An animation studio is a company that develops and produces animated films, television series, shorts or commercial work, using techniques that include hand-drawn animation, computer-generated imagery (CGI) and stop motion. The largest studios are owned by or allied with major film groups, while others operate independently or as subsidiaries of broadcasters.
This list covers ten studios active in November 2026 across the United States, Japan and the United Kingdom. Several changed hands or reached milestones in recent years: Studio Ghibli became a subsidiary of Nippon Television in October 2023, Aardman marked its 50th anniversary in 2026, and the Academy Award for Animated Feature went to the independent Latvian film Flow in 2025 and to KPop Demon Hunters in 2026.
Contents
- Types of animation studio
- Recent Academy Award results
- Methodology
- The list
- Comparison table
- Frequently asked questions
- See also
Types of animation studio
Major feature studios such as Pixar, Walt Disney Animation Studios, DreamWorks Animation, Illumination and Sony Pictures Animation are part of, or tied by distribution agreements to, large film groups, and produce computer-animated features for worldwide theatrical or streaming release.
Japanese anime studios such as Toei Animation, Studio Ghibli, MAPPA and Kyoto Animation produce television series and films, often adapted from manga, and distribute them internationally through licensing.
Independent and stop-motion studios such as Aardman combine features with television, commercials, character licensing and attractions.
Recent Academy Award results
At the 2025 ceremony the Animated Feature nominees were Flow (the winner), Inside Out 2, Memoir of a Snail, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and The Wild Robot. In 2026 the category was won by KPop Demon Hunters, with Arco, Elio, Little Amélie or the Character of Rain and Zootopia 2 nominated. Studios in this list therefore account for several of the nominees in each year: Pixar (Inside Out 2, Elio), DreamWorks (The Wild Robot), Aardman (Wallace & Gromit) and Walt Disney Animation Studios (Zootopia 2).
Methodology
Studios were included if they were producing animation in November 2026 and publish information about their history or catalogue on an official website. Facts such as founding dates, ownership and locations were taken from the studios' own sites or corporate profiles, and award information from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
The order is an editorial judgement weighing the size and longevity of each studio's feature or series catalogue, recent critical recognition (Academy Award nominations and wins), the reach of its franchises and its influence on animation technique. It is not a ranking by revenue or box office, figures that most studios do not report separately, and no audience survey was used.
The list
1
Emeryville studio behind the first computer-animated feature, owned by Disney
Best for: Original computer-animated features
Pixar traces its origins to the Lucasfilm Computer Division founded in 1979; it became an independent company in 1986 when Steve Jobs bought the division from George Lucas. In 1995 it released Toy Story, which the studio describes as the world's first computer-animated feature film, and The Walt Disney Company agreed to purchase Pixar in 2006. The studio is based in Emeryville, California. Its film list runs from Toy Story to Elio (2025), 29 features in total, and its own history records Academy Awards for Toy Story 4 and Soul as Best Animated Feature as well as for shorts including Tin Toy, Piper and Bao. Pixar also develops RenderMan rendering software. Inside Out 2 and Elio were Academy Award nominees in 2025 and 2026.
- Founded
- 1986 (as an independent company)
- Headquarters
- Emeryville, California, US
- Parent
- The Walt Disney Company (acquisition agreed 2006)
- Feature films
- 29 (Toy Story to Elio)
Strengths
- Long record of critically recognised features and shorts
- Develops its own production technology
Limitations
- Output is limited to a small number of features a year
- Recent slate relies partly on sequels
2
Disney's original feature animation studio, from Snow White to Zootopia 2
Best for: Musical and fairy-tale features with long-running franchises
Walt Disney Animation Studios describes itself as a filmmaker-driven studio whose legacy begins with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), its first fully animated feature. Its film list contains 64 features, the most recent being Zootopia 2 (2025), Moana 2 (2024) and Wish (2023), with Hexed scheduled for 25 November 2026 and Frozen 3 and Clay listed for later years. The studio has locations in Burbank, California, and Vancouver. Zootopia 2 was nominated for the Academy Award for Animated Feature in 2026.
- First feature
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
- Locations
- Burbank, California; Vancouver
- Feature films
- 64 (to Zootopia 2, 2025)
Strengths
- Largest feature catalogue of any studio listed
- Franchises such as Frozen and Zootopia continuing into 2027
Limitations
- Recent releases include several sequels
- Studio does not publish standalone financial results
3
NBCUniversal studio behind Shrek, Kung Fu Panda and The Wild Robot
Best for: Comedy-driven family franchises
DreamWorks Animation is a division of NBCUniversal and works from a 13-acre campus in Glendale, California. The studio states that it has released over 50 animated features in the last 30 years. Its franchises include Shrek, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda, How to Train Your Dragon, The Croods, Trolls, The Boss Baby and The Bad Guys, along with Puss in Boots: The Last Wish and The Wild Robot. The Wild Robot was nominated for the Academy Award for Animated Feature in 2025.
- Parent
- NBCUniversal
- Headquarters
- Glendale, California, US
- Feature films
- 50+ (company figure)
Strengths
- Deep bench of long-running franchises
- Recent critical success with The Wild Robot
Limitations
- No Animated Feature win at the 2025 or 2026 Academy Awards
- Founding history is not presented on its own site
4
Tokyo studio of Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, owned by Nippon TV
Best for: Hand-drawn auteur features
Studio Ghibli began operating in June 1985 as a subsidiary of the publisher Tokuma Shoten to produce animated films for the directors Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki, and was relaunched as Studio Ghibli Inc. in April 2005. Since October 2023 it has been a subsidiary of Nippon Television Network Corporation following a share transfer. The company is based in Koganei, Tokyo; Toshio Suzuki is chairman and Kenichi Yoda president. Besides film production, its stated business includes merchandising, licensing and international sales of its films, publishing, music rights and the operation of the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka.
- Founded
- June 1985 (relaunched as Studio Ghibli Inc., April 2005)
- Headquarters
- Koganei, Tokyo, Japan
- Parent
- Nippon Television Network Corporation (since October 2023)
Strengths
- Distinctive hand-drawn style with international recognition
- Owns the Ghibli Museum and controls its licensing
Limitations
- Very low film output
- Catalogue closely tied to a small number of directors
5
Santa Monica studio behind Despicable Me, Minions and Super Mario films
Best for: Commercially focused family comedies
Illumination was founded in 2007 by Chris Meledandri and is headquartered in Santa Monica, California, with its production studio, Illumination Studios Paris, in central Paris. It has an exclusive financing and distribution partnership with Universal Pictures. The studio states that its franchises have grossed more than US$9 billion worldwide and that three of its films rank among the ten highest-grossing animated films, including The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023). Its films include the Despicable Me and Minions series, Sing, The Secret Life of Pets, Migration and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.
- Founded
- 2007
- Founder
- Chris Meledandri
- Headquarters
- Santa Monica, California, US
- Franchise box office
- More than US$9bn worldwide (company figure)
Strengths
- Highest stated franchise gross among the studios listed
- Long-term distribution partnership with Universal Pictures
Limitations
- No Animated Feature nomination at the 2025 or 2026 Academy Awards
- Box-office claims are the company's own
6
Sony studio behind the Spider-Verse films
Best for: Superhero CGI features
Sony Pictures Animation is the feature animation studio of Sony's film business; its site carries the copyright of Sony Pictures Animation Inc. and links to Sony Pictures. Its website centres on the Spider-Verse series. The studio reports that Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) opened to US$120.5 million, and lists Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse for theatrical release on 18 June 2027. Other projects shown include the series Agent Elvis.
- Corporate entity
- Sony Pictures Animation Inc.
- Next feature
- Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse (18 June 2027)
Strengths
- Spider-Verse series is a major ongoing franchise
- Next feature has a confirmed theatrical date
Limitations
- Studio site gives little information on history or location
- Catalogue less extensive than Disney's or DreamWorks'
7
Stop-motion studio of Wallace & Gromit and Shaun the Sheep, 50 years old in 2026
Best for: Stop-motion features, series and commercials
Aardman is a studio best known for stop-motion clay animation. In 2026 it marked its 50th anniversary with a campaign titled "Aardman: 50 Years of Clay", an auction of puppets and a commemorative 50p coin from the Royal Mint. Its news pages also report that co-founders Peter Lord and David Sproxton were knighted in the King's Birthday Honours. Aardman's properties include Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep, Timmy Time and Morph, and recent productions include Chicken Run: Eggstraction and Robin Robin. The studio works across film and TV, commercials, interactive projects, licensing and attractions. Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl was nominated for the Academy Award for Animated Feature in 2025.
- Co-founders
- Peter Lord, David Sproxton
- Anniversary
- 50 years (2026)
- Technique
- Stop motion (clay)
Strengths
- Leading name in stop-motion animation
- Diversified across commercials, licensing and attractions
Limitations
- Stop motion limits the number of features produced
- Fewer recent theatrical releases than CGI studios
8
Tokyo studio behind One Piece, Dragon Ball and Sailor Moon
Best for: Long-running anime television franchises
Toei Animation is a Tokyo-based producer of anime series and films, with sales offices in Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Paris. It describes itself as among the world's most prolific animation studios and a pioneer of Japanese animation. Its European distribution arm, Toei Animation Europe, was founded in 2004. The company's library, which it calls Japan's largest, totalled 258 theatrical features, 231 television programmes and 13,300 episodes as of March 2022. Catalogue titles include One Piece, Dragon Ball, Saint Seiya, Digimon and Sailor Moon, and the studio was marking its 70th anniversary in 2026.
- Headquarters
- Tokyo, Japan
- Library
- 258 features, 231 TV programmes, 13,300 episodes (March 2022, company figure)
Strengths
- Largest catalogue among the studios listed
- Global licensing network
Limitations
- Output weighted towards long-running series rather than original features
- Corporate details are spread across regional sites
9
Tokyo anime studio founded in 2011, with studios in Sendai and Osaka
Best for: Action anime series adapted from manga
MAPPA Co., Ltd. was founded on 14 June 2011. It operates studios in Tokyo, in Sendai (opened 2018) and in Osaka (opened 2023), the latter a satellite of its CGI division. The studio's website promotes work connected to Jujutsu Kaisen.
- Founded
- 14 June 2011
- Studios
- Tokyo; Sendai (2018); Osaka (2023)
Strengths
- Rapid growth with multiple studio locations
- In-house CGI division
Limitations
- Short history relative to other studios listed
- English-language corporate information is limited
10
Japanese anime studio behind the Sound! Euphonium films
Best for: Character-driven anime series and films
Kyoto Animation is a Japanese anime studio. Its English website lists recent and current works including Sound! Euphonium, The Final Movie Part 2, RuriDragon, The Credits Roll into the Sea, Sparks of Tomorrow and CITY THE ANIMATION. The studio's corporate profile and studio locations are documented on separate pages of its site, which could not be retrieved for this review.
- Recent works
- Sound! Euphonium, The Final Movie Part 2; RuriDragon
Strengths
- Active in both television series and theatrical films
- Long-running Sound! Euphonium franchise
Limitations
- Small output compared with larger anime producers
- Limited English-language corporate information
Frequently asked questions
What is the best animation studio in the world?
There is no single objective measure. Pixar lists Best Animated Feature wins for Toy Story 4 and Soul, Walt Disney Animation Studios has the largest feature catalogue, Illumination reports the highest franchise box office among those listed, and Studio Ghibli and Toei Animation are the most influential Japanese studios. Rankings depend on whether awards, commercial success or artistic style is prioritised.
Who owns Pixar?
Pixar is owned by The Walt Disney Company, which agreed to buy the studio in 2006. Pixar had been an independent company since 1986, when Steve Jobs bought the computer division of Lucasfilm from George Lucas. The studio remains based in Emeryville, California, and continues to release features under the Pixar name.
Who owns Studio Ghibli?
Since October 2023 Studio Ghibli has been a subsidiary of Nippon Television Network Corporation, following a share transfer. The studio began in June 1985 as a subsidiary of the publisher Tokuma Shoten and was relaunched as Studio Ghibli Inc. in April 2005. It is based in Koganei, Tokyo.
Which film won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature in 2026?
KPop Demon Hunters won the Academy Award for Animated Feature Film at the 2026 ceremony. The other nominees were Arco, Elio, Little Amélie or the Character of Rain and Zootopia 2. The previous year's award went to Flow, ahead of Inside Out 2, Memoir of a Snail, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and The Wild Robot.
What is the oldest animation studio still operating?
Among the studios in this list, Walt Disney Animation Studios has the longest feature history, beginning with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937. Toei Animation was marking its 70th anniversary in 2026, and Aardman its 50th. Pixar's origins date to the Lucasfilm Computer Division of 1979.
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