HAYAO MIYAZAKI’S “THE BOY AND THE HERON” WINS ACADEMY AWARD® FOR BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

 

GKIDS, the North American distributor and producer of multiple Academy Award-nominated animated films, is proud to announce Studio Ghibli’s latest, THE BOY AND THE HERON, as the winner of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences’ Oscar for Best Animated Feature. Tonight’s achievement marks a second Academy Award for legendary director Hayao Miyazaki, who earned four previous nominations and won his first Oscar for Spirited Away (2003). He was also recognized at the 2014 Governors Awards with the Academy’s Honorary Award for his exceptional contributions to cinema.

Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away and THE BOY AND THE HERON are the only two hand-drawn films to win in the history of this category, which was established by the Academy in 2002. It is the first Oscar win for producer Toshio Suzuki, who previously earned three nominations. The win continues Studio Ghibli’s extraordinary Oscar run, which includes 7 total nominations, with 2 wins.

THE BOY AND THE HERON is GKIDS’ highest-grossing release of its 16-year history and Studio Ghibli’s highest-grossing film in North America. To date, it has earned over $46 million at the North American box office, also hitting the milestone of highest-grossing original Japanese animated film of all time, domestically. Continuing its historic theatrical run of the film, GKIDS will add theaters in a North American re-release later this month, with details forthcoming.

From the Dolby Theater’s Hollywood stage, presenters Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth the win for THE BOY AND THE HERON and accepted the Oscars for Director/Screenwriter Miyazaki and Producer Suzuki, who remain in Japan. Backstage in Los Angeles, the film’s Executive Producer and Studio Ghibli COO, Kiyofumi Nakajima, read aloud the following statement on behalf of Oscar-winning producer Toshio Suzuki:

“As producer of The Boy and the Heron, I am extremely honored to receive the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Academy. I would also like to give my thanks to those who were involved in the production of this film, and to all those who worked to distribute the film worldwide. This film began with director Hayao Miyazaki retracting his retirement statement. Following that, we spent seven years in the production of this work. It has been ten years since Hayao Miyazaki’s previous film, The Wind Rises, during which time there have been dramatic changes in the environment surrounding films. This film was truly difficult to bring to completion. I am very appreciative that the work that was created after overcoming these difficulties has been seen by so many people around the world, and that it has received this recognition. Both Hayao Miyazaki and I have aged a considerable amount. I am grateful to receive such an honor at my age, and taking this as a message to continue our work, I will devote myself to work harder in the future.

Thank you very much.”

Read our review here and our exclusive feature here.

About “THE BOY AND THE HERON”

After losing his mother during the war, young Mahito moves to his family’s estate in the countryside. There, a series of mysterious events lead him to a secluded and ancient tower, home to a mischievous gray heron. When Mahito’s new stepmother disappears, he follows the gray heron into the tower, and enters a fantastic world shared by the living and the dead. As he embarks on an epic journey with the heron as his guide, Mahito must uncover the secrets of this world, and the truth about himself.