Feb 27, 2024

Academy Establishes Division Specializing in Animation

The Board of Directors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has decided to split the Short and Feature Animation Division into the Animation Division and the Short Animation Division.

The Academy's new Animation Branch will represent approximately 700 industry members and will oversee the Academy Awards' Animated Feature and Animated Short Film categories. The branch will be given two positions on the Academy's Board of Directors.

After the split, the Academy now has 19 chapters representing different sectors of the film industry.

Academy CEO Bill Kramer and President Janet Yang stated in the release:

The Academy is dedicated to moving forward and evolving with its growing global membership and the film industry. Creating a distinct identity for a unique and important component of our film community is part of this necessary progress.

Current Short Films and Animation Division Governors Bonnie Arnold, Jinko Goto, and Marlon West add, "We are very proud to be a part of the Short Films and Animation Division. We are excited about the future of these two chapters and appreciate the support of our fellow governors.

In 1931, the Academy Awards awarded Walt Disney's "Flowers and Trees" the first ever Best Animated Short Film. Disney dominated the category for decades and still holds the record for most nominations (39) and most wins (12).

The animated feature category was created 70 years later, with the first trophy awarded in 2002. The Academy's first animated feature award, given to the best film of the previous year, went to DreamWorks Animation's "Shrek."

The Academy's new short film branch represents more than 200 Academy members involved in narrative and nonfiction short filmmaking. The chapter will have one governor representative on the Board of Governors, who will be elected for a term beginning in the 2024-2025 fiscal year. This representative will oversee the Live Action Short Film Awards.

This year's Academy Awards will be held on Sunday, March 10 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.