Another Avatar film, another domination at the VES Awards.<\/p>\n
James Cameron\u2019s blockbuster Avatar: Fire and Ash took seven trophies during Wednesday night\u2019s 24th annual ceremony at the Beverly Hilton, including the marquee Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature. It also won for Emerging Technology and Outstanding Model, Environment, Character, Effects Simulations and CG Cinematography.<\/p>\n
James Cameron\u2019s blockbuster Avatar: Fire and Ash took seven trophies during Wednesday night\u2019s 24th annual ceremony at the Beverly Hilton, including the marquee Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature. It also won for Emerging Technology and Outstanding Model, Environment, Character, Effects Simulations and CG Cinematography.<\/p>\n
It was a near-sweep for the 20 Century Studios threequel, which came into the show with a leading 10 nominations. The 16th-highest-grossing film of all time, with more than $1.47 billion worldwide and counting, had those hopes dashed when Apple Original Films\u2019 F1 won for Outstanding Compositing & Lighting in a Feature. That happened to be one of two categories where Fire and Ash was competing against itself.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a sucker bet to pick against an Avatar movie at the VES Awards. The first film in the multibillion-dollar franchise won six prizes at the 2010 ceremony, and The Way of Water topped that with nine in 2023. That means the Na\u2019vi now have 22 VES statuettes.<\/p>\n
Several of Wednesday night\u2019s winners for Fire and Ash called out the franchise\u2019s late producer Jon Landau, who died in 2024 at 63.<\/p>\n
The only other film to win multiple awards Wednesday was Netflix and Sony Animation\u2019s streaming phenomenon KPop Demon Hunters, which won three for Outstanding Animation, Character (Rumi) and Effect Simulations in an Animated Feature. Hot off its sweep of the Annie Awards over the weekend, the anime-inspired pic has been viewed more than 482 million times, and its soundtrack has been streamed some 11 billion times (with a capital B).<\/p>\n
RELATED: The 25 Highest-Grossing Animated Films Of All Time At The Global Box Office<\/p>\n
Sinners, which leads the Oscar race with a record 16 nominations, won the VES Award for Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature.<\/p>\n
The Visual Effects Society and Movie Academy haven\u2019t followed the same script much during the past decade-plus, with only five of winners of the top VES prize going on to score the FX Oscar since 2013. That trend held last year, when Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes won Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature \u2014 though it was the pic\u2019s only win on six nominations \u2014 but Dune: Part Two went on to claim Best Visual Effects at the Academy Awards. Denis Villeneuve\u2019s sequel did, however, lead the live-action film field with four wins at the 2025 VES Awards.<\/p>\n
RELATED: The 2026 Oscars: Everything We Know About The Ceremony, Host, Date & More So Far<\/p>\n
The first film prize of the Sklar Brothers-hosted ceremony \u2014 punctuated as usual by a classic rock soundtrack \u2014 went to Zoopotia 2 for Outstanding Environment in an Animated Feature. The highest-grossing Hollywood film in history came into the evening with five noms, tied for second-most with KPop Demon Hunters and Disney\/Pixar\u2019s Elio.<\/p>\n
Later, an 87-year-old movie won a 2026 VES Award, sort of, when The Wizard of Oz at Sphere took the trophy for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Special Venue Project.<\/p>\n
On the TV side, Disney+\u2019s now-wrapped Star Wars series Andor and Apple TV\/BBC Studios\u2019 Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age were the only multiple winners with two each, the latter taking the marquee prize for Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode. Other series taking VES Awards were The Residence, IT: Welcome to Derry,, The Last of Us and Ghosts of Y\u014dtei.<\/p>\n
Netflix\u2019s recently wrapped Stranger Things came in tied with Prehistoric Planet and The Last of Us with four VES noms each but went home empty-handed.<\/p>\n
Elsewhere, BMW has won two VES Awards for its commercial titled \u201cHeart of Joy: Meet Okto the Octopus.\u201d<\/p>\n
RELATED: 2026 Deaths Photo Gallery: Hollywood & Media Obituaries<\/p>\n
Early on, the ceremony\u2019s In Memoriam segment included VES professionals we lost during the past year including Roger Allers, Greg Cannom, Vince Zampella, Bob Burns, George Bloom, Loren Carpenter, Simon Cheung, Fabien Girodot, Jack Haye, Ian Jenkins, Jeremy Kendall, Tom Lynnes, Ralph S. Maiers, Con Pederson, Mike Schmitt and Dane Allen Smith.<\/p>\n
Jerry Bruckheimer accepts the 2026 VES Lifetime Achievement Award Visual Effects Society<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s VES Awards special honorees were prolific film and TV producer Jerry Bruckheimer and W\u0113t\u0101 Workshop co-founder and COO Richard Taylor, who received the 2026 VES Lifetime Achievement Award and VES Visionary Award, respectively.<\/p>\n
Here are the 2026 VES winners:<\/p>\n
OUTSTANDING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A PHOTOREAL FEATURE<\/p>\n
Avatar: Fire and Ash<\/p>\n
Richard Baneham<\/p>\n
Peter Litvack<\/p>\n
Eric Saindon<\/p>\n
Nicky Muir<\/p>\n
Steve Ingram<\/p>\n
OUTSTANDING ANIMATION IN AN ANIMATED FEATURE<\/p>\n
KPop Demon Hunters<\/p>\n
Joshua Beveridge<\/p>\n
Jacky Priddle<\/p>\n
Benjamin Hendricks<\/p>\n
Clara Chan<\/p>\n
OUTSTANDING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A PHOTOREAL EPISODE<\/p>\n
Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age; \u201cThe Big Freeze\u201d<\/p>\n
Russell Dodgson<\/p>\n
Tracey Gibbons<\/p>\n
Francois Dumoulin<\/p>\n
Gavin McKenzie<\/p>\n
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A PHOTOREAL FEATURE<\/p>\n
Sinners<\/p>\n
Michael Ralla<\/p>\n
James Alexander<\/p>\n
Nick Marshal<\/p>\n
Espen Nordahl<\/p>\n
Donnie Dean<\/p>\n
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A PHOTOREAL EPISODE<\/p>\n
The Residence; \u201cThe Fall of the House of Usher\u201d<\/p>\n
Seth Hill<\/p>\n
Tesa Kubicek<\/p>\n
John Nelson<\/p>\n
Gabriel Vargas<\/p>\n
OUTSTANDING CHARACTER IN AN ANIMATED FEATURE<\/p>\n
KPop Demon Hunters; Rumi<\/p>\n
Sophia (Seung Hee) Lee<\/p>\n
Andrea Matamoros<\/p>\n
Marc Souliere<\/p>\n
Joshua Beveridge<\/p>\n
OUTSTANDING CHARACTER IN AN EPISODIC, COMMERCIAL, GAME CINEMATIC, OR REAL-TIME PROJECT<\/p>\n
It: Welcome to Derry; \u201cThe Thing in the Dark;\u201d The Pickle Monster<\/p>\n
Philip Harris-Genois<\/p>\n
Pierric Danjou<\/p>\n
Chloe Ostiguy<\/p>\n
Jonathan Bourdu<\/p>\n
OUTSTANDING CHARACTER IN A PHOTOREAL FEATURE<\/p>\n
Avatar: Fire and Ash; Varang: Leader of the Ash Clan<\/p>\n
Stephen Clee<\/p>\n
Stuart Adcock<\/p>\n
Keven Norris<\/p>\n
Joseph Kim<\/p>\n
OUTSTANDING EFFECTS SIMULATIONS IN A PHOTOREAL FEATURE<\/p>\n
Avatar: Fire and Ash; Simulating Pandora<\/p>\n
Nicholas Illingworth<\/p>\n
Sarah C. Farmer<\/p>\n
James Robinson<\/p>\n
Ryan Bowden<\/p>\n
OUTSTANDING EFFECTS SIMULATIONS IN AN ANIMATED FEATURE<\/p>\n
KPop Demon Hunters<\/p>\n
Filippo Maccari<\/p>\n
Nikolaos Finizio<\/p>\n
Daniel La Chapelle<\/p>\n
Srdjan Milosevic<\/p>\n
OUTSTANDING EFFECTS SIMULATIONS IN AN EPISODE, COMMERCIAL, GAME CINEMATIC, OR REAL-TIME PROJECT<\/p>\n
Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age; The Big Freeze<\/p>\n
Edward Ferrysienanda<\/p>\n
Kevin Christensen<\/p>\n
Guy Schuleman<\/p>\n
Kevin Tarpinian<\/p>\n
OUTSTANDING COMPOSITING & LIGHTING IN A FEATURE<\/p>\n
F1: The Movie; Modern Race and POV Footage<\/p>\n
Hugo Gauvreau<\/p>\n
Chris Davies<\/p>\n
Raushan Raj<\/p>\n
Amaury Rospars<\/p>\n
OUTSTANDING COMPOSITING & LIGHTING IN A COMMERCIAL<\/p>\n
BMW; \u201cHeart of Joy | Meet Okto the Octopus\u201d<\/p>\n
Alex Kulikov<\/p>\n
Jack Harris<\/p>\n
Adam Chabane<\/p>\n
Nicola Borsari<\/p>\n
OUTSTANDING COMPOSITING & LIGHTING IN AN EPISODE<\/p>\n
The Last of Us; \u201cThrough the Valley;\u201d A Storm of Ice, Fire and Flesh<\/p>\n
Tobias Wiesner<\/p>\n
Mark Julien<\/p>\n
Owen Longstaff<\/p>\n
Brendan Naylor<\/p>\n
OUTSTANDING SPECIAL (PRACTICAL) EFFECTS IN A PHOTOREAL PROJECT<\/p>\n
Andor; \u201cWho Are You?\u201d<\/p>\n
Luke Murphy<\/p>\n
Dean Ford<\/p>\n
Jody Eltham<\/p>\n
Darrell Guyon<\/p>\n
OUTSTANDING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A STUDENT PROJECT<\/p>\n
Azimuth<\/p>\n
Thomas Teisseire<\/p>\n
Cassandre Cinier<\/p>\n
Martin Bluy<\/p>\n
Mathis Giraudeau<\/p>\n
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY AWARD<\/p>\n
Avatar: Fire and Ash; Kora Fire Toolset<\/p>\n
Alexey Dmitrievich Stomakhin<\/p>\n
John Edholm<\/p>\n
Murali Ramachari<\/p>\n
Aleksandr Isakov<\/p>\n
OUTSTANDING CG CINEMATOGRAPHY<\/p>\n
Avatar: Fire and Ash<\/p>\n
Steve Deane<\/p>\n
AJ Briones<\/p>\n
Zachary Brake<\/p>\n
Andrew Moffett<\/p>\n
OUTSTANDING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A SPECIAL VENUE PROJECT<\/p>\n
The Wizard of Oz at Sphere<\/p>\n
Ben Grossmann<\/p>\n
Tamara Watts Ken<\/p>\n
Dr. Irfan Essa<\/p>\n
Matt Dougan<\/p>\n
Glenn Derry<\/p>\n
OUTSTANDING MODEL IN A PHOTOREAL OR ANIMATED PROJECT<\/p>\n
Avatar: Fire and Ash; The Windtraders\u2019 Gondola<\/p>\n
Michael Smale<\/p>\n
Sam Sharplin<\/p>\n
Joe W. Churchill<\/p>\n
Jacqi Dillon<\/p>\n
OUTSTANDING VISUAL ARTS IN A REAL-TIME PROJECT<\/p>\n
Ghost of Y\u014dtei<\/p>\n
Jason Connell<\/p>\n
Matt Vainio<\/p>\n
Joanna Wang<\/p>\n
Jasmin Patr<\/p>\n
OUTSTANDING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A COMMERCIAL<\/p>\n
BMW; \u201cHeart of Joy | Meet Okto the Octopus\u201d<\/p>\n
Tom Raynor<\/p>\n
Helen Tang<\/p>\n
Jack Harris<\/p>\n
Alex Kulikov<\/p>\n
OUTSTANDING ENVIRONMENT IN A PHOTOREAL FEATURE<\/p>\n
Avatar: Fire and Ash; Bridgehead Industrial City<\/p>\n
Gianluca Pizzaia<\/p>\n
Steve Bevins<\/p>\n
Dziga Kaiser<\/p>\n
Zsolt M\u00e1t\u00e9<\/p>\n
OUTSTANDING ENVIRONMENT IN AN ANIMATED FEATURE<\/p>\n
Zootopia 2; Marsh Market<\/p>\n
Limei Z. Hshieh<\/p>\n
Alexander Nicholas Whang<\/p>\n
Joshua Fry<\/p>\n
Ryan DeYoung<\/p>\n
OUTSTANDING ENVIRONMENT IN AN EPISODIC, COMMERCIAL, GAME CINEMATIC, OR REAL-TIME PROJECT<\/p>\n
Andor; \u201cWelcome to the Rebellion;\u201d The Senate District<\/p>\n
John O\u2019Connell<\/p>\n
Falk Boje<\/p>\n
Hasan Ilhan<\/p>\n
Kevin George<\/p>\n
Source: RhinoEasy News<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Another Avatar film, another domination at the VES Awards. James Cameron\u2019s blockbuster Avatar: Fire and Ash took seven trophies during<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1941,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"colormag_page_container_layout":"default_layout","colormag_page_sidebar_layout":"default_layout","footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1942","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rhinoeasy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1942","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rhinoeasy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rhinoeasy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rhinoeasy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rhinoeasy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1942"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/rhinoeasy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1942\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rhinoeasy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1941"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rhinoeasy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1942"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rhinoeasy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1942"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rhinoeasy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1942"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}