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Avatar: Fire and Ash Dominates 2026 VES Awards – Winners List

by Julia Evans – Entertainment Editor February 26, 2026

written by Julia Evans – Entertainment Editor

James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash dominated the 24th Annual Visual Effects Society (VES) Awards on Wednesday night, securing seven wins including the prestigious Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature award. The ceremony, held at the Beverly Hilton, recognized the film’s groundbreaking visual achievements, further solidifying its position as a frontrunner for the upcoming Academy Award in the same category.

The film’s success at the VES Awards encompassed a broad range of technical categories. In addition to the top prize, Avatar: Fire and Ash was recognized for Outstanding Character in a Photoreal Feature, specifically for the villainess Varang, portrayed by Oona Chaplin. Further accolades included wins for Outstanding CG Cinematography, Outstanding Environment in a Photoreal Feature, Outstanding Model in a Photoreal or Animated Project, Outstanding Effects Simulation in a Photoreal Feature, and the Emerging Technology Award, which was given to the Kora Fire Toolset. The only category where the film was nominated but did not win was Outstanding Compositing &amp. Lighting in a Feature, where it lost to the racing sequences in F1.

This marks the third time a film in the Avatar franchise has won the top VES Award, placing it second only to the Planet of the Apes franchise, which has four wins. The original Avatar won six VES Awards in 2010, while Avatar: The Way of Water took home nine in 2023, bringing the franchise’s total VES statuettes to 22.

Several winners from Avatar: Fire and Ash acknowledged the late Jon Landau, the film’s producer, who passed away in 2024.

Netflix and Sony Animation’s KPop Demon Hunters also garnered significant recognition, winning three awards in the animation categories: Outstanding Animation in an Animated Feature, Outstanding Character in an Animated Feature for Rumi, and Outstanding Effect Simulations in an Animated Feature. The film, which has been streamed over 482 million times and boasts 11 billion streams of its soundtrack, recently swept the Annie Awards.

Sinners, currently leading the Oscar race with a record 16 nominations, received the VES Award for Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature.

Historically, the VES Awards have not consistently predicted the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. Since 2013, only five winners of the top VES prize have gone on to win the Oscar. Last year, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes won the VES Award for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature, but Dune: Part Two ultimately claimed the Oscar.

Other winners included Zootopia 2 for Outstanding Environment in an Animated Feature, Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode, and BMW’s “Heart of Joy: Meet Okto the Octopus” for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Commercial. Andor and Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age were the only television series to win multiple awards, each taking home two. Additional television awards went to The Residence, IT: Welcome to Derry, The Last of Us, and Ghosts of Yōtei.

Jerry Bruckheimer was honored with the VES Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by Joseph Kosinski, while Wētā Workshop co-founder Richard Taylor received the VES Visionary Award, presented by Adam Savage.

2026 VES Award Winners:

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature: Avatar: Fire and Ash (Richard Baneham, Peter Litvack, Eric Saindon, Nicky Muir, Steve Ingram)
Outstanding Animation in an Animated Feature: KPop Demon Hunters (Joshua Beveridge, Jacky Priddle, Benjamin Hendricks, Clara Chan)
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode: Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age; “The Big Freeze” (Russell Dodgson, Tracey Gibbons, Francois Dumoulin, Gavin McKenzie)
Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature: Sinners (Michael Ralla, James Alexander, Nick Marshal, Espen Nordahl, Donnie Dean)
Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode: The Residence; “The Fall of the House of Usher” (Seth Hill, Tesa Kubicek, John Nelson, Gabriel Vargas)
Outstanding Character in an Animated Feature: KPop Demon Hunters; Rumi (Sophia (Seung Hee) Lee, Andrea Matamoros, Marc Souliere, Joshua Beveridge)
Outstanding Character in an Episodic, Commercial, Game Cinematic, or Real-Time Project: It: Welcome to Derry; “The Thing in the Dark;” The Pickle Monster (Philip Harris-Genois, Pierric Danjou, Chloe Ostiguy, Jonathan Bourdu)
Outstanding Character in a Photoreal Feature: Avatar: Fire and Ash; Varang: Leader of the Ash Clan (Stephen Clee, Stuart Adcock, Keven Norris, Joseph Kim)
Outstanding Effects Simulations in a Photoreal Feature: Avatar: Fire and Ash; Simulating Pandora (Nicholas Illingworth, Sarah C. Farmer, James Robinson, Ryan Bowden)
Outstanding Effects Simulations in an Animated Feature: KPop Demon Hunters (Filippo Maccari, Nikolaos Finizio, Daniel La Chapelle, Srdjan Milosevic)
Outstanding Effects Simulations in an Episode, Commercial, Game Cinematic, or Real-Time Project: Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age; The Big Freeze (Edward Ferrysienanda, Kevin Christensen, Guy Schuleman, Kevin Tarpinian)
Outstanding Compositing & Lighting in a Feature: F1: The Movie; Modern Race and POV Footage (Hugo Gauvreau, Chris Davies, Raushan Raj, Amaury Rospars)
Outstanding Compositing & Lighting in a Commercial: BMW; “Heart of Joy | Meet Okto the Octopus” (Alex Kulikov, Jack Harris, Adam Chabane, Nicola Borsari)
Outstanding Compositing & Lighting in an Episode: The Last of Us; “Through the Valley;” A Storm of Ice, Fire and Flesh (Tobias Wiesner, Mark Julien, Owen Longstaff, Brendan Naylor)
Outstanding Special (Practical) Effects in a Photoreal Project: Andor; “Who Are You?” (Luke Murphy, Dean Ford, Jody Eltham, Darrell Guyon)
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Student Project: Azimuth (Thomas Teisseire, Cassandre Cinier, Martin Bluy, Mathis Giraudeau)
Emerging Technology Award: Avatar: Fire and Ash; Kora Fire Toolset (Alexey Dmitrievich Stomakhin, John Edholm, Murali Ramachari, Aleksandr Isakov)
Outstanding CG Cinematography: Avatar: Fire and Ash (Steve Deane, AJ Briones, Zachary Brake, Andrew Moffett)
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Special Venue Project: The Wizard of Oz at Sphere (Ben Grossmann, Tamara Watts Ken, Dr. Irfan Essa, Matt Dougan, Glenn Derry)
Outstanding Model in a Photoreal or Animated Project: Avatar: Fire and Ash; The Windtraders’ Gondola (Michael Smale, Sam Sharplin, Joe W. Churchill, Jacqi Dillon)
Outstanding Visual Arts in a Real-Time Project: Ghost of Yōtei (Jason Connell, Matt Vainio, Joanna Wang, Jasmin Patr)
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Commercial: BMW; “Heart of Joy | Meet Okto the Octopus” (Tom Raynor, Helen Tang, Jack Harris, Alex Kulikov)
Outstanding Environment in a Photoreal Feature: Avatar: Fire and Ash; Bridgehead Industrial City (Gianluca Pizzaia, Steve Bevins, Dziga Kaiser, Zsolt Máté)
Outstanding Environment in an Animated Feature: Zootopia 2; Marsh Market (Limei Z. Hshieh, Alexander Nicholas Whang, Joshua Fry, Ryan DeYoung)
Outstanding Environment in an Episodic, Commercial, Game Cinematic, or Real-Time Project: Andor; “Welcome to the Rebellion;” The Senate District (John O’Connell, Falk Boje, Hasan Ilhan, Kevin George)

February 26, 2026 0 comments

Entertainment

Netflix-WBD Merger Faces Antitrust Scrutiny From Republican AGs, DOJ Probe Continues

by Julia Evans – Entertainment Editor February 25, 2026

written by Julia Evans – Entertainment Editor

A coalition of eleven Republican state attorneys general has formally requested a thorough federal antitrust review of Netflix’s proposed $83 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery’s (WBD) streaming and studio assets, as events increasingly point toward Paramount Global and David Ellison prevailing in their $108 billion hostile takeover bid for WBD.

In a letter addressed to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, the attorneys general expressed concerns that the Netflix-WBD merger would “likely result in undue market concentration that stifles competition and therefore creates higher prices, lower reliability, and less innovation for one of America’s major industries.” They urged the Department of Justice to conduct a rigorous review under the Clayton Act.

Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, in a separate press release, echoed these concerns, stating that such a large consolidation would place “an unprecedented amount of content, distribution power, and market influence into the hands of a single corporation.” He warned that industry dominance often leads to price increases, reduced consumer choice, and stifled innovation.

The letter was signed by the attorneys general of Alabama, Alaska, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, and West Virginia.

The increased scrutiny of Netflix’s bid comes days after the U.S. Department of Justice initiated a formal antitrust probe into the streaming giant, co-led by Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters. Simultaneously, Paramount CEO David Ellison was a guest of GOP lawmakers at President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address, a move that has drawn attention amid the ongoing battle for WBD.

While Sarandos has publicly maintained that Netflix does not hold a monopoly and that its primary competitor is YouTube, not other streamers, the political landscape surrounding the deal is becoming increasingly complex. Trump’s allies have largely refrained from criticizing a potential Paramount acquisition of WBD, a contrast to the vocal opposition directed at Netflix.

An offshoot of the Heritage Foundation, through its Project Netflix initiative, is actively working to derail the deal, alleging that Netflix is promoting a left-leaning social agenda through its content. Ellison was a guest of Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) at the State of the Union address.

Democrats have also voiced concerns regarding both the Netflix-WBD merger and a potential Paramount transaction. California Attorney General Rob Bonta has pledged a “full and robust review” of either deal. However, Washington-based Democrats have primarily focused their investigative efforts on Paramount and Ellison, with a group of senators recently requesting that Ellison preserve records and provide information regarding his contacts with the administration.

The scrutiny of Ellison’s political engagements, including his attendance at the State of the Union, stands in contrast to his previous statements last year indicating his intention to avoid “politicizing” the company.

Paramount and Netflix both declined to comment on the attorneys general’s letter. Paramount is scheduled to report its fourth-quarter earnings after market close on Wednesday, while Warner Bros. Discovery will release its financials on Thursday. Investor calls following both announcements are expected to provide further insight into the potential outcomes of the ongoing M&A process.

February 25, 2026 0 comments

Entertainment

Berlin Film Festival 2026: ‘No Good Men’ Opens Event – Full Lineup & Reviews

by Julia Evans – Entertainment Editor February 13, 2026

written by Julia Evans – Entertainment Editor

The 2026 Berlin International Film Festival commenced on February 12th with the world premiere of Afghan director Sharbanoo Sadat’s No Excellent Men. The film, a dramatic exploration of societal tensions, opened the festival in the German capital.

No Good Men, starring Sadat alongside Anwar Hashimi, Yasin Negah, Masihullah Tajzai, Torkan Omari, and Fatima Hassani, initially presents a seemingly straightforward narrative, but Deadline’s review indicates a shift towards darker themes. The publication notes the film “punches way above its weight,” beginning as a playful critique of the Taliban and Afghan government before delving into more serious unrest. The review suggests a narrative that explores the potential return of violent conflict.

This year’s festival boasts a lineup of highly anticipated premieres. Amy Adams stars in At the Sea, while Sandra Hüller takes the lead in Rose. Queen at Sea, featuring Juliette Binoche, Tom Courtenay, and Florence Hunt, is also generating significant buzz. Rosebush Pruning, starring Callum Turner and Riley Keough, adds to the roster of prominent films being showcased.

The festival’s opening also included a tribute to Michelle Yeoh, led by director Sean Baker, according to reports. Berlin Film Festival Head Tricia Tuttle has emphasized the importance of a selection that resonates with both the artistic and commercial aspects of the film industry, aiming for coherence between the festival’s different facets.

The opening day of the festival was not without its challenges, as passport control issues at Berlin Airport caused delays for attendees. The festival is scheduled to run through February 22nd, with Deadline promising ongoing coverage and reviews throughout its duration.

February 13, 2026 0 comments