“Godzilla Minus One” director and VFX supervisor Takashi Yamazaki and two-time Emmy Award-winning actor and producer Hiroyuki Sanada will be honored at the 23rd Annual Visual Effects Society Awards on February 11 at the Beverly Hilton. Yamazaki receives the VES Visionary Award and Sanada receives the VES Award for Creative Excellence.

Considered one of Japan’s leading film directors, Yamazaki wrote, directed and most recently led the VFX team for Godzilla Minus One. This makes him the first director since Stanley Kubrick to win an Oscar for best visual effects. Godzilla Minus One is currently the third highest-grossing foreign language film in U.S. box office history at $56 million. Yamazaki’s award-winning films include “Always: Sunset on Third Street“”The eternal zero point” And “Stand by me, Doraemon.”

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The Visionary Award recognizes an individual who has “used the art and science of visual effects in a unique and consistent way to advance imagination and inspire future discovery through artistry, invention and groundbreaking work.” VES Chair Kim Davidson said: “ “Takashi Yamazaki is a renowned talent in Japanese cinema who accomplished a significant feat by becoming only the second director to win an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, revitalizing an iconic kaiju franchise in the process.” Yamazaki pioneered the use of visual effects to tell remarkable stories that captivate audiences and create unforgettable cinematic experiences.”

Yamazaki will make his Hollywood debut with Grandgear for Bad Robot and Sony Pictures. In addition to writing and directing the film, he will also serve as a producer alongside JJ Abrams and Glen Zipper.

The VES Award for Creative Excellence recognizes individuals who have made “significant and lasting contributions to the art and science of the VFX industry and cinematic entertainment.” The company will honor Sanada for his roles in Japanese and Hong Kong action and drama films for more than five decades, as well as his influence as a cultural ambassador for Japan. As a producer and actor on FX’s “Shōgun,” Sanada became the first Japanese actor to win a Primetime Emmy Award.

“Hiroyuki Sanada has been at the center of compelling cinematic stories for decades that use visual effects to enhance unforgettable storytelling,” said Davidson. “As a longtime consultant to Hollywood films to ensure authentic representations of Japanese history and the creative force behind the juggernaut drama Shōgun, Sanada’s work has left an indelible mark on the global cultural landscape.”

Over the course of his career spanning over 50 years, he has appeared in more than 70 films, including The Twilight Samuraian Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Language Film; and Hollywood films such as “John Wick: Chapter 4,” “The Last Samurai” and “Avengers: Endgame.” Most recently, Sanada starred in and produced Shōgun, for which he received Emmy Awards for Lead Actor in a Drama and Outstanding Drama Series. “Shōgun” holds the record for the most Emmy wins in a single year in history.

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