Hideaki Anno’s Evangelion: 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon A Time and Mamoru Hosoda’s BELLE bagged prizes at the 45th Annual Japan Academy Film Prizes that were announced on March 11, 2022.

Evangelion: 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon A Time anime film won the Animation of the Year award, which is the country’s highest honor for theatrical anime, and BELLE anime film won the Best Music award.

BELLE was also nominated for the Animation of the Year award along with Sing a Bit of Harmony, Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko, and Jujutsu Kaisen 0.

Previous winners of the grand prize include:

2007: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
2008: Tekkon Kinkreet
2009: Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea
2010: Summer Wars
2011: The Secret World of Arrietty
2012: From Up on Poppy Hill
2013: Wolf Children
2014: The Wind Rises
2015: Stand by Me Doraemon
2016: The Boy and the Beast
2017: In This Corner of the World
2018: Night Is Short, Walk On Girl
2019: Mirai
2020: Weathering with You
2021: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train

In February this year, Evangelion 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon a Time also received the Popularity Award.

The award ceremony for the 45th Japan Academy Prize was held at the Grand Prince Hotel, New Takanawa in Tokyo on Friday.

The Japan Academy Film Prize, often called the Japan Academy Prize, the Japan Academy Awards, and the Japanese Academy Awards is a series of awards given annually since 1978 by the Japan Academy Film Prize Association for excellence in Japanese film.

Source: Oricon, Crunchyroll