New Zealand creatives have dominated two of the biggest categories in this year’s Academy Awards. Both Kiwi costume designer Kate Hawley and the team from Wellington’s Wētā FX have won in their respective categories – Costuming and Visual Effects. Hawley has snagged one of the early wins at the 98th Academy Awards for her work on monster movie Frankenstein. Hawley previously won the Bafta weeks earlier, and this was her first nomination and win for an Academy Award. “We are so grateful to the Academy for recognising our craft,” an emotional Hawley said, while on stage accepting the award. Wētā FX’s Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon and Daniel Barrett have also accepted the award on behalf of the Wētā FX team. This brings the total number of Awards won by Wētā FX to eight, with the group long considered to be at the forefront of visual effects in the industry. Kate Hawley accepts the Costume Design award for Frankenstein onstage during the 98th Oscars at Dolby Theatre on March 15, 2026 in Hollywood, California. Photo / Getty Images “We are overwhelmed with gratitude and deeply honoured to receive the Visual Effects award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for our work on Avatar: Fire and Ash,” the group said. “To be recognised by the Academy is something we never take lightly. This award represents years of passion, risk, collaboration, and an unwavering belief in what cinema can achieve when artistry and technology move together in service of story.” First-time nominee Amy Madigan has won Best Supporting Actress for her work in the horror film Weapons. And for only the seventh time in Oscars history, there was also a tie, which came in the Best Live Action Short category. This afternoon, the Herald is bringing you all the latest updates and answering your burning questions in our live blog. Follow along to find out – and be sure to share your comments below. (function(n){function c(t,i){n[e](h,function(n){var r,u;if(n&&(r=n[n.message?"message":"data"]+"",r&&r.substr&&r.substr(0,3)==="nc:")&&(u=r.split(":"),u[1]===i))switch(u[2]){case"h":t.style.height=u[3]+"px";return;case"scrolltotop":t.scrollIntoView();return}},!1)}for(var t,u,f,i,s,e=n.addEventListener?"addEventListener":"attachEvent",h=e==="attachEvent"?"onmessage":"message",o=n.document.querySelectorAll(".live-center-embed"),r=0;r',c(t.firstChild,i)))})(window);