Disney is well-established as the king of one category at the Academy Awards, but it will struggle to beat a depressingOscarsstreak this year.Disney’s animated movieshave a history of performing incredibly well at the yearly awards ceremony, and while the studio’s films dominated the Oscars throughout the 2010s, the same can’t be said for the 2020s.
The Academy Awards mostly celebrate animation in theBest Animated Feature category, but those movies are eligible for plenty of categories outside of that. Of the three animated movies that have been nominated for Best Picture,all of them were produced by Disney: 1991’sBeauty and the Beast, 2009’sUp, and 2010’sToy Story 3.
However, those nominations outside the Best Animated Feature category are few and far between, and this is even more true for wins.This is one of the reasons why the category was established in 2001, leading to Disney’s incredible performance throughout its first 20 years. Lately, though, the studio’s star has diminished.
Zootopia 2 Is Disney’s Best Possible Shot At Winning Best Animated Feature In 2026
Disney has struggled at the Oscars in recent years, as the studio hasn’t won Best Animated Feature since 2021.Disney won five of the nine Best Animated Feature Oscars in the 2000sand eight of the ten awards in the 2010s. However, it has only won the category two of the five times in the 2020s so far.
After winning forSoulin 2021 andEncantoin 2022, Disney’sTurning Redlost toGuillermo del Toro’s Pinocchioin 2023,Elementallost toThe Boy and the Heronin 2024, andInside Out 2lost toFlowin 2025. After a three-year losing streak, Disney undoubtedly hopes that it can regain momentum in 2026.
If the studio does want to win,Zootopia 2is its best shot.The firstZootopiawon the Best Animated Feature Oscar in 2016, meaning that the franchise already has a great track record.Disney’s only other animated film this year isElio, and its mixed reception means that it probably won’t fare well at the awards ceremony.
Unfortunately,Zootopia 2has a lot of strong competition.Ne Zha 2andKPop Demon Huntershave already proven to be massive critical successes, with the former having a 96% onRotten Tomatoesand the latter having 97%.Preadtor: Killer of Killers,Dog Man, andThe Bad Guys 2are also big contenders, and upcoming movies likeThe Twitscould provide even more trouble.
In an already crowded year,Zootopia 2has to really stand out in order to break Disney’s losing streak. However, their sequel track record doesn’t make this seem likely. Walt Disney Animation Studios' three modern sequels—Ralph Breaks the Internet,Frozen II, andMoana 2—all lost Best Animated Feature.
Zootopia 2will also have to do something that’s never been done before in order to break Disney’sOscarslosing streak. Though there is a good chance this movie will be as acclaimed as its predecessor, it’s already facing an uphill battle when it comes to awards attention.
