Double Win: Hayao Miyazaki Bags Oscars 2024 Award for The Boy and The Heron

Studio Ghibli’s beloved animator and producer Hayao Miyazaki secures his second Oscar Award in 2024 for Best Animated Film!

It looks like Studio Ghibli’s on a roll their beloved director and co-founder secured his second award for the year! Winning a Golden Globe last January, Hayao Miyazaki now won an Oscars award for Best Animated Film in 2024. Although not present to accept the award physically during the night, Hayao Miyazaki remains humble, citing his wife’s words.

“My wife tells me that I’m a very lucky man,” Miyazaki admits in his speech while accepting the award, revealing also where the beauty of the movie The Boy and The Heron came from. “I think I’ve been lucky because I’ve been able to participate in the last era when we can make films with paper, pencil, and film.”

There’s still love for traditional art!

Although The Boy and The Heron took decades to make, the movie endeared itself to many families with its story. A man who knows what it’s like to be displaced by war, Hayao Miyazaki used those feelings to create Mahito, a boy who had lost his mother just like he did. Similar to many of his previous movies, the movie also had female characters that demonstrated a definition of strength.

Hayao’s recognition from the Oscars proves that also that there is still an appreciation for handmade art. Because most movies are made with computer-generated images (CGI), families feel to push their children into pursuing digital arts instead. However, Hayao proves two things with this win: you’re never too old to achieve and there’s still a beauty in handmade art that computers nor artificial intelligence (AI) cannot copy.

Hayao Miyazaki: One of the pioneers of Japanese Animation

Although anime has a stereotypical design (e.g. big eyes, high-pitched voices, strange human anatomy, etc.) among parents, Hayao Miyazaki’s dedication to classic designs is what allowed the movie to flourish and remain a timeless joy. The plots and their storytelling, covering even the most complex of philosophical topics, served as a way to help parents explain things that kids couldn’t understand.

Princess Mononoke offered insights about the environment while My Neighbor Totoro highlighted and celebrated child-like wonder and exploration. Howl’s Moving Castle was Hayao’s expression of his distaste for war, as a victim himself. Although the former didn’t receive an award for that particular film, many consider that one as a beloved piece, especially for its soundtracks.

Spirited Away was Hayao Miyazaki’s first Oscar award-winning film, making The Boy and The Heron his second for both the year 2024 and the Oscars.

More about Studio Ghibli?

5 Family-Friendly Studio Ghibli Movies to Watch
Hayao Miyazaki’s Success at 83 Inspires Us to Keep Achieving!
10 Lessons The Boy and The Heron Teaches About Grief and Losing Loved Ones