10 Animated movies that didn’t deserve to get Oscar snubbed

The best animation is honored at the Academy Awards, but occasionally outstanding films are overlooked. Throughout the years, numerous remarkable animated features failed to receive proper recognition and left audiences stunned and dissatisfied. Movie productions with beautiful visuals, paired with touching narratives and memorable characters, failed to secure either the win or the nomination titles at the ceremonies of the Oscars.

The field of contenders was challenging, reviewers may have displayed bias, or luck did not align in their favor. No one knows for sure. The following list features ten incredible animated movies that received insufficient recognition from the Oscars. The world fell in love with these movies while the Oscars refused to acknowledge their quality. We should now honor the fantastic work of these underappreciated films.

Here are the 10 Animated movies that didn’t deserve to get Oscar snubbed.

Disclaimer: Please note this entire article is based on the writer's opinion. Reader's discretion is advised.

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10. When Marnie Was There (2014)

On 19 July, the movie was released under the direction of Hiromasa Yonebayashi. Production Company Studio Ghibli produced this Japanese psychological drama animated film for the public. The story follows Anna Sasaki (twelve years old) who navigates the world with a poor self-image, and she ends up in a country setting near the coast for health treatment. During her stay, Marnie appears out of nowhere, presenting a meaningful relationship between them.

The film was nominated for the Best Animated Feature spot at the Academy Awards because of its attractive illustrations, deep emotional content, and strong narrative elements. Box Office Mojo documents show the worldwide earnings of this film reached $35.01 million. The movie brought in $561,085 in domestic earnings followed by international collections of $34,451,596. A strong group of competitor films during the year prevented this movie from achieving the Oscar win despite its high level of success.

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9. Your Name (2016)

The Academy might have made a wrong decision by excluding this film from receiving recognition as the Best Animated Feature nominee. This romance anime surpassed $100 million in its initial Japanese release and became a global phenomenon that achieved $330 million at worldwide theaters. Rotten Tomatoes awarded the film a fantastic 97% rating since all critics expressed strong appreciation for this creation.

Despite its worldwide influence, the Academy made a surprising error when it decided not to include this animation on the Oscars list. The worldwide audience enjoyed this film despite its limited western premiere in April 2017. The Academy demonstrates its avoidance of recognizing non-Western cinema through this failure to acknowledge the motion pictures.

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8. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019)

Dean DeBlois directed this film. This movie is the last part of the popular cartoon series. During their journey toward finding the hidden dragon paradise, Hiccup faces new leadership challenges and tests that threaten his relationship with Toothless.

The movie won an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature because of its exquisite animation, moving plot, and remarkable character growth. The worldwide earnings reported by Box Office Mojo amount to $521,799,505. Although it received competitive recognition from other top movies, including Toy Story 4, the film failed to secure the Oscar award. The movie remained a fan favorite despite failing to win an award because of its perfect blend of beauty and storytelling appeal.

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7. Moana (2016)

In this Disney-animated feature, Ron Clements and John Musker led the way while depicting the courageous ocean voyage of Polynesian girl Moana as she investigates her purpose in life while saving her island by crossing the sea with the help of the demigod Maui. On her journey with Maui, she faces multiple obstacles which lead to discovering how courage builds personal growth and understanding of oneself.

The award-winning Best Animated Feature at the 2017 Academy Award recognized the film for its exceptional animation work and its successful narrative which also included the musical talent of Lin-Manuel Miranda. Zootopia claimed the Oscar trophy instead of Moana despite its strong competition at the ceremony in 2017. Moana stands as one of the beloved hit animated movies that leaves an enduring legacy despite not winning an award.

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6. Isle of Dogs (2018)

The motion picture came out on March 23 (2018) under the direction of Wes Anderson. The synopsis describes this animated feature as a stop-motion film that takes place in a Japan of the future, which bans all dogs from Trash Island because of a canine virus spread. The young character Atari leads a group of dogs along with himself on a mission to retrieve his pet dog Spots after she disappears from his house.

This film received the Best Animated Feature nomination spot at the Academy Awards because of its unique animation, engaging story, and professional voice performances. The movie lost out on the Academy Award to “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” even though it competed with these blockbuster nominees for Best Animated Feature.

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5. Persepolis (2007)

During the Islamic Revolution in 2007, Persepolis introduced its unique animated production showing the childhood experiences of an Iranian girl. This unique animation departure significantly differs from standard content to bring forward an essential fresh point of view. Though important, the film failed to win the award as the animation Ratatouille offered superior visuals alongside enhanced cast members.

Pixar mastered the art of developing lovable characters and profound narratives in Ratatouille, yet this film fell short of the innovative spirit that Persepolis delivered. Ratatouille and Persepolis dominated the Oscar competition alongside Surf's Up as the third and final nominee during that year. Persepolis received an Oscar nomination but Western viewers failed to recognize its true deserving quality. The Academy demonstrates occasional favoritism for traditional stories rather than daring socially relevant productions because it currently overlooks this specific gem.

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4. The Boxtrolls (2014)

In 2014, The Boxtrolls, a beautifully crafted stop-motion film by Laika Studios, faced stiff competition from Big Hero 6 and Princess Kaguya. The Boxtrolls functioned as a stop-motion adaptation of “Here Be Monsters!” by presenting Laika Studios' renowned stop-motion expertise that began with ParaNorman and Coraline. Despite its flawless animation and favorable reviews, this movie lost the race to Big Hero 6 because the Marvel/Disney production charmed audiences through its popularity and marketability.

The Boxtrolls received complimentary reviews but failed to achieve the level of recognition that Big Hero 6 accumulated. The success of Kubo and the Two Strings at the 2017 Oscars should reward Laika with the welcome recognition its studio has long been deprived of. Major studio-supported productions proved difficult to overcome during the current year's Oscar competition.

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3. Robot Dreams (2023)

The Academy awarded this movie the Best Animated Feature nomination because the film displayed distinctive storytelling with artful animation and profound emotional depth. The 1980s New York City-based story narrates a wordless tale of dog-robot friendship, which Pablo Berger directs in his film. Many found this movie highly compelling, but this animated film failed to win the coveted award.

Despite winning Best Independent Animated Feature at the Annie Awards, the film encountered fierce competition from other animated films because of their wider appeal and bigger marketing reach. The Academy reviews multiple elements such as creative innovation, audience popularity, and general effect to determine winners.

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2. Monsters Inc. (2001)

The movie followed "Toy Story 2" to demonstrate Pixar's ability to build colorful imaginative realms beyond the classic series. Despite being a beloved Pixar masterpiece, this movie didn't snag the Oscar for Best Animated Feature in 2001. The film received universal acclaim as critical reviews scored it at 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, higher than Shrek's rating of 88%.

The victory of Shrek over Monsters, Inc. at the Oscars could be explained by its position as the first-ever winner of the animated category, novel fairy tale approach, and its establishment of DreamWorks Animation as a major industry rival to Pixar. The Academy voters chose Shrek as the winner instead of Monsters Inc., although the latter established a foundation that led to Wall-E and Ratatouille from Pixar.

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1. The Lego Movie (2014)

The absence of this movie from the Best Animated Feature category nominations during the 2014 Oscars surprised viewers and critics as the film stood out for its strong popularity and critical acclaim. The movie delighted audiences with its captivating narrative, clever animation, and brilliant sense of humor while it achieved blockbuster success at theaters. The Academy selected Song of the Sea, How to Train Your Dragon 2, followed by the winner Big Hero 6 instead of The Lego Movie for Best Animated Feature.

Audiences felt puzzled by this omission because The Lego Movie exceeded its audience expectations to become a much-loved hit. The Academy's failure to recognize the film did not diminish its contribution to the animation genre since it established ambitious standards for animated features. Fans adhere to the belief that future Lego films will eventually score the accolades that bring recognition to their artistic achievement.

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Outstanding films raise their worth independent of award recognitions. The following animated movies generated enduring popularity despite receiving no Oscars recognition. They maintain widespread popularity as evidence that recognition is not required for a movie to succeed.

Most movie fans certainly cherish the underrated gems that the Academy never acknowledged despite their devotion. Movie storytelling and creativity prove to be more important than trophies. Which different animated movies in your opinion received insufficient recognition? Let us know!