Golden Globe Winner Predictions: Best Animated Film

The competition:

The Croods: A New Age comes from DreamWorks Animation. The studio has been nominated nine times before, winning for “How to Train Your Dragon 2” in 2014. The first film was nominated for this prize in 2013. This is the first nomination for director Joel Crawford.

Onward comes from Pixar, a studio that has dominated this category with eight wins since its inception in 2006 and is also nominated this year for “Soul.” This is the first nomination for director Dan Scanlon.

Over the Moon comes from Netflix Animation, the streaming giant’s first nomination in this category. This is the first nomination for director Glen Keane.

Soul comes from Pixar, a studio that has dominated this category with eight wins since its inception in 2006 and is also nominated this year for “Onward.” Co-director Pete Docter has won on both of his previous nominations in this category, for “Up” and “Inside Out,” while co-director Kemp Powers, earning his first Globe nomination this year, also wrote “One Night in Miami,” which contends for three Globes.

Wolfwalkers comes from Cartoon Saloon, previously nominated for “The Breadwinner.” This is the first nomination for directors Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart.

Additional notes: Two out of nine previously nominated sequels have won this award, with three of them losing last year to an original film. This is the second time two Pixar films are nominated in the same year, and last time, one of them still won – “Inside Out.”
What should win: I hadn’t even remembered watching the original, but I liked “The Croods: A New Age” much more than I expected. Honestly, all of them were great. I think I’d be happiest with “Over the Moon” or “Wolfwalkers.”
What will win: I see this being Soul without much trouble.