Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi epic Dune (Warner Bros. Pictures) scored four wins at the Visual Effects Society Awards, including the marquee honor for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature. Dune additionally topped the Model in a Photoreal or Animated Project, Effects Simulation in a Photoreal Feature, and Compositing & Lighting in a Feature categories.

Also coming up big during the VES Awards’ in-person ceremony held on Tuesday evening (3/8) at the Beverly Hilton was Encanto (Disney) which tallied four wins, most notably for Outstanding Visual Effects in an Animated Feature. The other three Encanto wins came for Outstanding Animated Character in an Animated Feature (for the creation of Mirabel Madrigal), Outstanding Created Environment in an Animated Feature (Antonio’s Room), and for Virtual Cinematography in a CG Project (Encanto’s “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”).

The top TV honor went to Foundation (Apple TV+) for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode (“The Emperor’s Peace”). Foundation also won in an effects simulations category (for the Collapse of the Galactic Empire).

Sheba’s “Hope Reef” topped the commercialmaking field with two wins.

The evening’s proceedings marked the Society’s 20th VES Awards program which was celebrated during the organization’s milestone 25th anniversary.

Jim Morris, VES, president of Pixar Animation and founding VES chair, presented the VES Lifetime Achievement award to EVP/general manager of Lucasfilm, Lynwen Brennan.  Academy Award-winning VFX pioneer Phil Tippett, VES presented the VES Award for Creative Excellence to Academy Award-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro. Presenters also included: Academy Award-nominated director Denis Villeneuve; actors Alfred Molina, Tawny Newsome, Mouzam Makkar, Emma Caulfield and Deborah Cox. Eric Bourque, Autodesk’s sr. director of engineering, media & entertainment presented the Autodesk Student Award to the project Green.

“As we celebrate the Society’s 25th Anniversary and 20th Annual VES Awards, we’re honored to keep shining a light on remarkable visual effects artistry and innovation,” said VES chair Lisa Cooke.  “In all of our colleagues honored tonight, we see best in class work that elevates the art of storytelling and exemplifies the spirit of adaptation and ingenuity--talents that have kept audiences engaged and uplifted, now, more than ever.  The VES Awards is the only venue that showcases and honors these outstanding global artists across a wide range of disciplines, and we are extremely proud of all our winners and nominees.”

Here’s a full rundown of the evening’s winners:

OUTSTANDING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A PHOTOREAL FEATURE 

Dune
Paul Lambert
Brice Parker
Tristan Myles
Brian Connor
Gerd Nefzer

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A PHOTOREAL FEATURE

Last Night in Soho
Tom Proctor
Gavin Gregory
Julian Gnass
Fabricio Baessa

OUTSTANDING VISUAL EFFECTS IN AN ANIMATED FEATURE

Encanto
Scott Kersavage
Bradford Simonsen
Thaddeus P. Miller
Ian Gooding

OUTSTANDING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A PHOTOREAL EPISODE

Foundation; "The Emperor’s Peace"
Chris MacLean
Addie Manis
Mike Enriquez
Chris Keller
Paul Byrne

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A PHOTOREAL EPISODE

See; "Rock-A-Bye"
Chris Wright
Parker Chehak
Javier Roca
Tristan Zerafa
Tony Kenny

OUTSTANDING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A REAL-TIME PROJECT

Call of Duty: "Vanguard"
Sandy Lin-Chiang
Joseph Knox
Gareth Richards
Shane Daley

OUTSTANDING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A COMMERCIAL

Sheba; "Hope Reef"
Grant Walker
Sophie Harrison
Hernan Llano
Michael Baker

OUTSTANDING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A SPECIAL VENUE PROJECT

Jurassic World Adventure
Eugénie von Tunzelmann
Maximilian McNair MacEwan
Stephen Goalby
Brad Silby

OUTSTANDING ANIMATED CHARACTER IN A PHOTOREAL FEATURE

Finch; Jeff
Harinarayan Rajeev
Matthias Schoenegger
Simon Allen
Paul Nelson

OUTSTANDING ANIMATED CHARACTER IN AN ANIMATED FEATURE

Encanto; Mirabel Madrigal
Kelly McClanahan
Sergi Caballer
Mary Twohig
Jose Luis “Weecho” Velasquez

OUTSTANDING ANIMATED CHARACTER IN AN EPISODE OR REAL-TIME PROJECT

The Witcher; Nivellen the Cursed Man
Marko Chulev
Rasely Ma
Mike Beaulieu
Robin Witzsche

OUTSTANDING ANIMATED CHARACTER IN A COMMERCIAL

Smart Energy; "Einstein Knows Best"; Albert Einstein
Alex Hammond
Harsh Borah
Clare Williams
Andreas Graichen

OUTSTANDING CREATED ENVIRONMENT IN A PHOTOREAL FEATURE

Spider-Man: No Way Home; The Mirror Dimension
Eric Le Dieu de Ville
Thomas Dotheij
Ryan Olliffe
Claire Le Teuff

OUTSTANDING CREATED ENVIRONMENT IN AN ANIMATED FEATURE

Encanto; Antonio’s Room
Camille Andre
Andrew Finley
Chris Patrick O’Connell
Amol Sathe

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

Sheba; "Hope Reef"
Henrique Campanha
Baptiste Roy
Luca Veronese
Timothee Maron

OUTSTANDING VIRTUAL CINEMATOGRAPHY IN A CG PROJECT

Encanto; We Don’t Talk about Bruno
Nathan Detroit Warner
Dorian Bustamante
Tyler Kupferer
Michael Woodside

OUTSTANDING MODEL IN A PHOTOREAL OR ANIMATED PROJECT

Dune; Royal Ornithopter
Marc Austin
Anna Yamazoe
Michael Chang
Rachael Dunk

OUTSTANDING EFFECTS SIMULATIONS IN A PHOTOREAL FEATURE

Dune; Dunes of Arrakis
Gero Grimm
Ivan Larinin
Hideki Okano
Zuny An

OUTSTANDING EFFECTS SIMULATIONS IN AN ANIMATED FEATURE

Raya and the Last Dragon
Le Joyce Tong
Henrik Fält
Rattanin Sirinaruemarn
Jacob Rice

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

Foundation; Collapse of the Galactic Empire
Giovanni Casadei
Mikel Zuloaga
Steven Moor
Louis Manjarres

OUTSTANDING COMPOSITING & LIGHTING IN A FEATURE

Dune; Attack on Arrakeen
Gregory Haas
Francesco Dell’Anna
Abhishek Chaturvedi
Cleve Zhu

OUTSTANDING COMPOSITING & LIGHTING IN AN EPISODE

Loki; "Lamentis"; Shuroo City Destruction
Paul Chapman
Tom Truscott
Biagio Figliuzzi
Attila Szalma

OUTSTANDING COMPOSITING & LIGHTING IN A COMMERCIAL

Verizon; "The Reset"
David Piombino
Rajesh Kaushik
Manideep Sanisetty
Tim Crean

OUTSTANDING SPECIAL (PRACTICAL) EFFECTS IN A PHOTOREAL PROJECT

Jungle Cruise
JD Schwalm
Nick Rand
Robert Spurlock
Nick Byrd

OUTSTANDING VISUAL EFFECTS IN A STUDENT PROJECT

Green
Camille Poiriez
Arielle Cohen
Eloise Thibaut
Louis Florean