Global professional honorary society the Visual Effects Society (VES) announced that renowned film producer Jerry Bruckheimer will receive the VES Lifetime Achievement Award and Wētā Workshop co-founder and chief creative officer Sir Richard Taylor will receive the VES Visionary Award at the 24th Annual VES Awards.
Taking place on 25 February 2026 at The Beverly Hilton, the event recognises exceptional contributions to the visual effects (VFX) industry, including outstanding work, technological innovation, and pioneering leadership. Actor-comedians Randy and Jason Sklar, the Sklar Brothers will host the gala again this year.
“The VES Awards are our marquee event, honouring exceptional creative achievement and recognised as one of the entertainment industry’s most prestigious celebrations. We’re immensely appreciative of the respective and sustained industry contributions of Jerry Bruckheimer and Sir Richard Taylor, and look forward to celebrating their remarkable achievements at this year’s awards ceremony,” said VES board chair Kim Davidson. “We’re also thrilled to welcome back the Sklar Brothers, who bring a healthy dose of levity while honouring the talent and craft of visual effects.”
“I have been a filmmaker for over fifty years and have seen firsthand how the evolution of the VFX industry has unlocked amazing new types of storytelling time and time again. From Armageddon, to the Pirates of the Caribbean series, to F1: The Movie, and dozens of other films and television series, some of the most memorable collaborations of my career have been on projects where the VFX artists and technologists bring their magic to the screen. I am in awe of your talent, and am very grateful to the VES for this tremendous recognition,” said Bruckheimer.
“I’m honoured by this recognition from the Visual Effects Society, a community of artists and practitioners that I feel blessed to have been a part of since its inception. I accept this award on behalf of all of our crew at Wētā Workshop, whose work has always been in creative service, using practical effects, design, and physical craftsmanship to help expand what’s possible in collaboration with VFX and film-making teams around the world. For me this award reflects the dedication, ingenuity, and generosity of spirit by so many of our artists that have joined me on this journey over the past 38 years. I’m incredibly grateful to the VES for celebrating the creative and collaborative journey that I have been on (with my colleagues) in our efforts to bring imagined worlds to life,” said Taylor.
Bestowed by the VES board of directors, the VES Lifetime Achievement Award recognises significant and lasting contributions to the art and science of the VFX industry by way of vision, artistry, invention, and innovation. The society selected Bruckheimer for this honour for his blockbuster producing career and direct influence on major feature films and episodic television series that used VFX as key storytelling tools. His expansive credits reflect a wealth of cultural touchstones, including the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, F1: The Movie, Top Gun, Flashdance, Beverly Hills Cop, Remember the Titans, the CSI: Crime Scene Investigation franchise, the Amazing Race franchise, and 2023 Best Motion Picture Academy Award nominee Top Gun: Maverick. His work is a testament to how creativity and VFX creates boundless storytelling.
Previous recipients of the VES Lifetime Achievement Award include George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy & Frank Marshall, James Cameron, Sir Ridley Scott, and Martin Scorsese.
Bestowed by the VES board of directors, the VES Visionary Award recognises an individual who has uniquely and consistently employed the art and science of VFX to foster imagination and ignite future discoveries by way of artistry, invention, and groundbreaking work. The Society selected Sir Richard Taylor for this honour for his undeniable impact on the VFX industry as co-founder of the Wētā companies. Winner of five Academy Awards across three disciplines, special effects makeup, VFX, and costume design, Taylor has also received four BAFTAs and more than 35 national and international awards for his work within the creative industries.
Wētā Workshop has provided the design and physical effects for more than 160 films, including the globally acclaimed The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit and Avatar trilogies, as well as Chronicles of Narnia, King Kong, District 9, the Thor series, Black Panther, and Alien: Romulus. Taylor was also a founding board member of mixed reality technology company Magic Leap.
Previous recipients of the VES Visionary Award include Christopher Nolan, Ang Lee, Alfonso Cuaron, J.J. Abrams, Syd Mead, Victoria Alonso, Jonathan Nolan, and Roland Emmerich. The 2025 VES Visionary Award recipient was Academy Award-winning filmmaker Takashi Yamazaki (Godzilla Minus One).
Bruckheimer and Taylor will receive their awards at the 24th Annual VES Awards, which will present awards in 25 categories for outstanding VFX. Event hosts and stand-up duo the Sklar Brothers will once again bring their critically acclaimed and accessibly nerdy style of comedy to the gala. Writers, actors, and directors, the pair notably hosted and produced History Channel’s United Stats of America and created and starred in the ESPN cult hit series Cheap Seats. Their television credits include Glow, Agent Carter, Grey’s Anatomy, among others. Currently, they are developing the pilot for Dumb People Town with Will Arnett’s Electric Avenue, and Val Kilmer Ruined Our Lives with Bill Lawrence.
Nominees for the 24th Annual VES Award will be announced on 13 January.
