'Avatar: Fire and Ash' strengthens Oscar bid with seven wins at VES Awards

Avatar: Fire and Ash has strengthened its position in the Best Visual Effects race after winning seven prizes at the 24th annual Visual Effects Society Awards.

The latest instalment in James Cameron’s Pandora franchise took home the top honour, Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature, along with six additional awards.

These included Outstanding Character in a Photoreal Feature for Varang, portrayed by Oona Chaplin, Outstanding CG Cinematography, Outstanding Model, Outstanding Environment, Outstanding Effects Simulations and the Emerging Technology Award for the Kora Fire Toolset.

Historically, the VES award for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature has been regarded as a strong indicator of success at the Academy Awards. The film is currently viewed as the frontrunner in the Best Visual Effects category, with industry observers citing its dominance at the guild ceremony.

In the animation categories, KPop Demon Hunters secured three awards, including Outstanding Animation in an Animated Feature and Outstanding Character in an Animated Feature for Rumi, marking it as a leading contender in its field this season.

Elsewhere, Sinners won Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature. Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age claimed the episodic photoreal prize for “The Big Freeze”.

In other categories, BMW’s “Heart of Joy: Meet Okto the Octopus” won for commercial visual effects, while Ghost of Yōtei triumphed in the real-time project category. Andor was recognised for practical effects, and the student project Azimuth also received an award.

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer received the VES Lifetime Achievement Award, while Wētā Workshop co-founder Richard Taylor was presented with the VES Visionary Award. The ceremony was hosted by Randy Sklar and Jason Sklar.