VES announced nominees in 25 VFX categories
January 16, 2024

VES announced nominees in 25 VFX categories

LOS ANGELES - The Visual Effects Society (www.vesglobal.org) has announced the nominees for its 22nd Annual VES Awards. The yearly celebration recognizes outstanding visual effects artistry and innovation in features, animation, television, commercials and video games, as well as the VFX supervisors, VFX producers and artists who bring this work to life. Awards will be presented at the 22nd Annual VES Awards on February 21st at The Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.

The Creator leads the feature film field with seven nominations, while Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is the top animated contender with seven nominations. The Last of Us leads the episodic field with six nominations. 

Nominees in 25 categories were selected by VES members at 39 in-person and virtual nomination events conducted worldwide over a 36-hour continuous process. The nominations protocol included a review of each awards submission, including “Befores and Afters” by a minimum of three different judging panels. Participating VES members on the panels represented 25 countries.  

“The artistry, ingenuity and passion of visual effects practitioners around the world have come together to create remarkable imagery,” says newly elected VES chair, Kim Davidson. “We are seeing best in class work that elevates the art of storytelling and exemplifies the spirit of innovation. The VES Awards is the only venue that showcases and honors these outstanding artists across a wide range of disciplines, and we are extremely proud of our nominees.”

The nominees for the 22ndAnnual VES Awards in 25 categories are as follow: 

OUTSTANDING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A PHOTOREAL FEATURE 

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
Ben Snow
Diana Giorgiutti
Khalid Almeerani
Scott Benza
Sam Conway

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Stephane Ceretti
Susan Pickett
Alexis Wajsbrot
Guy Williams
Dan Sudick

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Andrew Whitehurst
Kathy Siegel
Robert Weaver
Julian Hutchens
Alistair Williams

Oppenheimer
Andrew Jackson
Mike Chambers, VES
Giacomo Mineo
Dave Drzewiecki
Scot Fisher

The Creator
Jay Cooper
Julian Levi
Ian Comley
Charmaine Chan
Neil Corbould, VES


OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A PHOTOREAL FEATURE

John Wick: Chapter 4
Janelle Croshaw Ralla
Reina Sparks
Jonathan Rothbart
Javier Roca
Gerd Nefzer

Killers of the Flower Moon
Pablo Helman
Brian Barlettani
Sam Bassett
Brandon Keys McLaughlin

Napoleon
Charley Henley
Sarah Tulloch
Luc-Ewen Martin-Fenouillet
Simone Coco
Neil Corbould, VES

Nyad
Jake Braver
Fiona Campbell Westgate
R. Christopher White 
Mohsen Mousavi

Society of the Snow
Félix Bergés
Micaela Gagliano
Laura Pedro
Ezequiel Larrú
Pau Costa


OUTSTANDING VISUAL EFFECTS IN AN ANIMATED FEATURE

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget
Jon Biggins
Jim Lewis
Charles Copping
Matthew Perry

Elemental
Peter Sohn
Denise Ream
Sanjay Bakshi
Stephen Marshall

Nimona
Archie Donato
Yancy Lindquist 
Theodore Ty
Anthony Kemp

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Alan Hawkins
Christian Hejnal
Michael Lasker
Matt Hausman

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
Matthieu Rouxel
Marie Balland
Jacques Daigle
Vincent Leroy


OUTSTANDING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A PHOTOREAL EPISODE

Ahsoka; Season 1; Dreams and Madness
Richard Bluff
Jakris Smittant
Paul Kavanagh
Enrico Damm
Scott Fisher

Loki; Season 2; Glorious Purpose
Christopher Townsend
Allison Paul
Matthew Twyford
Christopher Smallfield
John William Van Der Pool

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters
Sean Konrad
Jessica Smith
Jed Glassford
Khalid Almeerani
Paul Benjamin

The Last of Us; Season 1; Infected
Alex Wang
Sean Nowlan
Stephen James
Simon Jung
Joel Whist

The Mandalorian; Season 3; The Return
Grady Cofer
Abbigail Keller
Victor Schutz IV
Cameron Neilson
Scott Fisher


OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A PHOTOREAL EPISODE

A Murder at The End of the World; Season 1; Crypt
Aaron Raff
Tavis Larkham
Douglas Stichbury
Mat Ellin 

Citadel; Season 1; Secrets in Night Need Early Rains
Wesley Froud
Scott Shapiro
Aladino Debert 
Greg Teegarden

Ted Lasso: Season 3; Mom City
Gretchen Bangs
Bill Parker
Lenny Wilson

The Crown; Season 6; Dis-Moi Oui 
Ben Turner 
Reece Ewing 
Oliver Bersey 
Joe Cork

Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty; Season 2; BEAT LA
Raymond McIntyre Jr.
Victor DiMichina
Javier Menéndez Platas
Damien Stantina


OUTSTANDING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A REAL-TIME PROJECT

Alan Wake 2
Janne Pulkkinen
Johannes Richter 
Daniel Kończyk 
Damian Olechowski

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty 
Jakub Knapik 
Paweł Mielniczuk 
Maciej Włodarkiewicz 
Kacper Niepokólczycki

Immortals of Aveum
Joseph Hall 
Kevin Boyle 
Dave Bogan 
Julia Lichtblau

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Jacinda Chew
Jeannette Lee
Bryanna Lindsey
Alan Weider

Mortal Kombat 1 
Christopher Chapman 
Scott Quinn 
James DeSousa 
Jeff Palmer 
Matt Gilmore


OUTSTANDING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A COMMERCIAL

Accenture; Changing Tree
Simon French 
Vic Lovejoy
David Filipe
Matteo La Motta

Apple; Air Pods Pro; Quiet The Noise
Iain Murray
Oscar Wendt
Dean Robinson 
Sergio Morales Paz

Coca-Cola; Masterpiece
Ryan Knowles
Antonia Vlasto
Gregory McKneally
Dan Yargici

Jean Paul Gaultier; Divine Perfume 
Stéphane Pivron 
Cécile Hubin 
Guillaume Dadaglio 
Mathias Barday

Virgin Media; Goat Glider
Ben Cronin 
George Reid 
Sam Driscoll 
Christian Baker


OUTSTANDING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A SPECIAL VENUE PROJECT

Hypersphere 360; SeaWorld Abu Dhabi
Daren Ulmer
Cedar Connor
Lindsey Sprague
Ryan Kravetz

Postcard From Earth
Aruna Inversin
Eric Wilson
Corey Turner
Bill George

Rembrandt Immersive Artwork 
Andrew McNamara
Sebastian Read
Andrew Kinnear
Sam Matthews

The Marvels: Goose the Flerken Cat
Tim Kafka
Mari Suarez
Toya Drechsler
Sebastian Niño Florez

Zootopia: Hot Pursuit
Blaine Kennison
Jeanne Angel
Darin Hollings
Aaron Arendt


OUTSTANDING ANIMATED CHARACTER IN A PHOTOREAL FEATURE

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom; Topo the Octopus
Thomas Ward
Andrew Butler
Felix Slinger-Thompson
Jacob Burstein

Godzilla Minus One; Godzilla
Kosuke Taguchi
Takashi Yamazaki

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3; Rocket
Nathan McConnel
Andrea De Martis
Antony Magdalinidis
Rachel Williams

Wonka; Oompa Loompa
Dale Newton
Kunal Ayer
Valentina Ercolani
Gabor Foner


OUTSTANDING ANIMATED CHARACTER IN AN ANIMATED FEATURE

Elemental; Ember
Gwendelyn Enderoglu
Jared Fong
Jonathan Hoffman
Patrick Witting

Elemental; Wade
Max Gilbert
Jacob Kuenzel
Dave Strick
Benjamin Su

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse; Spot
Christopher Mangnall
Craig Feifarek
Humberto Rosa
Nideep Varghese

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem; Superfly
Gregory Coelho
Anne-Claire Leroux
Simon Cuisinier
Olivier Pierre


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

Diablo IV; Inarius and Lilith Cinematic; Lilith
Matt Onheiber
Jason Huang
Maia Neubig

Shadow and Bone; Season 2; No Funerals; Nichevo’ya the Shadow Monster
José María del Fresno
Matthieu Poirey
Carlos Puigdollers
Guillermo Ramos

The Last of Us; Endure & Survive; Bloater
Gino Acevedo
Max Telfer 
Pascal Raimbault 
Fabio Leporelli

The Nevers; It’s a Good Day; Robot Dog
Christian Leitner
Bernd Nalbach
Sebastian Plank
Martin Wellstein

Virgin Media; Goat Glider; The Goat
Sam Driscoll 
Kanishk Chouhan
Suvi Jokiniemi
Chloe Dawe


OUTSTANDING CREATED ENVIRONMENT IN A PHOTOREAL FEATURE

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3; Knowhere
Omar Alejandro Lavrador Ibanez
Fabien Julvecourt
Klaudio Ladavac
Benjamin Patterson

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny; Underwater Wreck Environment 
Johan Gabrielsson
Adrian Tsang
Stefan Andersson
Martin Eneroth

John Wick: Chapter 4; Place de L'Étoile
Manuel Gaudreau
Fabrice Vienne 
Vignesh Ravi
Laurent Makowski

The Creator; Floating Village 
John Seru 
Guy Williams 
Vincent Techer 
Timothée Maron


OUTSTANDING CREATED ENVIRONMENT IN AN ANIMATED FEATURE

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget; Chicken Island
Charles Copping
Matthew Perry 
Jim Lewis
Jon Biggins

Elemental; Element City
Chris Bernardi
Brandon Montell
David Shavers
Ting Zhang

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse; Mumbattan City
Taehyun Park
YJ Lee
Pepe Orozco
Kelly Han

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem; Midtown Manhattan
Olivier Mitonneau
Eddy Frechou
Guillaume Chevet
Arnaud Philippe-Giraux



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

Loki; Season 2: 1983; World’s Fair White City
Christian Waite
Ben Aickin
Francesco Ferraresi
Pieter Warmington

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds; The Broken Circle
Nathaniel Larouche
Owen Deveney
Mujia Liao
Alex Morin

The Last Of Us; Look for the Light; Salt Lake City
Pascal Raimbault
Nick Cattell
Jasper Hayward
Kristine -Joeann Jasper

The Last of Us: Post-Outbreak Boston
Melaina Mace
Adrien Lambert
Juan Carlos Barquet
Christopher Anciaume


OUTSTANDING VIRTUAL CINEMATOGRAPHY IN A CG PROJECT

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Joanna Davison
Cheyana Wilkinson
Michael Cozens
Jason Desjarlais

Migration
Guylo Homsy
Damien Bapst
Antoine Collet
David Dangin

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Rich Turner
Randolph Lizarda
Daniela Campos Little
Thomas Campos

The Creator
Roel Coucke
Christopher Potter
Amanda Johnstone-Batt
Jeremy Bloch


OUTSTANDING MODEL IN A PHOTOREAL OR ANIMATED PROJECT

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3; The Arête
Kenneth Johansson
Jason Galeon
Tim Civil
Artur Vil

Peter Pan & Wendy; Jolly Roger
Patrick Comtois
Thomas Gallardo
Harrison Stark
David Thibodeau

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse; Spider HQ
Dongick David Sheen 
Mark JeongWoong Lee 
Mikaela Bantog 
René Völker

The Creator; Nomad
Oliver Kane
Mat Monro
Florence Green
Serban Ungureanu


OUTSTANDING EFFECTS SIMULATIONS IN A PHOTOREAL FEATURE

Napoleon 
Koen Hofmeester 
Gianmichele Mariani 
Clair Bellens 
Hernan Llano Duque

Nyad; Stormy Waters
Korbinian Meier
Sindy Saalfeld
David Michielsen
Andreas Vrhovsek

The Creator
Ludovic Ramisandraina
Raul Essig 
Mathieu Chardonnet 
Lewis Taylor

The Nun 2
Laurent Creusot 
Sebastien Podsiadlo 
Michael Moercant 
Benjamin Saurine



OUTSTANDING EFFECTS SIMULATIONS IN AN ANIMATED FEATURE

Elemental
Kristopher Campbell
Greg Gladstone
Jon Reisch
Kylie Wijsmuller

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Pav Grochola
Filippo Maccari
Naoki Kato
Nicola Finizio

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
Louis Marsaud
Paul-Etienne Bourde
Serge Martin
Marine Pommereul

The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Simon Pate 
Christophe Vazquez
Milo Riccarand


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

Citadel; Secrets in Night Need Early Rains; Ocean Water
James Reid
Mathew Rotman 
Filipp Elizarov 
Nardeep Chander

Invasion; Season 2; A Voice from the Other Side
Zybrand Jacobs
Alex Marlow
Tim Jenkinson 
Tobias Grønbeck Andersen

Loki; Season 2; Science/Fiction; Spaghettification
Rafael Camacho
Jonathan Lyddon-Towl
Julien Legay
Benedikt Roettger

The Mandalorian; Season 3; Lake Monster Attack Water
Travis Harkleroad
Florian Wietzel
Rick Hankins
Aron Bonar

Willow; Children of the Wyrm; Crone Duststorm and Magical Effects
Michael Cashmore
Robert Zeltsch
Jiyong Shin
Audun Ase


OUTSTANDING COMPOSITING & LIGHTING IN A FEATURE

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 
Indah Maretha
Beck Veitch
Nathan Abbot 
Steve McGillen

John Wick: Chapter 4; Apartment Massacre Videogame Style
Javier Roca
Julien Forest
Thomas Bourdis 
Dominik Kirouac

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Bret St.Clair 
Kieron Cheuk-Chi Lo 
Kelly Christophers
Rowan Young

The Creator; Bar 
Phil Prates 
Min Kim 
Nisarg Suthar 
Toshiko Miura

The Creator; Spaceships
Ben O-Brien 
Juan Espigares Enriquez 
Wesley Roberts 
Hayes Brien



OUTSTANDING COMPOSITING & LIGHTING IN AN EPISODE

The Last of Us; Endure and Survive; Infected Horde Battle
Matthew Lumb
Ben Roberts
Ben Campbell 
Quentin Hema

The Last of Us; Infected; Boston
Casey Gorton
Francesco Dell'Anna
Vaclav Kubant
Natalia Valbuena

The Mandalorian; Season 3; The Return 
Sam Wirch 
Tory Mercer 
Donny Rausch 
Erich Ippen

Willow; Children of the Wyrm
Jeremy Sawyer 
Steve Hardy 
Martin Tardif 
Miguel Macaya Ten


OUTSTANDING COMPOSITING & LIGHTING IN A COMMERCIAL

Accenture; Changing Tree
David Filipe
Matteo La Motta 
Jordan Dunstall 
Taran Spear

Coca-Cola; Masterpiece
Ryan Knowles
Greg Mckneally
Taran Spear
Jordan Dunstall

Smirnoff; Cocktail
Vittorio Barabani 
Peter Hodsman 
Giacomo Verri 
Marc Greyvenstein

Starfield 
Jimmy Bullard 
Ajit Menon
Ruairi Twohig 
Karim Moussa


OUTSTANDING SPECIAL (PRACTICAL) EFFECTS IN A PHOTOREAL PROJECT

I’m a Virgo
John McLeod
Scott Kirvan
Alec Gillis
Carl Miller

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One 
Neil Corbould, VES
Ray Ferguson 
Keith Dawson 
Chris Motjuoadi

Oppenheimer 
Scott Fisher 
James Rollins 
Mario Vanillo

Society of the Snow
Pau Costa 
Carlos Laguna 
Guillermo F. Aldunate
Eloy Cervera


EMERGING TECHNOLOGY AWARD

Blue Beetle; Machine Learning Cloth
JohnMark Gibbons 
Allen Ruilova 
Momme Carl 
David Minor

Elemental; Volumetric Neural Style Transfer
Vinicius C. Azevedo
Byungsoo Kim
Raphael Ortiz 
Paul Kanyuk

The Flash; Volumetric Capture
Stephan Trojansky
Thomas Ganshorn
Oliver Pilarski
Lukas Lepicovsky

Wish; Dynamic Screen Space Textures for Coherent Stylization
Brent Burley 
Daniel Teece 
Brian J. Green


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

Au 8ème Jour 
Flavie Carin 
Agathe Sénéchal 
Alicia Massez 
Elise Debruyne

L'Animal Sauce Ail 
Aurélien Duchez 
Ysaline Debut 
Diane Mazella 
Camille Rostan

Loup y es-tu ? 
Célina Lebon 
Louise Laurent 
Emma Fessart 
Annouck François

Silhouette 
Alexis Lafuente
Antoni Nicolaï 
Chloé Stricher 
Elliot Dreuille