Best Visual Effects of the Year

Awarded to the film deemed by Cosmo voters to have the best visual effects for an eligible 2019 film from the award year. This covers any extraordinary effects used in the film other than costumes and make-up, including those that are staged and filmed (such as a car crash), those that are filmed using miniatures or stop-action, and those that are imposed digitally after filming is done.

Best Visual Effects in a 2001 Film

Winner

  • The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

Additional Nominees

  • AI: Artificial Intelligence (2001)
  • Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)
  • Moulin Rouge (2001)
  • Shrek (2001)

Best Visual Effects for a 2002 Film

Winner

  • The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

Additional Nominees

  • Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
  • Minority Report (2002)
  • Spider-Man (2002)
  • Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002)

Best Visual Effects for a 2003 Film

Winner

  • The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

Additional Nominees

  • Big Fish (2003)
  • The Matrix: Reloaded (2003)
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
  • X2: X-Men United (2003)

Best Visual Effects for a 2004 Film

Winner

  • Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

Additional Nominees

  • Hero (2004)
  • Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)
  • Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004)
  • Spider-Man 2 (2004)
  • Van Helsing (2004)

Best Visual Effects in a 2005 Film

Winner

  • King Kong (2005)

Additional Nominees

  • Batman Begins (2005)
  • The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005)
  • Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
  • Serenity (2005)
  • Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005)

Best Visual Effects in a 2006 Film

Winner

  • Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)

Additional Nominees

  • Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006)
  • Poseidon (2006)
  • V is for Vendetta (2006)
  • X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)

Best Visual Effects for a 2010 Film

Winner

  • Inception (2010)

Additional Nominees

  • Alice in Wonderland (2010)
  • Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)
  • Iron Man 2 (2010)
  • A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)

Best Visual Effects for a 2012 Film

Winner

  • Life of Pi (2012)

Additional Nominees

  • The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
  • The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
  • The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
  • Marvel’s The Avengers (2012)
  • Skyfall (2012)

Best Visual Effects for a 2013 Film

Winner

  • Gravity (2013)

Additional Nominees

  • The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
  • Iron Man 3 (2013)
  • Man of Steel (2013)
  • Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)
  • World War Z (2013)

Best Visual Effects for a 2014 Film

Winner

  • The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)

Additional Nominees

  • Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
  • Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
  • Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
  • Interstellar (2014)
  • X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)

Best Visual Effects for a 2015 Film

Winner

  • Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens (2015)

Additional Nominees

  • Crimson Peak (2015)
  • Ex Machina (2015)
  • Jurassic World (2015)
  • The Martian (2015)
  • Spectre (2015)

Best Visual Effects for a 2016 Film

Winner

  • Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

Additional Nominees

  • Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
  • Doctor Strange (2016)
  • Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)
  • Ghostbusters (2016)
  • X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)

Best Visual Effects for a 2017 Film

Winner

  • Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 (2017)

Additional Nominees

  • Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
  • Loving Vincent (2017)
  • Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
  • Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi (2017)
  • Wonder Woman (2017)

Best Visual Effects for a 2018 Film

Winner

  • Black Panther (2018)

Additional Nominees

  • Aquaman (2018)
  • Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
  • Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)
  • First Man (2018)
  • Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)

Best Visual Effects for a 2019 Film

Winner

  • 1917

Additional Nominees

  • Avengers: Endgame
  • It Chapter Two
  • The Lion Ling (2019)
  • Spider-Man: Far From Home
  • Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker

Best Visual Effects for a 2020 Film

Winner

  • Tenet

Additional Nominees

  • Birds of Prey
  • Color Out of Space
  • The Invisible Man
  • The Midnight Sky
  • Wonder Woman 1984

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