Hook: “Move Over Pixar! The 2025 Best Animated Feature Race Is Unlike Anything We’ve Seen Before”
For decades, the Best Animated Feature Oscar was practically a Pixar playground. If the studio had a film in the race, it was almost a given that it would take home the golden statuette. But the past few years have shaken up that dynamic, and this year’s nominees prove that animation is evolving into something far more exciting, diverse, and unpredictable.
A Pixar Monopoly No More
Historically, non-Pixar films rarely triumphed in this category. Before 2020, only three non-Pixar movies managed to defeat a Pixar nominee. But the tides have turned. Since 2020, Pixar has been nominated every year, yet only Soul has managed to win. The Academy’s animated feature lineup has grown more eclectic, embracing a variety of artistic styles and storytelling techniques. And if this year’s contenders are any indication, we’re in the midst of an animation revolution.
This year’s Oscar race is unlike any before. The nominees? A visual and narrative smorgasbord. Pixar’s Inside Out 2 is the familiar powerhouse, but it faces stiff competition from DreamWorks’ The Wild Robot, with its mesmerizing painterly style. Then there’s the return of Wallace & Gromit in Netflix and Aardman’s latest claymation caper, Vengeance Most Fowl. Meanwhile, Flow, a Latvian post-apocalyptic adventure featuring wordless animal storytelling, has already bagged a Golden Globe. And let’s not forget Memoir of a Snail, an Australian stop-motion deep dive into childhood trauma, which proves that animation isn’t just for kids.
The Rise of Animation as a Serious Medium
For years, the Academy largely treated the Best Animated Feature category as the “kids’ movie” award. Anonymous Oscar voters even admitted to ignoring certain nominees if they weren’t familiar with them. The ceremony itself often trivialized the category, cracking jokes about how these movies endlessly played in the background of family households.
But animators have pushed back. Pinocchio director Guillermo del Toro has openly criticized Hollywood’s reliance on formulaic animated films packed with cheap laughs and predictable emotional beats. Directors like Phil Lord and Chris Miller have called for more respect for animation as a storytelling medium. And in recent years, we’ve seen a greater appreciation for international and independent animated films.
The Spider-Verse Effect
A major turning point came in 2018 with the release of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. This game-changing film didn’t just redefine what CG animation could look like—it proved that audiences were hungry for bold, unique visuals. It also made executives realize that artistic risks could pay off.
For years, studios had been chasing Pixar’s hyper-detailed realism. But Spider-Verse broke the mold, paving the way for more experimental visual styles. Today, even major studios like DreamWorks are ditching the standard 3D look in favor of artistic reinvention. Meanwhile, Disney and Pixar’s traditional style is starting to feel a little…well, safe.
A Diverse, Competitive Field
The 2025 nominees are a testament to how much animation has evolved. In the past, big studio blockbusters like Moana 2, Kung Fu Panda 4, and Despicable Me 4 would have been shoo-ins. Yet, aside from Inside Out 2, they didn’t make the cut. Instead, we have an impressively diverse lineup:
- The Wild Robot (DreamWorks) – A visually stunning adaptation of Peter Brown’s beloved novel, blending impressionistic animation with heartfelt storytelling.
- Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (Netflix/Aardman) – A slapstick masterclass proving that stop-motion still has a place in modern cinema.
- Flow (Janus Films) – A wordless, emotion-packed journey through a post-apocalyptic world, told entirely through animal movement.
- Memoir of a Snail (Madman Entertainment) – A poignant, semi-autobiographical story using stop-motion animation to explore childhood trauma and resilience.
- Inside Out 2 (Pixar) – The sequel to the Oscar-winning hit, exploring new emotions with Pixar’s signature storytelling prowess.
The Future of Animation at the Oscars
Regardless of which film wins, this year’s nominees prove that animation is in the midst of a creative renaissance. Gone are the days when this category was dominated by one studio. The rise of international and independent films, coupled with evolving audience tastes, has made the Best Animated Feature race one of the most exciting categories to watch.
Could this be the year that indie and international animation truly steal the show? If the momentum of the past five years is anything to go by, the animation industry is just getting started. One thing’s for sure: the days of predictable Oscar winners in this category are over. And we couldn’t be happier about it.
