Best Animated Feature 2026 Oscar Race

Hello and welcome,

The Oscars are tonight!

I know my awards season coverage—and myself, for that matter—has been… well, nonexistent. Real life always seems to get in the way of talking about Hollywood patting itself on the back (I know, I wish it weren’t so). Apparently, my professors think homework is more important than tracking precursor awards.

Nonetheless, I can’t let the Oscars happen without giving you my thoughts on what will win this Sunday—or, more accurately, who I think will win. That’s as much a part of the Oscars for me as turkey is on Thanksgiving.

As what has become a tradition, this blog is dedicated to only one category: Best Animated Feature. However, if you want to know my predictions for all 24 categories (yes, it’s really 24), check out my new episode of “In The Mind of Mr. Bee.”

This year, the Best Animated Feature category for most of the season looked like a lock for one movie. With the other four, the only hope of winning would require a few highly unlikely scenarios—though some are more likely than others—but the race is not over until the envelope is opened.

As I have done before, I will talk about the movies from least likely to win to the most probable winner. With that out of the way, let’s begin.

Little Amélie or the Character of Rain

I can see a small chance of an upset here, but it’s very small. The film has been nominated almost everywhere but has rarely won. Its only notable wins are the Utah Critics Awards and the LA Critics Awards. Those groups have a hit-or-miss record when it comes to predicting the Oscars, so I don’t think it will be Little Amélie or the Character of Rain’s year.

The newer Academy membership might help it a little, but probably not by much.

Arco

Both Arco and Little Amélie or the Character of Rain probably have an equal shot at winning, but I will give the edge to Arco because it won Best Independent Feature at the Annie Awards.

That award has only predicted the Oscar winner once. Last year may have been a fluke, or it may be the start of a new bellwether. Your guess is as good as mine.

Elio

One thing I have learned in all my years following and covering the Oscars is that it’s not wise to bet against Pixar. Out of the 24 years that this award has been presented, they have won 11 times.

At this point, Pixar basically has a reserved parking spot at the Dolby Theatre.

But I don’t think Pixar will add a 12th Oscar to their shelf this year.

The movie seems to be nominated everywhere, but without many wins—in fact, none. At the Annie Awards, it received 10 nominations but won nothing.

The odds are just not in Elio’s favor. But it’s Pixar, so you can’t completely write it off. And yes, before you ask, that’s the only reason I have it ranked this high.

Zootopia 2

It’s also not wise to bet against Disney Animation. Between Disney and Pixar hold the majority of the Best Animated Feature Oscars.

But it doesn’t look like it will be their year.

However, if there is going to be an upset, it would most likely be this one. The film has been nominated almost everywhere and even won the BAFTA. Of course, KPop Demon Hunters was ineligible there, and the BAFTA voters are often off in Britain doing their own thing, so their winners don’t always line up with the Oscars.

Another problem for Zootopia 2 is that the Academy doesn’t like sequels—unless your name happens to be Toy Story.

KPop Demon Hunters

Let’s be honest—this is probably going to win.

It has won or at least been nominated everywhere (BAFTA notwithstanding), including Critics' Choice, the Golden Globes, and the PGA. At the Annie Awards, it won 10 out of 10.

I just don’t see how it could lose.

I have seen three out of the five nominated movies, and if I were voting (assuming only these nominees), I would personally give it to Zootopia 2. It’s just that good—possibly even better than the first one—and it is the only movie in 2025 that I saw twice in theaters.

However, my Academy membership card must be lost in the mail.

Or maybe it’s stuck behind a Pixar Oscar somewhere… who knows.

Enjoy the Oscars tonight!

Goodnight, and Bee Happy!™

Mr. Bee

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Best Animated Feature 2025 Oscar Race

Hello and welcome,

The Oscars are tonight 

I know my awards season coverage has been… well, nonexistent on all of my platforms this year because, quite frankly, there are things in my life just a little bit more important than talking about Hollywood patting themselves on the back (I know I wish it weren't so)

 Nonetheless, I, of course, can't let the Oscars happen without giving you my thoughts on what will win this Sunday (or, more accurately, who I think will win). 

As what has become a tradition, this blog is dedicated to only one category: Best Animated Feature. However, if you want to know my predictions for all 23 categories, check out my new episode of “In The Mind of Mr. Bee”. 

 This year, the Best Animated Feature category for most of the season looked like it was between 2 movies, but late in the season, a 3rd is now in play. With the other two, the only hope of winning is a few highly unlikely scenarios that are worth going into.

As I have done before, I will talk about the movies from least likely to win to the most probable winner. With that out of the way, let’s begin: 

Memoir of a Snail  

To be honest, if this was the only Independent film in the race, it would have had a real hope of winning, but because you also have “Flow” in the race, it's being overshadowed. Unfortunately, it is doomed to “always be the bridesmaid never the bride”. 

Inside Out 2

One thing I have learned in all my years following and covering the Oscars is that it’s not wise to bet against Pixar. Out of the 23 years that this award has been presented, they have won 11, but I don't think Pixar will add a 12th Oscar to their shelf (at least not this year).  The movie seems to be nominated everywhere but without a lot of wins. At the Annies, it received 7 nominations however, it won nothing. The Disney+ spin-off show “Dream Productions” somehow did better by winning 2 (which got to make for some awkward conversations at the Pixar water cooler). Another problem for “Inside Out 2”  is that unless your name is “Toy Story”, the Academy does not like sequels,

The odds are just not in Inside Out 2's favor. 

Flow 

“Flow” is the little movie that could. It was a big upset at the Golden Globes, and it won 2 Annie’s, 2 for Writing (which is amazing for a movie with no dialogue) and Best Feature-Independent at the Annies. The Best Feature-Independent at the Annies has only been around for about 10  years and has yet to be a predictor for this Oscar, but there is a first time for everything. It also won a lot of critics' awards, but critics and whoever votes for the Golden Globes do not vote for the Oscars. It also failed to win any industry awards (except for Annies), like the PGA and BAFTA. However, to be fair, “Flow” is also nominated for Best International Film, and because of that, “Flow” still has a very good chance at taking the “little gold man”.  

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl 

 

1st off, the Academy seems to really like Wallace & Gromit. Back in the 90s, 2 out of the 1st 3 Wallace & Gromit shorts won Best Animated Short, and oh, by the way, the other one was nominated. On a side note, the short that won instead was “Creature Comforts”, which was also by Nick Park. In the 2000’s the 1st Wallace & Gromit movie “The Curse of the Were-Rabbit” won in this category, and the last short “A Matter of Loaf and Death” was nominated. However, with of all that said, there are 2 problems with this line of thinking: #1 the Academy now is lot different from the Academy in the 90’s and 2000’s; and #2 as I said before unless your name is “Toy Story”, the Academy does not like sequels. So you may be asking, why do you have it at #2?  Well, it won 2 BAFTAs, Many people are writing it off as just a British movie winning at a British awards show, but I am not because it’s the only movie here other than “The Wild Robot” to win any industry awards 

The Wild Robot 

I am 75%  sure that this will win first off because it completely stole the Annies by winning every category that it was nominated in. For the 23 years that the academy has had a Best Animated Feature category, the Oscars and the Annies have only split 7 times, but splits have become a lot more common with 3 in the last 5 years. However, it has also won Critics' Choice and PGA. That's why I think it will win. But of course, there is still room for an upset, so we need to wait and see.

I have seen 3 out of 5 of the nominated movies, and if I were voting, honestly, I'm tied between “The Wild Robot” and “ Inside Out 2”. I am not sure who I would vote for; both are amazing movies that you should watch. However, the academy still has not invited me to join (how rude of them)!

Enjoy the Oscars tonight!

Goodnight and Bee Happy!™

Mr. Bee

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