OSCAR HISTORY: Best Visual Effects

Often times, just filming reality is not enough. Especially nowadays, the visual effects artists are called upon for image enhancements that the audience might not even be aware is being enhanced with a visual effect. The more obvious visual effects tend to win this honor however, ranging from the days when visual effects meant staging an outer space scene with miniature models to the use of green and blue screen to composite actors over different backgrounds, to the groundbreaking CGI effects that can now produce unimaginable worlds, all through the use of a computer. One can almost track the growth of visual effects in film history by seeing these choices the Academy has made for the Best Visual Effects Oscar.


2023: GODZILLA MINUS ONE     (View VFX Featurette)
2022: AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER     (View VFX Featurette)
2021: DUNE     (View VFX Feature)
2020: TENET     (View VFX Feature)
2019: 1917     (View Featurette)
2018: FIRST MAN     (View Featurette)
2017: BLADERUNNER 2049     (View VFX Breakdown)
2016: THE JUNGLE BOOK     (View VFX Featurette)
2015: EX MACHINA     (View VFX Breakdown)
2014: INTERSTELLAR     (View Featurette)
2013: GRAVITY     (View VFX Breakdown)
2012: LIFE OF PI     (View VFX Featurette)
2011: HUGO     (View VFX Breakdown)
2010: INCEPTION     (View Featurette)
2009: AVATAR     (View Featurette)
2008: THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON     (View VFX Breakdown)
2007: THE GOLDEN COMPASS     (View VFX Breakdown)
2006: PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST     (View Featurette)
2005: KING KONG     (View Film Clip)
2004: SPIDER-MAN 2     (View Film Clip)
2003: THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING     (View Film Clip)
2002: THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS     (View Film Clip)
2001: THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING     (View Film Clip)
2000: GLADIATOR     (View Oscar Moment)
1999: THE MATRIX     (View Film Clip)
1998: WHAT DREAMS MAY COME     (View Film Clip)
1997: TITANIC     (View VFX Reel)
1996: INDEPENDENCE DAY     (View Film Clip)
1995: BABE     (View Featurette)
1994: FORREST GUMP     (View VFX Feature)
1993: JURASSIC PARK     (View Featurette)
1992: DEATH BECOMES HER     (View Film Clips)
1991: TERMINATOR 2 : JUDGMENT DAY     (View VFX Featurette)
1990: TOTAL RECALL     (View VFX Documentary)
1989: THE ABYSS     (View VFX Featurette)
1988: WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT     (View Featurette)
1987: INNERSPACE     (View Film Trailer)
1986: ALIENS     (View Film Trailer)
1985: COCOON     (View Film Trailer)
1984: INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM     (View Film Clip)
1983: RETURN OF THE JEDI     (View Film Clip)
1982: E.T. THE EXTRA TERRESTRIAL     (View Film Clip)
1981: RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK     (View VFX Featurette)
1980: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK     (View VFX Featurette)
1979: ALIEN     (View Film Clip)
1978: SUPERMAN     (View Film Clip)
1977: STAR WARS     (View Film Clip)
1976: (tie) KING KONG & LOGANS RUN     (View Film Clip)
1975: THE HINDENBURG     (View Film Trailer)
1974: EARTHQUAKE     (View Film Clip)
1972: THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE     (View Film Clip)
1971: BEDKNOBS AND BROOMSTICKS     (View Film Trailer)
1970: TORA! TORA! TORA!     (View Film Trailer)
1969: MAROONED     (View Film Trailer)
1968: 2001 : A SPACE ODYSSEY     (View Film Trailer)
1967: DOCTOR DOLITTLE     (View Film Trailer)
1966: FANTASTIC VOYAGE     (View Film Trailer)
1965: THUNDERBALL     (View Film Trailer)
1964: MARY POPPINS     (View Film Trailer)
1963: CLEOPATRA     (View Film Trailer)
1962: THE LONGEST DAY     (View Film Trailer)
1961: THE GUNS OF NAVARONE     (View Film Trailer)
1960: THE TIME MACHINE     (View Film Trailer)
1959: BEN-HUR     (View Film Clip)
1958: TOM THUMB     (View Film Trailer)
1957: THE ENEMY BELOW     (View Film Trailer)
1956: THE TEN COMMANDMENTS     (View Film Clip)
1955: THE BRIDGES AT TOKO-RI     (View Film Clip)
1954: 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA     (View Film Trailer)
1953: THE WAR OF THE WORLDS     (View Film Trailer)
1952: PLYMOUTH ADVENTURE     (View Film Trailer)
1951: WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE     (View Film Trailer)
1950: DESTINATION MOON     (View Film Trailer)
1949: MIGHTY JOE YOUNG     (View Film Trailer)
1948: PORTRAIT OF JENNIE     (View Film Trailer)
1947: GREEN DOLPHIN STREET     (View Film Trailer)
1946: BLITHE SPIRIT     (View Film Trailer)
1945: WONDER MAN     (View Film Clip)
1944: THIRTY SECONDS OVER TOKYO     (View Film Trailer)
1943: CRASH DIVE     (View Film Trailer)
1942: REAP THE WILD WIND     (View Film Trailer)
1941: I WANTED WINGS     (Watch Full Movie)
1940: THE THIEF OF BAGDAD     (View Film Trailer)
1939: THE RAINS CAME     (Watch Full Movie)