Los Angeles, February 11, 2025 – The Visual Effects Society (VES) celebrated the best in visual effects artistry and innovation at the 23rd Annual VES Awards, held at The Beverly Hilton. The prestigious event honored achievements across film, television, animation, commercials, and special venues, with winners recognized in 25 categories.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes took home the top award for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature, while Dune: Part Two led with the most feature wins, securing four awards. In animation, The Wild Robot claimed victory as the top animated film, also earning four awards. The episodic category saw Shōgun named Best Photoreal Episode, winning three awards, alongside The Penguin, which also garnered three wins. In the commercial sector, Coca-Cola: The Heroes emerged as the top winner.
The evening was hosted by comedy duo The Sklar Brothers, marking their VES Awards debut. Notable presenters included Keanu Reeves, who awarded Hiroyuki Sanada the VES Award for Creative Excellence, and Paul Debevec, Chief Research Officer of Eyeline Studios, who presented Dr. Jacquelyn Ford Morie with the Georges Méliès Award for her contributions to virtual reality and immersive technology. Academy Award-winning filmmaker and VFX Supervisor Takashi Yamazaki received the Visionary Award, presented by writer-director Michael Dougherty.
Other award presenters included Kelvin Harrison Jr., Krys Marshall, Mary Mouser, Russell Hornsby, Tanner Buchanan, Eric Winter, and Tia Carrere. Autodesk’s Senior Director of Business Strategy, Rachael Appleton, presented the VES-Autodesk Student Award, recognizing emerging talent in the field.
The VES Awards continue to showcase the evolving landscape of visual effects, honoring groundbreaking work that pushes the boundaries of storytelling and technology.
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