List of Animated Features for Oscar Consideration Revealed

By our guest blogger, Rob Stammitti

For the first time since the 75th Annual Academy Awards in 2002, there will be five nominees for Best Animated Feature this year, as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has released their list of a whopping 20 animated features in consideration for the prize that has gone to such prodigious films as Hayao Miyazaki's "Spirited Away" and Pixar's "Ratatouille" and "Wall-E."


The list, as revealed by the Academy:

“Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel”
“Astro Boy”
“Battle for Terra”
“Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs”
“Coraline”
“Disney's A Christmas Carol”
“The Dolphin – Story of a Dreamer”
“Fantastic Mr. Fox”
“Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs”
“Mary and Max”
“The Missing Lynx”
“Monsters vs. Aliens”
“9”
“Planet 51”
“Ponyo”
“The Princess and the Frog”
“The Secret of Kells”
“Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure”
“A Town Called Panic”
“Up”

Looks like we're in for an interesting and varied race this year, with Miyazaki potentially looking at a third Oscar nomination for "Ponyo," "The Royal Tenenbaums" director Wes Anderson looking at his very first animated film getting a nomination, and Pixar sure to continue their streak with the third nomination and possible win in a row. From what I've seen, a lot of these films deserve it--this'll certainly be a tough call for the voters.

Of course, some of these features have yet to meet their qualifying theatrical run in Los Angeles, but most will by the end of the year, includng "The Princess and the Frog," Disney's first traditionally animated film since Disney and Pixar's chief creative officer John Lasseter reopened the 2D animation department.  It will be released in late December.

Frequently, there aren't enough nominees in a year to elicit five nominations, as the Academy has a rule limiting five nominations only when the list of features is greater than 16. This year's nominations will be announced on February 2, 2010 and the ceremony, hosted for the third time by Steve Martin with first-time co-host Alec Baldwin, will be held a month later on March 7.