Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year

Infobox award
name = Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year


imagesize =
caption =
description = Excellence in animation films of Japan
presenter = The Nippon Academy-sho association
country = flagicon|Japan Japan
year = 2007
website = http://www.japan-academy-prize.jp/

The Nihongo|Animation of the Year|アニメーション作品賞 of the Japan Academy Prize is one of the annual Awards given by the "Nippon Academy-sho association" (Japan Academy Prize Association).

Although the Japan Academy Prize have been awarded annually since 1978 to Japanese films, animation films - or anime films - have been disregarded. Animation films have included top grossing Japanese films of the year, such as Doraemon (1981) [ [http://www.eiga-ranking.com/ranking/distribution/1981.html Box-office ranking in Japan, 1981] ] and Studio Ghibli's Kiki's Delivery Service (1989) [ [http://www.eiga-ranking.com/ranking/distribution/1989.html Box-office ranking in Japan, 1989] ] , Only Yesterday (1991) [ [http://www.eiga-ranking.com/ranking/distribution/1991.html Box-office ranking in Japan, 1991] ] , Porco Rosso (1992) [ [http://www.eiga-ranking.com/ranking/distribution/1992.html Box-office ranking in Japan, 1992] ] , Pom Poko (1994) [ [http://www.eiga-ranking.com/ranking/distribution/1994.html Box-office ranking in Japan, 1994] ] and Whisper of the Heart (1995) [ [http://www.eiga-ranking.com/ranking/distribution/1995.html Box-office ranking in Japan, 1995] ] . No animation film has ever received a nomination for a Japan Academy Prize. This is notably different from other major Japanese film awards, such as the Mainichi Film Award and Kinema Junpo, which have both awarded "Picture of the Year" to My Neighbor Totoro in 1988.

In 1990, the Japan Academy Prize Association gave a "Special Award" to Kiki's Delivery Service at the 13th the Japan Academy Prize [ [http://www.japan-academy-prize.jp/allprizes/1990/index.html The 13th Prize results] ] , and again in 1995 to Takahata's Pom Poko. However, there was still no nomination for these animated box-office hits.

But in 1998, the Japan Academy Prize Association could no longer disregard animation films with the hugely successful "Princess Mononoke", the highest box-office record ever in the history of Japanese cinema, which dominated the other major film prizes ("See": Awards). As a result, at the 21st Japan Academy Prize that year, Studio Ghibli's Princess Mononoke became the first-ever animation film to be nominated for and win the Japan Academy Prize 'Picture of the Year'. Yoshiyuki Tomino, famed for "Gundam", mentioned it: "A hole that Hayao Miyazaki made spending ten years". [ [http://www.walkerplus.com/tokyo/latestmovie/report/report4705.html Talk: Yoshiyuki Tomino and Mamoru Hosoda] at the 10th Media Arts Festival in 2007]

In 2002, at the 25th Japan Academy Prize, another animation film by Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli, "Spirited Away", was again nominated and won the 'Picture of the Year'.

In 2007, the Japan Academy Prize followed the "original" Academy Awards for creating the award category the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2002, and created the Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year. After all, two animation films have already won Picture of the Year. Only one film is awarded Nihongo|"Best Animation of the Year"|最優秀アニメーション作品賞, however, all five nominees are recognized by the association by the awarding of Nihongo|"Excellent Animation of the Year"|優秀アニメーション作品'. [ [http://www.japan-academy-prize.jp/outline.html general information of the awards] ]

List of winners and nominees

* 2007 - "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time"
**"Arashi no Yoru Ni"
**"Tales from Earthsea"
**"Brave Story"
**""

* 2008 - "Tekkon Kinkreet"
**""
**"Summer Days with Coo"
**"Piano no Mori"
**""

References

External links

* [http://www.japan-academy-prize.jp/ Japan Academy Prize official website] - jp icon
** [http://www.japan-academy-prize.jp/allprizes/2007/index.html The 30th Japan Academy Prize]