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.
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Flow – directed by Gints Zilbalodis – 2024, Courtesy of Cannes Film Festival
Janus Films and Sideshow
Best Director Commentary (Updated Dec. 11, 2024): DreamWorks Animation has found its latest awards darling in “The Wild Robot,” which just secured four major Golden Globe nominations, making it the second-most-nominated animated film in history. The nom tally is only bested by Disney’s 1992 classic “Aladdin,” which racked up five nods and won two: original score best original song, in addition to Robin Williams’ special award for his voice work (Globes should bring this honor back).
Directed by three-time Oscar nominee Chris Sanders, the adaptation of Peter Brown’s bestselling novel is charting an impressive course toward the Dolby Theatre stage.
Since the Globes introduced a dedicated animation category in 2007, they’ve become a reliable bellwether for the Oscars. Only three times since the Academy expanded its best picture field in 2009 have the two bodies split on the top animated film: “The Adventures of Tintin” over “Rango” (2011), “How to Train Your Dragon 2” over “Big Hero 6” (2014), and “Missing Link” over “Toy Story 4” (2019).
In the high-stakes chess game of awards season, studios know that scoring nominations beyond the animation field bolsters a film’s Oscar prospects. DreamWorks is doubling down on its campaign for Kris Bowers’ powerhouse score, a key part of “The Wild Robot”’s narrative about a robot learning to coexist with wildlife. Similarly, Pixar has mounted an ambitious campaign to land “Inside Out 2” in the adapted screenplay race, seeking to elevate the animated sequel to a lofty level of recognition. Of course, DreamWorks and Pixar are also eyeing the ultimate prize: a coveted spot in the best picture lineup. While animated films have cracked the best picture category three times (“Beauty and the Beast,” “Up,” and “Toy Story 3”), the savvy campaigning shows the studios believe these projects transcend the traditional medium and its boundaries.
While the studios wage their campaigns, critics have thrown their weight behind a quieter contender: Janus Films and Sideshow’s “Flow.” The visually stunning, philosophical feature has been a favorite of critics’ groups, winning top honors from the National Board of Review, the New York Film Critics Circle, and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.
The film, distributed by the same team behind Oscar-winning “Drive My Car,” has emerged as the arthouse darling of the season, a far cry from the family-friendly narratives that typically dominate the animated race. Its sweep of major critics’ awards suggests that “Flow” could shake up the category, potentially challenging mainstream competitors.
Let’s see where the Annie Awards land.
The 97th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 2. All movie listings, titles, distributors, and credited artisans are not final and are subject to change.
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Eligible Films (Animated Feature)
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More Information (Oscars: Best Animated Feature)
2024 category winner: “The Boy and the Heron” (GKids) — Hayao Miyazaki and Toshio Suzuki
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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.