‘Dune: Part Two’ Leads Visual Effects Society Nominations

Other projects with multiple nods include “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” “The Wild Robot” and “Shōgun”

“Dune: Part Two” led all films in nominations for the 233 annual VES Awards, the Visual Effects Society announced on Tuesday. Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi epic received seven nominations in the VES Awards’ eight non-animated feature film categories, followed by “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” with six, “Better Man” with four and “Mufasa: The Lion King” with three.

In the Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature category, the category that corresponds most closely to Best Visual Effects at the Oscars, the nominees were “Better Man,” “Dune: Part Two,” “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” “Mufasa: The Lion King” and “Twisters.”

All 10 of the films on the Oscars’ Best Visual Effects shortlist received VES nominations. In addition to the five nominees in the VES Outstanding Visual Effects category, “Civil War” and “Gladiator II” received two nominations and “Alien: Romulus,” “Deadpool & Wolverine” and “Wicked” each received one.

The VES Awards have 25 categories that cover photoreal and animated features, episodic work, commercials, games, and real-time, CG and student projects. The record for VES nominations is 14, which was set by “Avatar: The Way of Water” two years ago.

In the animated-feature categories, “The Wild Robot” led with five nominations. In the episodic categories, “Shōgun” and “The Penguin” led with four each.

The nominations were selected by VES members at 49 in-person and virtual panels that took place around the world in a continuous 30-hour period.

The winners will be announced at the VES Awards ceremony on Feb. 11 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Also at that ceremony, “Shōgun” actor-producer Hiroyuki Sanada will receive the VES Award for Creative Excellence; director and visual effects supervisor Takashi Yamazaki will receive the VES Visionary Award; and virtual reality pioneer Dr. Jacquelyn Ford Morie will receive the VES Georges Méliès Award.

Here is the full list of nominated films and projects. For a list of the nominated visual effects artists and craftsmen in each category, go to www.vesglobal.org.

OUTSTANDING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A PHOTOREAL EPISODE

Fallout; The Head

House of the Dragon; Season 2; The Red Dragon and the Gold

Shōgun; Anjin

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew; Episode 5

The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power; Season 2; Eldest

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A PHOTOREAL EPISODE

Expats: Home

Lady in the Lake; It Has to Do With the Search for the Marvelous

Masters of the Air; Part Three; The Regensburg-Schweinfurt Mission

The Penguin; Bliss

The Tattooist of Auschwitz; Pilot

OUTSTANDING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A SPECIAL VENUE PROJECT

D23; Real-Time Rocket

The Goldau Landslide Experience

MTV Video Music Awards; Slim Shady Live

Tokyo DisneySea; Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure

Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony; Run

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

Secret Level; Armored Core: Asset Management; Mech Pilo

Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred; Neyrelle

Disney; Holidays 2024; Octopus

Ronja the Robber’s Daughter; Vildvittran the Queen Harpy

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

Dune: Prophecy; Pilot; The Imperial Palace

Dune: Prophecy; Two Wolves; Zimia Spaceport

Shōgun; Osaka

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power; Season 2; Doomed to Die; Eregion

OUTSTANDING CG CINEMATOGRAPHY

Better Man

Dune: Part Two; Arrakis

House of the Dragon; Season 2; The Red Dragon and the Gold; Battle at Rook’s Rest

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes ; Egg Climb

OUTSTANDING MODEL IN A PHOTOREAL OR ANIMATED PROJECT

Alien: Romulus; Renaissance Space Station

Deadpool & Wolverine; Ant-Man Arena

Dune: Part Two; The Harkonnen Harvester

Gladiator II; The Colosseum

OUTSTANDING EFFECTS SIMULATIONS IN A PHOTOREAL FEATURE

Dune: Part Two; Atomic Explosions and Wormriding

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes; Burning Village, Rapids and Floods

Twisters

Venom: The Last Dance; Water, Fire & Symbiote Effects

OUTSTANDING EFFECTS SIMULATIONS IN AN ANIMATED FEATURE

Kung Fu Panda 4

Moana 2

The Wild Robot

Ultraman: Rising

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

Avatar: The Last Airbender; Legends; Koizilla

Shōgun; Broken to the Fist; Landslide

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew; Pilot; Spaceship Hillside Takeoff

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power; Season 2; Shadow and Flame; Balrog Fire and Collapsing Cliff

Three Body Problem; Judgement Day

OUTSTANDING COMPOSITING & LIGHTING IN A FEATURE

Better Man

Dune: Part Two; Wormriding, Geidi Prime, and the Final Battle

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

The Wild Robot

OUTSTANDING COMPOSITING & LIGHTING IN AN EPISODE

Shōgun; Broken to the Fist; Landslide

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew; Episode 6; Jaws

The Boys; Season 4; Life Among the Septics

The Penguin; After Hour

EMERGING TECHNOLOGY AWARD

Dune: Part Two; Nuke CopyCat

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga; Artist-driven Machine Learning Character

Here; Neural Performance Toolset

Mufasa: The Lion King; Real-Time Interactive Filmmaking, From Stage To Post

The Penguin; Phase Synced Flash-Gun System

OUTSTANDING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A STUDENT PROJECT

Dawn (entry from ESMA – École Supérieure Des Métiers Artistiques)

Student Accomplice (entry from Brigham Young University)

Pittura (entry from ARTFX – Schools of Digital Arts)

Courage (entry from Supinfocom – Rubika)