Miyazaki Makes Golden Globe History with The Boy and the Heron

The Boy and the Heron's Historic Win

The latest fantasy film from Hayao Miyazaki about a young boy's quest through a mysterious world while following a talking heron stunned not just the Golden Globe audience but viewers worldwide as presenters Natalie Portman and Florence Pugh announced the film's victory.

The Boy and the Heron by Hayao Miyazaki

The Boy and the Heron was up against major competition this year with films such as Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Elemental, and Suzume among the list of nominees. This win for the Miyazaki film not only gave the acclaimed director his first win at the Golden Globes, but the first victory for an anime film in the show's history.

Mahito and Himi in The Boy and he Heron with their faces pressed together.

While Miyazaki and the crew from Studio Ghibli were not present to claim the award, this marks an incredible milestone for anime as it acknowledges just how powerful the medium can be in filmmaking through the sheer beauty of The Boy and the Heron's story.

Mahito's granduncle

The Boy and the Heron’s Win Sets a Nearly 20-Year Milestone

Mahito Maki

The most amazing thing about The Boy and the Heron's huge win tonight is that it broke a major streak of anime being left out of winning the gold at the Golden Globes. Since 2006, the only films that were ever nominated for the award came from American studios. Then, in 2010, the first international animated film, The Illusionist, was nominated, setting a new precedent for the Globes as it opened the doorway for non-American films to have a shot. Anime finally got some recognition in 2018 when Mirai was nominated, making history for the medium. Now, after only one nomination prior to 2023 with Science Saru’s Inu-Oh, The Boy and the Heron officially became the first anime film to win the Golden Globes’ Best Animated Film award.

Mahito

The Boy and the Heron's Oscar Prospects

With the Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature under its belt, the next question becomes if The Boy and the Heron will earn an Oscar. This major victory for the film certainly raises the odds of getting Hayao Miyazaki his second Academy Award after Spirited Away, but the two awards shows don’t go hand-in-hand.

The heron's other form taunts Mahito in The Boy and the Heron

From then on, it was a bit of a coin flip regarding who would win with the two agreeing for the most part, but not guaranteeing that the same film will win. However, with this year’s Oscar nominations yet to be announced, it’s all but guaranteed that The Boy and the Heron will be among the chosen group of films up for the coveted statue.

The Parakeet King

Whether The Boy and the Heron gets the Oscar or not doesn’t mean the film shouldn’t celebrate its major win. Hayao Miyazaki’s newest film set a major precedent for what’s to come in the years ahead for the Globes as it makes anime a major contender from this point forward.

The Boy and the Heron's Impact

The Boy and the Heron just made history at the Golden Globes, and it’s a milestone that will be a part of film history forever.