Japan Academy Film Prize for Animation of the Year

Japan Academy Film Prize for Animation of the Year
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 awarded	2007
Website	http://www.japan-academy-prize.jp/

The Animation of the Year (アニメーション作品賞) of the Japan Academy Film Prize is one of the annual Awards given by the Japan Academy Film Prize Association.

History

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 top grossing Japanese films of the year, such as Doraemon (1980, 1981, 1983, 1984),^[1] Studio Ghibli's Kiki's Delivery Service (1989),^[2] Only Yesterday (1991),^[3] Porco Rosso (1992),^[4] Pom Poko (1994),^[5] and Whisper 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 the Mainichi Film Award and Kinema Junpo, which both awarded Picture of the Year to My Neighbor Totoro in 1988.

In 1990, the Japan Academy Film Prize Association gave a Special Award to Kiki's Delivery Service at the 13th the Japan Academy Film Prize,^[7] and again in 1995 to Takahata's Pom 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 successful Princess 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's Princess 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 for Gundam, mentioned it: "A hole that Hayao 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 the American Academy Awards, which instituted the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2002, by creating the Japan Academy Film Prize for Animation of the Year. Only one film is awarded Best 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 of Excellent Animation of the Year (優秀アニメーション作品).^[9]

List of winners and nominees

Studio Ghibli with 5 films has the most awards as a studio while Studio Chizu & Madhouse feature prominently. No franchise has ever won the award twice but Detective Conan is the most nominated franchise with 12 nominations while Doraemon, 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	Arashi no Yoru Ni Tales from Earthsea Brave Story Detective Conan: The Private Eyes' Requiem	^[10]
2008	Tekkon Kinkreet	Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone Summer Days with Coo Piano no Mori Detective Conan: Jolly Roger in the Deep Azure	^[11]
2009	Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea	Doraemon: Nobita and the Green Giant Legend 2008 The Sky Crawlers Detective Conan: Full Score of Fear One Piece - The Movie: Episode of Chopper Plus: Bloom in the Winter, Miracle Sakura	^[12]
2010	Summer Wars	Detective Conan: The Raven Chaser Doraemon: The New Record of Nobita: Spaceblazer Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance Oblivion Island: Haruka and the Magic Mirror	^[13]
2011	The Secret World of Arrietty	Detective Conan: The Lost Ship in the Sky Colorful Doraemon: Nobita's Great Battle of the Mermaid King One Piece Film: Strong World	^[14]
2012	From Up on Poppy Hill	K-On! Movie Buddha Tōfu-kozō Detective Conan: Quarter of Silence	^[15]
2013	Wolf Children	Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo Friends: Naki on the Monster Island A Letter to Momo One Piece Film: Z	^[16]
2014	The Wind Rises	The Tale of Princess Kaguya Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie: Rebellion Space Pirate Captain Harlock Lupin the 3rd vs. Detective Conan: The Movie	^[17]
2015	Stand by Me Doraemon	When Marnie Was There Giovanni's Island Detective Conan: Dimensional Sniper Buddha 2: Tezuka Osamu no Buddha - Owarinaki Tabi	^[18]
2016	The Boy and the Beast	The Anthem of the Heart Miss Hokusai Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F' Love Live! The School Idol Movie	^[19]
2017	In This Corner of the World	Your Name A Silent Voice Rudolf the Black Cat One Piece Film: Gold	^[20]^[21]
2018	Night Is Short, Walk On Girl	Fireworks, Should We See It from the Side or the Bottom? Napping Princess Mary and the Witch's Flower Detective Conan: Crimson Love Letter	^[22]
2019	Mirai	Dragon Ball Super: Broly Penguin Highway Detective Conan: Zero the Enforcer Okko's Inn	^[23]
2020	Weathering with You	Her Blue Sky Detective Conan: The Fist of Blue Sapphire Lupin III: The First One Piece: Stampede	^[24]
2021	Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train	Violet Evergarden: The Movie Poupelle of Chimney Town Josee, The Tiger and The Fish Stand by Me Doraemon 2	^[25]
2022	Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time	Sing a Bit of Harmony Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko Jujutsu Kaisen 0 Belle	^[26]
2023	The First Slam Dunk	Inu-Oh Lonely Castle in the Mirror One Piece Film: Red Suzume	^[27]
2024	The Boy and the Heron	Birth of Kitarō: The Mystery of GeGeGe Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window Detective Conan: Black Iron Submarine Blue Giant	^[28]