2026 in animation

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2026 in animation is an overview of notable events, including notable awards, list of films released, television show debuts and endings, and notable deaths.

Events

January

• January 1: Clarabelle Cow, Blondie, Pluto, Flip the Frog, and The first Betty Boop cartoon Dizzy Dishes enter the public domain in the United States. ^[1]
• January 11: Season 3 of Primal will premiere on Adult Swim.
• January 16: The final two episodes of the fifth season of Phineas and Ferb will premiere on Disney Channel and Disney XD simultaneously. ^[2]
• January 17: The final ten episodes from the fifth season of Phineas and Ferb will be released on Disney+. ^[3]

February

• February 13: Sony Pictures Animation's Goat will be released.
• February 15: The season 37 finale (also promoted as its 800th episode) of The Simpsons will premiere on Fox.
• February 21: The 53rd Annie Awards will be held.
• February 22: American Dad! will return to Fox after airing on TBS after 12 years with the 22nd season.

March

• March 6: Pixar's Hoppers will be released.
• March 15: The 98th Academy Awards will be held.
• March 20: The eighth episode of The Amazing Digital Circus will be released on YouTube.

April

• April 3: Illumination's film adaptation of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie , based on the video game, will be released.

May

• May 1: Angel Studios' Animal Farm will be released.

June

• June 19: Pixar's Toy Story 5 will be released.

July

• July 1: Illumination's Minions 3 will be released.

August

• August 14: Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon's Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie will be released.
• August 28: Warner Bros.'s Coyote vs. Acme (a once-cancelled movie based on Looney Tunes's Wile E. Coyote) will be released.

September

• September 25: DreamWorks Animation's Forgotten Island will be released.

October

• October 9: The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender will be released exclusively for Paramount+. ^[4]

November

• November 6: Warner Bros. Pictures Animation's film adaptation The Cat in the Hat , based on the Dr. Seuss book of the same name, will be released.
• November 25: Walt Disney Animation Studios' Hexed, will be released.

December

• December 23: Paramount Pictures' The Angry Birds Movie 3 will be released.

Specific date unknown

• Aardman's Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom will be released.
• Skydance Animation's third feature film Swapped will be released as a Netflix exclusive.
• Skydance Animation's Ray Gunn will be released as a Netflix exclusive.
• Mating Season will premiere on Netflix.
• Universal Pictures's Larryboy will be released in theaters.
• Adventure Time: Side Quests will be released on Cartoon Network.
• Part 2 of the third and final season of Beastars will premiere on Netflix.
• Sofia the First: Royal Magic will premiere on Disney Jr.
• Laika's Wildwood will be released.
• An eighth season of Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood will be released. ^[5]
• An untitled crossover series between Cocomelon and Hello Kitty will be released. ^[6]
• The 16th season finale of Bob's Burgers will premiere on Fox.
• The season 24 finale of Family Guy will premiere on Fox.
• Season 38 of The Simpsons will premiere on Fox.
• Season 17 of Bob's Burgers will premiere on Fox.
• Season 25 of Family Guy will premiere on Fox.
• The ninth season of Rick and Morty will premiere on Adult Swim.
• Season 15 of King of the Hill will premiere on Hulu.
• Season 11 of Futurama will premiere on Hulu.
• Season 3 of Helluva Boss will premiere on Prime Video (and then on YouTube the following month).
• The ninth and final episode of The Amazing Digital Circus will be released on YouTube.
• The third season of Pupstruction will premiere on Disney Jr. in the United States.
• The fifth season of Big City Greens will premiere on Disney Channel and Disney XD simultaneously.
• The third season of Kiff will premiere on Disney Channel and Disney XD simultaneously.
• The sixth season of Phineas and Ferb will premiere on Disney Channel and Disney XD simultaneously.
• The fourth season of Chibiverse will premiere on Disney Channel and Disney XD simultaneously.
• Season 4 of Smiling Friends will premiere on Adult Swim.
• Season 29 of South Park will premiere on Comedy Central.

Awards

• Academy Award for Best Animated Feature: TBA
• Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film: TBA
• American Cinema Editors Award for Best Edited Animated Feature Film: TBA
• Annecy International Animation Film Festival Cristal du long métrage: TBA
• Annie Award for Best Animated Feature: TBA
• Annie Award for Best Animated Feature – Independent: TBA
• Annie Award for Best Animated Television Production: TBA
• Astra Film Award for Best Animated Film: TBA
• Austin Film Critics Association Award for Best Animated Film: KPop Demon Hunters
• BAFTA Award for Best Animated Film: TBA
• BAFTA Award for Best Short Animation: TBA
• Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Animated Film: Endless Cookie
• Central Ohio Film Critics Association Awards for Best Animated Feature: TBA
• César Award for Best Animated Film: TBA
• Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Animated Film: KPop Demon Hunters
• Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Animated Feature: TBA
• Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Animated Series: TBA
• Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Animated Film: KPop Demon Hunters
• European Film Award for Best Animated Feature Film: TBA
• Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Animated Film: Little Amélie or the Character of Rain
• Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film: TBA
• Golden Reel Award for Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Sound Effects, Foley, Dialogue and ADR for Animated Feature Film: TBA
• Goya Award for Best Animated Film: TBA
• Japan Academy Film Prize for Animation of the Year: TBA
• Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Animated Movie: TBA
• Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Animated Film: Little Amélie or the Character of Rain
• Mainichi Film Award for Best Animation Film: TBA
• Minnesa Film Critics Alliance Award for Best Animated Feature: KPop Demon Hunters
• National Board of Review Award for Best Animated Film: Arco
• New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Animated Film: KPop Demon Hunters
• Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Animated Film: TBA
• Producers Guild of America Award for Best Animated Mion Picture: TBA
• San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Animated Film: KPop Demon Hunters
• San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle Award for Best Animated Feature: KPop Demon Hunters
• Saturn Award for Best Animated Film: TBA
• Seattle Film Critics Society Award for Best Animated Feature: KPop Demon Hunters
• St. Louis Film Critics Association Award for Best Animated Feature: Zootopia 2
• Tokyo Anime Award: TBA
• Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Animated Film: Endless Cookie
• Visual Effects Society Award for Outstanding Visual Effects in an Animated Feature: TBA
• Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Animated Feature: KPop Demon Hunters

Films released

Main article: List of animated feature films of 2026

Television series debuts

Main article: List of animated television series of 2026

Date	Title	Channel, Streaming
January 13	Hey A.J.!	Disney Jr., Disney+
February 2	Phoebe & Jay	PBS Kids
February 20	Strip Law	Netflix
TBA	Rooster Fighter	Adult Swim, HBO Max
	SuperMutant Magic Academy
	Adventure Time: Side Quests	Cartoon Network, HBO Max
	BeddyByes	Disney Jr., Disney+
	Sofia the First: Royal Magic
	Alley Cats	Netflix
	Mating Season
	Stranger Things: Tales from '85
	HexVets and Magic Pets	Nickelodeon, Nick Jr.
	Super Why's Comic Book Adventures	PBS Kids

Television series endings

Date	Title	Channel, Streaming	Year	Notes
March	Beastars	Netflix	2019–2026	Ending
TBA	The Amazing Digital Circus	YouTube	2023–2026
	Dora	Paramount+, Nickelodeon	2024–2026	Canceled
	Molly of Denali	PBS Kids	2019–2026	Ending

Television season premieres

Date	Title	Season	Channel, Streaming
January 11	Primal	3	Adult Swim, HBO Max
February 22	American Dad!	22	Fox [a]

Television season finales

Date	Title	Season	Channel, Streaming
January 16	Phineas and Ferb	5	Disney Channel, Disney XD
February 15	The Simpsons	37	Fox

Notes

1. Returned to Fox after airing on TBS from 2014 to 2025.

References

1. "copyright". LII / Legal Information Institute. Archived from the original on October 10, 2021. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
2. Disney Television Animation News (December 4, 2025). "Disney Networks Highlights - January, 2026". Tumblr . Retrieved December 4, 2025.
3. Reif, Alex (October 12, 2025). ""Phineas and Ferb" Lead a Music-Packed NYCC Panel with an Episode Debut - "Bend It Like Doof"". Laughing Place.com. Retrieved October 15, 2025.
4. D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 23, 2025). "'The Legend Of Aang: The Last Airbender' Won't Play Theaters, Will Debut On Paramount+ Instead". Deadline . Retrieved December 31, 2025.
5. Zahed, Ramin (June 23, 2025). "PBS Kids to Pounce on Eighth Season of 'Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood' in '26". Animation Magazine. Retrieved June 27, 2025.
6. Milligan, Mercedes (June 25, 2025). "Moonbug & Sanrio Ink New Content Collab Deal". Animation Magazine. Retrieved June 27, 2025.

External links

• Animated works of the year, listed in the IMDb.