The Academy has officially announced its 15 shortlisted films vying for the highly coveted Best Animated Feature Oscar. This year, through a dazzling array of animation techniques, from photorealistic CGI to hand-painted styles, stop-motion artistry, and good ol’ hand-drawn animation, the contenders really pay a tribute to the evolving art of animation that reflects the creative innovation of filmmakers worldwide.
Among the standout entries are Disney’s Inside Out 2, which pushes CGI realism to new heights, and Universal’s The Wild Robot, which blends hand-painted visuals with modern storytelling. Stop-motion gems such as Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and Memoir of a Snail bring tactile charm and emotional depth. Gints Zilbalodis’ Flow and The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim stand out as examples of hand-painted CGI in epic storytelling.
This year looks like one of the toughest in recent times, with both newcomers and established studios in the fray. Animation styles range from as wild as the stories themselves, making the road to the Oscars an exhilarating experience for all fans of the art.
The last three nominees will be announced on January 17, 2025, with the winner announced at the 97th Academy Awards
Here’s the full list of finalists:
