The Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film is an award given by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) as part of the annual Academy Awards, or Oscars, since the 5th Academy Awards (with different names), covering the year 1931–32, to the present.
From 1932 until 1970, the category was known as Short Subjects, Cartoons; and from 1971 to 1973 as Short Subjects, Animated Films. The present title began with the 46th Awards in 1974. During the first 5 decades of the award's existence, awards were presented to the producers of the shorts. Current Academy rules, however, call for the award to be presented to "the individual person most directly responsible for the concept and the creative execution of the film." Moreover, "[i]n the event that more than one individual has been directly and importantly involved in creative decisions, a second statuette may be awarded."(2007). Rule 19, Section III, Paragraph 7 80th Academy Award Rules for Distinguished Achievements . Retrieved March 29, 2008.
Only American films were nominated for the award until the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) was nominated for The Romance of Transportation in Canada in 1952. The first non-English-language international short to win was Zagreb Film's Ersatz (The Substitute) in 1961.
The first film to win in this category was Flowers and Trees by Walt Disney, who has since held the category's record for most nominations (39) and most wins (12)."Search Results: 'Walt Disney'." Academy Awards Database. 2021. MGM's Tom and Jerry (1940–67) is the category's most lauded animated series over all, being nominated for a total of 13 Oscars and winning 7. Warner Bros.'s Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies series also had a big amount of 16 Oscar nominations and winning 5. Among international studios, the NFB has the most wins in this category, with 7 Oscars. The biggest showing from Britain in this category is Nick Park, with three wins: 1 for Creature Comforts and 2 for the Wallace & Gromit series.
The Academy defines short as being "not more than 40 minutes, including all credits."Rule Nineteen: Short Films Awards . Retrieved March 27, 2010. Fifteen films are shortlisted before nominations are announced. In the listings below, the title shown in boldface was the winner of the award in that given year, followed by the other nominees for that year.
Winners and nominees All bars that are highlighted yellow were winners—with the title and name shown in boldface.
1930s Year Film Nominees1931/32(5th) Flowers and Trees Walt Disney It's Got Me Again! Hugh Harman, Rudolf Ising & Leon Schlesinger Mickey's Orphans Walt Disney1932/33(6th) Three Little Pigs Walt Disney Building a Building Walt Disney The Merry Old Soul Walter Lantz1934(7th) The Tortoise and the Hare Walt Disney Holiday Land Charles Mintz Jolly Little Elves Walter Lantz1935(8th) Three Orphan Kittens Walt Disney The Calico Dragon Hugh Harman & Rudolf Ising Who Killed Cock Robin? Walt Disney 1936(9th) The Country Cousin Walt Disney The Old Mill Pond Hugh Harman & Rudolf Ising Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor Max Fleischer1937(10th) The Old Mill Walt Disney Educated Fish Max Fleischer Little Match Girl Charles Mintz1938(11th) Ferdinand the Bull Walt Disney Brave Little Tailor Walt Disney Good Scouts Hunky and Spunky Max Fleischer Mother Goose Goes Hollywood Walt Disney1939(12th) The Ugly Duckling Walt Disney Detouring America Leon Schlesinger Peace on Earth Hugh Harman The Pointer Walt Disney
1940s Year Film Nominees1940(13th) The Milky Way Rudolf Ising Puss Gets the Boot Rudolf IsingA Wild Hare Leon Schlesinger1941(14th) Lend a Paw Walt Disney Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company "B" Walter Lantz Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt Leon Schlesinger How War Came Lawson Harris The Night Before Christmas Fred Quimby Rhapsody in Rivets Leon Schlesinger Rhythm in the Ranks George Pal The Rookie Bear Rudolf Ising Superman Max Fleischer Truant Officer Donald Walt Disney1942(15th) Der Fuehrer's Face Walt Disney All Out for "V" Paul Terry Blitz Wolf Fred Quimby Juke Box Jamboree Walter Lantz Pigs in a Polka Leon Schlesinger Tulips Shall Grow George Pal1943(16th) The Yankee Doodle Mouse Fred Quimby The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins George Pal The Dizzy Acrobat Walter Lantz Greetings Bait! Leon Schlesinger Imagination Dave Fleischer Reason and Emotion Walt Disney1944(17th) Mouse Trouble Fred Quimby And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street George Pal Dog, Cat and Canary Hugh McCollum Fish Fry Walter Lantz How to Play Football Walt Disney My Boy, Johnny Paul Terry Swooner Crooner Leon Schlesinger1945(18th) Quiet Please! Fred QuimbyDonald's Crime Walt Disney Jasper and the Beanstalk George Pal Life with Feathers Edward Selzer Mighty Mouse in Gypsy Life Paul Terry The Poet and Peasant Walter Lantz Rippling Romance Paul Worth 1946(19th) The Cat Concerto Fred Quimby John Henry and the Inky-Poo George Pal Musical Moments from Chopin Walter Lantz Squatter's Rights Walt Disney Walky Talky Hawky Edward Selzer1947(20th) Tweetie Pie Edward Selzer Chip an' Dale Walt Disney Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Mouse Fred Quimby Pluto's Blue Note Walt Disney Tubby the Tuba George Pal1948(21st) The Little Orphan Fred Quimby Mickey and the Seal Walt Disney Mouse Wreckers Edward Selzer Robin Hoodlum Stephen Bosustow Tea for Two Hundred Walt Disney1949(22nd) For Scent-imental Reasons Edward Selzer Canary RowIn 1949, Edward Selzer was originally announced as a nominee for Canary Row. However, he withdrew the film from nomination and it did not appear on the final ballot. Edward Selzer Hatch Up Your Troubles Fred Quimby The Magic Fluke Stephen Bosustow Toy Tinkers Walt Disney
1950s Year Film Nominees1950(23rd) Gerald McBoing-Boing Stephen Bosustow Jerry's Cousin Fred Quimby Trouble Indemnity Stephen Bosustow1951(24th) The Two Mouseketeers Fred Quimby Lambert the Sheepish Lion Walt Disney Rooty Toot Toot Stephen Bosustow1952(25th) Johann Mouse Fred Quimby Little Johnny Jet Fred Quimby MadelineStephen Bosustow Pink and Blue Blues Romance of Transportation Tom Daly1953(26th) Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom Walt Disney Christopher Crumpet Stephen Bosustow From A to Z-Z-Z-Z Edward Selzer Rugged Bear Walt Disney The Tell-Tale Heart Stephen Bosustow1954(27th) When Magoo Flew Stephen Bosustow Crazy Mixed Up Pup Walter Lantz Pigs Is Pigs Walt Disney Sandy Claws Edward Selzer Touché, Pussy Cat! Fred Quimby1955(28th) Speedy Gonzales Edward Selzer Good Will to Men Fred Quimby, William Hanna & Joseph Barbera The Legend of Rockabye Point Walter Lantz No Hunting Walt Disney1956(29th) Magoo's Puddle Jumper Stephen Bosustow Gerald McBoing-Boing on Planet Moo Stephen Bosustow The Jaywalker1957(30th) Birds Anonymous Edward Selzer One Droopy Knight William Hanna & Joseph Barbera Tabasco Road Edward Selzer Trees and Jamaica Daddy Stephen Bosustow The Truth About Mother Goose Walt Disney1958(31st) Knighty Knight Bugs John W. Burton Paul Bunyan Walt Disney Sidney's Family Tree William M. Weiss1959(32nd) Moonbird John Hubley Mexicali Shmoes John W. Burton Noah's Ark Walt Disney The Violinist Ernest Pintoff
1960s Year Film Nominees1960(33rd) Munro William L. Snyder Goliath II Walt Disney High NoteWarner Bros. Mouse and Garden A Place in the Sun František Vystrčil1961(34th) Ersatz Zagreb Film Aquamania Walt Disney Beep PreparedChuck Jones Nelly's Folly The Pied Piper of Guadalupe Friz Freleng1962(35th) The Hole Faith & John Hubley Icarus Montgolfier Wright Jules Engel Now Hear This Warner Bros. Self Defense—For Cowards William L. Snyder A Symposium on Popular Songs Walt Disney1963(36th) The Critic Ernest Pintoff Automania 2000 John Halas The Game (Igra) Dušan Vukotić My Financial Career Tom Daly & Colin Low Pianissimo Carmen D'Avino1964(37th) The Pink Phink David H. DePatie & Friz Freleng Christmas Cracker National Film Board of Canada Here's NudnikWilliam L. Snyder How to Avoid Friendship1965(38th) The Dot and the Line Les Goldman & Chuck Jones Clay or The Origin of Species Eli Noyes The Thieving Magpie Emanuele Luzzati1966(39th) A Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass Double Feature Faith & John Hubley The Drag Wolf Koenig & Robert Verrall The Pink Blueprint David H. DePatie & Friz Freleng1967(40th) The Box Fred Wolf Hypothese Beta Jean-Charles Meunier What on Earth! Robert Verrall & Wolf Koenig1968(41st) Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day Walt Disney (p.n.) The House That Jack Built Wolf Koenig & Jim MacKay The Magic Pear Tree Jimmy Murakami Windy Day Faith & John Hubley1969(42nd) It's Tough to Be a Bird Ward Kimball Of Men and Demons Faith & John Hubley Walking Ryan Larkin
1970s Year Film Nominees1970(43rd) Is It Always Right to Be Right? Nick Bosustow The Further Adventures of Uncle Sam Dale Case & Robert Mitchell The Shepherd Cameron Guess1971(44th) The Crunch Bird Ted Petok Evolution Michael Mills The Selfish Giant Gerald Potterton & Peter Sander1972(45th) A Christmas Carol Richard Williams Kama Sutra Rides Again Bob Godfrey Tup Tup Nedeljko Dragić1973(46th) Frank Film Frank Mouris The Legend of John Henry David Adams & Nick Bosustow Pulcinella Guilo Gianini & Emanuele Luzzati1974(47th) Closed Mondays Bob Gardiner & Will Vinton The Family That Dwelt Apart Yvon Mallette & Robert Verrall Hunger Peter Foldes & René Jodoin Voyage to Next Faith & John Hubley Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too Wolfgang Reitherman1975(48th) Great Bob Godfrey Kick Me Robert Swarthe Monsieur Pointu René Jodoin, André Leduc & Bernard Longpré Sisyphus Marcell Jankovics1976(49th) Leisure Suzanne Baker Dedalo Manfredo Manfredi The Street Guy Glover & Caroline Leaf1977(50th) The Sand Castle Co Hoedeman The Bead Game Ishu Patel A Doonesbury Special Faith, John Hubley (p.n.) & Garry Trudeau Jimmy the C Robert Grossman, Jimmy Picker & Craig Whitaker1978(51st) Special Delivery Eunice Macaulay & John Weldon Oh My Darling Nico Crama Rip Van Winkle Will Vinton1979(52nd) Every Child Derek Lamb Dream Doll Bob Godfrey & Zlatko Grgić It's So Nice to Have a Wolf Around the House Paul Fierlinger
1980s Year Film Nominees1980(53rd) The Fly Ferenc Rofusz All Nothing Frédéric Back History of the World in Three Minutes Flat Michael Mills1981(54th) Crac Frédéric Back The Creation Will Vinton The Tender Tale of Cinderella Penguin Janet Perlman1982(55th) Tango Zbigniew Rybczyński The Great Cognito Will Vinton The Snowman John Coates & Dianne Jackson1983(56th) Sundae in New York Jimmy Picker Mickey's Christmas Carol Burny Mattinson Sound of Sunshine – Sound of Rain Eda Godel Hallinan1984(57th) Charade Jon Minnis Doctor DeSoto Morton Schindel & Michael Sporn Paradise Ishu Patel1985(58th) Anna & Bella Cilia van Dijk The Big Snit Richard Condie & Michael Scott Second Class Mail Alison Snowden1986(59th) A Greek Tragedy Willem Thijsen & Linda Van Tulden The Frog, the Dog and the Devil Bob Stenhouse Luxo Jr. John Lasseter & Bill Reeves1987(60th) The Man Who Planted Trees Frédéric Back George and Rosemary Eunice Macaulay Your Face Bill Plympton1988(61st) Tin Toy John Lasseter & Bill Reeves The Cat Came Back Cordell Barker Technological Threat Brian Jennings & Bill Kroyer1989(62nd) Balance Wolfgang & Christoph Lauenstein The Cow Aleksandr Petrov The Hill Farm Mark Baker
1990s