Peter Jackson’s four Middle Earth film was granted seven nominations, including a double nomination for animated character. The VES awards are often a strong harbinger for the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, so looking closely at the nominees, we see the chief competition is between The Hobbit and second-most nominated films The Avengers and Life of Pi.

Nomination Tallies

(7) The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
(6) The Avengers, Life of Pi
(5) ParaNorman
(4) Brave
(3) Prometheus, Rise of the Guardians

The Nominations

Best Visual Effects in an Effects-Driven Film

The Avengers
Battleship
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Life of Pi
Prometheus

Best Supporting Visual Effects

Argo
Flight
The Impossible
Rust and Bone
Zero Dark Thirty

Best Animation in an Animated Feature

Brave
Hotel Transylvania
ParaNorman
Rise of the Guardians
Wreck-It Ralph

Best Animated Character in a Live Action Film

The Avengers – The Hulk
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – Goblin King
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – Gollum
Life of Pi – Richard Parker

Best Animated Character in an Animation Film

Brave – Argument
Hotel Transylvania – Dracula
The Pirates: Band of Misfits
Wreck-It Ralph – Vanellope

Best Created Environment in a Live Action Film

The Avengers – Midtown Manhattan
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – Goblin Caverns
Life of Pi – Open Ocean
Prometheus – LV-233

Best Created Environment in an Animated Feature

Brave – The Forest
ParaNorman – Graveyard
ParaNorman – Main Street
Rise of the Guardians – The North Pole

Best Models

The Avengers – Helicarrier
The Impossible – Orchid Hotel
Men in Black 3 – Cape Canaveral / Apollo Launch
The Dark Knight Rises – Airplane Heist

Best Compositing

The Avengers – Hulk Punch
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Life of Pi – Storm God
Prometheus – Engineers & The Orrery

Best Virtual Cinematography in a Live Action Film

The Amazing Spider-Man
The Avengers – Downtown Manhattan
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Total Recall – Hover Car Chase

Best FX and Simulation Animation in an Live Action Film

Battleship
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Life of Pi – Ocean
Life of Pi – Storm of God

Best FX and Simulation Animation in an Animated Feature

Brave
ParaNorman – Practical Volumetrics
ParaNorman – Angry Aggie Ink-Blot Electricity
Rise of the Guardians – Last Stand

Visual Effects Society Data

First Awards: 2002 (11)