MTV Video Music Award for Best Visual Effects

MTV Video Music Award for Best Visual Effects
Awarded for	visual effects
Country	United States
Presented by	MTV
First awarded	1984
Last awarded	2015
Official website	VMA website

The MTV Video Music Award for Best Visual Effects in a Video is a craft award given to the artist, the artist's manager, and the visual effects artists and/or visual effects company of the music video. Prior to the 2012 awards to category was named Best Special Effects in a Video, with the award going to those responsible for the bringing together the special effects in the video (directors, special effects supervisors, artists and/or companies).

The biggest winners are director Jim Blashfield and special effects artist Sean Broughton with two each. The most nominated are special effects supervisors David Yardley and Fred Raimondi, as well as the company Pixel Envy (headed by the Brothers Strause) with four nominations each. The performer whose videos have won the most awards is Peter Gabriel, garnering three Moonmen. However, Missy Elliott's videos have received the most nominations with six.

No performer has won a Moonman in this category for their work on the video's effects. However, David Byrne (Burning Down the House) and Adam Jones (Prison Sex) have been nominated for their work on their video's effects.

Recipients

Year	Winner(s)	Work	Performer(s)	Nominees	Ref.
1984	Godley & Creme	"Rockit"	Herbie Hancock	"Burning Down the House" – David Byrne and Julia Hayward (performed by Talking Heads) "Dancing with Myself" – Eric Critchley (performed by Billy Idol) "Hyperactive!" – David Yardley (performed by Thomas Dolby) "You Might Think" – Charlex (performed by The Cars)
1985	Tony Mitchell, Kathy Dougherty and Peter Cohen	"Don't Come Around Here No More"	Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers	"Go Insane" – David Yardley (performed by Lindsey Buckingham) "It's a Miracle" – David Yardley (performed by Culture Club) "Run to You" – Cinebuild (performed by Bryan Adams) "Slow Dancing" – David Yardley (performed by Lindsey Buckingham)
1986	Michael Patterson and Candace Reckinger	"Take On Me"	a-ha	"Burning House of Love" – Daniel Kleinman (performed by X) "Money for Nothing" – Ian Pearson (performed by Dire Straits) "Rough Boy" – Max Anderson and Chris Nibley (performed by ZZ Top) "Sex as a Weapon" – Daniel Kleinman and Richard Uber (performed by Pat Benatar)
1987	Peter Lord	"Sledgehammer"	Peter Gabriel	"Big Time" – Peter Wallach (performed by Peter Gabriel) "The Boy in the Bubble" – Jim Blashfield (performed by Paul Simon) "Land of Confusion" – Jim Yukich and John Lloyd (performed by Genesis) "Missionary Man" – Willy Smax (performed by Eurythmics)
1988	Jim Francis and Dave Barton	"Hourglass"	Squeeze	"Got My Mind Set on You" – John McCallum (performed by George Harrison) "Need You Tonight/Mediate" – Lynn Maree Milburn (performed by INXS) "Touch of Grey" – Gary Gutierrez (performed by Grateful Dead) "When We Was Fab" – Chris Lyons (performed by George Harrison)
1989	Jim Blashfield	"Leave Me Alone"	Michael Jackson	"I Wish U Heaven" – Maury Rosenfeld and Fred Raimondi (performed by Prince) "Oh Daddy" – Joey Ahlbum (performed by Adrian Belew) "Wild, Wild West" – Nicholas Brandt and Bridget Blake-Wilson (performed by The Escape Club)
1990	Jim Blashfield	"Sowing the Seeds of Love"	Tears for Fears	"Cradle of Love" – Peter Moyer (performed by Billy Idol) "Opposites Attract" – Michael Patterson (performed by Paula Abdul) "We Didn't Start the Fire" – Chris Blum (performed by Billy Joel)
1991	David Faithfull and Ralph Ziman	"Falling to Pieces"	Faith No More	"Crazy" – Big TV! (performed by Seal) "Do the Bartman" – Brad Bird (performed by Bart Simpson) "Here Comes the Hammer" – Fred Raimondi and Maury Rosenfeld (performed by MC Hammer) "I've Got You Under My Skin" – Pitov (performed by Neneh Cherry) "When It Began" – Carl Bressler and Paul Rachman (performed by The Replacements)
1992	Simon Taylor	"Even Better Than the Real Thing"	U2	"Black or White (Short Version)" – Jamie Dixon (performed by Michael Jackson) "Let's Get Rocked" – Ian Pearson (performed by Def Leppard) "She's Mad" – Carlos Arguello and Michele Ferrone (performed by David Byrne)
1993	Real World Productions and (Colossal) Pictures	"Steam"	Peter Gabriel	"Livin' on the Edge" – Cream Cheese Productions (performed by Aerosmith) "She Kissed Me" – Michel Gondry (performed by Terence Trent D'Arby) "Shock to the System" – Stan Winston (performed by Billy Idol)
1994	Brett Leonard and Angel Studios	"Kiss That Frog"	Peter Gabriel	"Amazing" – Cream Cheese Films and Video Image (performed by Aerosmith) "Human Behaviour" – Michel Gondry (performed by Björk) "Prison Sex" – Adam Jones (performed by Tool)
1995	Fred Raimondi	"Love Is Strong"	The Rolling Stones	"Army of Me" – BUF (performed by Björk) "Scream" – Kevin Tod Haug, Alexander Frisch, Ashley Clemens, Richard 'Dr.' Baily, Jay Johnson and P. Scott Makela (performed by Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson) "Waterfalls" – Peter Conn and Chris Mitchell (performed by TLC)
1996	Chris Staves	"Tonight, Tonight"	The Smashing Pumpkins	"Free as a Bird" – Johnny Senered, Kristen Johnson and Ben Gibbs (performed by The Beatles) "Tha Crossroads" – Cameron Noble (performed by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony) "Walking Contradiction" – Jefferson Wagner and Brian Boles (performed by Green Day)
1997	Jonathan Glazer and Sean Broughton	"Virtual Insanity"	Jamiroquai	"The Beautiful People" – D.A.V.E. and Panic & Bob (performed by Marilyn Manson) "The End Is the Beginning Is the End" – Chris Staves, Nigel Randall, Edson Williams and the Brothers Strause (performed by The Smashing Pumpkins) "Men in Black" – Paul Griffin, Alan Rosenfield and Wade Howie (performed by Will Smith) "Novocaine for the Soul" – Ashley Clemens (performed by Eels)
1998	Steve Murgatroyd, Dan Williams, Steve Hiam and Anthony Walsham	"Frozen"	Madonna	"Come to Daddy" – Chris Cunningham, Glassworks, Red and Creature FX (performed by Aphex Twin) "Everlong" – Paul Sokol and Chris W. (performed by Foo Fighters) "Pink" – Kevin Yagher (performed by Aerosmith) "Push It" – Sebasten Caudron (performed by Garbage)
1999	Sean Broughton, Stuart D. Gordon and Paul Simpson of Digital Domain	"Special"	Garbage	"Freak on a Leash" – Matt Beck, Edson Williams and the Brothers Strause (performed by Korn) "Joints & Jam" – Brian Beletic and Todd Somodivilla (performed by The Black Eyed Peas) "Miami" – Eric Swenson, Andrea Mansour and Simon Mowbray (performed by Will Smith) "Nothing Really Matters" – Johan Renck, Bjorn Benckert and Tor-Bjorn Olsson (performed by Madonna) "What's It Gonna Be?!" – Fred Raimondi (performed by Busta Rhymes (featuring Janet Jackson))
2000	Glassworks	"All Is Full of Love"	Björk	"Californication" – Pixel Envy (performed by Red Hot Chili Peppers) "Everything Is Everything" – Method Studios (performed by Lauryn Hill) "I Disappear" – Asylum Visual Effects (performed by Metallica) "Pumping on Your Stereo" – Jim Henson's Creature Shop (performed by Supergrass)
2001	Carter White FX, Audio Motion and Clear Post Production	"Rock DJ"	Robbie Williams	"Elevation (Tomb Raider Mix)" – Pixel Envy and Chris Watts (performed by U2) "Get Ur Freak On" – Glenn Bennett (performed by Missy Elliott) "Weapon of Choice" – Ben Gibbs (performed by Fatboy Slim)
2002	Sebastian Fau and Twisted Labs	"Fell in Love with a Girl"	The White Stripes	"Alive" – Pixel Envy (performed by P.O.D.) "Black Suits Comin' (Nod Ya Head)" – Pixel Envy (performed by Will Smith) "One Minute Man" – Nathan McGuinness and Marc Varisco (performed by Missy Elliott (featuring Ludacris and Trina))
2003	Nigel Sarrag	"Go with the Flow"	Queens of the Stone Age	"Floetic" – Base 2 Studios (performed by Floetry) "Seven Nation Army" – BUF (performed by The White Stripes) "There There" – John Williams and Dave Lea (performed by Radiohead) "Work It" – Realm Productions (performed by Missy Elliott)
2004	Elad Offer, Chris Eckardt and Money Shots	"Hey Ya!"	OutKast	"Float On" – Christopher Mills and Revolver Film Company (performed by Modest Mouse) "The Hardest Button to Button" – Richard de Carteret, Angus Kneale and Dirk Greene (performed by The White Stripes) "Megalomaniac" – Jake Banks, Matt Marquis and Stardust Studios (performed by Incubus) "Walkie Talkie Man" – Angus Kneale, Jamie Scott and The Mill (performed by Steriogram)
2005	Passion Pictures	"Feel Good Inc."	Gorillaz	"Lose Control" – Radium (performed by Missy Elliott (featuring Ciara and Fatman Scoop)) "Number One Spot" – 20Twenty (performed by Ludacris) "Speed of Sound" – A52 (performed by Coldplay) "Vertigo" – Jam Abelenet (performed by U2) "The Widow" – Artificial Army (performed by The Mars Volta)
2006	Louis Mackall and Tonia Wallander	"We Run This"	Missy Elliott	"The Adventure" – Jack Effects (performed by Angels & Airwaves) "Hell Yes" – Hammer & Tongs (performed by Beck) "Life Wasted" – Fernando Apodaca (performed by Pearl Jam) "Original of the Species" – John Leamy and Lawrence Nimrichter (performed by U2)
2007	—	—	—	—
2008	SoMe and Jonas & François	"Good Life"	Kanye West (featuring T-Pain)	"Bleed It Out" – David Lebensfeld and Adam Catino (performed by Linkin Park) "Ching-a-Ling/Shake Your Pom Pom" – Les Umberger (performed by Missy Elliott) "Honey" – X1 FX (performed by Erykah Badu) "Violet Hill" – Asa Mader (performed by Coldplay)
2009	Chimney Pot	"Paparazzi"	Lady Gaga	"Paranoid" – Wizardflex and Ghost Town Media (performed by Kanye West (featuring Mr Hudson)) "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" – VFX Effects and Louis Mackall V (performed by Beyoncé) "We Made You" – Ingenuity Engine (performed by Eminem) "Who's Gonna Save My Soul" – Gradient Effects and Image Metrics (performed by Gnarls Barkley)
2010	Humble and Sam Stephens	"Uprising"	Muse	"21st Century Breakdown" – Laundry (performed by Green Day) "Bad Romance" – Skulley Effects VFX (performed by Lady Gaga) "Not Afraid" – Animaholics-VFX (performed by Eminem) "Symphonies" – Corinne Bance and Axel D’Harcourt (performed by Dan Black)
2011	Jeff Dotson for Dot & Effects	"E.T."	Katy Perry (featuring Kanye West)	"Don't Turn the Lights On" – The Mill (performed by Chromeo) "Power" – Nice Shoes and ArtJail (performed by Kanye West (featuring Dwele)) "Simple Math" – DANIELS (performed by Manchester Orchestra) "Waiting for the End" – Ghost Town Media (performed by Linkin Park)
2012	Deka Brothers and Tony "Truand" Datis	"First of the Year (Equinox)"	Skrillex	"Burn It Down" – Ghost Town Media (performed by Linkin Park) "Turn Me On" – Alex Frisch, Joe Harkins, Scott Metzger and Vico Sharabani (performed by David Guetta (featuring Nicki Minaj)) "Where Have You Been" – BAKED FX (performed by Rihanna) "Wide Awake" – Ingenuity Engine (performed by Katy Perry)
2013	Grady Hall, Jonathan Wu and Derek Johnson	"Safe and Sound"	Capital Cities	"Breakn' a Sweat" – RADICAL FRIEND (performed by Skrillex (featuring The Doors)) "It's You" – Royal Post / Paris (performed by Duck Sauce) "Tiny Tortures" – Dustin Bowser (performed by Flying Lotus) "Wicked Games" – Drop and Abel (performed by The Weeknd)
2014	1stAveMachine	"The Writing's on the Wall"	OK Go	"Grab Her!" – Mathematic and Emile Sornin (performed by Disclosure) "Lazaretto" – Mathematic and Jonas & François (performed by Jack White) "Rap God" – Rich Lee, Louis Baker, Mammal Studios, Laundry! and Sunset Edit (performed by Eminem) "Turn Down for What" – DANIELS and Zak Stoltz (performed by DJ Snake and Lil Jon)
2015	Brewer, GloriaFX, Tomash Kuzmytskyi and Max Chyzhevskyy	"Where Are U Now"	Skrillex and Diplo (featuring Justin Bieber)	"Bad Blood" – Ingenuity Studios (performed by Taylor Swift (featuring Kendrick Lamar)) "Fucking Young/Death Camp" – GloriaFX (performed by Tyler, The Creator) "Telegraph Ave." – GloriaFX (performed by Childish Gambino) "Two Weeks" – GloriaFX, Tomash Kuzmytskyi and Max Chyzhevskyy (performed by FKA Twigs)