Disney has dominated the Oscars in the Best Animated Feature category since it was introduced in 2000. Winning 15 out of 25, that means it is the big winner among animation studios. It also means that on at least ten occasions, it slipped through their fingers. And we are going to talk about that. About the ten films that snatched the Oscar from a Disney film. Because almost all of them have this in common: they faced a Disney film or one of its subsidiaries and won.
Shrek (2001)
Won against: Monsters, Inc.
Directed by Andrew Adanson and Vicky Jenson, Shrek needs no introduction. One of the most popular and well-known animated films in history, it was the big hit of the 2000s from DreamWorks Animation. Costing just 60 million, it managed to make over 480 million at the box office and became a cultural phenomenon. And even Disney could not compete with that.
Spirited Away (2002)
Won against: Lilo & Stitch
This mythical film by Hayao Miyazaki is not only an extraordinary cult movie, but it is also one of the most beloved films by all animation lovers. Transcending the barriers of language and culture, Studio Ghibli proved that the Oscars are not just for American films. Nor the animation award for children’s films.
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)
Won: There was no Disney movie nominated.
Aardman creates some of the brightest handcrafted animation in history, and Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit is no exception. A hilarious story in which Wallace and Gromit offer to defend an annual giant vegetable competition from any rabbit that wants to attack it, only to discover something terrible: the were-rabbit. The rabbit equivalent of a werewolf. Hilarious and exquisite, it is a film that swept all the awards and you shouldn’t miss it.
Happy Feet (2006)
Won against: Cars
The director of Mad Max, George Miller, is a versatile man. The example is Happy Feet, a movie about penguins looking for a mate through singing competitions that would create a whole multimillion-dollar franchise that would make Disney envious. All of this created a trend that critics would hate in all the movies that tried to imitate him.
Rango (2011)
Won: There was no Disney movie nominated.
Speaking of unique directors, Gore Verbinski is known for the original Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy and the movie The Lone Ranger. And that is evident in Rango, a film about a chameleon that resembles Hunter S. Thompson and lives in a desert anchored in all the stereotypes of the western. Hilarious and spectacular, it is a fun movie. And the last great winner before a long triumphant march of Disney.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
Won against: The Incredibles 2, Ralph Breaks the Internet
Although it is a Marvel franchise, this is not a Marvel movie, but rather a Sony one. And one of its biggest recent successes. This movie blends constant and crazy animation styles that make it a truly amazing festival of styles. If we add to that a heartfelt script and a charismatic character, like Spider-Man, it’s no surprise that it was a success with both critics and audiences alike.
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022)
Won against: Red
Guillermo del Toro, along with Mark Gustafson, signed this excellent musical adaptation of Pinocchio with exquisite animation. Being an absolute critical success, it is one of the few films in Netflix’s catalog that has achieved true recognition from critics and the accompanying awards. Moreover, it is a very good adaptation of the original novel by Carlo Collodi.
The Boy and the Heron (2023)
Won against: Elemental
Another film by Hayao Miyazaki. This one is much more divisive. Although it excited critics, it does not have the same reception and reach as Spirited Away, creating more division about its quality and intention. That does not mean it is not an excellent film, which made a great box office and demonstrates the quality of everything they do at Studio Ghibli.
Flow (2024)
Won against: Inside Out 2
The most unique of the movies on this list. Directed by Gints Zilbalodis and made by a tiny team with a minimal budget, it took them five and a half years to complete. The result has been worth it. Spectacular and brilliant, it has swept all the animation awards in the world like no film has since Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. And it has just arrived on Netflix.
K-Pop Demon Hunters (2025)
Won against: Elio, Zootopia 2
Sony did not see the possibility of it working at the box office, so it sold it to Netflix. And K-Pop Demon Hunters was an absolute success on the platform. The big movie of 2025 that has become a mass phenomenon shows that there is life beyond Disney. And that animated films can be just as important as live-action ones. Even if they are not from the usual multinational.
