Golden Globe Winner Predictions: Best Animated Film

The competition:
Frozen II comes from Walt Disney Animation Studios, which won this award for “Zootopia” in 2016 and the original “Frozen” in 2013, also directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee. This sequel also contends for Best Original Song, “Into the Unknown.”

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World comes from DreamWorks Animation. The studio has been nominated eight times before, winning for “How to Train Your Dragon 2,” also directed by Dean DeBlois in 2014. The first film was nominated for this prize in 2010.

The Lion King comes from Walt Disney Pictures and represents the first nomination for Fairview Entertainment. The original animated film won the Best Motion Picture – Comedy/Musical award in 1994, before this category’s existence. This is the first nomination for director Jon Favreau.

Missing Link comes Laika, which has been nominated previously for “Coraline,” “The Boxtrolls,” and “Kubo and the Two Strings,” and Annapurna Pictures, contending for the first time. This is the first nomination for director Chris Butler.

Toy Story 4 comes from Pixar, a studio that has dominated this category with eight wins since its inception in 2006. The third film in the series won this prize in 2010, the second film won Best Motion Picture – Comedy/Musical in 1999, and the first film was nominated for the top prize in 1995. This is the first nomination for director Josh Cooley.

Additional notes: Two out of six previously nominated sequels have won this award, and this is the second consecutive year that at least two sequels have competed against each other.
What should win: My favorites of these are “Missing Link” and “The Lion King.”
What will win: I think this goes to The Lion King, though that might not be a smart prediction on my part.