Oscar Predictions: Animated Feature — Is This One of the Most Competitive Fields of Contenders in the History of the Category?
Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday.
Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below:
OSCARS | EMMYS | GRAMMYS | TONYS
2025 Oscars Predictions:
Best Animated Feature
Weekly Commentary (Updated Nov. 14, 2024): More to come.
Below are the updated rankings of contenders. The 97th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 2. The full rankings are below. All movie listings, titles, distributors, and credited producers are not final and are subject to change.
** denotes the film is not yet dated or can open in 2025.
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Image Credit: DreamWorks Animation/Universal Pictures And the Predicted Nominees Are
Rank Performer & Film 1 “The Wild Robot” (DreamWorks Animation)
Chris Sanders, Jeff Hermann2 “Inside Out 2” (Pixar)
Kelsey Mann, Mark Nielsen3 “Memoir of a Snail” (IFC Films)
Adam Elliot, Liz Kearney4 “Flow” (Janus Films/Sideshow)
Gints Zilbalodis, Matīss Kaža, Ron Dyens, Gregory Zalcman5 “Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” (Netflix)
Nick Park, Merlin CrossinghamOscars: Best Animated Feature (Variety Awards Circuit Predictions) -
Image Credit: Courtesy of Netflix Next in Line
Rank Performer & Film 6 “That Christmas” (Netflix)
Simon Otto, Nicole P. Hearon, Adam Tandy7 “Piece by Piece” (Focus Features)
Morgan Neville, Pharrell Williams, Mimi Valdés, Caitrin Rogers, Shani Saxon8 “Moana 2” (Walt Disney Pictures)
David G. Derrick Jr., Christina Chen, Yvett Merino9 “Transformers One” (Paramount Pictures)
Josh Cooley, Don Murphy, Tom DeSanto, Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Michael Bay, Mark Vahradian10 “Ultraman: Rising” (Netflix)
Shannon Tindle, Tom Knott, Lisa M. PooleOscars: Best Animated Feature (Variety Awards Circuit Predictions) -
Eligible Titles (Best Animated Feature)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Netflix ** This list is incomplete and not yet finalized. Not all films have distribution or release dates, and all are subject to change.
- “Art College 1994” (Dekanalog)
- “Captain Avispa” (Spanglish Movies)
- “Chicken for Linda” (GKids)
- “The Colors Within” (GKids)
- “The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie” (Ketchup Entertainment)
- “Despicable Me 4” (Illumination/Universal Pictures)
- “Flow” (Janus Films and Sideshow)
- “The Garfield Movie” (Sony Pictures)
- “Ghost Cat Anzu” (GKids)
- “The Glassworker” (JL Vision Film)
- “The Imaginary” (Netflix)
- “Inside Out 2” (Pixar)
- “Kensuke’s Kingdom” (Blue Fox Entertainment)
- “Kung Fu Panda 4” (DreamWorks Animation)
- “Living Large” (Gébéka Films)
- “Look Back” (GKids)
- “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” (Warner Bros.)
- “Mars Express” (GKids)
- “Memoir of a Snail” (IFC Films)
- “Moana 2” (Walt Disney Pictures)
- “Piece by Piece” (Focus Features)
- “Rocket Club: Across the Cosmos” (Landmark Theaters)
- “Sirocco and the Kingdom of Winds” (GKids)
- “Spellbound” (Netflix)
- “Sultana’s Dream” (Filmin)
- “That Christmas” (Netflix)
- “Thelma the Unicorn” (Netflix)
- “Transformers One” (Paramount Pictures)
- “Ultraman: Rising” (Netflix)
- “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” (Netflix)
- “The Wild Robot” (DreamWorks Animation)
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More Information (Oscars: Best Animated Feature)
Image Credit: Credit: Warner Bros. Animation 2024 category winner: “The Boy and the Heron” (GKids) — Hayao Miyazaki and Toshio Suzuki
2024-2025 Oscars Calendar and Timeline – Full awards season calendar here
- Eligibility period: Jan. 1, 2024 – Dec. 31, 2024
- General entry, best picture, RAISE submission deadline: Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024
- Governors Awards: Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024
- Preliminary voting begins Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, at 9 a.m. PT.
- Preliminary voting ends Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, at 5 p.m. PT.
- Oscar Shortlists Announcement: Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024
- Eligibility period ends: Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024
- Nominations voting begins Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at 9 a.m. PT.
- Nominations voting ends Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, at 5 p.m. PT.
- Oscar Nominations Announcement: Friday, Jan. 17, 2025
- Oscar Nominees Luncheon: Monday, Feb. 10, 2025
- Final voting begins Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, at 9 a.m. PT
- Final voting ends: Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025, at 5 p.m. PT
- Scientific and Technical Awards: Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025
- 97th Oscars: Sunday, March 2, 2025
Oscars Prediction Categories
— — Best Picture Director Actor in a Leading Role Actress in a Leading Role Actor in a Supporting Role Actress in a Supporting Role Original Screenplay Adapted Screenplay Animated Feature Production Design Cinematography Costume Design Film Editing Makeup and Hairstyling Sound Visual Effects Original Score Original Song Documentary Feature International Feature Animated Short Documentary Short Live Action Short Casting (coming in 2026) 2024 Oscar Predictions (Variety Awards Circuit) About the Academy Awards
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, is Hollywood’s most prestigious artistic award in the film industry. Since 1927, nominees and winners have been selected by members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Nineteen branches are represented within the nearly 11,000-person membership. The branches are actors, animators, associates, casting directors, cinematographers, costume designers, directors, documentary, executives, film editors, makeup and hairstylists, marketing and public relations, members-at-large, members-at-large (artists’ representatives), music, producers, production design, short films, sound, visual effects and writers.
