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,
and production company GloriaFX with two wins each. In addition, GloriaFX is also the biggest
nominee in the award’s history, receiving six nominations between 2015 and 2017. Closely following
are special effects supervisors David Yardley and Fred Raimondi, as well as the company Pixel Envy
(headed by the Brothers Strause) and BUF, with four nominations each.
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.
MTV VIDEO MUSIC AWARD FOR BEST VISUAL EFFECTS:
1984
GODLEY AND CREME-
HERBIE HANCOCK “ROCKIT”
RICH LEE:
MAROON 5 “MAPS”
2018 -TOUR VISUALS