Following the reveal of the Golden Globe nominations in December, last night's awards ceremony saw Hayao Miyazaki's The Boy and the Heron take home the top honors for Best Animated Motion Picture.
Billed as Miyazaki's "final" film, The Boy and the Heron took home the honors over Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Elemental, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Disney Animation's Wish and Makoto Shinkai's Suzume.
It also marks the first time that a non-English language animated film has won the award in the category's 18-year history.
Best Motion Picture — Animated
- "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse"
- "The Boy and the Heron"
- "Elemental"
- "The Super Mario Bros. Movie"
- "Wish"
- "Suzume"
Celebrated Japanese anime composer Joe Hisaishi was also nominated for Best Original Score for his contribution to The Boy and the Heron but did not win. Ludwig Göransson took home the award for his work on Oppenheimer.
Best Original Score — Motion Picture
- Ludwig Göransson, "Oppenheimer"
- Robbie Robertson, "Killers of the Flower Moon"
- Mica Levi, "The Zone of Interest"
- Daniel Pemberton, "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse"
- Jerskin Fendrix, "Poor Things"
- Joe Hisaishi, "The Boy and the Heron"
Still, the win for Best Animated Motion Picture marks the first time Miyazaki has won a Golden Globe Award.
To celebrate the honor, Studio Ghibli co-founder Toshio Suzuki shared the following message on social media:
"I am very happy to hear the news that The Boy and the Heron has received an award at the historic Golden Globe Awards. This is the first Golden Globe awarded to a Studio Ghibli film, and it is a very special feeling."
"Since the beginning of this year, Japan has been hit by a series of tragic earthquakes and accidents. When I hear the reports of many people still waiting for rescue in the disaster areas, I am filled with a sense of despair. in such a situation, I hope the bright news of winning an award can bring a smile to everyone’s face, even if only a little.”
"Together with our US distribution partners, we look forward to further success with The Boy and the Heron. Thank you very much to the Golden Globes for this honor."
Speaking of US distributors, GKids films also shared in the honor.
Next up for The Boy and the Heron will be the Oscars, which will take place on March 10. Nominations will be unveiled on January 23. With a win at The Golden Globes, The Boy and the Heron figures to have locked in a nomination and will be the odds on favorite to win.
ABOUT THE BOY AND THE HERON
After losing his mother during the war, young Mahito moves to his family’s estate in the countryside. There, a series of mysterious events lead him to a secluded and ancient tower, home to a mischievous gray heron. When Mahito’s new stepmother disappears, he follows the gray heron into the tower, and enters a fantastic world shared by the living and the dead. As he embarks on an epic journey with the heron as his guide, Mahito must uncover the secrets of this world, and the truth about himself. Featuring the voices of Christian Bale, Dave Bautista, Gemma Chan, Willem Dafoe, Karen Fukuhara, Mark Hamill, Robert Pattinson and Florence Pugh.
The Boy and the Heron is the new critically-acclaimed fantasy adventure from the legendary Studio Ghibli, creators of Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, and My Neighbor Totoro. Hayao Miyazaki’s first feature film in 10 years is a hand-drawn, original story written and directed by the Academy Award®️-winning director. Produced by Studio Ghibli co-founder Toshio Suzuki, the film features a musical score from Miyazaki’s long-time collaborator Joe Hisaishi. The theme song for the film “Spinning Globe” was penned and performed by global J-pop superstar Kenshi Yonezu.