A History of the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature

Though it is one of the newest categories at the Academy Awards, the Oscar for Best Animated Feature has been awarded to several indisputable classics. Joining the lineup of awards in 2002 for films released in 2001, the inclusion of the Best Animated Feature Film category was long overdue. Animated films had been overlooked by the Academy for decades.

Despite adding the category decades ago, the Academy still doesn’t quite understand the complexities of animation. Reflecting Western views of the medium, there is usually a heavy bias towards family-friendly films. More subversive animated movies usually secure few votes or are snubbed altogether. When the Academy gets it right, though, the category really shines.

The indisputable Best Animated Feature winners are often fine enough to deserve Best Picture nods too. Though many are family movies, they still transcend the medium and highlight the best of what animation has to offer. The pinnacle of the Best Animated Feature category is not only a showcase of its medium, but a platform for pure imagination.

Notable Winners

Encanto (2021)

Disney always maintains a reputation as a powerhouse in animation, but the studio has missed the target a few times in the 2020s. Encanto is no miss, and the charming fantasy story concerns a family in the mountains of Colombia that possess magical gifts. The film underperformed upon initial release, but immediately found success on streaming.

Encanto strolled to an indisputable Best Animated Feature win, and there wasn’t much standing in its way. The movie’s catchy music and stunning visuals were just icing on the cake that was the well-crafted story. It hearkens back to Disney’s heyday, when the studio understood exactly how to make the most appealing animated film possible.

Soul (2020)

There was a lot going on in the world when Pixar released Soul in 2020, and audiences weren’t ready for a pensive animated film. It tells the story of a middle-school band teacher who travels to the other side to discover the meaning of passion. The jazz-inspired gem got great reviews, but was a huge bomb because of the pandemic.

The Academy actually got it right when awarding Soul Best Animated Feature, and it’s one of the few noteworthy animated films from that year. It’s arguably the richest story that Pixar has ever told. Soul is still being discovered more than five years later, and it’s only a matter of time before it is accepted as a Pixar classic.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

Marvel’s Spider-Man has fared quite well at the movies, but Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was a new high point for the comic book icon. Teenager Miles Morales is learning the ropes of his newfound powers when he meets his counterpart from another dimension. Sony’s animation allowed Spider-Man to swing off the screen with absolutely amazing visuals.

Cruising to an indisputable Academy Award win, Into the Spider-Verse illustrated exactly why the medium is so powerful. It has quirky charm, great music, and spectacular action, and it possesses a style that is only possible through animation. Animated or not, the 2018 smash-hit is one of Spider-Man’s best cinematic ventures.

Coco (2017)

Despite not having much competition at the Oscars in 2017, Coco would have been a shoo-in for Best Animated Feature in most years. Set in Mexico, the story follows young Miguel who travels to the underworld to seek help from his deceased relative. Though steeped in Mexican culture, Coco has a universal appeal that pushed it to blockbuster success.

The traditional Day of the Dead imagery is heightened by Disney’s signature flair, and the movie leans heavily on its music. Coco has some of the best tunes in recent Disney history, and it even snagged a second Oscar for Best Original Song. Though the whole film is indisputably great, it’s Coco’s heart-wrenching moments that elevate it to classic status.

Inside Out (2015)

Pixar’s movie about feelings was bound for success, and Inside Out is a film that executes on every level. Joy is in charge of the emotions of a girl named Riley, and she must go on a whirlwind journey through Riley’s mind as the pre-teen experiences change. After a slump from Pixar, Inside Out was a return to form.

If Inside Out didn’t exist, all the other films nominated for Best Animated Feature could have won. However, the Pixar flick was simply too good to be denied. The voice performances are brilliant, and they help bring the emotional weight of the story home. Pixar is a studio noted for its boundless imagination, and that was reiterated by Inside Out.

WALL-E (2008)

There was some stiff competition in the Best Animated Feature category in 2008, but WALL-E’s win was indisputable. In the distant future, a lonely robot is left to clean up a deserted Earth. When he discovers plant life, he goes on an unexpected adventure. Through visual storytelling alone, WALL-E crafts one of cinema’s most entertaining opening half hours.

The Best Animated Feature award was fitting, but WALL-E also deserved some Best Picture attention. It’s not just one of the best animated films ever made, but one of the best movies of the 21st century. It checks all the boxes for a conventional Western animated film, but also blows many of its live-action counterparts out of the water.

Ratatouille (2007)

Pixar absolutely dominated the 2000s, and Ratatouille was yet another deserving win for the animation studio. A rat with culinary ambitions befriends a hapless cook, and together they capture the food world by storm. The brilliance of Ratatouille is how complex it is despite never forgetting to be a family-friendly animated comedy.

Winning over both critics and audiences, the foodie movie had an easy path to a deserved Best Animated Feature Oscar. It’s a film about dreams and craft, and has many layers which develop into more apparent upon subsequent rewatches. Nearly 20 years on, Ratatouille remains one of the most slyly subversive and clever movies that Pixar has ever produced.

The Incredibles (2004)

Pixar left their mark on the superhero genre years before the MCU made them inescapable, and The Incredibles is still a top-10 superhero film. With superheroes in hiding, Bob Parr and his family must unretire in order to save the world. As other animated films leaned into contemporary humor, The Incredibles opted for a timeless approach.

With its retrofuturistic design, cheeky laughs, and bona fide action, it’s no wonder that The Incredibles was a hit with audiences. But its Best Animated Feature win came from its deft storytelling and interesting themes about aging and family. The Incredibles beat Shrek 2 for the Oscar prize, but the former has aged much better than the latter.

Finding Nemo (2003)

The first 10 films in Pixar’s catalog are all certified classics, but Finding Nemo holds a special place in many hearts. A precocious clown fish hopes to escape the watchful eye of his overprotective father, but finds the outside world is a scary place. A perfect film from the first frame, Finding Nemo is the personification of animated cinema magic.

Only the third film to win Best Animated Feature, there was nothing standing between Finding Nemo and the prize. Pixar delivered their most elegant film to date, and the underwater world is filled with whimsy. Beneath everything, Finding Nemo is the engrossing story of a father and son relationship. Indisputable doesn’t even begin to describe the movie’s Oscar win.

Spirited Away (2001)

Studio Ghibli is the most famous animation studio outside the U.S., and Spirited Away is their magnum opus. A girl must operate for a magical amusement park after her parents are turned into pigs, and she discovers a world of wonder. The hand-drawn art is some of the best ever seen on film, and it’s the pinnacle of 2D animation.

2001 was a big year for animation, but Spirited Away’s Best Animated Feature win is the most indisputable in the award’s history. It was the first time that Academy broke away from conventional family-friendly fare, but that’s not to say Hayao Miyazaki’s masterpiece isn’t for everyone. The Academy Awards doesn’t always get it right, but in 2001, they did.