24th Annual VES Awards

Below is the complete list of Winners and Nominees for the 24th Annual VES Awards. A sortable list for ALL years of VES Award winners / nominees can be found on the Previous VES Awards page.

View the category of the nominees and winners below.

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature

This award is to honor the overall achievement of the visual effects within a Photoreal Feature where the visual effects are a visible, essential, and integral part of the story and play a principal and active role in the motion picture. A rule of thumb for defining whether a motion picture would be considered effects-driven would be to ask if the story could be told without the active participation of extensive digital effects, Special Effects, effects-enhanced stunts, or nonhuman CG characters. On the whole, effects-driven features may be “tent-pole” or “independent”, but they would not be possible to make without visual effects and the general public would easily identify the VFX.

Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature

This award is to honor the overall achievement of the invisible or near-invisible visual effects within a Photoreal Feature wherein the visual effects support the visual storytelling, but do not play a protagonist role moving the plot forward. Supporting visual effects are generally used to help create the setting, environment, or mood of the film and may include extensive recreations of realistic historical settings. They may include set or lighting changes, CG or practical real vehicles, naturalistic alterations to actors, limited naturalistic action sequences and destruction, minor surrealistic or expressionistic effects, and supporting CG performances limited to those that help create the setting, environment, or mood of the film (i.e., background elements). Limited naturalistic action sequences and destruction are allowed only if they are not critical to the story. Features whose stories cannot be told without the active participation of extensive digital effects, Special Effects, effects-enhanced stunts, heavily altered characters, or nonhuman CG characters – are NOT permitted in this category.

Outstanding Animation in an Animated Feature

This award honors the overall technical achievement of the animation within an entire Animated Feature. This award recognizes the craftsmanship of the animation which best conveys the entirety of the setting, mood and action, thereby defining the film’s overall visual and emotive effectiveness.

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode

This award is to honor the overall achievement of the visual effects within a single Episode of a Photoreal Series or Limited Drama/Mini-Series where the visual effects are a visible, essential, and integral part of the story and play a principal and active role in the episode. A rule of thumb for defining whether a series would be considered “effects-driven” would be to ask if the story could be told without the active participation of extensive digital effects, Special Effects, effects-enhanced stunts, or CG performances. The general public would easily identify the VFX in an effects-driven series.

Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode

This award is to honor the overall achievement of the invisible or near-invisible visual effects within a single Episode** of a Photoreal Series or Limited Drama/Mini-Series wherein the visual effects support the visual storytelling, but do not play a protagonist role moving the plot forward. Supporting visual effects are generally used to help create the setting, environment, or mood of the episode and may include extensive recreations of realistic historical settings. They may include set or lighting changes, CG or practical real vehicles, naturalistic alterations to actors, limited naturalistic action sequences and destruction, minor surrealistic or expressionistic effects, and supporting CG performances limited to those that help create the setting, environment, or mood of the episode (i.e. background elements). Limited naturalistic action sequences and destruction are allowed only if they are not critical to the story. Episodes whose stories cannot be told without the active participation of extensive digital effects, Special Effects, effects-enhanced stunts, heavily altered characters, or nonhuman CG characters – are NOT permitted to enter in this category.

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Real-Time Project

This award is to honor the technical and artistic achievement of the Visual Effects, Characters, Animation, Environment, Lighting and overall Graphics in a Real-Time project, such as a commercially available Video Game or other interactive project rendered largely with a real-time engine. Real-time visual effects and animation are defined as including but not limited to, characters, effects, animation, environments, lighting, and overall graphics.

Pre-rendered “cinematics” or other elements that are rendered outside a video game engine are not eligible for this category, nor are real-time projects created for limited distribution, trailers, trade shows, or demonstration purposes.

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Commercial

This award is to honor the overall achievement of the visual effects within a Photoreal or Animated Commercial. Any commercial that originated for broadcast, theater, or streaming may be considered, including paid advertisements, and PSAs. All entries must have been created for a paying client except pro bono work for charities and non-profit organizations. Limited distribution promos and branding materials, such as trailers, trade show content, product demos and spec ads are ineligible. Entries must consist of original content; content largely recut from other sources is not allowed. The Work to Be Considered entries must consist of the original commercial material, including text, product logo, etc., must clearly identify the product/brand/service being advertised, and while it may be edited from the as-aired version to fit the maximum allowable upload length; it must still be readily apparent to the viewer that the entry is a commercial.

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Special Venue Project

The award is to honor the overall achievement of the visual effects within a Photoreal or Animated Special Venue project. The Work to Be Considered portion of the entry must include footage of the project shown from the viewpoint of the audience. Live special venue projects are allowed, but the entries must conform to the standard entry specifications.

Outstanding Character in a Photoreal Feature

This award is to honor the overall performance and technical execution of a single animated character in a Photoreal Feature. All entrants must have contributed directly to the performance of the character itself (e.g. voicing, performance capture, animating, rigging, texturing, or lighting, but not environment, compositing or layout). The character may not include live action elements unless they do not significantly affect the performance.

Outstanding Character in an Animated Feature

This award is to honor the overall performance and technical execution of a single animated character in an Animated Feature. All entrants must have contributed directly to the performance of the character itself (e.g. voicing, animating, rigging, texturing, or lighting, but not environment, compositing or layout). The character may not include live action elements unless they do not significantly affect the performance.

Outstanding Character in an Episodic, Commercial, Game Cinematic, or Real-Time Project

This award is to honor the overall performance and technical execution of a single animated character in a Photoreal or Animated Episodic, Photoreal or Animated Commercial, Game Cinematic, or Real-Time Project. Entries may include shots from multiple Episodes or Commercials ONLY if the character is the same in every instance (allowing minor variance for circumstance), was created by the same team, and released in the same eligible year. All entrants must have contributed directly to the performance of the character itself (e.g. voicing, performance capture, animating, rigging, texturing, or lighting, but not environment, compositing or layout). The character may not include live action elements unless they do not significantly affect the performance.

Outstanding Environment in a Photoreal Feature

This award is to honor the overall achievement of a single created environment in a photoreal motion picture that best creates an illusion of setting for the story being told. Created environments are defined as either completely artificial environments, or the significant enhancement of an existing practical set or location through the addition of elements not present during photography. The environment may occur more than once in the project and under different conditions, but must be the same environment, created by the exact same team.

This category judges not only the techniques for creating the environment, but also their integration with any practical plate photography. Before & Afters must show the development, construction, and integration of the multiple elements used to create the single continuous environment.

Outstanding Environment in an Animated Feature

This award is to honor the overall achievement of a single created environment in an Animated Feature that best creates an illusion of setting for the story being told.

This category judges not only the techniques for creating the environment, but also their integration with the animation style. 

Outstanding Environment in an Episodic, Commercial, Game Cinematic, or Real-Time Project

This award is to honor the overall performance and technical execution of a single created environment in a Photoreal or Animated Series or Limited Drama/Mini-Series intended for Broadcast or Streaming, Photoreal or Animated Commercial, Game Cinematic, or Real-Time Project that best creates an illusion of setting for the story being told. 

This category judges not only the techniques for creating the environment, but also their integration with any practical plate photography or animation style.

Outstanding CG Cinematography

This award is to honor the outstanding use of motion picture camera and lighting techniques in a CG project and recognizes the collaboration among traditional cinematographers and visual effects artists. The project itself may be entirely computer-generated (ie. animated/real-time) or photographed, but the shots being submitted must be mostly or fully CG.

Outstanding Model in a Photoreal or Animated Project

This award honors an outstanding single physical or digital model in a Photoreal or Animated Feature or Photoreal or Animated Episodic; Photoreal or Animated Commercial, Game Cinematic, or Real-Time Project created with a Real-Time Engine or Special Venue. 

This category focuses on a model’s physical artistry: detail, textures, and animation. A model may be of a living thing, inanimate object, or vehicle, and it may have been created virtually, physically, or any combination thereof. 

Outstanding Effects Simulations in a Photoreal Feature

This award is to honor the overall achievement of visual effects created through simulation in a Photoreal Feature . The award is for a body of work created by an individual artist or team of artists, and all simulated effects in the project will be considered. Simulated effects are dynamic effects that generally include particle, dynamic, fluid, cloth, hair, and crowd simulations. The effects may interact with, or be elements that make up the characters, set elements and environments with which they coexist. 

Outstanding Effects Simulations in an Animated Feature

This award is to honor the overall achievement of visual effects created through simulation in an Animated Feature . The award is for a body of work created by an individual artist or team of artists, and all simulated effects in the project will be considered. Simulated effects are dynamic effects that generally include particle, dynamic, fluid, cloth, hair, and crowd simulations. The effects may interact with, or be elements that make up the characters, set elements and environments with which they coexist. 

Outstanding Effects Simulations in an Episode, Commercial, Game Cinematic, or Real-Time Project

This award is to honor the overall achievement of visual effects created through simulation in a single episode of a Photoreal or Animated Series or Limited Drama/Mini-Series; or a Photoreal or Animated Commercial; or a Game Cinematic, or Real-Time Project. The award is for a body of work created by an individual artist or team of artists, and all simulated effects in the project will be considered. Simulated effects are dynamic effects that generally include particle, dynamic, fluid, cloth, hair, and crowd simulations. The effects may interact with, or be elements that make up the characters, set elements and environments with which they coexist. 

Outstanding Compositing & Lighting in a Feature

This award is to honor outstanding achievement in compositing & lighting multiple elements into a final visual effect shot or group of shots in a Photoreal or Animated Feature. This category is for a body of work created by an individual artist or team of artists, and entrants are limited to disciplines which contribute significantly to the entry, such as compositors, lighters, visdev/lookdev artists, trackers, and rotoscopers.

Outstanding Compositing & Lighting in an Episode

This award is to honor outstanding achievement in compositing & lighting multiple elements into a final visual effect shot or group of shots in a Photoreal or Animated Series or Limited Drama/Mini-Series. This category is for a body of work created by an individual artist or team of artists, and entrants are limited to disciplines which contribute significantly to the entry, such as compositors, lighters, visdev/lookdev artists, trackers, and rotoscopers. 

Outstanding Compositing & Lighting in a Commercial

This award is to honor outstanding achievement in compositing & lighting multiple elements into a final visual effect shot or group of shots in a Photoreal or Animated Commercial. 

Outstanding Special (Practical) Effects in a Photoreal Project

This award is to honor the overall achievement of the special, practical effects within a Photoreal or Animated Feature or Photoreal or Animated Series or Limited Drama/Mini-Series; Photoreal or Animated Commercial, Game Cinematic), or Real-Time Project created with a Real-Time Engine or Special Venue. Special Effects are defined as practical or floor effects that are photographed “live” as opposed to having been created by optical or digital means.

The effects may either stand alone or may subsequently be composited with other live action or visual effects elements to make up a complete shot.

Emerging Technology Award

This award honors the inventors of an emerging, novel and uniquely innovative Technology of outstanding value to the art and science of Visual Effects, Gaming or Animation. The achievement is original and advances the state of the art and is eligible for submission in the same year that the technology sees its first substantial and impactful use to solve specific production problems for relevant project work (visual effects, animation, games).

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Student Project

This award is to honor outstanding achievement in visual effects in a Student Project. A Student Project is defined as any project that was created by a student or team of students while attending a recognized school and that was completed between October 1, 2024 and September 30, 2025. It may be Animated or Photoreal; linear or interactive; 2D, or 3D.