Academy Award for Visual Effects
 

The Academy Award for Visual Effects is an Oscar given to one film each year that shows highest achievement in visual effects.

The category was called Best Special Effects when it was created in 1939. In 1963, the category was split into two: Best Special Visual Effects and Best Sound Effects. In 1972, the Academy stopped giving out awards for Visual Effects and instead gave Special Achievement Awards. However, this only happened for a handful of years; the category soon became an annual competitive award. The category was changed again in 1996 when it became simply Best Visual Effects.

For a film to be nominated for this award, the effects artist must have created something not available for filming. For example, an entirely digital Empire State Building could not make a movie eligible, since one can easily film the building; on the other hand, a recreation of ancient Rome could, since it is impossible to film. However, movies are judged on the quality of all of their effects shots, not just one scene.

Below is a list of films that have received an Oscar for Visual Effects.
 

1930s

1939 The Rains Came
 

1940s

1940 The Thief of Bagdad
1941 I Wanted Wings
1942 Reap the Wild Wind
1943 Crash Dive
1944 Thirty Seconds over Tokyo
1945 Wonder Man
1946 Blithe Spirit
1947 Green Dolphin Street
1948 Portrait of Jennie
1949 Mighty Joe Young
 

1950s

1950 Destination Moon
1951 When Worlds Collide
1952 Plymouth Adventure
1953 War of the Worlds
1954 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
1955 The Bridges at Toko-Ri
1956 The Ten Commandments
1957 The Enemy Below
1958 Tom Thumb
1959 Ben-Hur
 

1960s

1960 The Time Machine
1961 The Guns of Navarone
1962 The Longest Day
1963 Cleopatra
1964 Mary Poppins
1965 Thunderball
1966 Fantastic Voyage
1967 Doctor Dolittle
1968 2001: A Space Odyssey
1969 Marooned
 

1970s

1970 Tora! Tora! Tora!
1971 Bedknobs and Broomsticks
1972 The Poseidon Adventure (Special Achievement Award)
1973 No award given
1974 Earthquake (Special Achievement Award)
1975 The Hindenburg (Special Achievement Award)
1976 King Kong and Logan's Run (Special Achievement Awards)
1977 Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
1978 Superman: The Movie (Special Achievement Award)
1979 Alien
 

1980s

1980 Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (Special Achievement Award)
1981 Raiders of the Lost Ark
1982 E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
1983 Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (Special Achievement Award)
1984 Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
1985 Cocoon
1986 Aliens
1987 Innerspace
1988 Who Framed Roger Rabbit
1989 The Abyss
 

1990s

1990 Total Recall (Special Achievement Award)
1991 Terminator 2: Judgment Day
1992 Death Becomes Her
1993 Jurassic Park
1994 Forrest Gump
1995 Babe
1996 Independence Day
1997 Titanic
1998 What Dreams May Come
1999 The Matrix
 

2000s

2000 Gladiator
2001 The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
2002 The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
2003 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2004 Spider-Man 2
2005 King Kong