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Top Ten Animated Short Oscar Winners of All Time

The Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film is far from a perfect category as they have ignored some classic series such as Looney Tunes and Popeye the Sailor. But still, this category is much better than the feature category as most of the winners are actually quite good. I have already made each list for all decades, since the 1930s to the 2010s, but this list is the culmination of the very best of all time. I’ve tried to make a more diverse list and thus I tried to include only one or two films per series as otherwise the list would have been dominated by Silly Symphonies and Disney. So without further ado, here are the ten most deserving Oscar winning animated short films of all time.

10. Knighty Knight Bugs

With excellent character interactions and both Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam are highly memorable here, Knighty Knight Bugs truly is a terrific Looney Tunes entry with a wonderfully executed historical period and setting and very strong storytelling. It isn’t the best Looney Tunes entry, however, and it’s such a shame that the series was only honored this once and never again.

9. Bob’s Birthday

Exploring the middle-age issues so well, Bob’s Birthday also never forgets to be funny as it truly is a very amusing film. Its sitcom scenarios and approach are also superbly utilized. I like the characters and their relationship and although the animation is certainly quite cheap looking, the story is so strong and thematically rich and the film is so mature and sophisticated that it’s one of the very best of the 90s shorts.

8. Mouse Trouble

The 1940s proved to be the defining decade for Tom & Jerry and the series certainly won many awards during that decade. Although a couple of the winning entries did not deserve to win at all, this is not one of those films. Mouse Trouble is simply fantastic and probably the quintessential Tom and Jerry movie as it encapsulates their signature humor along with excellent chases and simply brilliantly executed scenarios, action and simplistic, but great plotting.

7. Special Delivery

Similar to ‘Bob’s Birthday’, Special Delivery also manages to offset its crude animation thanks to simply an impressive script. Yes, the plot in this film is beyond crazy as it has a bunch of unforgettable and intriguing twists and turns that are consistently keeping you on the edge of your seat and quite intrigued. The film is funny, entertaining and one of the most original and adult stories on this entire list.

6. Harvie Krumpet

Thanks to reliably beautiful and detailed stop-motion animation, a clever use of intertitles and a poignant story fueled by strong emotion, Harvie Krumpet is your regular, but awesome Adam Eliot movie that rightfully won him an Oscar. This director is great at telling moving stories with oddball characters and here he delivered beautifully in both of those areas. It’s certainly the best Oscar winner from the 2000s.

5. The Wrong Trousers

The Wrong Trousers is the most important and essential Wallace and Gromit entry. It features per usual a wonderful, charming dynamic between the two characters and superb animation and score. The story is great in its mix of noir and crime elements and imbued by a great atmosphere. The highlight of course is Feathers McGraw who is one of the best and most menacing villains the world of animation has seen. Weird for one penguin, but oh so true.

4. Ferdinand the Bull

The utter failure and disappointment of 2017’s ‘Ferdinand’ only further cemented the classic and even masterpiece status of the original 1938 flick. Yes, Ferdinand the Bull is wonderful not only in animation, music and its highly beautiful, unforgettable last scene, but also in its beautiful theme and message and such an endearing central character. This film will always remain the best version of this story.

3. Paperman

Yes, Disney is dominating the top part of this list and I may be biased toward the studio, but still how can anyone not simply adore Paperman? This 2012 romance is one of the most purely romantic and elegant pieces of animation that I have ever seen. Its characters are so likable and the mix of modern and traditional led to such authentic looking, artistic animation. It’s honestly poetic and a future classic by all means.

2. Feast

But Feast is even better. Coming two years after ‘Paperman’, Feast managed to top it thanks in no small part to its wonderful and truthful portrayal of dogs’ relationship with food and humans. The animation and score are great, but the protagonist is one of the best animated dogs ever which says a lot as we’ve had so many up to this point. The story is highly moving and I was almost moved to tears by its heartfelt ending.

1. Three Little Pigs

With amazing animation and character design, revolutionary characterization and one of the best songs in animation ever in Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf, Three Little Pigs also features excellent action, a great story and a fantastic message for children about the importance of work. It succeeds on all fronts, it’s great for both children and adults and it has phenomenal repeat value. It’s the best Silly Symphony and Oscar winner while also being the overall best animated short that I have ever seen. An all-time classic.

Honorable Mentions:

The Pink Phink – The only Pink Panther Oscar winner is this terrific entry in the series fueled by iconic animation, theme song and wonderfully executed character interactions.

Geri’s Game – This Pixar classic features stunning character design for its time and one of the most heartbreaking and original stories from the studio.

Lend a Paw – This is the only Mickey Mouse Oscar winner and it’s certainly one of the better ones thanks to some of the best uses of Pluto ever and a wonderful story.

The Sand Castle – This poetic movie is gorgeously and authentically animated with awesome character design while also having a timeless story, a moving ending and a terrific score.

Bunny – This is one very authentic and highly moody 90s short film with such a beautiful, highly emotional ending. It’s a romantic take on the afterlife for sure.

Der Fuehrer’s Face – Donald Duck is so endearing here and you root for him endlessly in this film that deals with Nazism in a cartoony, but still effective manner. It’s a dark, impressive film that is only offset by its overly patriotic ending.