The Academy Has Created A Dedicated Animation Branch

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences board of governors has voted to divide its Short Films and Feature Animation branch into two distinct branches: the Animation Branch and the Short Films branch.

The Academy’s new Animation Branch represents roughly 700 industry members and will oversee the animated feature and animated short Oscar categories. The branch will receive two spots on the Academy’s board of governors.

Following the split, the Academy now has 19 branches representing different areas of the film industry.

Academy CEO Bill Kramer and president Janet Yang said in a release:

The Academy is dedicated to advancing and evolving with our growing global membership and with the film industry. Creating distinct identities for these unique and vital components of our cinema community is part of this needed progress.

Bonnie Arnold, Jinko Gotoh, and Marlon West, governors of the current Short Films and Animation branch, added:

As both the Academy’s shorts and animation communities have grown, and to ensure they continue to thrive, the need for two individual branches became increasingly apparent. We’re excited about the future of these two branches and thank our fellow governors for their support.

In 1931, the Oscars awarded Walt Disney’s Flowers and Trees the first-ever best animated short award. Disney dominated the category for decades and still holds the records for most nominations (39) and wins (12).

The animated feature category was created 70 years later, and the first trophy was awarded in 2002. Recognizing the top film from the previous year, the Academy’s first animated feature Oscar went to Dreamworks Animation’s Shrek.

The Academy’s new Short Films Branch represents more than 200 Academy members across narrative and non-fiction short filmmaking. The branch will have one governor representative on the board who will be elected for a term starting in the 2024-2025 fiscal year. The representative will oversee the live action short film award.

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