Breaking: LA Film Critics Name ‘The Tale of the Princess Kaguya’ Best Animated Film of 2014

The Los Angeles Film Critics Association have just named Isao Takahata’s The Tale of the Princess Kaguya as the top animated film of 2014. Their runner-up is The LEGO Movie.

Here is the official Twitter announcement of Kaguya’s win this afternoon.

BEST ANIMATION, Winner: THE TALE OF THE PRINCESS KAGUYA.

— LA Film Critics (@LAFilmCritics) December 7, 2014

If one pattern has emerged in 2014’s animated feature race, it’s that there is no pattern. Unlike last year, when critical consensus on the category centered around Hayao Miyazaki’s The Wind Rises, no animated feature has emerged as a frontrunner this year. That might be for the best too, since last year the Academy ignored the top critical choice, opting to honor the highest-grossing animation of the year, Frozen.

Here are the major award breakdowns so far:

The LEGO Movie (2 awards)
BAFTA Children’s Award
New York Film Critics Circle

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (1 award)
LA Film Critics

How to Train Your Dragon 2 (1 award)
National Board of Review

For the record, the LA Film Critics honored the French film Ernest & Celestine as the best animated feature of 2013, and The Wind Rises as the runner-up. Both films went on to be nominated for the Academy Award.