The Best Oscar-Winning Animated Films

Animated movies have been around since Disney released Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937, but it wasn't until 2001 that the Academy first introduced a new award category for this kind of movie. In 2001, Shrek took home the first Oscar given for Best Animated Feature. This list includes every movie to win an Oscar for animated film, including titles such as “Toy Story 3”, “Brave," and “Happy Feet.”

Movies have the ability to make us feel. They make us want to believe, be inspired and live vicariously through the stories we see on screen. It is for this reason we often feel an emotional connection to films. The best of these movies are often bestowed with an Academy Award nomination, and those that are truly the best take home the Oscar.

These best Oscar winning animated films provide a kind of escapism that filmmakers hope people seek in entertainment. They are often heart-warming, endearing, and appropriate for the whole family. They provide the type of entertainment that is groundbreaking in their technology and their story-telling. These movies vary in their genre, though many are comedies, but they are all equally engaging.

Though all of these animated films were the best in their year, some are still the best of all winners. Vote up the best Academy Award winning animated films below.