| Japan Academy Film Prize for Animation of the Year | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Awarded for | Excellence in animation films of Japan |
| Country | Japan |
| Presented by | Japan Academy Film Prize Association |
| First award | 2007 |
| Website | http://www.japan-academy-prize.jp/ |
TheAnimation of the Year (アニメーション作品賞) of theJapan Academy Film Prize is one of the annual Awards given by the Japan Academy Film Prize Association.
Although the Japan Academy Film Prize has been awarded annually since 1978 to Japanese films, animation films were disregarded in the early years of the Prize. Animation films have included topgrossing Japanese films of the year, such asDoraemon (1980, 1981, 1983, 1984),[1]Studio Ghibli'sKiki's Delivery Service (1989),[2]Only Yesterday (1991),[3]Porco Rosso (1992),[4]Pom Poko (1994),[5] andWhisper of the Heart (1995).[6] Yet no animated film received a nomination for a Japan Academy Film Prize during those years. This was notably different from other major Japanese film awards, such as theMainichi Film Award andKinema Junpo, which both awarded Picture of the Year toMy Neighbor Totoro in 1988.
In 1990, the Japan Academy Film Prize Association gave a Special Award toKiki's Delivery Service at the 13th the Japan Academy Film Prize,[7] and again in 1995 toTakahata'sPom Poko. However, there were still no nominations for these animated box office hits.
But in 1998, the Japan Academy Film Prize Association's attitude toward animated films changed with the hugely successfulPrincess Mononoke, the highest box-office record ever in the history of Japanese cinema, which dominated the other major film prizes (See:Awards). As a result, at the 21st Japan Academy Film Prize that year,Studio Ghibli'sPrincess Mononoke became the first-ever animation film to be nominated for, and win the Japan Academy Film Prize Picture of the Year.Yoshiyuki Tomino, famed forGundam, mentioned it: "A hole thatHayao Miyazaki made spending ten years".[8]
In 2002, at the 25th Japan Academy Film Prize, another animated film by Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli,Spirited Away, was again nominated and won the Picture of the Year.
In 2007, the Japan Academy Film Prize followed theAmericanAcademy Awards, which instituted theAcademy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2002, by creating the Japan Academy Film Prize for Animation of the Year. Only one film is awardedBest Animation of the Year (最優秀アニメーション作品賞), but all five nominees are recognized by the association with the awarding ofExcellent Animation of the Year (優秀アニメーション作品).[9]
Studio Ghibli with 5 films has the most awards as a studio whileStudio Chizu &Madhouse feature prominently. No franchise has ever won the award twice butDetective Conan is the most nominated franchise with 12 nominations whileDoraemon,One Piece,Evangelion,Dragon Ball &Lupin III feature prominently.
| Year | Best Animation of the Year | Excellent Animation of the Year | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | The Girl Who Leapt Through Time | [10] | |
| 2008 | Tekkon Kinkreet | [11] | |
| 2009 | Ponyo | [12] | |
| 2010 | Summer Wars | [13] | |
| 2011 | The Secret World of Arrietty | [14] | |
| 2012 | From Up on Poppy Hill | [15] | |
| 2013 | Wolf Children | [16] | |
| 2014 | The Wind Rises | [17] | |
| 2015 | Stand by Me Doraemon | [18] | |
| 2016 | The Boy and the Beast | [19] | |
| 2017 | In This Corner of the World | [20][21] | |
| 2018 | Night Is Short, Walk On Girl | [22] | |
| 2019 | Mirai | [23] | |
| 2020 | Weathering with You | [24] | |
| 2021 | Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train | [25] | |
| 2022 | Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time | [26] | |
| 2023 | The First Slam Dunk | [27] | |
| 2024 | The Boy and the Heron | [28] | |
| 2025 | Look Back | [29] |
| Industry associations | |
|---|---|
| Awards | |
| Types | |
| Genres | |
| Anime programming blocks | |
| Related topics | |
