The Academy Award for Best Visual Effects is a distinguished award bestowed upon by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in recognition of the best and exceptional visual effects work in films.
Contribution of special effects in enhancing and adding value to a film, making it look more real and believable was first recognized by the AMPAS during the 1st Academy Awards ceremony, decades before the digital age. Held at a private dinner on May 16, 1929, at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles, California, the ceremony witnessed American special effects artist and film director Roy Pomeroy receiving the Academy Award for Engineering Effects for the American silent film Wings.
Over the years, the AMPAS has recognized technical prowess and innovative use of special effects in films. The special effects and production team of the American adventure film Spawn of the North was presented with the Special Achievement Award for Special Effects at the 11th Academy Awards in 1938 for their remarkable feat in developing special photographic and sound effects, marking it as the first film that literally received an Oscar for special effects work. This paved way for the Academy Award for Best Special Effects in 1939 that with time emerged as one of the most recognizable, challenging and desired awards category in the world of cinema. At times, the Academy would skip the process of nominating films in the category and directly select a film for such accolade. Till 1963, visual effects and audio effects were considered separately under this award category, with some years witnessing either of the two being recognized with an Oscar. The award category was rechristened as Best Special Visual Effects in 1965 and then to its present name Best Visual Effects in 1977. Meanwhile, at times, sans any annual award category for visual effects, the awardees were honored with the Special Achievement Academy Award.
Some of the greatest films of all times that were awarded by the Academy for their use of groundbreaking visual effects thus setting a benchmark include the American monster adventure film King Kong (1976), the superhero film Superman (1978), the American science fiction action film Jurassic Park (1993), the American disaster film Titanic (1997) and the epic sci-fi film Avatar: The Way of Water (2022).
Recipients of Academy Award for Best Visual Effects include eminent filmmakers and artists who through their use of novel technologies have showcased the potential of visual effects as a powerful story telling tool that has boundless creative possibilities giving a whole new dimension to the world of cinema. Notable filmmakers whose films were recognized with such honor include James Cameron, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. American film visual effects artist and supervisor Dennis Muren, considered a pioneer in the field has etched his name in this Academy Award category with 15 nominations that resulted into 8 awards. Other prominent visual effects artists who were acknowledged with the award include Joe Letteri, Ken Ralston, Richard Edlund and Glen Robinson.
The Academy Award for Best Visual Effects marks as a sign of the Academy’s recognition to the way visual effects contribute in adding more life to a film giving filmmakers, visionaries, and visual artists incredible freedom in exploring their imaginative skills in creating an enticing and memorable film.
In the ever developing world of cinema where technology plays a big part, the award stands as an expression of praise and admiration applauding and celebrating creativity and finesse of work through visual effects, which with time has evolved as an impactful and an almost indispensible addition in the cinematic landscape today.
| Year | Film | Nominees |
| 1927–28 | ||
| (1st) | Wings | Roy Pomeroy |
| Ralph Hammeras (photographic) | ||
| Nugent Slaughter (photographic) | ||
| 1938 | ||
| (11th) | Spawn of the North | For outstanding achievement in creating Special Photographic and Sound Effects in the Paramount production Spawn of the North. Special Effects by Gordon Jennings, assisted by Jan Domela, Dev Jennings, Irmin Roberts and Art Smith. Transparencies by Farciot Edouart, assisted by Loyal Griggs. Sound Effects by Loren Ryder, assisted by Harry Mills, Louis Mesenkop and Walter Oberst. |
| 1939 | ||
| (12th) | The Rains Came | Fred Sersen (photographic); E. H. Hansen (sound) |
| Gone with the Wind | Jack Cosgrove (photographic); Fred Albin and Arthur Johns (sound) | |
| Only Angels Have Wings | Roy Davidson (photographic); Edwin C. Hahn (sound) | |
| The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex | Byron Haskin (photographic); Nathan Levinson (sound) | |
| Topper Takes a Trip | Roy Seawright (photographic) | |
| Union Pacific | Farciot Edouart and Gordon Jennings (photographic); Loren Ryder (sound) | |
| The Wizard of Oz | A. Arnold Gillespie (photographic); Douglas Shearer (sound) | |
| 1940 | ||
| (13th) | The Thief of Bagdad | Lawrence Butler (photographic); Jack Whitney (sound) |
| The Blue Bird | Fred Sersen (photographic); E. H. Hansen (sound) | |
| Boom Town | A. Arnold Gillespie (photographic); Douglas Shearer (sound) | |
| The Boys from Syracuse | John P. Fulton (photographic); Bernard B. Brown and Joseph Lapis (sound) | |
| Dr. Cyclops | Gordon Jennings and Farciot Edouart (photographic) | |
| Foreign Correspondent | Paul Eagler (photographic); Thomas T. Moulton (sound) | |
| The Invisible Man Returns | John P. Fulton (photographic); Bernard B. Brown and William Hedgcock (sound) | |
| The Long Voyage Home | R. T. Layton and R. O. Binger (photographic); Thomas T. Moulton (sound) | |
| One Million B.C. | Roy Seawright (photographic); Elmer Raguse (sound) | |
| Rebecca | Jack Cosgrove (photographic); Arthur Johns (sound) | |
| The Sea Hawk | Byron Haskin (photographic); Nathan Levinson (sound) | |
| Swiss Family Robinson | Vernon L. Walker (photographic); John O. Aalberg (sound) | |
| Typhoon | Farciot Edouart and Gordon Jennings (photographic); Loren Ryder (sound) | |
| Women in War | Howard J. Lydecker, William Bradford, and Ellis J. Thackery (photographic); Herbert Norsch (sound) | |
| 1941 | ||
| (14th) | I Wanted Wings | Farciot Edouart and Gordon Jennings (photographic); Louis Mesenkop (sound) |
| Aloma of the South Seas | Farciot Edouart and Gordon Jennings (photographic); Louis Mesenkop (sound) | |
| Dive Bomber (Nomination withdrawn) | Byron Haskin (photographic); Nathan Levinson (sound) | |
| Flight Command | A. Arnold Gillespie (photographic); Douglas Shearer (sound) | |
| The Invisible Woman | John Fulton (photographic); John Hall (sound) | |
| The Sea Wolf | Byron Haskin (photographic); Nathan Levinson (sound) | |
| That Hamilton Woman | Lawrence Butler (photographic); William H. Wilmarth (sound) | |
| Topper Returns | Roy Seawright (photographic); Elmer Raguse (sound) | |
| A Yank in the R.A.F. | Fred Sersen (photographic); E. H. Hansen (sound) | |
| 1942 | ||
| (15th) | Reap the Wild Wind | Gordon Jennings, Farciot Edouart, and William Pereira (photographic); Louis Mesenkop (sound) |
| The Black Swan | Fred Sersen (photographic); Roger Heman and George Leverett (sound) | |
| Desperate Journey | Byron Haskin (photographic); Nathan Levinson (sound) | |
| Flying Tigers | Howard Lydecker (photographic); Daniel J. Bloomberg (sound) | |
| Invisible Agent | John Fulton (photographic); Bernard B. Brown (sound) | |
| Jungle Book | Lawrence Butler (photographic); William H. Wilmarth (sound) | |
| Mrs. Miniver | A. Arnold Gillespie and Warren Newcombe (photographic); Douglas Shearer (sound) | |
| The Navy Comes Through | Vernon L. Walker (photographic); James G. Stewart (sound) | |
| One of Our Aircraft Is Missing | Ronald Neame (photographic); C. C. Stevens (sound) | |
| The Pride of the Yankees | Jack Cosgrove and Ray Binger (photographic); Thomas T. Moulton (sound) | |
| 1943 | ||
| (16th) | Crash Dive | Fred Sersen (photographic); Roger Heman (sound) |
| Air Force | Hans Koenekamp and Rex Wimpy (photographic); Nathan Levinson (sound) | |
| Bombardier | Vernon L. Walker (photographic); James G. Stewart and Roy Granville (sound) | |
| The North Star | Clarence Slifer and R. O. Binger (photographic); Thomas T. Moulton (sound) | |
| So Proudly We Hail! | Gordon Jennings and Farciot Edouart (photographic); George Dutton (sound) | |
| Stand By for Action | A. Arnold Gillespie and Donald Jahraus (photographic); Michael Steinore (sound) | |
| 1944 | ||
| (17th) | Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo | A. Arnold Gillespie, Donald Jahraus, and Warren Newcombe (photographic); Douglas Shearer (sound) |
| The Adventures of Mark Twain | Paul Detlefsen and John Crouse (photographic); Nathan Levinson (sound) | |
| Days of Glory | Vernon L. Walker (photographic); James G. Stewart and Roy Granville (sound) | |
| Secret Command | David Allen, Ray Cory, and Robert Wright (photographic); Russell Malmgren and Harry Kusnick (sound) | |
| Since You Went Away | Jack Cosgrove (photographic); Arthur Johns (sound) | |
| The Story of Dr. Wassell | Farciot Edouart and Gordon Jennings (photographic); George Dutton (sound) | |
| Wilson | Fred Sersen (photographic); Roger Heman (sound) | |
| 1945 | ||
| (18th) | Wonder Man | John P. Fulton (photographic); Arthur Johns (sound) |
| Captain Eddie | Fred Sersen and Sol Halperin (photographic); Roger Heman and Harry Leonard (sound) | |
| Spellbound | Jack Cosgrove (photographic) | |
| They Were Expendable | A. Arnold Gillespie, Donald Jahraus, and Robert A. MacDonald (photographic); Michael Steinore (sound) | |
| A Thousand and One Nights | Lawrence W. Butler (photographic); Ray Bomba (sound) | |
| 1946 | ||
| (19th) | Blithe Spirit | Thomas Howard (visual) |
| A Stolen Life | William McGann (visual); Nathan Levinson (audible) | |
| 1947 | ||
| (20th) | Green Dolphin Street | A. Arnold Gillespie and Warren Newcombe (visual); Douglas Shearer and Michael Steinore (audible) |
| Unconquered | Farciot Edouart, Devereux Jennings, Gordon Jennings, W. Wallace Kelley, and Paul Lerpae (visual); George Dutton (audible) | |
| 1948 | ||
| (21st) | Portrait of Jennie | Paul Eagler, Joseph McMillan Johnson, Russell Shearman, and Clarence Slifer (visual); Charles Freeman, and James G. Stewart (audible) |
| Deep Waters | Ralph Hammeras, Fred Sersen, and Edward Snyder (visual); Roger Heman (audible) | |
| 1949 | ||
| (22nd) | Mighty Joe Young | RKO Productions |
| Tulsa | Walter Wanger Pictures | |
| 1950 | ||
| (23rd) | Destination Moon | George Pal Productions |
| Samson and Delilah | Cecil B. DeMille Productions | |
| 1951 | ||
| (24th) | When Worlds Collide | Paramount |
| 1952 | ||
| (25th) | Plymouth Adventure | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| 1953 | ||
| (26th) | The War of the Worlds | Paramount Studio |
| 1954 | ||
| (27th) | 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea | Walt Disney Studios |
| Hell and High Water | 20th Century-Fox Studio | |
| Them! | Warner Bros. Studio | |
| 1955 | ||
| (28th) | The Bridges at Toko-Ri | Paramount Studio |
| The Dam Busters | Associated British Picture Corporation, Ltd. | |
| The Rains of Ranchipur | 20th Century-Fox Studio | |
| 1956 | ||
| (29th) | The Ten Commandments | John P. Fulton |
| Forbidden Planet | A. Arnold Gillespie, Irving G. Ries, and Wesley C. Miller | |
| 1957 | ||
| (30th) | The Enemy Below | Walter Rossi (audible) |
| The Spirit of St. Louis | Louis Lichtenfield (visual) | |
| 1958 | ||
| (31st) | Tom Thumb | Tom Howard (visual) |
| Torpedo Run | A. Arnold Gillespie (visual); Harold Humbrock (audible) | |
| 1959 | ||
| (32nd) | Ben-Hur | A. Arnold Gillespie and Robert MacDonald (visual); Milo B. Lory (audible) |
| Journey to the Center of the Earth | L. B. Abbott and James B. Gordon (visual); Carl Faulkner (audible) | |
| 1960 | ||
| (33rd) | The Time Machine | Gene Warren and Tim Baar (visual) |
| The Last Voyage | Augie Lohman (visual) | |
| 1961 | ||
| (34th) | The Guns of Navarone | Bill Warrington (visual); Vivian C. Greenham (audible) |
| The Absent-Minded Professor | Robert A. Mattey and Eustace Lycett (visual) | |
| 1962 | ||
| (35th) | The Longest Day | Robert MacDonald (visual); Jacques Maumont (audible) |
| Mutiny on the Bounty | A. Arnold Gillespie (visual); Milo B. Lory (audible) | |
| 1963 | ||
| (36th) | Cleopatra | Emil Kosa Jr. |
| The Birds | Ub Iwerks | |
| 1964 | ||
| (37th) | Mary Poppins | Peter Ellenshaw, Eustace Lycett, and Hamilton Luske |
| 7 Faces of Dr. Lao | Jim Danforth | |
| 1965 | ||
| (38th) | Thunderball | John Stears |
| The Greatest Story Ever Told | Joseph McMillan Johnson | |
| 1966 | ||
| (39th) | Fantastic Voyage | Art Cruickshank |
| Hawaii | Linwood G. Dunn | |
| 1967 | ||
| (40th) | Doctor Dolittle | L. B. Abbott |
| Tobruk | Howard A. Anderson Jr. and Albert Whitlock | |
| 1968 | ||
| (41st) | 2001: A Space Odyssey | Stanley Kubrick |
| 1969 | ||
| (42nd) | Marooned | Robie Robertson |
| Krakatoa, East of Java | Eugène Lourié and Alex Weldon | |
| 1970 | ||
| (43rd) | Tora! Tora! Tora! | A. D. Flowers and L. B. Abbott |
| Patton | Alex Weldon | |
| 1971 | ||
| (44th) | Bedknobs and Broomsticks | Alan Maley, Eustace Lycett, and Danny Lee |
| When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth | Jim Danforth and Roger Dicken | |
| 1972 | ||
| (45th) | The Poseidon Adventure | L. B. Abbott and A. D. Flowers |
| 1973 | ||
| (46th) | No award given | |
| 1974 | ||
| (47th) | Earthquake | Frank Brendel, Glen Robinson, and Albert Whitlock |
| 1975 | ||
| (48th) | The Hindenburg | Albert Whitlock and Glen Robinson |
| 1976 | ||
| (49th) | King Kong | Carlo Rambaldi, Glen Robinson, and Frank Van der Veer |
| Logan's Run | L. B. Abbott, Glen Robinson, and Matthew Yuricich | |
| 1977 | ||
| (50th) | Star Wars | John Stears, John Dykstra, Richard Edlund, Grant McCune, and Robert Blalack |
| Close Encounters of the Third Kind | Roy Arbogast, Douglas Trumbull, Matthew Yuricich, Gregory Jein, and Richard Yuricich | |
| 1978 | ||
| (51st) | Superman | Les Bowie, Colin Chilvers, Denys Coop, Roy Field, Derek Meddings, and Zoran Perisic |
| 1979 | ||
| (52nd) | Alien | H. R. Giger, Carlo Rambaldi, Brian Johnson, Nick Allder, and Dennis Ayling |
| 1941 | William A. Fraker, A. D. Flowers, and Gregory Jein | |
| The Black Hole | Peter Ellenshaw, Art Cruickshank, Eustace Lycett, Danny Lee, Harrison Ellenshaw, and Joe Hale | |
| Moonraker | Derek Meddings, Paul Wilson, and John Evans | |
| Star Trek: The Motion Picture | Douglas Trumbull, John Dykstra, Richard Yuricich, Robert Swarthe, David K. Stewart, and Grant McCune | |
| 1980 | ||
| (53rd) | The Empire Strikes Back | Brian Johnson, Richard Edlund, Dennis Muren, and Bruce Nicholson |
| 1981 | ||
| (54th) | Raiders of the Lost Ark | Richard Edlund, Kit West, Bruce Nicholson, and Joe Johnston |
| Dragonslayer | Dennis Muren, Phil Tippett, Ken Ralston, and Brian Johnson | |
| 1982 | ||
| (55th) | E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial | Carlo Rambaldi, Dennis Muren, and Kenneth F. Smith |
| Blade Runner | Douglas Trumbull, Richard Yuricich, and David Dryer | |
| Poltergeist | Richard Edlund, Michael Wood, and Bruce Nicholson | |
| 1983 | ||
| (56th) | Return of the Jedi | Richard Edlund, Dennis Muren, Ken Ralston, and Phil Tippett |
| 1984 | ||
| (57th) | Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom | Dennis Muren, Michael J. McAlister, Lorne Peterson, and George Gibbs |
| 2010 | Richard Edlund, Neil Krepela, George Jenson, and Mark Stetson | |
| Ghostbusters | Richard Edlund, John Bruno, Mark Vargo, and Chuck Gaspar | |
| 1985 | ||
| (58th) | Cocoon | Ken Ralston, Ralph McQuarrie, Scott Farrar, and David Berry |
| Return to Oz | Will Vinton, Ian Wingrove, Zoran Perisic, and Michael Lloyd | |
| Young Sherlock Holmes | Dennis Muren, Kit West, John R. Ellis, and David W. Allen | |
| 1986 | ||
| (59th) | Aliens | Robert Skotak, Stan Winston, John Richardson, and Suzanne M. Benson |
| Little Shop of Horrors | Lyle Conway, Bran Ferren, and Martin Gutterridge | |
| Poltergeist II: The Other Side | Richard Edlund, John Bruno, Garry Waller, and Bill Neil | |
| 1987 | ||
| (60th) | Innerspace | Dennis Muren, William George, Harley Jessup, and Kenneth F. Smith |
| Predator | Joel Hynek, Robert M. Greenberg, Richard Greenberg, and Stan Winston | |
| 1988 | ||
| (61st) | Who Framed Roger Rabbit | Ken Ralston, Richard Williams, Edward Jones, and George Gibbs |
| Die Hard | Richard Edlund, Al DiSarro, Brent Boates, and Thaine Morris | |
| Willow | Dennis Muren, Michael J. McAlister, Phil Tippett, and Chris Evans | |
| 1989 | ||
| (62nd) | The Abyss | John Bruno, Dennis Muren, Hoyt Yeatman, and Dennis Skotak |
| The Adventures of Baron Munchausen | Richard Conway and Kent Houston | |
| Back to the Future Part II | Ken Ralston, Michael Lantieri, John Bell, and Steve Gawley | |
| 1990 | ||
| (63rd) | Total Recall | Eric Brevig, Rob Bottin, Tim McGovern, and Alex Funke |
| 1991 | ||
| (64th) | Terminator 2: Judgment Day | Dennis Muren, Stan Winston, Gene Warren Jr., and Robert Skotak |
| Backdraft | Mikael Salomon, Allen Hall, Clay Pinney, and Scott Farrar | |
| Hook | Eric Brevig, Harley Jessup, Mark Sullivan, and Michael Lantieri | |
| 1992 | ||
| (65th) | Death Becomes Her | Ken Ralston, Doug Chiang, Douglas Smythe, and Tom Woodruff Jr. |
| Alien 3 | Richard Edlund, Alec Gillis, Tom Woodruff Jr., and George Gibbs | |
| Batman Returns | Michael L. Fink, Craig Barron, John Bruno, and Dennis Skotak | |
| 1993 | ||
| (66th) | Jurassic Park | Dennis Muren, Stan Winston, Phil Tippett, and Michael Lantieri |
| Cliffhanger | Neil Krepela, John Richardson, John Bruno, and Pamela Easley | |
| The Nightmare Before Christmas | Pete Kozachik, Eric Leighton, Ariel Velasco Shaw, and Gordon Baker | |
| 1994 | ||
| (67th) | Forrest Gump | Ken Ralston, George Murphy, Stephen Rosenbaum, and Allen Hall |
| The Mask | Scott Squires, Steve 'Spaz' Williams, Tom Bertino, and Jon Farhat | |
| True Lies | John Bruno, Thomas L. Fisher, Jacques Stroweis, and Patrick McClung | |
| 1995 | ||
| (68th) | Babe | Scott E. Anderson, Charles Gibson, Neal Scanlan, and John Cox |
| Apollo 13 | Robert Legato, Michael Kanfer, Leslie Ekker, and Matt Sweeney | |
| 1996 | ||
| (69th) | Independence Day | Volker Engel, Douglas Smith, Clay Pinney, and Joseph Viskocil |
| Dragonheart | Scott Squires, Phil Tippett, James Straus, and Kit West | |
| Twister | Stefen Fangmeier, John Frazier, Habib Zargarpour, and Henry La Bounta | |
| 1997 | ||
| (70th) | Titanic | Robert Legato, Mark Lasoff, Thomas L. Fisher, and Michael Kanfer |
| The Lost World: Jurassic Park | Dennis Muren, Stan Winston, Randal M. Dutra, and Michael Lantieri | |
| Starship Troopers | Phil Tippett, Scott E. Anderson, Alec Gillis, and John Richardson | |
| 1998 | ||
| (71st) | What Dreams May Come | Joel Hynek, Nicholas Brooks, Stuart Robertson, and Kevin Mack |
| Armageddon | Richard R. Hoover, Patrick McClung, and John Frazier | |
| Mighty Joe Young | Rick Baker, Hoyt Yeatman, Allen Hall, and Jim Mitchell | |
| 1999 | ||
| (72nd) | The Matrix | John Gaeta, Janek Sirrs, Steve Courtley, and Jon Thum |
| Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace | John Knoll, Dennis Muren, Scott Squires, and Rob Coleman | |
| Stuart Little | John Dykstra, Jerome Chen, Henry F. Anderson III, and Eric Allard | |
| 2000 | ||
| (73rd) | Gladiator | John Nelson, Neil Corbould, Tim Burke, and Rob Harvey |
| Hollow Man | Scott E. Anderson, Craig Hayes, Scott Stokdyk, and Stan Parks | |
| The Perfect Storm | Stefen Fangmeier, Habib Zargarpour, John Frazier, and Walt Conti | |
| 2001 | ||
| (74th) | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | Jim Rygiel, Randall William Cook, Richard Taylor, and Mark Stetson |
| A.I. Artificial Intelligence | Dennis Muren, Scott Farrar, Stan Winston, and Michael Lantieri | |
| Pearl Harbor | Eric Brevig, John Frazier, Ed Hirsh, and Ben Snow | |
| 2002 | ||
| (75th) | The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | Jim Rygiel, Joe Letteri, Randall William Cook, and Alex Funke |
| Spider-Man | John Dykstra, Scott Stokdyk, Anthony LaMolinara, and John Frazier | |
| Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones | Rob Coleman, Pablo Helman, John Knoll, and Ben Snow | |
| 2003 | ||
| (76th) | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | Jim Rygiel, Joe Letteri, Randall William Cook, and Alex Funke |
| Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World | Dan Sudick, Stefen Fangmeier, Nathan McGuinness, and Robert Stromberg | |
| Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl | John Knoll, Hal Hickel, Charles Gibson, and Terry Frazee | |
| 2004 | ||
| (77th) | Spider-Man 2 | John Dykstra, Scott Stokdyk, Anthony LaMolinara, and John Frazier |
| Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban | Roger Guyett, Tim Burke, John Richardson, and William George | |
| I, Robot | John Nelson, Andrew R. Jones, Erik Nash, and Joe Letteri | |
| 2005 | ||
| (78th) | King Kong | Joe Letteri, Brian Van't Hul, Christian Rivers, and Richard Taylor |
| The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe | Dean Wright, Bill Westenhofer, Jim Berney, and Scott Farrar | |
| War of the Worlds | Dennis Muren, Pablo Helman, Randal M. Dutra, and Dan Sudick | |
| 2006 | ||
| (79th) | Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest | John Knoll, Hal Hickel, Charles Gibson, and Allen Hall |
| Poseidon | Boyd Shermis, Kim Libreri, Chas Jarrett, and John Frazier | |
| Superman Returns | Mark Stetson, Neil Corbould, Richard R. Hoover, and Jon Thum | |
| 2007 | ||
| (80th) | The Golden Compass | Michael L. Fink, Bill Westenhofer, Ben Morris, and Trevor Wood |
| Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End | John Knoll, Hal Hickel, Charles Gibson, and John Frazier | |
| Transformers | Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Russell Earl, and John Frazier | |
| 2008 | ||
| (81st) | The Curious Case of Benjamin Button | Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton, and Craig Barron |
| The Dark Knight | Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Tim Webber, and Paul Franklin | |
| Iron Man | John Nelson, Ben Snow, Dan Sudick, and Shane Mahan | |
| 2009 | ||
| (82nd) | Avatar | Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham, and Andrew R. Jones |
| District 9 | Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros, and Matt Aitken | |
| Star Trek | Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh, and Burt Dalton | |
| 2010 | ||
| (83rd) | Inception | Paul Franklin, Chris Corbould, Andrew Lockley, and Peter Bebb |
| Alice in Wonderland | Ken Ralston, David Schaub, Carey Villegas, and Sean Phillips | |
| Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 | Tim Burke, John Richardson, Christian Manz, and Nicolas Aithadi | |
| Hereafter | Michael Owens, Bryan Grill, Stephan Trojansky, and Joe Farrell | |
| Iron Man 2 | Janek Sirrs, Ben Snow, Ged Wright, and Dan Sudick | |
| 2011 | ||
| (84th) | Hugo | Robert Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossmann, and Alex Henning |
| Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 | Tim Burke, David Vickery, Greg Butler, and John Richardson | |
| Real Steel | Erik Nash, John Rosengrant, Dan Taylor, and Swen Gillberg | |
| Rise of the Planet of the Apes | Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White, and Daniel Barrett | |
| Transformers: Dark of the Moon | Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Matthew E. Butler, and John Frazier | |
| 2012 | ||
| (85th) | Life of Pi | Bill Westenhofer, Guillaume Rocheron, Erik-Jan de Boer, and Donald R. Elliott |
| The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey | Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon, David Clayton, and R. Christopher White | |
| Marvel's The Avengers | Janek Sirrs, Jeff White, Guy Williams, and Dan Sudick | |
| Prometheus | Richard Stammers, Trevor Wood, Charley Henley, and Martin Hill | |
| Snow White and the Huntsman | Cedric Nicolas-Troyan, Philip Brennan, Neil Corbould, and Michael Dawson | |
| 2013 | ||
| (86th) | Gravity | Tim Webber, Chris Lawrence, Dave Shirk, and Neil Corbould |
| The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug | Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon, David Clayton, and Eric Reynolds | |
| Iron Man 3 | Christopher Townsend, Guy Williams, Erik Nash, and Dan Sudick | |
| The Lone Ranger | Tim Alexander, Gary Brozenich, Edson Williams, and John Frazier | |
| Star Trek Into Darkness | Roger Guyett, Patrick Tubach, Ben Grossmann, and Burt Dalton | |
| 2014 | ||
| (87th) | Interstellar | Paul Franklin, Andrew Lockley, Ian Hunter, and Scott R. Fisher |
| Captain America: The Winter Soldier | Dan DeLeeuw, Russell Earl, Bryan Grill, and Dan Sudick | |
| Dawn of the Planet of the Apes | Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, Daniel Barrett, and Erik Winquist | |
| Guardians of the Galaxy | Stephane Ceretti, Nicolas Aithadi, Jonathan Fawkner, and Paul Corbould | |
| X-Men: Days of Future Past | Richard Stammers, Lou Pecora, Tim Crosbie, and Cameron Waldbauer | |
| 2015 | ||
| (88th) | Ex Machina | Mark Williams Ardington, Sara Bennett, Paul Norris, and Andrew Whitehurst |
| Mad Max: Fury Road | Andrew Jackson, Dan Oliver, Andy Williams, and Tom Wood | |
| The Martian | Anders Langlands, Chris Lawrence, Richard Stammers, and Steven Warner | |
| The Revenant | Richard McBride, Matt Shumway, Jason Smith, and Cameron Waldbauer | |
| Star Wars: The Force Awakens | Chris Corbould, Roger Guyett, Patrick Tubach, and Neal Scanlan | |
| 2016 | ||
| (89th) | The Jungle Book | Robert Legato, Adam Valdez, Andrew R. Jones, and Dan Lemmon |
| [9] | Deepwater Horizon | Craig Hammack, Jason Snell, Jason Billington, and Burt Dalton |
| Doctor Strange | Stephane Ceretti, Richard Bluff, Vincent Cirelli, and Paul Corbould | |
| Kubo and the Two Strings | Steve Emerson, Oliver Jones, Brian McLean, and Brad Schiff | |
| Rogue One: A Star Wars Story | John Knoll, Mohen Leo, Hal Hickel, and Neil Corbould | |
| 2017 | ||
| (90th) | Blade Runner 2049 | John Nelson, Gerd Nefzer, Paul Lambert, and Richard R. Hoover |
| [10] | Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 | Christopher Townsend, Guy Williams, Jonathan Fawkner, and Dan Sudick |
| Kong: Skull Island | Stephen Rosenbaum, Jeff White, Scott Benza, and Mike Meinardus | |
| Star Wars: The Last Jedi | Ben Morris, Mike Mulholland, Neal Scanlan, and Chris Corbould | |
| War for the Planet of the Apes | Joe Letteri, Daniel Barrett, Dan Lemmon, and Joel Whist | |
| 2018 | ||
| (91st) | First Man | Paul Lambert, Ian Hunter, Tristan Myles, and J. D. Schwalm |
| Avengers: Infinity War | Dan DeLeeuw, Kelly Port, Russell Earl, and Dan Sudick | |
| Christopher Robin | Christopher Lawrence, Mike Eames, Theo Jones, and Chris Corbould | |
| Ready Player One | Roger Guyett, Grady Cofer, Matthew E. Butler, and David Shirk | |
| Solo: A Star Wars Story | Rob Bredow, Patrick Tubach, Neal Scanlan, and Dominic Tuohy | |
| 2019 | ||
| (92nd) | 1917 | Guillaume Rocheron, Greg Butler, and Dominic Tuohy |
| Avengers: Endgame | Dan DeLeeuw, Russell Earl, Matt Aitken, and Dan Sudick | |
| The Irishman | Pablo Helman, Leandro Estebecorena, Nelson Sepulveda-Fauser, and Stephane Grabli | |
| The Lion King | Robert Legato, Adam Valdez, Andrew R. Jones, and Elliot Newman | |
| Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker | Roger Guyett, Neal Scanlan, Patrick Tubach, and Dominic Tuohy | |
| 2020 | ||
| (93rd) | Tenet | Andrew Jackson, David Lee, Andrew Lockley, and Scott Fisher |
| Love and Monsters | Matt Sloan, Genevieve Camilleri, Matt Everitt, and Brian Cox | |
| The Midnight Sky | Matt Kasmir, Christopher Lawrence, Max Solomon, and David Watkins | |
| Mulan | Sean Faden, Anders Langlands, Seth Maury, and Steve Ingram | |
| The One and Only Ivan | Nick Davis, Greg Fisher, Ben Jones, and Santiago Colomo Martínez | |
| 2021 | ||
| (94th) | Dune | Paul Lambert, Tristan Myles, Brian Connor, and Gerd Nefzer |
| Free Guy | Swen Gillberg, Bryan Grill, Nikos Kalaitzidis, and Dan Sudick | |
| No Time to Die | Charlie Noble, Joel Green, Jonathan Fawkner, and Chris Corbould | |
| Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings | Christopher Townsend, Joe Farrell, Sean Noel Walker, and Dan Oliver | |
| Spider-Man: No Way Home | Kelly Port, Chris Waegner, Scott Edelstein, and Dan Sudick | |
| 2022 | ||
| (95th) | Avatar: The Way of Water | Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, and Daniel Barrett |
| All Quiet on the Western Front | Frank Petzold, Viktor Müller, Markus Frank, and Kamil Jafar | |
| The Batman | Dan Lemmon, Russell Earl, Anders Langlands, and Dominic Tuohy | |
| Black Panther: Wakanda Forever | Geoffrey Baumann, Craig Hammack, R. Christopher White, and Dan Sudick | |
| Top Gun: Maverick | Ryan Tudhope, Seth Hill, Bryan Litson, and Scott R. Fisher |