O Oscar de melhores efeitos visuais é um dos prêmios cinematográficos entregue anualmente pela Academia de Artes e Ciências Cinematográficas para a melhor realização em efeitos visuais em um filme.

O primeiro prêmio a reconhecer as contribuições técnicas dos efeitos especiais nos filmes ocorreu na primeira cerimônia do Oscar em 1929, com o nome de "Melhor Engenharia de Efeitos". Ele só voltou a ser entregue dez anos depois com o nome de "Prêmio de Realização Especial para Efeitos Especiais", porém não era um prêmio competitivo. No ano seguinte foi renomeado para "Melhores Efeitos Especiais" e era entregue também para especialistas em efeitos sonoros, porém certas vezes a Academia escolhia premiar diretamente um filme ao invés de indicar dois ou mais. A partir de 1965 ele passou a ser entregue apenas para técnicos de efeitos especiais e em 1966 foi renomeado novamente agora para "Melhores Efeitos Visuais Especiais". Entre 1973 e 1978 não houve um prêmio específico para efeitos e geralmente eram entregues Oscars de Realização Especiais. A partir de então a categoria foi reintroduzida com seu nome atual.

Vencedores e indicados

Década de 1940 1940 - The Rains Came 1941 - The Thief of Bagdad 1942 - I Wanted Wings 1943 - Reap the Wild Wind 1944 - Crash Dive 1945 - Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo 1946 - Wonder Man 1947 - Blithe Spirit 1948 - Green Dolphin Street 1949 - Portrait of Jennie

Década de 1950 1950 - Mighty Joe Young 1951 - Destination Moon 1952 - When Worlds Collide 1953 - Plymouth Adventure 1954 - The War of the Worlds 1956 - The Bridges at Toko-Ri 1957 - The Ten Commandments 1958 - The Enemy Below 1959 - Tom Thumb

Década de 1960 Ano Filme Recipiente(s) 1960 Ben-Hur A. Arnold Gillespie, Milo B. Lory e Robert MacDonald Journey to the Center of the Earth L. B. Abbott, Carl Faulkner e James B. Gordon 1961 The Time Machine Tim Baar e Gene Warren The Last Voyage Augie Lohman 1962 The Guns of Navarone Vivian C. Greenham e Bill Warrington The Absent-Minded Professor Eustace Lycett e Robert A. Mattey 1963 The Longest Day Robert MacDonald e Jacques Maumont Mutiny on the Bounty A. Arnold Gillespie e Milo B. Lory 1964 Cleopatra Emil Kosa, Jr. The Birds Ub Iwerks 1965 Mary Poppins Peter Ellenshaw, Hamilton Luske e Eustace Lycett 7 Faces of Dr. Lao Jim Danforth 1966 Thunderball John Stears The Greatest Story Ever Told J. McMillan Johnson 1967 Fantastic Voyage Art Cruickshank Hawaii Linwood G. Dunn 1968 Doctor Dolittle L. B. Abbott Tobruk Howard A. Johnson, Jr. e Albert Whitlock 1969 2001: A Space Odyssey Stanley Kubrick Ice Station Zebra J. McMillan Johnson e Hal Millar

Década de 1970 Ano Filme Recipiente(s) 1970 Marooned Robbie Robertson Krakatoa, East of Java Eugène Lourié e Alex Weldon 1971 Tora! Tora! Tora! L. B. Abbott e A. D. Flowers Patton Alex Weldon 1972 Bedknobs and Broomsticks Danny Lee, Eustace Lycett e Alan Maley When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth Jim Danforth e Roger Dicken 1973 The Poseidon Adventure L. B. Abbott e A. D. Flowers 1975 Earthquake Frank Brendel, Glen Robinson e Albert Whitlock 1976 The Hindenburg Glen Robinson e Albert Whitlock 1977 King Kong Carlo Rambaldi, Glen Robinson, Frank Van der Veer Logan's Run L. B. Abbott, Glen Robinson e Matthew Yuricich 1978 Star WarsRobert Blalack, John Dykstra, Richard Edlund, Grant McCune e John Stears Close Encounters of the Third Kind Roy Arbogast, Gregory Jein, Douglas Trumbull, Matthew Yuricich e Richard Yuricich 1979 Superman

Década de 1980 Ano Filme Recipientes 1980 Alien Nick Allder, Dennis Ayling, H. R. Giger, Brian Johnson e Carlo Rambaldi The Black Hole Moonraker John Evans, Derek Meddings e Paul Wilson 1941 Gregory Jein, A. D. Flowers e William A. Fraker Star Trek: The Motion Picture John Dykstra, Grant McCune, David K. Stewart, Robert Swarthe, Douglas Trumbull e Richard Yuricich 1981 The Empire Strikes Back Richard Edlund, Brian Johnson, Dennis Muren e Bruce Nicholson 1982 Raiders of the Lost Ark Richard Edlund, Joe Johnston, Bruce Nicholson e Kit West Dragonslayer Brian Johnson, Dennis Muren, Ken Ralston e Phil Tippett 1983 E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial Dennis Muren, Carlo Rambaldi e Kenneth F. Smith Blade Runner David Dryer, Douglas Trumbull e Richard Yuricich Poltergeist Richard Edlund, Bruce Nicholson e Michael Wood 1984 Return of the Jedi Richard Edlund, Dennis Muren, Ken Ralston e Phil Tippett 1985 Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom George Gibbs, Michael J. McAlister, Dennis Muren e Lorne Peterson Ghostbusters John Bruno, Richard Edlund, Chuck Gaspar e Mark Vargo 2010 Richard Edlund, George Jenson, Neil Krepela e Mark Stetson 1986 Cocoon David Berry, Scott Farrar, Ralph McQuarrie e Ken Ralston Return to Oz Michael Lloyd, Zoran Perisic, Will Vinton e Ian Wingrove Young Sherlock Holmes David W. Allen, John Ellis, Dennis Muren e Kit West 1987 Aliens Suzanne Benson, John Richardson, Robert Skotak e Stan Winston Little Shop of Horrors Lyle Conway, Bran Ferren e Martin Gutterridge Poltergeist II: The Other Side John Bruno, Richard Edlund, William Neil e Garry Waller 1988 Innerspace William George, Harley Jessup, Dennis Muren e Kenneth F. Smith Predator Richard Greenberg, Robert M. Greenberg, Joel Hynek e Stan Winston 1989 Who Framed Roger Rabbit George Gibbs, Edward Jones, Ken Ralston e Richard Williams Die Hard Brent Boates, Al DiSarro, Richard Edlund e Thaine Morris Willow Chris Evans, Michael McAlister, Dennis Muren e Phil Tippett

Década de 1990 Ano Filme Recipientes 1990 The Abyss John Bruno, Dennis Muren, Dennis Skotak e Hoyt Yeatman The Adventures of Baron Munchausen Richard Conway e Kent Houston Back to the Future Part II John Bell, Steve Gawley, Michael Lantieri e Ken Ralston 1991 Total Recall Rob Bottin, Eric Brevig, Alex Funke e Tim McGovern 1992 Terminator 2: Judgment Day Dennis Muren, Robert Skotak, Gene Warren, Jr. e Stan Winston Backdraft Scott Farrar, Allen Hall, Clay Pinney e Mikael Salomon Hook Eric Brevig, Harley Jessup, Michael Lantieri e Mark Sullivan 1993 Death Becomes Her Doug Chiang, Ken Ralston, Doug Smythe e Tom Woodruff, Jr. Alien³ Richard Edlund, George Gibbs, Alec Gillis e Tom Woodruff, Jr. Batman Returns Craig Barron, John Bruno, Michael Fink e Dennis Skotak 1994Jurassic ParkMichael Lantieri, Dennis Muren, Phil Tippett e Stan WinstonCliffhangerJohn Bruno, Pamela Easley, Neil Krepela e John RichardsonThe Nightmare Before ChristmasGordon Baker, Pete Kozachik, Eric Leighton e Ariel Velasco Shaw1995Forrest GumpAllen Hall, George Murphy, Ken Ralston e Stephen RosenbaumThe MaskTom Bertino, Jon Farhat, Scott Squires e Steve WilliamsTrue LiesJohn Bruno, Thomas L. Fisher, Patrick McClung e Jacques Stroweis1996BabeScott E. Anderson, John Cox, Charles Gibson e Neal ScanlanApollo 13Leslie Ekker, Michael Kanfer, Robert Legato e Matt Sweeney1997Independence DayVolker Engel, Clay Pinney, Douglas Smith e Joseph ViskocilDragonheartScott Squires, James Straus, Phil Tippett e Kit WestTwisterJohn Frazier, Stefen Fangmeier, Henry La Bounta e Habib Zargarpour1998TitanicThomas L. Fisher, Michael Kanfer, Mark Lasoff e Robert LegatoThe Lost World: Jurassic ParkRandal M. Dutra, Michael Lantieri, Dennis Muren e Stan WinstonStarship TroopersScott E. Anderson, Alec Gillis, Phil Tippett e John Richardson1999What Dreams May ComeNicholas Brooks, Joel Hynek, Kevin Mack e Stuart RobertsonArmageddonJohn Frazier, Richard R. Hoover e Patrick McClungMighty Joe YoungRick Baker, Allen Hall, Jim Mitchell e Hoyt Yeatman

Década de 2000 Ano Filme Recipientes 2000The MatrixSteve Courtley, John Gaeta, Janek Sirrs e Jon ThumStar Wars Episode I: The Phantom MenaceRob Coleman, John Knoll, Dennis Muren e Scott SquiresStuart LittleEric Allard, Henry F. Anderson III, Jerome Chen e John Dykstra 2001GladiatorTim Burke, Neil Corbould, John Nelson e Stan ParksHollow ManScott E. Anderson, Craig Hayes, Stan Parks e Scott StokdykThe Perfect StormWalt Conti, Stefen Fangmeier, John Frazier e Habib Zargarpour 2002The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the RingJim Rygiel, Mark Stetson, Richard Taylor e Randall William CookA.I. Artificial IntelligenceScott Farrar, Michael Lantieri, Dennis Muren e Stan WinstonPearl HarborEric Brevig, John Frazier, Ed Hirsh e Ben Snow 2003The Lord of the Rings: The Two TowersAlex Funke, Joe Letteri, Jim Rygiel e Randall William CookSpider-ManJohn Dykstra, John Frazier, Anthony LaMolinara e Scott StokdykStar Wars: Episode II – Attack of the ClonesRob Coleman, Pablo Helman, John Knoll e Ben Snow 2004The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the KingAlex Funke, Joe Letteri, Jim Rygiel e Randall William CookMaster and Commander: The Far Side of the WorldStefen Fangmeier, Nathan McGuinness, Robert Stromberg e Dan SudickPirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black PearlTerry Frazee, Charles Gibson, Hal Hickel e John Knoll 2005Spider-Man 2John Dykstra, John Frazier, Anthony LaMolinara e Scott StokdykHarry Potter and the Prisoner of AzkabanTim Burke, Bill George, Roger Guyett e John RichardsonI, RobotAndrew R. Jones, Joe Letteri, Erik Nash e John Nelson 2006King KongJoe Letteri, Christian Rivers, Richard Taylor e Brian Van't HulThe Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the WardrobeJim Berney, Scott Farrar, Bill Westenhofer e Dean WrightWar of the WorldsRandal M. Dutra, Pablo Helman, Dennis Muren e Daniel Sudick 2007Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's ChestCharles Gibson, Allen Hall, Hal Hickel e John KnollPoseidonJohn Frazier, Chas Jarrett, Kim Libreri e Boyd ShermisSuperman ReturnsNeil Corbould, Richard R. Hoover, Mark Stetson e Jon Thum 2008The Golden CompassMichael Fink, Ben Morris, Bill Westenhofer e Trevor WoodPirates of the Caribbean: At World's EndCharles Gibson, John Frazier, Hal Hickel e John KnollTransformersScott Benza, Russell Earl, Scott Farrar e John Frazier 2009The Curious Case of Benjamin ButtonEric Barba, Craig Barron, Burt Dalton e Steve PreegThe Dark KnightChris Corbould, Nick Davis, Paul Franklin e Tim WebberIron ManShane Mahan, John Nelson, Ben Snow e Dan Sudick

Década de 2010