Wellington's Wētā FX have lost out on taking home an Academy Award for their work on Marvel movie Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3.
The company had received a nomination in the Best Visual Effects category, for VFX Supervisor Guy Williams' work.
The award for Best Visual Effects went to the team from Japanese movie Godzilla Minus One.
It had created the colossal 3.5km wide Arête ship as well as a battle sequence in the film that required 18 separate shots to be stitched together to the soundtrack of Beastie Boys hit 'No Sleep Till Brooklyn'.
Williams told Newshub he was "somebody from the deep south who grew up playing in the dirt".
"Nothing but sophisticated people get to go somewhere like the Oscars."
The Mississippi-born, now honorary Kiwi, Williams has worked on the first Avengers and the third Iron Man.
He was Oscar-nominated for both.
"You're doing stuff that's insane," he recalled.
"For Guardians Three, you're making a giant ship out of ruby and steel. You're doing this giant oner that's 18 shots stitched into one."
Hundreds of digital artists worked across the entire project.
Earlier, Wētā FX's contribution to the Best Animated Short was nominated.
WAR IS OVER! took the Oscar with Peter Jackson getting a mention from the podium.
