The Academy Award for Best Animated Feature was first introduced in 2002, honoring the animated films of 2001. While animated films had become more common by then, offering enough choices a year to fill a category with, one can’t help but wonder what would’ve happened had the award been around in the 90s. Walt Disney Animation Studios experienced its “renaissance,” and future animation powerhouses Pixar and Dreamworks debuted their first films.
This article will take a look at the likely nominees and winners of this award had it been offered in the 90s. Reviews, box office, and other awards ceremonies will be used to determine the films included. For international films, the Academy observes the year of the film’s American release, so this article will follow what the Academy would’ve done. Direct-to-video films won't be included either, as the Academy’s rule of having a theatrical run was in place. So let’s take a look at the 10 movies that would’ve won Best Animated Feature in the 90s.
1990: The Rescuers Down Under
1990 kicked off a decade of animated hits. Based on wide releases, there likely would've been two nominees. First is DuckTales the Movie: The Treasure of the Lost Lamp. It was the first film from Disney's smaller animation studio, Disney Toon Studios, and spun-off from the hit TV series. And the second, and likely winner, is Walt Disney Animation's The Rescuers Down Under. Other possible nominees that didn't get good reviews or make much money are Happily Ever After, Jetsons: The Movie, and The Nutcracker Prince.
The Rescuers Down Under came out 14 years after the original Rescuers, with Bob Newhart and Eva Gabor returning to the roles of Bernard and Miss Bianca. The film had a poor opening weekend, opening against the highest-grossing film of 1990, Home Alone. It still ended up being the highest-grossing animated film of the year.
1991: Beauty & The Beast
The 1991 nominees would likely have been An American Tail: Feivel Goes West from Amblimation, Rock-a-doodle from Sullivan Bluth Studios, and the clear winner, Beauty and the Beast from Disney.
With the film being the first animated nominee for Best Picture, it’s obviously the film that would’ve won Best Animated Feature. It was also won the Annie Awards’ first Best Animated Feature Award and was the highest-grossing animated film of the year.
1992: Aladdin
The year’s nominees likely would’ve included Annie Award nominees Bebe's Kids, FernGully: The Last Rainforest, and Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland, which was released in 1989 in Japan but didn’t see an American release until 1992.
The remaining nominee and winner would’ve been the Disney hit Aladdin, which also won the Annie Award. Like Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin took home the Oscars for both score and song and was the year’s highest-grossing animated film.
1993: The Nightmare Before Christmas
In what would’ve been an interesting year with no Disney Animation nominee, 1993 would’ve seen the nominees Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, Once Upon a Forest, We’re Back! A Dinosaur’s Story, and the winner, The Nightmare Before Christmas. While not shown in its complete form, The Thief and the Cobbler was first released in 93, and the “Recobbled Cut” of it is considered one of the best animated films of all time. Both Phantasm and Nightmare are beloved films to this day, so it would’ve been an interesting matchup.
While all nominated for Annie Awards, their calendar year goes from November to October, so none of these films won. They were up against Aladdin and Lion King respectfully. Nightmare Before Christmas was made by Skellington Productions, a collaboration between Disney and Tim Burton. It too was the year’s highest-grossing animated film.
1994: The Lion King
Up against likely nominees The Pagemaster, The Swan Princess, Thumbelina, Disney would’ve secured a probable fourth win of the decade with The Lion King. It won the Annie Award in 1994.
The film has become another Disney classic, with a great voice cast and hit songs from Elton John and Tim Rice. It was not only the highest-grossing animated film of the year, but it remains the highest-grossing traditionally animated film of all time.
1995: Toy Story
The nominees Balto, Pocahontas, and the now-classic A Goofy Movie would’ve all been beaten out by the first full-length CG animated film, Toy Story. Pocahontas won the Annie Award for the year, but Toy Story qualified and won for the following year instead.
Again being the highest-grossing animated film of the year, Pixar’s first of many wins would’ve come sooner had the award been around in the 90s. It was awarded a Special Achievement Oscar, however. The film not only kicked-off a long string of hits for Pixar, but it also lead to three sequels and a land at Hollywood Studios in Disney World.
1996: The Hunchback Of Notre Dame
Likely nominees James and the Giant Peach, Space Jam, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame all lost at the Annie Awards, again with Toy Story qualifying for 1996 Hunchback would likely have taken home the Oscar.
The film would've continued the streak of the winner being the highest-grossing animated film of the year. It's also perhaps the heaviest film in Walt Disney Animation history.
1997: Hercules
Anastasia, Cats Don't Dance, and Hercules would have all been strong contenders for the award, and Cats Don't Dance was the winner of the Annie Award. But until recently, the Academy wasn't known for choosing lesser-known animated films, no matter how great they were.
Hercules likely would've been the winner, and Disney Animation’s total for the decade would've been brought to six. The Academy would likely have stayed with the highest-grossing film again as well.
1998: The Prince Of Egypt
1998 would've been a wide-open contest between A Bug's Life, Mulan, The Prince of Egypt, and Quest for Camelot. Mulan and Prince of Egypt would've been the favorites, and it would likely have been a toss-up as to who would win.
Both films were nominated for their scores, though only Prince got a nomination for Best Original Song, with ”When You Believe” winning the award. Mulan won the Annie Award, with Prince of Egypt losing the following year to The Iron Giant. In a close battle, the Academy would've likely awarded Prince of Egypt the award, which would've been the first for Dreamworks. A Bug’s Life was the highest-grossing animated film of the year.
1999: Toy Story 2
In another great set of nominees to end the decade, 1999 would've seen Fantasia 2000, The Iron Giant, Princess Mononoke, Tarzan, and Toy Story 2 battle for the prize. Princess Mononoke released in 1997 in Japan, and while it's one of many great Studio Ghibli films of the decade, it was the one to see an American release within the decade without it being too long after the initial release.
Edging out 1999 Annie winner The Iron Giant would likely have been 2000 Annie winner Toy Story 2. It was the highest-grossing animated film of 99, and it remains one of the all-time best-reviewed films on Rotten Tomatoes. If this had been the winner, it would mean all four Toy Story films would've taken home the award.