Best Visual Effects Winners

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences struggled with a clear way to recognize the achievements of the craftsmen and artists who brought different visual innovations to film. In 1928 they presented Wings with a plaque for Engineering Effects. In 1938 they presented Spawn of the North with a Special Achievement Award for Special Effects. In 1939 they decided to introduce an award for Best Special Effects which honored visual and sound work on films. Finally, in 1963, the Academy decided to create the Best Visual Effects category to honor the visual effects work of the film community. Special effects artist Dennis Muren has dominated the modern version of the award, earning 15 nominations and eight wins.

The winners and honorees are…

Special Achievement Awards

1927 / 1928 – Wings – Engineering Effects

1938 – Spawn of the North – “For Outstanding Achievement in Creating Special Photographic and Sound Effects”

Best Special Effects

1939 – The Rain Came

1940 – The Thief of Bagdad

1941 – I Wanted Wings

1942 – Reap the Wild Wind

1943 – Crash Dive

1944 – Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo

1945 – Wonder Man

1946 – Blithe Spirit

1947 – Green Dolphin Street

1948 – Portrait of Jennie

1949 – Mighty Joe Young

1950 – Destination Moon

1951 – When Worlds Collide

1952 – Plymouth Adventure

1953 – The War of the Worlds

1954 – 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

1955 – The Bridges at Toko-Ri

1956 – The Ten Commandments

1957 – The Enemy Below

1958 – tom thumb

1959 – Ben-Hur

1960 – The Time Machine

1961 – The Guns of Navarone

1962 – The Longest Day

Best Visual Effects

1963 – Cleopatra

1964 – Mary Poppins

1965 – Thunderball

1966 – Fantastic Voyage

1967 – Doctor Dolittle

1968 – 2001: A Space Odyssey

1969 – Marooned

1970 – Tora! Tora! Tora!

1971 – Bedknobs and Broomsticks

1972 – The Poseidon Adventure

1973 – No Award Given

1974 – Earthquake

1975 – The Hindenburg

1976 – King Kong & Logan’s Run

1977 – Star Wars

1978 – Superman

1979 – Alien

1980 – The Empire Strikes Back

1981 – Raiders of the Lost Ark

1982 – E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

1983 – Return of the Jedi

1984 – Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

1985 – Cocoon

1986 – Aliens

1987 – Innerpsace

1988 – Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

1989 – The Abyss

1990 – Total Recall

1991 – Terminator 2: Judgment Day

1992 – Death Becomes Her

1993 – Jurassic Park

1994 – Forrest Gump

1995 – Babe

1996 – Independence Day

1997 – Titanic

1998 – What Dreams May Come

1999 – The Matrix

2000 – Gladiator

2001 – The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

2002 – The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

2003 – The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

2004 – Spider-Man 2

2005 – King Kong

2006 – Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest

2007 – The Golden Compass

2008 – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

2009 – Avatar

2010 – Inception

2011 – Hugo

2012 – Life of Pi

2013 – Gravity

2014 – Interstellar

2015 – Ex Machina

2016 – The Jungle Book