Ridley Scott To Receive Visual Effects Society Lifetime Achievement Award

The Visual Effects Society will honor Ridley Scott with its Lifetime Achievement Award at its 14th annual VES Awards on February 2 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

The award recognizes an outstanding body of work that has significantly contributed to the art and/or science of the visual effects industry.

“VES will honor Scott for his vision and dedication to storytelling that blends iconic visual effects and unforgettable narrative on an epic scale. Scott’s fiercely innovative direction of groundbreaking films including science fiction classics Blade Runner and Alien and the sweeping chronicle Gladiator, has given rise to a new era of storytelling and had a profound impact on future generations of filmmakers,” the organization said in its announcement.

Scott was actually tapped to receive the award last year, but there was “a scheduling conflict due to his film production schedule out of the country earlier this year,” a VES spokeswoman said. It’s also good timing for Scott with the major box office success of his current hit The Martian.

“Ridley Scott is a defining voice of the feature, broadcast and commercial forms, and a true master of his craft,” said Mike Chambers, VES Board Chair. “His vision and contribution to the art is incomparable and his impact upon the visual effects and technical fields is unparalleled. Ridley’s iconic films have entertained and inspired millions, and his oeuvre of groundbreaking work has been immensely influential. For this, and more, we are honored to award him with the prestigious Visual Effects Society Lifetime Achievement Award.”

Scott has received Academy Award nominations for Best Director for his work on Black Hawk Down, Gladiator, and Thelma & Louise. His other recent directorial credits include the features Exodus: Gods And Kings, Prometheus and The Counselor.