The Boy and the Heron Makes BAFTA Awards Longlist

The Boy and the Heron has recently nabbed a major award with its historic win at the Golden Globes, and now it’s one step closer to potentially nabbing even more as its entered the longlist for the BAFTA awards. The Boy and the Heron was initially approached as Hayao Miyazaki’s final feature film, and thus it has been a pretty big deal since it initially released in Japan last year. Not only has it been one of the most commercially successful releases in Studio Ghibli’s history, but it’s now starting to win some key awards for the year as well. 

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts have announced their longlists for consideration in their 2023 awards, and Best Animation and Film Not in English Language has been revealed to currently include The Boy and the Heron among them. It’s still quite a ways out before they announce their shortlists for potential nominees on January 18th, and even longer before the final nominees are set, but this is a good sign for the Studio Ghibli film to be considered up to this point. Especially when stacked with all of the other awards consideration the film has been getting. 

The Boy and The Heron’s Awards Wins

The Boy and the Heron is starting off the awards season on a strong foot as it was the first win for Best Animated Feature Golden Globe in Studio Ghibli’s history. It was the first win for Hayao Miyazaki, the first win for the studio, and the first win for GKIDS as their international distributor as well. Studio Ghibli producer and co-founder Toshio Suzuki shared the following message with fans about the Golden Globes win “I am very happy to hear the news that The Boy and the Heron has received an award at the historic Golden Globe Awards,” the statement began. 

“This is the first Golden Globe awarded to a Studio Ghibli film and it is a very special feeling,” Suzuki continued. “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 wanting 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 U.S. 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.” 

Are you hoping to see The Boy and the Heron nominated for a BAFTA award? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animation and other cool stuff @Valdezology on Twitter!

HT – Deadline