This announcement was made by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on the 23rd (local time) when they revealed the nominees for this year's awards. The only other director to win the Visual Effects award was Stanley Kubrick for "2001: A Space Odyssey" at the 41st Academy Awards held in 1969. If Yamazaki wins, it will be the second time in history a director has received this award, 55 years after Kubrick.

"Godzilla-1.0" made it to the shortlist of ten films announced last December, and this month, Director Yamazaki traveled to the U.S. to participate in the "Bake Off" on the 13th (local time), where the nominees for the Visual Effects award were decided. The film, known for its high-level VFX techniques combined with classic filming methods unique to the production company "Shirogumi," was well-received at the venue.

The film celebrates the 70th anniversary of the monster "Godzilla," which has captivated and shocked audiences worldwide since its first appearance in 1954. As the 30th live-action Godzilla film produced in Japan and the first in the Reiwa era, it was released on November 3 last year, known as "Godzilla Day" to commemorate the release date of the first film. As of January 21, over 80 days, the film attracted 3.48 million viewers in Japan and earned over 5.45 billion yen in box office revenue.

In North America, the film was released on December 1 and exceeded $51.89 million (approximately 7.67 billion yen at the current exchange rate) in box office revenue over 52 days until January 21, surpassing $100 million in global box office revenue, including Japan. Starting January 26, a monochrome version "Godzilla-1.0/C" will be released in North America for a limited one-week engagement. The film has been nominated for numerous awards internationally, including the Critics' Choice Awards' Best Foreign Language Film, sweeping multiple film awards and raising expectations for a historic win at the 96th Academy Awards.

Following the nomination announcement, Director Takashi Yamazaki expressed his surprise and happiness, stating, "I never imagined I would be involved with the Oscars. I didn't expect it when we made Godzilla, so I'm very happy. It feels like a new door has opened."