# List of accolades received by Avatar: The Way of Water

Avatar: The Way of Water is a 2022 American epic science fiction film directed by James Cameron from a screenplay he co-wrote with Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, with a story the trio wrote with Josh Friedman and Shane Salerno. Produced by Lightstorm Entertainment and TSG Entertainment, and distributed by 20th Century Studios, it is the sequel to Avatar (2009) and the second installment in the Avatar film series. The film stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, and Kate Winslet. It follows a blue-skinned humanoid Na'vi named Jake Sully (Worthington) as he and his family, under renewed human threat, seek refuge with the aquatic Metkayina clan of Pandora, a habitable exomoon on which they live.
Avatar: The Way of Water premiered in London on December 6, 2022, and was released in the United States on December 16. Produced on a budget of $350–460 million, The Way of Water grossed $2.320 billion, finishing its theatrical run as the highest-grossing film of 2022 and the third-highest-grossing film of all time. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 76% based on 449 reviews.
Avatar: The Way of Water garnered many awards and nominations in various categories with particular recognition for Cameron's direction as well as its musical score, visual effects, cinematography, production design, and sound effects. It received four nominations at the 95th Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The film won Best Visual Effects. At the 76th British Academy Film Awards, it was nominated for Best Sound, and won Best Special Visual Effects. The Way of Water received six nominations at the 28th Critics' Choice Awards and won Best Visual Effects.
Avatar: The Way of Water garnered two nominations at the 80th Golden Globe Awards. The film won two awards at the 50th Annie Awards. At the 21st Visual Effects Society Awards, it was nominated for fourteen awards, a record that surpassed the number of previous ones for film (Avatar) and television (The Mandalorian). The film won nine, including Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature. In addition, both the American Film Institute and the National Board of Review selected The Way of Water as one of the top ten films of 2022.

## Accolades

Accolades received by Avatar: The Way of Water :
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
| AACTA International Awards | February 24, 2023 | Best Film | Avatar: The Way of Water | Won | [14] [15] |
| AACTA International Awards | February 24, 2023 | Best Direction | James Cameron | Nominated | [14] [15] |
| AARP Movies for Grownups Awards | January 28, 2023 | Best Director | James Cameron | Nominated | [16] [17] |
| Academy Awards | March 12, 2023 | Best Picture | James Cameron and Jon Landau | Nominated | |
| Academy Awards | March 12, 2023 | Best Sound | Julian Howarth, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Dick Bernstein, Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers and Michael Hedges | Nominated | |
| Academy Awards | March 12, 2023 | Best Production Design | Production Design: Dylan Cole and Ben Procter; Set Decoration: Vanessa Cole | Nominated | |
| Academy Awards | March 12, 2023 | Best Visual Effects | Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, and Daniel Barrett | Won | |
| American Film Institute Awards | December 9, 2022 | Top 10 Films of the Year | Avatar: The Way of Water | Won | |
| Annie Awards | February 25, 2023 | Outstanding Achievement for Animated Effects in an Animated Production | Jonathan M. Nixon, David Moraton, Nicholas Illingworth, David Caeiro Cebrian, and Alex Nowotny | Won | |
| Annie Awards | February 25, 2023 | Outstanding Achievement for Character Animation in a Live Action Production | Daniel Barrett, Stuart Adcock, Todd Labonte, Douglas McHale, and Stephen Cullingford | Won | |
| Art Directors Guild Awards | February 18, 2023 | Excellence in Production Design for a Fantasy Film | Dylan Cole and Ben Procter | Nominated | |
| Artios Awards | March 9, 2023 | The Zeitgeist Award | Margery Simkin, Katrina Wandel George, Jasmine Gutierrez, and Sydney Shircliff | Nominated | |
| ASCAP Awards | May 15, 2023 | Film Score of the Year | Simon Franglen | Won | |
| Austin Film Critics Association Awards | January 10, 2023 | Best Cinematography | Russell Carpenter | Nominated | [24] [25] |
| Austin Film Critics Association Awards | January 10, 2023 | Best Voice Acting/Animated/Digital Performance | Stephen Lang | Nominated | [24] [25] |
| Austin Film Critics Association Awards | January 10, 2023 | Best Voice Acting/Animated/Digital Performance | Zoe Saldaña | Nominated | [24] [25] |
| Austin Film Critics Association Awards | January 10, 2023 | Best Voice Acting/Animated/Digital Performance | Sigourney Weaver | Nominated | [24] [25] |
| Black Reel Awards | February 6, 2023 | Outstanding Voice Performance | Zoe Saldaña | Won | [26] [27] |
| British Academy Film Awards | February 19, 2023 | Best Sound | Christopher Boyes, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Gary Summers, Michael Hedges, and Julian Howarth | Nominated | |
| British Academy Film Awards | February 19, 2023 | Best Special Visual Effects | Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, and Daniel Barrett | Won | |
| Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | December 14, 2022 | Best Art Direction/Production Design | Avatar: The Way of Water | Nominated | [29] [30] |
| Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | December 14, 2022 | Best Use of Visual Effects | Avatar: The Way of Water | Nominated | [29] [30] |
| Chinese American Film Festival | November 11, 2023 | Most Popular U.S. Film in China | Avatar: The Way of Water | Won | |
| Cinema Audio Society Awards | March 4, 2023 | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for a Motion Picture – Live Action | Julian Howarth, Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Michael Hedges, Simon Rhodes, Bill Higley, and Tavish Grade | Nominated | |
| Costume Designers Guild Awards | February 27, 2023 | Excellence in Sci-Fi/Fantasy Film | Deborah L. Scott | Nominated | |
| Critics' Choice Movie Awards | January 15, 2023 | Best Picture | Avatar: The Way of Water | Nominated | |
| Critics' Choice Movie Awards | January 15, 2023 | Best Director | James Cameron | Nominated | |
| Critics' Choice Movie Awards | January 15, 2023 | Best Cinematography | Russell Carpenter | Nominated | |
| Critics' Choice Movie Awards | January 15, 2023 | Best Editing | Stephen Rivkin, David Brenner, John Refoua, and James Cameron | Nominated | |
| Critics' Choice Movie Awards | January 15, 2023 | Best Production Design | Dylan Cole, Ben Procter, and Vanessa Cole | Nominated | |
| Critics' Choice Movie Awards | January 15, 2023 | Best Visual Effects | Avatar: The Way of Water | Won | |
| Critics' Choice Super Awards | March 16, 2023 | Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Movie | Avatar: The Way of Water | Nominated | |
| Critics' Choice Super Awards | March 16, 2023 | Best Actress in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Movie | Zoe Saldaña | Nominated | |
| Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards | December 19, 2022 | Best Cinematography | Russell Carpenter | Won | |
| Dorian Awards | February 23, 2023 | Visually Striking Film of the Year | Avatar: The Way of Water | Nominated | |
| Florida Film Critics Circle Awards | December 22, 2022 | Best Visual Effects | Avatar: The Way of Water | Won | |
| Georgia Film Critics Association Awards | January 13, 2023 | Best Production Design | Dylan Cole, Ben Procter, and Vanessa Cole | Nominated | [39] [40] |
| Golden Globe Awards | January 10, 2023 | Best Motion Picture – Drama | Avatar: The Way of Water | Nominated | |
| Golden Globe Awards | January 10, 2023 | Best Director | James Cameron | Nominated | |
| Golden Reel Awards | February 26, 2023 | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Sound Effects and Foley for Feature Film | Christopher Boyes, David Chrastka, Dave Whitehead, Hayden Collow, Matt Stutter, Brent Burge, Craig Tomlinson, Dee Selby, Dan O'Connell, and John Cucci | Nominated | [42] [43] |
| Golden Trailer Awards | October 6, 2022 | Best Fantasy Adventure | "The Beginning" (JAX) | Nominated | [44] [45] |
| Golden Trailer Awards | October 6, 2022 | Best Original Score | "The Beginning" (JAX) | Nominated | [44] [45] |
| Golden Trailer Awards | June 29, 2023 | Best Music | "Strong Heart" (JAX) | Nominated | [46] [47] |
| Golden Trailer Awards | June 29, 2023 | Best Fantasy Adventure TV Spot (for a Feature Film) | "Adapt" (Wild Card) | Nominated | [46] [47] |
| Golden Trailer Awards | June 29, 2023 | Best Digital – Fantasy Adventure | "Great Strength" (Tiny Hero) | Nominated | [46] [47] |
| Golden Trailer Awards | June 29, 2023 | Best Digital – Fantasy Adventure | "Journey" (Tiny Hero) | Won | [46] [47] |
| Golden Trailer Awards | June 29, 2023 | Best Action/Thriller TrailerByte for a Feature Film | "Journey Through Pandora" (Tiny Hero) | Won | [46] [47] |
| Golden Trailer Awards | June 29, 2023 | Best BTS/EPK for a Feature Film (Over 2 Minutes) | "Acting in the Volume" (Mob Scene) | Nominated | [46] [47] |
| Guild of Music Supervisors Awards | March 5, 2023 | Best Music Supervision in a Trailer – Film | Anny Colvin | Nominated | |
| Hollywood Critics Association Awards | February 24, 2023 | Best Picture | Avatar: The Way of Water | Nominated | [49] [50] |
| Hollywood Critics Association Awards | February 24, 2023 | Best Director | James Cameron | Nominated | [49] [50] |
| Hollywood Critics Association Awards | February 24, 2023 | Best Voice or Motion-Capture Performance | Zoe Saldaña | Nominated | [49] [50] |
| Hollywood Critics Association Creative Arts Awards | February 24, 2023 | Best Cinematography | Russell Carpenter | Nominated | [49] [50] |
| Hollywood Critics Association Creative Arts Awards | February 24, 2023 | Best Production Design | Dylan Cole, Ben Procter, and Vanessa Cole | Nominated | [49] [50] |
| Hollywood Critics Association Creative Arts Awards | February 24, 2023 | Best Sound | Christopher Boyes, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Dick Bernstein, Gary Summers, Michael Hedges, and Julian Howarth | Nominated | [49] [50] |
| Hollywood Critics Association Creative Arts Awards | February 24, 2023 | Best Visual Effects | Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, and Daniel Barrett | Won | [49] [50] |
| Hollywood Critics Association Midseason Awards | July 1, 2022 | Most Anticipated Film | Avatar: The Way of Water | Nominated | [51] [52] |
| Hollywood Music in Media Awards | November 16, 2022 | Best Original Score in a Sci-Fi/Fantasy Film | Simon Franglen | Won | |
| Hollywood Music in Media Awards | November 16, 2022 | Best Original Song in a Feature Film | Simon Franglen and Zoe Saldaña for "Song Chord" | Nominated | |
| Hollywood Music in Media Awards | November 16, 2022 | Song/Score — Trailer | Simon Franglen for "Trailer" | Nominated | |
| Hollywood Professional Association Awards | November 28, 2023 | Outstanding Visual Effects – Feature Film | Chris Edgen, Nick Epstein, Wayne Stables, Pavani Rao Boddapati, and Sergei Nevshupov (Weta FX) | Won | |
| Hollywood Professional Association Awards | November 28, 2023 | Outstanding Visual Effects – Feature Film | David Vickery, Lee Briggs, Jan Maroske, Steve Ellis, and Miguel Perez-Senent (Industrial Light & Magic) | Nominated | |
| Houston Film Critics Society Awards | February 18, 2023 | Best Cinematography | Russell Carpenter | Nominated | [55] [56] |
| Houston Film Critics Society Awards | February 18, 2023 | Best Visual Effects | Avatar: The Way of Water | Won | [55] [56] |
| Hugo Awards | October 18–22, 2023 | Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form | James Cameron, Rick Jaffa, and Amanda Silver | Nominated | |
| ICG Publicists Awards | March 10, 2023 | Maxwell Weinberg Publicists Showmanship Motion Picture Award | Avatar: The Way of Water | Nominated | [58] [59] |
| Imagen Awards | December 3, 2023 | Best Actress – Feature Film | Zoe Saldaña | Won | |
| International Film Music Critics Association Awards | February 23, 2023 | Film Score of the Year | Simon Franglen | Nominated | [61] [62] |
| International Film Music Critics Association Awards | February 23, 2023 | Film Music Composition of the Year | Simon Franglen for "Leaving Home (Hometree)" | Won | [61] [62] |
| International Film Music Critics Association Awards | February 23, 2023 | Best Original Score for a Fantasy/Science Fiction/Horror Film | Simon Franglen | Won | [61] [62] |
| Ivor Novello Awards | May 18, 2023 | Best Original Film Score | Simon Franglen | Nominated | [63] [64] |
| Japan Academy Film Prize | March 10, 2023 | Outstanding Foreign Language Film | Avatar: The Way of Water | Nominated | [65] [66] |
| Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards | December 11, 2022 | Best Production Design | Dylan Cole and Ben Proctor | Won | |
| Lumiere Awards | February 10, 2023 | Best Feature Film – Live Action | Avatar: The Way of Water | Won | |
| Lumiere Awards | February 10, 2023 | Voices For The Earth Award | Avatar: The Way of Water | Won | |
| MTV Movie & TV Awards | May 7, 2023 | Best Movie | Avatar: The Way of Water | Nominated | |
| National Board of Review Awards | December 8, 2022 | Top Ten Films | Avatar: The Way of Water | Won | |
| New York Film Critics Online Awards | December 11, 2022 | Top Films of the Year | Avatar: The Way of Water | Won | |
| Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards | March 4, 2023 | Favorite Movie | Avatar: The Way of Water | Nominated | |
| Online Film Critics Society Awards | January 23, 2023 | Best Production Design | Avatar: The Way of Water | Nominated | [73] [74] |
| Online Film Critics Society Awards | January 23, 2023 | Best Visual Effects | Avatar: The Way of Water | Won | [73] [74] |
| Online Film Critics Society Awards | January 23, 2023 | 3D Effects Design | Avatar: The Way of Water | Won | [73] [74] |
| Producers Guild of America Awards | February 25, 2023 | Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures | Jon Landau and James Cameron | Nominated | [75] [76] |
| The ReFrame Stamp | March 1, 2023 | 2022 Top 100-Grossing Narrative Feature Recipients | Avatar: The Way of Water | Won | |
| San Diego Film Critics Society Awards | January 6, 2023 | Best Cinematography | Russell Carpenter | Nominated | [78] [79] |
| San Diego Film Critics Society Awards | January 6, 2023 | Best Editing | David Brenner, James Cameron, John Refoua, Stephen Rivkin, and Ian Silverstein | Nominated | [78] [79] |
| San Diego Film Critics Society Awards | January 6, 2023 | Best Sound Design | Avatar: The Way of Water | Nominated | [78] [79] |
| San Diego Film Critics Society Awards | January 6, 2023 | Best Visual Effects | Avatar: The Way of Water | Won | [78] [79] |
| Satellite Awards | March 3, 2023 | Best Motion Picture, Drama | Avatar: The Way of Water | Nominated | [80] [81] |
| Satellite Awards | March 3, 2023 | Best Director | James Cameron | Won | [80] [81] |
| Satellite Awards | March 3, 2023 | Best Cinematography | Russell Carpenter | Nominated | [80] [81] |
| Satellite Awards | March 3, 2023 | Best Production Design | Dylan Cole and Ben Procter | Nominated | [80] [81] |
| Satellite Awards | March 3, 2023 | Best Sound | Dick Bernstein, Christopher Boyes, Michael Hedges, Julian Howarth, Gary Summers, and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle | Nominated | [80] [81] |
| Satellite Awards | March 3, 2023 | Best Visual Effects | Richie Baneham, Dan Barrett, Joe Letteri, and Eric Saindon | Won | [80] [81] |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | February 26, 2023 | Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture | Avatar: The Way of Water | Nominated | |
| Saturn Awards | February 4, 2024 | Best Science Fiction Film | Avatar: The Way of Water | Won | [83] [84] |
| Saturn Awards | February 4, 2024 | Best Actor | Sam Worthington | Nominated | [83] [84] |
| Saturn Awards | February 4, 2024 | Best Actress | Zoe Saldaña | Nominated | [83] [84] |
| Saturn Awards | February 4, 2024 | Best Supporting Actor | Stephen Lang | Nominated | [83] [84] |
| Saturn Awards | February 4, 2024 | Best Performance by a Younger Actor | Jack Champion | Nominated | [83] [84] |
| Saturn Awards | February 4, 2024 | Best Director | James Cameron | Won | [83] [84] |
| Saturn Awards | February 4, 2024 | Best Writing | James Cameron, Rick Jaffa, and Amanda Silver | Won | [83] [84] |
| Saturn Awards | February 4, 2024 | Best Production Design | Dylan Cole and Ben Proctor | Nominated | [83] [84] |
| Saturn Awards | February 4, 2024 | Best Editing | Stephen Rivkin, David Brenner, John Refoua, and James Cameron | Nominated | [83] [84] |
| Saturn Awards | February 4, 2024 | Best Music | Simon Franglen | Nominated | [83] [84] |
| Saturn Awards | February 4, 2024 | Best Costume Design | Bob Buck and Deborah Scott | Nominated | [83] [84] |
| Saturn Awards | February 4, 2024 | Best Special Effects | Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, and Daniel Barrett | Won | [83] [84] |
| Seattle Film Critics Society Awards | January 17, 2023 | Best Action Choreography | Avatar: The Way of Water | Nominated | [85] [86] |
| Seattle Film Critics Society Awards | January 17, 2023 | Best Cinematography | Russell Carpenter | Nominated | [85] [86] |
| Seattle Film Critics Society Awards | January 17, 2023 | Best Visual Effects | Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, and Daniel Barrett | Won | [85] [86] |
| Set Decorators Society of America Awards | February 14, 2023 | Best Achievement in Decor/Design of a Science Fiction or Fantasy Feature Film | Dylan Cole, Ben Procter, and Vanessa Cole | Nominated | [87] [88] |
| St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Awards | December 18, 2022 | Best Action Film | Avatar: The Way of Water | Nominated | [89] [90] |
| St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Awards | December 18, 2022 | Best Visual Effects | Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, and Daniel Barrett | Won | [89] [90] |
| St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Awards | December 18, 2022 | Best Production Design | Dylan Cole and Ben Procter | Nominated | [89] [90] |
| Visual Effects Society Awards | February 15, 2023 | Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature | Richard Baneham, Walter Garcia, Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon, and J. D. Schwalm | Won | |
| Visual Effects Society Awards | February 15, 2023 | Outstanding Animated Character in a Photoreal Feature | Anneka Fris, Rebecca Louise Leybourne, Guillaume Francois, and Jung-Rock Hwang for "Kiri" | Won | |
| Visual Effects Society Awards | February 15, 2023 | Outstanding Created Environment in a Photoreal Feature | Ryan Arcus, Lisa Hardisty, Paul Harris, and TaeHyoung David Kim for "Metkayina Village" | Nominated | |
| Visual Effects Society Awards | February 15, 2023 | Outstanding Created Environment in a Photoreal Feature | Jessica Cowley, Joe W. Churchill, Justin Stockton, and Alex Nowotny for "The Reef" | Won | |
| Visual Effects Society Awards | February 15, 2023 | Outstanding Effects Simulations in a Photoreal Feature | Miguel Perez Senent, Xaxier Martin Ramirez, David Kirchner, and Ole Geir Eidsheim for "Fire and Destruction" | Nominated | |
| Visual Effects Society Awards | February 15, 2023 | Outstanding Effects Simulations in a Photoreal Feature | Jonathan M. Nixon, David Moraton, Nicolas Illingworth, and David Caeiro Cebrian for "Water Simulations" | Won | |
| Visual Effects Society Awards | February 15, 2023 | Outstanding Compositing and Lighting in a Feature | Miguel Santana Da Silva, Hongfei Geng, Jonathan Moulin, and Maria Corcho for "Landing Rockets Forest Destruction" | Nominated | |
| Visual Effects Society Awards | February 15, 2023 | Outstanding Compositing and Lighting in a Feature | Sam Cole, Francois Sugny, Florian Schroeder, and Jean Matthews for "Water Integration" | Won | |
| Visual Effects Society Awards | February 15, 2023 | Outstanding Virtual Cinematography in a CG Project | Richard Baneham, Dan Cox, Eric Reynolds, and A.J Briones | Won | |
| Visual Effects Society Awards | February 15, 2023 | Outstanding Model in a Photoreal or Animated Project | Sam Sharplin, Stephen Skorepa, Ian Baker, and Guillaume Francois for "The Sea Dragon" | Won | |
| Visual Effects Society Awards | February 15, 2023 | Outstanding Special (Practical) Effects in a Photoreal or Animated Project | J. D. Schwalm, Richie Schwalm, Nick Rand, and Robert Spurlock for "Current Machine and Wave Pool" | Won | |
| Visual Effects Society Awards | February 15, 2023 | Emerging Technology Award | Dejan Momcilovic, Tobias B. Schmidt, Benny Edlund, and Joshua Hardgrave for "Depth Comp" | Nominated | |
| Visual Effects Society Awards | February 15, 2023 | Emerging Technology Award | Byungkuk Choi, Stephen Cullingford, Stuart Adcock, and Marco Revelant for "Facial System" | Nominated | |
| Visual Effects Society Awards | February 15, 2023 | Emerging Technology Award | Alexy Dmitrievich Stomakhin, Steve Lesser, Sven Joel Wretborn, and Douglas McHale for "Water Toolset" | Won | |
| Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards | December 12, 2022 | Best Motion Capture Performance | Sam Worthington | Nominated | |
| Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards | December 12, 2022 | Best Motion Capture Performance | Sigourney Weaver | Nominated | |
| Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards | December 12, 2022 | Best Motion Capture Performance | Zoe Saldaña | Won | |
| World Soundtrack Awards | October 21, 2023 | Discovery of the Year | Simon Franglen | Won | |