurassic World: Dominion

The Batman

Top Gun: Maverick

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A PHOTOREAL FEATURE

Death on the Nile

I Wanna Dance With Somebody

The Fabelmans

The Gray Man

The Pale Blue Eye

Thirteen Lives

OUTSTANDING VISUAL EFFECTS IN AN ANIMATED FEATURE

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio

Mad God

Strange World

The Bad Guys

The Sea Beast

Turning Red

OUTSTANDING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A PHOTOREAL EPISODE

House of the Dragon; The Black Queen

Prehistoric Planet; Ice Worlds

Stranger Things 4; The Piggyback

The Boys; Payback

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power; Udûn

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A PHOTOREAL EPISODE

Five Days at Memorial; Day Two

See; I See You

Severance; Pilot

The Old Man; Episode III

Vikings: Valhalla; The Bridge

OUTSTANDING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A REAL-TIME PROJECT

God of War: Ragnarok

Gotham Knights

Supermassive Games; The Quarry

The Callisto Protocol

The Last of Us Part I

OUTSTANDING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A COMMERCIAL

B&Q; Flip

Frito-Lay; Push It

Ladbrokes; Rocky

Minions: The Rise of Gru

Virgin Media; Highland Rider

OUTSTANDING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A SPECIAL VENUE PROJECT

ABBA: Voyage

Avengers: Quantum Encounter

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

Jumanji: The Adventure

Star Wars: Galactic Star Cruiser

Stranger Things: The Experience

OUTSTANDING ANIMATED CHARACTER IN A PHOTOREAL FEATURE

Avatar: The Way of Water; Kiri

Beast; Lion

Disney’s Pinocchio; Honest John

Slumberland; Pig

OUTSTANDING ANIMATED CHARACTER IN AN ANIMATED FEATURE

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio; Geppetto

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio; Pinocchio

Strange World; Splat

Turning Red; Panda Mei

OUTSTANDING ANIMATED CHARACTER IN AN EPISODE, COMMERCIAL OR REAL-TIME PROJECT

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law; She-Hulk

Skull & Bones; Sam

The Callisto Protocol; Jacob Lee

The Umbrella Academy; Pogo

OUTSTANDING CREATED ENVIRONMENT IN A PHOTOREAL FEATURE

Avatar: The Way of Water; Metkayina Village

Avatar: The Way of Water; The Reef

Jurassic World Dominion; Biosyn Valley

Slumberland; The Wondrous Cuban Hotel Dream

OUTSTANDING CREATED ENVIRONMENT IN AN ANIMATED FEATURE

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio; In the Stomach of a Sea Monster

Lightyear; T’Kani Prime Forest

Strange World; The Windy Jungle

The Sea Beast; The Hunting Ship

Wendell & Wild; The Scream Fair

OUTSTANDING CREATED ENVIRONMENT IN AN EPISODE, COMMERCIAL, OR REAL-TIME PROJECT

Andor; Reckoning; Ferrix

The Book of Boba Fett; In the Name of Honor; Mos Espa

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power; Adar; Númenor City

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power; Adrift; Khazud Dûm

OUTSTANDING VIRTUAL CINEMATOGRAPHY IN A CG PROJECT

ABBA: Voyage

Avatar: The Way of Water

Prehistoric Planet

The Batman; Rain Soaked Car Chase

OUTSTANDING MODEL IN A PHOTOREAL OR ANIMATED PROJECT

Avatar: The Way of Water; The Sea Dragon

The Sea Beast

Top Gun: Maverick; F-14 Tomcat

Wendell & Wild Dream Faire

OUTSTANDING EFFECTS SIMULATIONS IN A PHOTOREAL FEATURE

Avatar: The Way of Water; Fire and Destruction

Avatar: The Way of Water; Water Simulations

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever; City Street Flooding

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore

OUTSTANDING EFFECTS SIMULATIONS IN AN ANIMATED FEATURE

Lightyear

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

Strange World

The Sea Beast

OUTSTANDING EFFECTS SIMULATIONS IN AN EPISODE, COMMERCIAL, OR REAL-TIME PROJECT

Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities; Graveyard Rats

Stranger Things 4; Hawkins Destructive Fissures

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power; Udûn; Volcano Destruction

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power; Udûn; Water and Magma

OUTSTANDING COMPOSITING & LIGHTING IN A FEATURE

Avatar: The Way of Water; Landing Rockets Forest Destruction

Avatar: The Way of Water; Water Integration

The Batman; Rainy Freeway Chase

Top Gun: Maverick

OUTSTANDING COMPOSITING & LIGHTING IN AN EPISODE

House of the Dragon; The Black Queen; Dance of Dragons

Love, Death and Robots; Night of the Mini Dead

The Book of Boba Fett; From the Desert Comes a Stranger; Luke Alike

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power; Udûn; Tirharad Cavalry Charge

OUTSTANDING COMPOSITING & LIGHTING IN A COMMERCIAL

Cartier; Tank

Ladbrokes; Rocky

Samsung; Playtime is Over

Samsung; The Spider and the Window

OUTSTANDING SPECIAL (PRACTICAL) EFFECTS IN A PHOTOREAL PROJECT

Avatar: The Way of Water; Current Machine and Wave Pool

Black Adam; Robotic Flight

Mad God

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power; Adrift; Middle Earth Storm

OUTSTANDING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A STUDENT PROJECT (AWARD SPONSORED BY AUTODESK)

A Calling. From the Desert to the Sea

Boom

Macula

Maronii

EMERGING TECHNOLOGY AWARD

Avatar: The Way of Water; Depth Comp

Avatar: The Way of Water; Facial System

Avatar: The Way of Water; Water Toolset

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio; 3D Printed Metal Armature

Turning Red; Profile Mover and CurveNets

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