2015 in animation is an overview of notable events, including notable awards, list of films released, television show debuts and endings, and notable deaths.
Events
January January 8: The Steven Universe episode "Warp Tour" premiered on Cartoon Network, which marks the debut of the beloved character Peridot (who initially started off as an antagonist, but later became a reformed supporting character on the show). January 18: The first episode of Star vs. the Forces of Evil airs on Disney Channel as a sneak peek (it later made its series premiere on March 30 on Disney XD). January 19: Boomerang was rebranded as part of a global rebranding effort, offering original programming for the first time. It continues to emphasize its archival programming, but with a greatly increased emphasis on the archive's most popular brands and an explicitly family-friendly approach. The main aim of the rebranding is for Boomerang to become a "second flagship" on par with Cartoon Network. January 22: Pacific Data Images closes down. January 31: The 42nd Annie Awards are held.
February February 3: The Scooby-Doo direct-to-video film Scooby-Doo! Moon Monster Madness releases on Digital services; later released on DVD on February 17."Press: SCOOBY-DOO! MOON MONSTER MADNESS IS SET TO BLAST OFF FEBRUARY 17, 2015". December 11, 2014. Archived from the original on August 15, 2025. Retrieved on February 6, 2026 February 6: The second SpongeBob SquarePants movie, Sponge Out of Water, premieres in theaters. February 27: 87th Academy Awards: Big Hero 6, by Don Hall, Chris Williams, and Roy Conli, wins the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Feast, by Patrick Osborne and Kristina Reed, wins the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. Hayao Miyazaki receives an Honorary Academy Award.
March March 8: The Family Guy episode "Stewie Is Enceinte" premieres on Fox. This episode was negatively received by fans due to them finding it as disturbingly gross, poorly written, and uncharacteristically sentimental. March 9: The Gravity Falls episode "Not What He Seems" premieres on Disney XD, the author of the journals is finally revealed in this episode, with it being Stan's lost long brother Ford. The episode brought in a total of 1.58 million viewers at its premiere.Metcalf, Mitch (March 10, 2015). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 25 Monday Cable Originals: 3.9.2015". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on March 12, 2015. March 12: The Steven Universe two-part episodes "The Return/Jail Break" premiere on Cartoon Network, it is revealed that the character Garnet was actually a fusion composing of two gems named Ruby and Sapphire (who are in a relationship with each other) all this time. Despite this being the season finale, 4 remaining episodes from Season 1 still continued to air.Jones-Quartey, Ian (July 12, 2015). "The Intended Order". Archived from the original on July 21, 2015. Retrieved July 29, 2015. March 13: Season 2 of Steven Universe begins on Cartoon Network with the premiere of the episode "Full Disclosure". March 28: Harvey Beaks premieres on Nickelodeon.
April April 2: The Steven Universe episode "Say Uncle" premieres on Cartoon Network, it is a non-canon crossover with Uncle Grandpa presented as an April Fools' Day joke (despite it airing a day after the actual holiday).Thurm, Eric (April 2, 2015). "Okay, I'm... Not Ready for This Episode to End?". The A.V. Club. Onion Inc. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. April 16: Steven Universe finally concludes its first season with the episode "Shirt Club". April 27: The fifth and final season of The Garfield Show airs, which only consists of the four-part episode "Rodent Rebellion" while consequently ceasing production of the show.
May May 17:Kondolojy, Amanda (May 19, 2015). "Sunday Final Ratings: 'The Simpsons' & 'Billboard Music Awards' Adjusted Up". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 20, 2015. Retrieved May 19, 2015. The Simpsons concludes its 26th season on Fox with the episode "Mathlete's Feat", which features characters Rick Sanchez & Morty Smith from Adult Swim's Rick and Morty in the episode's couch gag. The season's finale was seen by over 2.8 million viewers that night. Bob's Burgers concludes its fifth season on Fox with the following episodes: "Hawk & Chick" (viewership: 1.95m) "The Oeder Games" (viewership: 2.44m) Family Guy concludes its 13th season on Fox with the episode "Take My Wife", guest starring Mae Whitman as Quagmire's girlfriend Kimi. The season's finale was seen by over 2.8 million viewers that night.
June June 1: American Dad! concludes its 12th season on TBS with the episode "Seizures Suit Stanny". The season's finale was seen by over 1.1 million viewers that night.Kondolojy, Amanda (June 2, 2015). "Monday Cable Ratings: 'Monday Night RAW' Tops Night + 'Love & Hip-Hop: Atlanta', 'Street Outlaws', 'TI & Tiny' & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on June 3, 2015. Retrieved June 2, 2015. June 12: The Phineas and Ferb hour-long Season 4 finale "Last Day of Summer" premiered simultaneously on Disney Channel and Disney XD, this was the original series finale of the show before it was greenlit for a 2-season revival in January 2023. June 19: Disney and Pixar's Inside Out premieres, becoming one of the most popular CG animated films ever made.
July July 3: Teen Titans Go!'s 100th episode "And the Award for Sound Design Goes to Rob" premieres on Cartoon Network. July 7: Cartoon Network announces the following season renewals for their shows in honor of there arrival to San Diego Comic-Con:Goldberg, Lesley (July 7, 2015). "'Adventure Time,' 'Regular Show,' 3 More Renewed at Cartoon Network". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on July 10, 2015. Retrieved June 13, 2026. Adventure Time & Regular Show (Season 8) Uncle Grandpa & Steven Universe (Season 3) Clarence (Season 2) July 10: The Scooby-Doo direct-to-video film Scooby-Doo! and Kiss: Rock and Roll Mystery releases on Digital services; later released on DVD & Blu-ray on July 21.Milligan, Mercedes (April 20, 2015). "Scooby-Doo Meets KISS in 'Rock and Roll Mystery'". Animation Magazine. Retrieved February 6, 2026. The movie is a crossover with the real-life band KISS. July 16: Pig Goat Banana Cricket premieres on Nickelodeon. July 17: Season 2 of BoJack Horseman premieres on Netflix. July 27: The first episode of We Bare Bears debuts on Cartoon Network. July 30: Teen Titans Go! concludes its second season on Cartoon Network with the episode "Some of Their Parts". July 31: Season 3 of Teen Titans Go! begins on Cartoon Network with the premiere of the episode "Cat's Fancy".
August August 27: Illumination's Minions becomes the first non-Disney animated film to gross over $1 billion. August 30: Aqua Teen Hunger Force, the longest-running Adult Swim show, airs its final episode.
September September 7: Total Drama Presents: The Ridonculous Race, the first spin-off of Total Drama, premieres. It was broadcast for its home country in the beginning of the following year. Tom McGillis confirmed in 2018 that further plans for anymore seasons of Total Drama would be delayed by focusing on spin-offs at the time. September 16: Season 19 of South Park begins on Comedy Central with the premiere of the episode "Stunning and Brave"."Watch South Park Episodes Online Season 19 (2015)". TV Guide. Archived from the original on August 13, 2019. Retrieved September 13, 2019. Paw Patrol concludes its second season on TVO in Canada with the half-hour special "Pups Bark with Dinosaurs". September 21: Star vs. the Forces of Evil concludes its first season on Disney XD with the half-hour finale "Storm the Castle"."Star vs. the Forces of Evil". Disney ABC Press. June 2, 2016. Archived from the original on June 2, 2016. Retrieved June 28, 2017. New Looney Tunes premieres on Cartoon Network. September 23: The South Park episode "Where My Country Gone?" premieres, in which Mr. Garrison starts a presidential campaign, directly satirizing Donald Trump. Though intended as a one-shot joke, Garrison and his presidential career are continued in later seasons of the show, when Trump is elected president in 2016. September 26: The Mixels special "A Quest For the Lost Mixamajig" premiered on Cartoon Network. September 27:Dixon, Dani (September 29, 2015). "Sunday Final Ratings: 'Bob's Burgers' Adjusted Down, '60 Minutes' Adjusted Up + 'Sunday Night Football'". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on September 30, 2015. Retrieved October 15, 2015. Season 6 of Bob's Burgers begins on Fox with the premiere of the episode "Sliding Bobs". The season's premiere was seen by just over 2.5 million viewers that night. Season 27 of The Simpsons begins on Fox with the premiere of the episode "Every Man's Dream", guest starring the following actors: Adam Driver, Lena Dunham, Laura Ingraham, Jemima Kirke, Zosia Mamet, and Allison Williams. The season's premiere was seen by over 3.2 million viewers that night. Season 14 of Family Guy begins on Fox with the premiere of the episode "Pilling Them Softly". The season's premiere was seen by over 2.8 million viewers that night. September 28: Danger Mouse 2015 TV series premiered on CBBC.
October October 5: "The '90s Are All That", a late-night program block featuring Nickelodeon live-action and animated series from the 1990s that has aired on TeenNick since 2011, relaunches as "The Splat" and expands from four hours to eight (running from 10:00 pm to 6:00 am.). October 10: The My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic episode "Crusaders of the Lost Mark" premieres on Discovery Family, in which the Cutie Mark Crusaders finally get their cutie marks. October 12: The Gravity Falls episode "Dipper and Mabel vs. the Future" premieres on Disney XD, it serves as the prologue to the "Weirdmaggedon" arc. October 17: Richard Williams' Prologue premieres, which was his final project before his death in 2019. October 19: Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir premieres. October 26: The first part in the Gravity Falls "Weirdmaggedon" arc premieres on Disney XD. October 27: Clarence concludes its first season on Cartoon Network with the Halloween episode "Spooky Boo".
November November 9: The stand-alone Phineas and Ferb hour-long special "O.W.C.A. Files" premieres on Disney XD, premiered on Disney Channel 2 months later. November 12: Music video for "Lone Digger", by Caravan Palace, was released on YouTube. November 20: Season 3 of Paw Patrol begins on Nickelodeon in the US with the episodes "Pups Find a Genie/Pups Save a Tightrope Walker"."Paw Patrol Episode Listings". The Futon Critic. Retrieved March 22, 2018. Season later premiered on TVO in Canada on November 28. November 23: The second part in the Gravity Falls "Weirdmaggedon" arc, titled "Escape from Reality", premieres on Disney XD.
December December 1: Pango Comptines was released on YouTube. December 4: Paw Patrol concludes its second season on Nickelodeon in the US with the episodes "Pups Save a Snowboard Competition/Pups Save a Chicken of the Sea". December 7: The first episode of Supernoobs airs on Cartoon Network. December 9: South Park concludes its 19th season on Comedy Central with the episode "PC Principal Final Justice". It was seen by over 1.8 million viewers that night.Porter, Rick (December 10, 2015). "Wednesday cable ratings: 'South Park,' 'AHS' and 'Alaskan Bush People' lead". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on December 14, 2015. Retrieved December 11, 2015. December 16: John Henry and the Inky-Poo, The Old Mill, and The Story of Menstruation are added to the National Film Registry. December 18: F is for Family debuts as the first Netflix original adult animated series. December 19: The final episodes of The Penguins of Madagascar premiere on Nicktoons.
Specific date unknown