#The Boy and the Heron Wins Best Animation

The Boy and the Heron has been crowned the 47th Japan Academy Film Prize’s Best Animated Work. 

The category’s other nominees include Kitaro Tanjou: Gegege no Nazo, Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window, Detective Conan: Kurogane no Submarine, and Blue Giant.

While Blue Giant missed out on the Best Animated award, it won in Best Music for Hiromi Uehara’s soundtrack. Its lead voice actor, Yuuki Yamada, won Best Actor (the Japan Academy website conferred the award based on his performances in Kingdom: Unmei no Honoo, Godzilla Minus One, Tokyo Revengers 2, and Blue Giant).

The Boy and the Heron premiered in Japan on July 14, 2023 under the title of Kimitachi wa Dou Ikiru Ka? (How Do You Live?). The Hayao Miyazaki film has won two Annie prizes (Best Character Animation – Feature and Best Storyboarding – Feature), a Golden Globe Award (Best Animated Motion Picture), and is nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 96th Academy Awards.