AceShowbiz - At the 98th Academy Awards held on March 15, the Netflix film KPop Demon Hunters made history by winning two prestigious awards. The movie took home the Oscar for best animated feature, while its song "Golden" earned the award for best original song. This remarkable achievement makes KPop Demon Hunters only the fourth film ever to win in both categories, following the footsteps of Toy Story 3 (2011), Frozen (2014), and Coco (2018).

The category for best animated feature was introduced relatively recently, with the first award presented in 2002. Animated films have long held a special place at the Academy Awards, even before the formal category existed. In fact, Walt Disney received a special award in 1938 for the groundbreaking success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, recognized as a major innovation in film animation that captivated audiences worldwide.

Fifty years later, another special achievement Oscar was awarded to Richard Williams for his animation direction on Who Framed Roger Rabbit, a film that also secured three competitive Oscars in other categories. Despite these recognitions, animated films struggled to gain full acceptance in the Academy's top categories until 1991, when Beauty and the Beast became the first animated film nominated for best picture.

Throughout the 1990s, the Academy was hesitant to add a specific category for animated features. However, in 1996, John Lasseter received a special achievement award for pioneering the first full-length computer-animated film with the Toy Story team. This paved the way for the official creation of the best animated feature category in 2001.

The inaugural winner of the best animated feature Oscar was Shrek, awarded in 2002. Produced by DreamWorks and PDI, Shrek was notable for its unique blend of humor and animation. The film was inducted into the National Film Registry in 2020, and its soundtrack, featuring hits like Smash Mouth’s "All Star" and a remake of The Monkees’ "I'm a Believer," achieved significant commercial success, reaching No. 28 on the Billboard 200.

Following the category’s introduction, both Toy Story 3 and Toy Story 4 won the award, while the upcoming Toy Story 5 is scheduled for release in June 2026. This category continues to showcase the evolving artistry and storytelling in animated films, reflecting their growing importance in the cinematic landscape.

Here is a year-by-year overview of all the Oscar winners for best animated feature since the category's inception, highlighting the evolution and impact of animated films in Hollywood.