DNEG Wins 7th Oscar for India as Dune: Part Two Shines in VFX

Namit Malhotra, the Executive Producer of the DNEG and owner of the Prime Focus company, has triumphed at the Academy Awards after winning for Best Visual Effects in Animation with the film Ramayana.

The award ceremony in Los Angeles last night saw the 97th Academy's Outstanding Achievement for visual Effects Integration award at the Oscars muscles was bestowed unto DNEG for their exceptional work on Dune: Part Two alongside the other numerous awards that worth consideration.

DNEG VFX superintendents, accompanied by production VFX supervisor Paul Lambert and special effects supervisor Gerd Nefzer, Stephen James and Rhys Salcombe accepted the award together.

Supervisors of the Best Visual Effects “Dune: Part Two”, pose for photo journalists in the forwards room at the 2025 Oscars on March 2 at the Dolby Theater where they set out with their Golden Statue of Walt Disneyland. (Picture: AP)

DNEG state that the reproducing of visual images of three dimensional objects and scenes is diligently handled by professionals who have attained vast experience. The Rogers plus trophy marked the compny’s eighth oscar since 2011 and accompanied the award for Visual Effects in Dune: Part One (2022), Tenet during the year of 2021, First Man of 2019, and more.

DNEG Group Founder and CEO Namit Malhotra stated: “DNEG having done the Visual Effects for Dune: Part Two has won an Oscar which is a huge reward and another milestone in the journey. DNEG having done it for 2011 and claiming illegitimate Oscars, my deepest appreciation goes to Denis Villeneuve and Paul Lambert, Greig Fraser, Mary Parent, and a lot of other people at Legendary and Warner Brothers for all the opportunities of putting the story on the screen again and again. And thanks belong to the thousands of DNEG artists, technicians, and all the support staff who are equally honored for this victory.”

With the pioneering Dune: Part Two special effects, DNEG was awarded best special visual effects at the 2025 EE BAFTA Film Awards and also clinched an Oscar.

DNEG claimed 4 trophies at the 23rd Annual Visual Effects Society Awards held last month, rendering the Dune: Part Two VFX work worthy of mid-year praising from festivals. It also won this year’s Critics Choice Award for Best Visual Effects as well as Best Visual Effects and Best Film Visual/Special effects at the Hollywood Creative Alliance Astra Awards and the Saturn Awards. The studio was also awarded in the Visual Effects category at the American Cinematheque event ‘Tribute to the Crafts’ this year.

This accolade, along with the sweeping DNEG recognition for work on Dune: Part Two throughout the 2025 awards season, further solidifies the studio’s standing as the leading visual effects and animation partner for filmmakers across the globe.

Rhys Salcombe, DNEG's VFX Supervisor for Dune: Part Two stated, “I am excited that the team managed to win an Oscar award for visual effects this year. This is all due to the dedication and talent poured into the project and honors the skill and craft of hundreds of artists and technicians across the globe who worked on the project. This year's competition was especially strong, and I would like to commend the other nominees for what we all know was great work. It was a pleasure to be in your company.”

Stephen James, DNEG VFX Supervisor for Dune: Part Two, stated, “For this film, I want to extend my gratitude to all who contributed as it would be more accurate to describe this project as a work of art! As expansive as the film was, it was touching and emotionally engaging at the same time. This has, without a doubt, been the greatest experience of my entire career: working with highly skilled professionals on Dune: Part Two, and receiving an acclaim from the Academy is beyond exhilarating.”

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