Which movie won the first Oscar for Best Animated Feature?
Quick answer
Shrek (2001) won the first Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, at the 74th Academy Awards on March 24, 2002. It beat Pixar’s Monsters, Inc. and Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius. The category was created that year because animated films had become so popular.
Key facts
- Film
- Shrek (2001)
- Studio
- DreamWorks Animation
- Ceremony
- 74th Academy Awards, March 24, 2002
- Other nominees
- Monsters, Inc. and Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius
About Shrek
Based loosely on a 1990 picture book by William Steig, Shrek follows a grumpy ogre (voiced by Mike Myers) who sets out to rescue Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) with a talkative Donkey (Eddie Murphy). Its humor poked fun at classic fairy tales, including Disney’s, and appealed to both children and adults. It was also the first animated film in decades to compete for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
Before the category existed
Before 2002, animated films rarely won major Oscars. Beauty and the Beast (1991) was the first animated film nominated for Best Picture. Walt Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs received an honorary Oscar in 1939: one full-size statuette and seven miniature ones. See Disney’s first feature-length animated film.
Studios with the most wins
| Studio | Notable winners |
|---|---|
| Pixar (Disney) | Finding Nemo, WALL-E, Up, Toy Story 3, Inside Out, Coco, Soul and more |
| Walt Disney Animation | Frozen, Big Hero 6, Zootopia, Encanto |
| DreamWorks | Shrek, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (with Aardman) |
| Studio Ghibli | Spirited Away, The Boy and the Heron |
Pixar has won more Best Animated Feature Oscars than any other studio.
Shrek’s legacy
Shrek launched a franchise of sequels and spin-offs, including Puss in Boots, plus a Broadway musical. Its success helped make computer animation the dominant style in Hollywood.
For other film facts, see who directed Jurassic Park and which film won Best Picture at the 2024 Oscars.
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