Apple TV+ wins Best Animated Short Film at 2023 Oscars

For the 2022 Oscars, Apple TV+ had a landslide presence, becoming the first streaming service to win prestigious Best Picture award for CODA. This season was a much more muted affair for the streamer, with Apple’s film slate lacking anything substantive aside from Emancipation, which was tainted by the Will Smith association.

Nevertheless, last night, Apple TV+ picked up Best Animated Short Film for its original film The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, and The Horse.

The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, and The Horse was a coproduction between Apple and the BBC, based on the popular children’s novel by Charlie Mackesy. The 30-minute short premiered worldwide on Apple TV+ on Christmas Day. (A somewhat amusing coincidence is that the film was executive produced by former Apple design chief Jony Ive.)

Last night’s Oscar award wins were dominated by an acting sweep for Everything Everywhere All at Once, the A24 hit. Everything Everywhere All at Once walked away with a total of seven wins, including Best Picture.

Apple went into the night with two nominations, Best Animated Film and Best Supporting Actor — for Brian Tyree-Henry in Causeway. The latter title was won by Ke Huy Quan, for his performance in the aforementioned Everything Everywhere All at Once.

Apple will likely have a much bigger presence at next year’s Oscars. Its film slate for 2023 is much stronger than 2022, including Martin Scorsese’s $200m Killers of the Flower Moon starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Ridley Scott’s Napoleon (starring Joaquin Phoenix) is also expected to be released later this year.