Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film facts for kids

The Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film is a special Oscar given out each year. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) gives this award to the best short animated movie. This award has been part of the Academy Awards since 1932.

To be a "short" film, a movie must be 40 minutes or less, including the credits. Before the final movies are chosen, a list of 15 films is created. From that list, the final nominees are selected.

History of the Award

When the award started, it had a different name. From 1932 to 1970, it was called Short Subjects, Cartoons. Then, from 1971 to 1973, it was known as Short Subjects, Animated Films. The name we know today, Best Animated Short Film, was first used in 1974.

At first, the award was given to the movie's producer. Now, the rules say the Oscar goes to the person who was most responsible for the film's idea and creation. If two people were very important in making the film, they can both get an award.

For a long time, only American films were nominated. That changed in 1952 when a Canadian film, The Romance of Transportation in Canada, was nominated. The first film not in English to win was Ersatz (The Substitute) from Croatia in 1961.

Famous Winners and Studios

Some animators and studios have won this award many times. They are famous for creating amazing and memorable cartoons.

Walt Disney's Amazing Record

The very first winner of this award was Flowers and Trees by Walt Disney. Disney holds the record for the most nominations (39) and the most wins (12) in this category. He was a true pioneer in animation.

Classic Cartoons

Many classic cartoons you might know have won this Oscar.

• Tom and Jerry: This famous cat and mouse duo from MGM was nominated 13 times and won 7 Oscars.
• Looney Tunes: Characters like Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck starred in films that got 16 nominations and 5 wins for Warner Bros..

International Winners

Animation studios from around the world have also won this award.

• The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) has won 6 Oscars, the most for any studio outside the U.S.
• Nick Park from the United Kingdom has won three times. He is famous for creating Creature Comforts and the much-loved Wallace & Gromit series.

Highlights of Winners by Decade

Here are some of the exciting films that have won the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film over the years.

1930s: The Disney Era

Walt Disney dominated the 1930s. He won the award almost every year.

• 1931/32: Flowers and Trees - The first-ever winner and one of the first cartoons in color.
• 1932/33: Three Little Pigs - Famous for its catchy song, "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?"
• 1937: The Old Mill - This film used new technology, like the multiplane camera, to create a sense of depth.
• 1938: Ferdinand the Bull - A charming story about a bull who would rather smell flowers than fight.

1940s: Tom, Jerry, and Looney Tunes

The 1940s saw a lot of competition between big studios.

• 1940: The Milky Way - The first non-Disney film to win, made by MGM.
• 1943: The Yankee Doodle Mouse - A classic Tom and Jerry cartoon where they have a battle with fireworks.
• 1947: Tweetie Pie - The first film starring the characters Sylvester and Tweety Bird to win an Oscar.
• 1949: For Scent-imental Reasons - A funny Looney Tunes short featuring the romantic skunk, Pepé Le Pew.

1950s: New Styles of Animation

New and creative animation styles became popular in the 1950s.

• 1950: Gerald McBoing-Boing - A unique film about a boy who speaks in sound effects instead of words.
• 1952: Johann Mouse - Another Tom and Jerry winner, this time set in Vienna with beautiful music by Johann Strauss.
• 1953: Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom - A Disney film that taught the history of music in a fun, stylized way. It was the first cartoon filmed in widescreen.
• 1958: Knighty Knight Bugs - The only Bugs Bunny cartoon to win an Oscar, featuring Bugs as a knight of the Round Table.

1960s: Independent and International Films

The 1960s brought more wins for independent animators and international studios.

• 1961: Ersatz - The first winner from outside the United States, a film from Yugoslavia (now Croatia).
• 1963: The Critic - A hilarious film by Mel Brooks where an old man complains about an abstract cartoon.
• 1964: The Pink Phink - The very first cartoon starring the Pink Panther, which won an Oscar.
• 1968: Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day - A beloved Disney film that won an Oscar for Walt Disney after he had passed away.

1970s: Creative and Thought-Provoking Shorts

This decade featured films with deep messages and unique artistic styles.

• 1972: A Christmas Carol - A beautifully animated version of the classic story by Charles Dickens.
• 1974: Closed Mondays - A groundbreaking stop-motion film made with clay animation, created by Will Vinton.
• 1975: Great - A funny British film about the life of the famous engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel.
• 1977: The Sand Castle - A magical stop-motion film from Canada about sand creatures who build a castle.

1980s: Computer Animation and Global Talent

The 1980s saw the rise of computer animation and more winners from around the world.

• 1981: Crac - A beautiful Canadian film showing the life of a rocking chair and the family that owns it.
• 1986: Luxo Jr. - This film was nominated but didn't win. It was the first CGI film nominated for an Oscar and introduced the world to the bouncing lamp that became the logo for Pixar.
• 1987: The Man Who Planted Trees - An inspiring story about a shepherd who changes a barren landscape by planting trees.
• 1988: Tin Toy - A Pixar film that won the Oscar, paving the way for future CGI movies like Toy Story.

1990s: Aardman and Pixar Shine

This decade was marked by the success of Aardman Animations and Pixar.

• 1990: Creature Comforts - A hilarious film from Aardman Animations that used real interviews with people to give voices to clay-animated zoo animals.
• 1993: The Wrong Trousers - A famous Wallace & Gromit adventure that won an Oscar for its creator, Nick Park.
• 1995: A Close Shave - Another Oscar-winning Wallace & Gromit film, which introduced the character of Shaun the Sheep.
• 1997: Geri's Game - A charming Pixar short about an old man playing a game of chess against himself in the park.

2000s: The Digital Age

Digital animation became the standard, but many different styles were still celebrated.

• 2001: For the Birds - A funny Pixar short about a group of small birds on a telephone wire.
• 2003: Harvie Krumpet - An Australian clay-animated film about the strange and unlucky life of a man named Harvie.
• 2008: La Maison en Petits Cubes - A touching Japanese film about an old man who builds his house higher and higher to escape rising floodwaters.
• 2009: Logorama - A French film that created a whole world out of more than 2,000 corporate logos.

2010s: New Stories and Voices

The 2010s featured a wide range of emotional and creative stories.

• 2011: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore - A beautiful story about the healing power of books, inspired by Hurricane Katrina.
• 2012: Paperman - A Disney film that blended traditional and computer animation in a new way to tell a romantic story.
• 2015: Bear Story - The first Oscar winner from Chile, a sad but beautiful film about a bear who misses his family.
• 2018: Bao - A Pixar film about a Chinese-Canadian mother whose empty nest feelings are eased when one of her dumplings comes to life.

2020s: Modern Animation

The most recent decade continues to showcase incredible talent from around the globe.

• 2020/21: If Anything Happens I Love You - A powerful and emotional film about two parents grieving.
• 2022: The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse - Based on the popular book, this film tells a gentle story about friendship and kindness.
• 2023: War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko - A film with a strong anti-war message, set during World War I.

See also

In Spanish: Anexo:Óscar al mejor cortometraje animado para niños

• List of submissions for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film
• Academy Award for Best Animated Feature
• List of animation awards
• List of animated short films
• Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film
• List of Academy Awards for Walt Disney