The Visual Effects Society has named J.J. Abrams as the latest recipient of its annual Visionary Award, presented to artists who use special and visual effects to “foster imagination and ignite future discoveries by way of artistry, invention and groundbreaking work.” Abrams will receive the award at the Society’s 13th annual award ceremony in February, taking a night off from his busy schedule of reimagining, rethinking, and rebranding the film franchises of the ’60s and ’70s to pick up his reward for creativity.
The award—presented in previous years to Christopher Nolan, Ang Lee, and Alfonso Cuarón—recognizes Abrams’ clever use of visual effects to aid storytelling and world-building, without singling out any particular visual effect or Photoshop filter whose profile the producer and director might happened to have raised, possibly to the point of becoming a long-running meme or recurring joke, in the public consciousness.