Today, we count down the top Golden Globe animated feature films that make an epic impact on audiences with their crazy, simple, and immersive concepts. These films present their stories in a captivating ambiance with stunning animation while showcasing characters that appeal to families—sometimes creatively, sometimes beyond expectations.
Since 2007, the Golden Globe has chosen films based on these various aspects. This year, an anime named The Boy and the Heron fills the best-animated feature category for the first time. Including this title in our list of Golden Globe best-animated features, we highlight a few more special winning movies.
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Golden Globe Best Animated Feature
1- Ratatouille

- Year of Winning: 2008
- IMDb: 8.1/10
- Release Date: June 22, 2007
- Available On: Disney+ Hotstar
This unique story conveys the message that anyone can dream, and those dreams can come true, whether you are a human or an animal. “Ratatouille,” the Golden Globe best-animated feature, opens with a young rat named Remy, who is passionate about cooking. He always dreamed of becoming a professional chef like his idol, the famous Chef Gusteau.
After separating from his family and moving into the attic of a house in Paris, Remy’s life changes as he forages for food and eventually lands in the kitchen of Gusteau’s restaurant. There, he accidentally meets Linguini, a clumsy garbage boy. Eventually, they team up and start cooking together. This adventure and unexpected journey shows that anyone can do it, regardless of- their size or species.
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2- Up

- Year of Winning: 2010
- IMDb: 8.3/10
- Release Date: May 13, 2009
- Available On: Prime
Another story of dreams that redefine meaning reveals that age is just a number, and you can achieve your dreams at any time with a beautiful title, “Up”. The story revolves around 78-year-old Carl Fredricksen, who wishes to embark on an adventure with his beloved wife to Paradise Falls in South America. However, life keeps them busy, preventing them from finding a chance to plan it before his wife dies.
Now, he is alone and focuses on living in his retirement home, but Carl doesn’t want this. So, he decides to fulfill his dreams. To do that, he tethers thousands of colorful balloons to his house and starts this daring journey. During this journey, he suddenly meets a young boy named Russell, who joins him in an adventure that leads them to danger, self-discovery, and friendship. Alongside, shows a bond between Carl and Russell like a parent and child that made it win the Golden Globe for the best animated feature.
3- Inside Out

- Year of Winning: 2010
- IMDb: 8.1/10
- Release Date: May 18, 2015
- Available On: Disney+ Hotstar
Inside Out takes viewers on a complete emotional roller coaster journey through the human mind, focusing on an 11-year-old girl and her day-to-day problems and challenges. The story showcases different emotions like Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust, and Anger as characters, following Riley Andersen and her life complexities. When Riley’s family moved from Minnesota to San Francisco, she experienced emotional turmoil.
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Despite this, Joy, the optimistic leader, tries to maintain her emotions and prevent herself from sinking into sadness. However, when Joy and Sadness unexpectedly get swept away from the Headquarters, they embark on a freakout adventure. Throughout their journey, both learn about the essential role that all emotions play in shaping Riley’s identity and personality, as well as how embracing sadness ultimately leads to true happiness.
4- In Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio

- Year of Winning: 2023
- IMDb: 7.6/10
- Release Date: October 15, 2022
- Available On: Netflix
The interesting craft narrative showcases how true emotions and feelings can infuse the soul into anything. In Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio story, we experience a heartbreaking journey that reveals the true meaning of family. The story starts in the shadow of World War I and follows master woodcarver Geppetto, who grapples with grief after losing his beloved son, Carlo.
In his disappointment, Geppetto plants a pine tree on Carlo’s grave and carves a wooden puppet to fill the void in his heart. Miracles happen, and on a stormy night, the Wood Spirit brings his puppet to life, naming him Pinocchio. Pinocchio adds a lot of joy and chaos to Geppetto, displaying the curiosity and mischief of a child. Alongside this, Pinocchio’s journey is filled with various challenges as others try to mold him into a perfect soldier. With the adventure path of finding real self-personality, and true strength this becomes the Golden Globe’s best animated feature film.
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5- The Boy and the Heron

- Year of Winning: 2024
- IMDb: 7.4/10
- Release Date: July 14, 2023
- Available On: Prime
The Boy and the Heron delivers a heart-touching narrative that brings tears to your eyes, reflecting the complexities of life and death, as well as the profound growth of personality. That follows, the life of a young boy named Mahito Maki, who pours with profound loss and emotional turmoil because of his mother’s accidental death in a hospital fire. Now he has to live in the countryside along with his father and his new stepmother, who is also the sister of his late mother, Natsuka.
Despite Mahito’s struggle to overcome his mother’s death and accept reality, his life changes when a mysterious talking heron encounters him and takes him to an abandoned place. Once they arrive, the heron promises Mahito that he will find his mother inside if he joins her on this fantastical, magical, and dangerous adventure. This gives him a real feeling of loss and teaches him a valuable lesson about life, family, and acceptance. Ultimately, it provides him with a chance to rescue his stepmother from the creatures, making it the first-ever anime film that win a Golden Globe in history.
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Concluded Here! Epic Golden Globe Best Animated Feature List
This list completes the storyline of these Golden Globe Best Animated Feature shows, showcasing character growth that entertains and inspires many viewers. Films like Cars, Soul, Coco, and others attract audiences with their exciting plots and narratives. However, these films uniquely portray the animated world, earning a special place in the hearts of audiences. Furthermore, the film nominated for the 2025 Golden Globe Best Animated Feature was announced, and most people voted for “The Wild Robot.” Now, let’s see who wins the title next year. Just keep your fingers crossed!
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