MTV Video Music Award for Best Visual Effects

The MTV Video Music Award for Best Visual Effects 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. From 1984 to 2006, the award's full name was Best Special Effects in a Video, and after a brief removal in 2007, its name was shortened to Best Special Effects between 2008 and 2011. In 2012, the category acquired its current name.

The biggest winners are director Jim Blashfield, special effects artist Sean Broughton, executive producer Loris Paillier and production company GloriaFX, with two wins each. In terms of nominations, visual effects company Mathematic is the biggest nominee in the category's history (seven nominations). Closely following are GloriaFX and Ingenuity Studios (formerly Ingenuity Engine), each receiving a total of six nominations. Special effects supervisors David Yardley and Fred Raimondi, as well as the companies Pixel Envy (headed by the Brothers Strause) and BUF come in third place, with four nominations apiece.

The performer whose videos have won the most awards is Peter Gabriel, garnering three Moonmen. Meanwhile, Missy Elliott's videos have received the most nominations with six.

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

Recipients

1980s

Year	Winner(s)	Work	Nominees	Ref.
Template:Mtvvma	Template:Sort	"Rockit" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA1984">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Template:Sort, Kathy Dougherty and Peter Cohen	"Don't Come Around Here No More" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA1985">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Template:Sortname and Candace Reckinger	"Take On Me" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA1986">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Template:Sortname	"Sledgehammer" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA1987">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Template:Sort and Dave Barton	"Hourglass" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA1988">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Template:Sortname	"Leave Me Alone" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA1989">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>

1990s

Year	Winner(s)	Work	Nominees	Ref.
Template:Mtvvma	Template:Sortname	"Sowing the Seeds of Love" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA1990">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Template:Sort and Ralph Ziman	"Falling to Pieces" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA1991">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Template:Sort	"Even Better Than the Real Thing" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA1992">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Template:Sort and Colossal Pictures	"Steam" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA1993">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Template:Sortname and Angel Studios	"Kiss That Frog" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA1994">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Template:Sort	"Love Is Strong" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA1995">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Template:Sort	"Tonight, Tonight" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA1996">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Template:Sortname and Sean Broughton	"Virtual Insanity" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA1997">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Template:Sort, Dan Williams, Steve Hiam and Anthony Walsham	"Frozen" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA1998">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Template:Sort, Stuart D. Gordon and Paul Simpson of Digital Domain	"Special" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA1999">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>

2000s

Year	Winner(s)	Work	Nominees	Ref.
Template:Mtvvma	Template:Sort	"All Is Full of Love" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA2000">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Template:Sort, Audio Motion and Clear Post Production	"Rock DJ" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA2001">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Template:Sort and Twisted Labs	"Fell in Love with a Girl" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA2002">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Template:Sort	"Go with the Flow" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA2003">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Template:Sort, Chris Eckardt and Money Shots	"Hey Ya!" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA2004">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Template:Sort	"Feel Good Inc." Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA2005">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Template:Sort and Tonia Wallander	"We Run This" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA2006">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	colspan="5" Template:N/a
Template:Mtvvma	Template:Sort and Jonas & François	"Good Life" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA2008">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Template:Sort	"Paparazzi" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA2009">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>

2010s

Year	Winner(s)	Work	Nominees	Ref.
Template:Mtvvma	Template:Sort and Sam Stephens	"Uprising" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA2010">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Template:Sort for Dot & Effects	"E.T." Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA2011">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Template:Sort and Tony "Truand" Datis	"First of the Year (Equinox)" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA2012">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Template:Sort, Jonathan Wu and Derek Johnson	"Safe and Sound" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA2013">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Template:Sort	"The Writing's on the Wall" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA2014">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Template:Sort, GloriaFX, Tomash Kuzmytskyi and Max Chyzhevskyy	"Where Are U Now" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA2015">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Template:Sortname and GloriaFX	"Up&Up" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA2016">Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Template:Sort of Timber	"HUMBLE." Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name="VMA2017">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Loris Paillier at BUF Paris	"All the Stars" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Loris Paillier and Lucas Salton for BUF VFX	"Me!" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

2020s

Year	Winner(s)	Work	Nominees	Ref.
Template:Mtvvma	EIGHTY4 and Mathematic	"Physical" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Mathematic	"Montero (Call Me by Your Name)" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Cameo FX	"Industry Baby" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Parliament	"Anti-Hero" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Synapse Virtual Production, Louise Lee, Rich Lee, Metaphysic and Flawless Post	"Houdini" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Template:Mtvvma	Vania Heymann and Tal Baltuch	"Manchild" Template:Small	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>