Oscars 2023: Who is Dubliner Richard Baneham as he scoops ...

Irish animator Richard Baneham and his colleagues won big at the Oscars on Sunday night.

he now two-time Academy award-winning animator and his team collected the Oscar for special visual effects on blockbuster film Avatar: The Way of Water.

Mr Baneham, who is from Tallaght, has worked on some of the world’s biggest movie productions including The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, the Chronicles of Narnia and the Avatar franchise.

He studied the trade in Ballyfermot College of Further Education before moving to Los Angeles.

Mr Baneham also managed to sneak a bit of Gaeilge into his acceptance speech, opening with: “Go raibh míle maith agat to James Cameron whose artistic thumbprint is on every frame of this movie.

“We accept these awards on behalf of a very large crew. The effects stand on the shoulders of our actors, their performances are everything.”

The 49-year-old was animation supervisor on Avatar - the most financially successful film in cinema history.

Mr Baneham won big at the British Academy Film Awards last month, he also won the Bafta in 2010 and collected an Oscar in the same year for visual effects on the blockbuster film.

Culture Minister Catherine Martin took to social media to congratulate Mr Baneham and his colleagues.

She said: “Delighted for Richard & his entire family. He is a leader in his field, constantly breaking new ground in film-making.

“An inspiration to so many Irish young people particularly all at Ballyfermot College of Further Education.”

Screen Ireland also congratulated the Dubliner on his win, in a post online it said: “Richie Baneham - one of the world’s best VFX artists, and a prime example of Irish talent making an enormous impact on international film - wins an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.”

Ballyfermot College of Further Education said it was “absolutely over the moon for our grad Richie Baneham winning his second Oscar.”