Visual Effects Society (VES) named actor-producer-director William Shatner as the forthcoming recipient of the VES Award for creative excellence, for his contributions to visual arts and filmed entertainment. The award will be presented at the 22nd Annual VES Awards on 21 February at The Beverly Hilton Hotel.
This VES Award bestowed by the VES board of directors, recognises individuals who have made significant and lasting contributions to the art and science of the VFX industry by uniquely and consistently creating compelling and creative imagery in service to the story. The society will honour Shatner, an Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning talent, for his work in the epic Star Trek film and TV franchise.
“William Shatner has been at the centre point of compelling stories that use visual effects to enhance unforgettable storytelling for decades, and his work has left an indelible mark on the cultural landscape,” said VES executive director Nancy Ward. “With his portrayal of Captain Kirk, Shatner is the originator of one of the most iconic science fiction characters in history and has boldly taken audiences to the final frontier. We are thrilled to honour William Shatner with the VES Award for creative excellence.”
Apart from being an actor, director, producer, writer, recording artist and horseman, Shatner is a philanthropist. He has won Emmys and a Golden Globe for his portrayal of eccentric lawyer Denny Crane on both The Practice and Boston Legal. He has received four additional Emmy nominations, as well as other Golden Globe and SAG Award nods.
In 1966, Shatner originated the role of Captain James T. Kirk in the sci-fi TV series Star Trek: The Original Series and returned as Captain Kirk in seven of the Star Trek movies. He is currently the host and executive producer of The UnXplained on The History Channel and has authored nearly 30 best-sellers in both the fiction and non-fiction genres. Shatner’s passion for music has resulted in ten albums from the Spoken Word, The Blues, Country and Alternative genres. He has been awarded stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Canada’s Walk of Fame.
Previous recipients of the VES Award for creative excellence include filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, creators-executive producers-writers-directors David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, VFX supervisor Sheena Duggal and VFX supervisor and DOP Robert Legato, ASC.
