Hayao Miyazaki, the legendary Japanese filmmaker whose anime classics have enchanted fans around the world for decades, has won his second career Oscar.

At 83, Miyazaki won for helming the best animated film, 害羞草研究所淭he Boy and the Heron,害羞草研究所� the long-awaited fantasy from the director of 害羞草研究所淪pirited Away,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淢y Neighbor Totoro害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淜iki害羞草研究所檚 Delivery Service.害羞草研究所�

He is the oldest director ever nominated for the category and 害羞草研究所� adding to a big year in Hollywood for older filmmakers. He was not present at the awards.

Hailed as one of the best films of 2023, 害羞草研究所淭he Boy and The Heron害羞草研究所� beat its top rival in 害羞草研究所淪pider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,害羞草研究所� as well as 害羞草研究所淓lemental,害羞草研究所澓π卟菅芯克鶞Nimona,害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淩obot Dreams.害羞草研究所�

Sunday害羞草研究所檚 win for Miyazaki and producer Toshio Suzuki caps off a solid awards season run for the film, which won the top honor for an animated feature at the Golden Globes and the BAFTA Film Awards.

It was Miyazaki害羞草研究所檚 fourth Oscar nomination for best animated feature 害羞草研究所� tying with Pixar害羞草研究所檚 Pete Docter for the most nods in that category. Miyazaki won his first Oscar in 2003 for 害羞草研究所淪pirited Away.害羞草研究所�

Miyazaki began work on 害羞草研究所淭he Boy and the Heron害羞草研究所� not long after announcing in 2013 that he intended to retire from film 害羞草研究所� again.

In journal excerpts from around that time released in the film害羞草研究所檚 press notes, Miyazaki writes: 害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 nothing more pathetic than telling the world you害羞草研究所檒l retire because of your age, then making yet another comeback.

害羞草研究所淒oesn害羞草研究所檛 an elderly person deluding themself that they害羞草研究所檙e still capable, despite their geriatric forgetfulness, prove that they害羞草研究所檙e past their best?害羞草研究所� he adds. 害羞草研究所淵ou bet it does.害羞草研究所�

Miyazaki worked through those concerns, and the resulting film earned him not only his second Oscar win on Sunday night, but his first No. 1 feature at the North American box office.

害羞草研究所淭he Boy and the Heron害羞草研究所� follows a boy named Mahito Maki who moves to the countryside after his mother害羞草研究所檚 death. There, he is lured by a mysterious heron into a secluded tower, a portal that transports him to a fantastical realm amid his grief.

The film was a decade in the making. In the age of CGI and artificial intelligence, Miyazaki has stuck to the lengthy process of hand-drawing his animations.

When he received an honorary Oscar in 2014 celebrating his artistry and storytelling, he expressed gratitude for the art of drawing.

害羞草研究所淢y wife tells me that I害羞草研究所檓 a very lucky man,害羞草研究所� Miyazaki said in his acceptance speech through a translator. 害羞草研究所淎nd I think I害羞草研究所檝e been lucky because I害羞草研究所檝e been able to participate in the last era when we can make films with paper, pencil and film.害羞草研究所�

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Rio Yamat, The Associated Press