# Japan Media Arts Festival Animation Division Excellence Award
**Wikidata**: [Q106318977](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q106318977)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/japan-media-arts-festival-animation-division-excellence-award

## Summary
The Japan Media Arts Festival Animation Division Excellence Award is an award conferred by Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs to recognize excellence in animation works. It falls under the category of awards given to individuals or groups for merit. Known in Japanese as 文化廳媒體藝術祭優秀賞 or 文化廳媒體藝術祭優秀獎, it has honored notable anime films and series.

## Key Facts
- Instance of: award
- Definition of award: something given to a person or a group of people to recognize their merit or excellence (sitelink_count: 55)
- Conferred by: Agency for Cultural Affairs
- Aliases: 文化廳媒體藝術祭優秀賞, 文化廳媒體藝術祭優秀獎
- Recipients include The Cat Returns, a 2002 anime film directed by Hiroyuki Morita (sitelink_count: 47)
- Recipients include Tokyo Godfathers, a 2003 film directed by Satoshi Kon (sitelink_count: 31)
- Recipients include Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, a Japanese anime television series (sitelink_count: 21)
- Recipients include Sonny Boy, a Japanese anime television series (sitelink_count: 12)
- Recipients include Wolf Children Ame and Yuki, a 2012 animated film directed by Mamoru Hosoda (sitelink_count: 33)

## FAQs
**What is the Japan Media Arts Festival Animation Division Excellence Award?**  
This award recognizes outstanding achievement in animation as part of the Japan Media Arts Festival. It is presented by the Agency for Cultural Affairs to honor merit in creative works.

**Who gives out the Japan Media Arts Festival Animation Division Excellence Award?**  
The Agency for Cultural Affairs confers this award. It targets excellence specifically in the animation division.

**What are some anime works that won the Japan Media Arts Festival Animation Division Excellence Award?**  
Winners include feature films like The Cat Returns (2002, directed by Hiroyuki Morita), Tokyo Godfathers (2003, directed by Satoshi Kon), and Wolf Children Ame and Yuki (2012, directed by Mamoru Hosoda). Television series recipients feature Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and Sonny Boy.

**What are the Japanese names for the Japan Media Arts Festival Animation Division Excellence Award?**  
It is called 文化廳媒體藝術祭優秀賞 or 文化廳媒體藝術祭優秀獎.

## Why It Matters
This award plays a key role in elevating animation as a cultural art form in Japan by spotlighting works that demonstrate exceptional merit. Conferred by a government body like the Agency for Cultural Affairs, it validates creative excellence in anime films and series, influencing industry standards and audience appreciation. Its recognition of diverse formats—from films like Wolf Children Ame and Yuki to series like Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex—helps sustain innovation in media arts, ensuring high-quality storytelling reaches wider recognition and inspires future creators.

## Notable For
- Honoring a range of animation formats, including 2002's The Cat Returns (sitelink_count: 47) and 2012's Wolf Children Ame and Yuki (sitelink_count: 33).
- Recognizing directors like Hiroyuki Morita for The Cat Returns and Satoshi Kon for Tokyo Godfathers (2003, sitelink_count: 31).
- Awarding television series such as Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (sitelink_count: 21) and Sonny Boy (sitelink_count: 12).
- Official aliases in Japanese: 文化廳媒體藝術祭優秀賞 and 文化廳媒體藝術祭優秀獎, tying it directly to Agency for Cultural Affairs oversight.
- Part of a broader award class with 55 sitelinks, emphasizing its established status in recognizing merit.

## Body
### Overview and Classification
The Japan Media Arts Festival Animation Division Excellence Award functions as an award, defined as something given to a person or a group of people to recognize their merit or excellence. This places it within a class of awards that carries a sitelink_count of 55 across related entries. It specifically targets the animation division of the Japan Media Arts Festival.

### Conferrer and Naming
The Agency for Cultural Affairs confers this award. Its aliases are 文化廳媒體藝術祭優秀賞 and 文化廳媒體藝術祭優秀獎, reflecting its official Japanese designations.

### Notable Recipients
Several prominent anime works have received this award.

#### Films
- The Cat Returns: 2002 anime film directed by Hiroyuki Morita (sitelink_count: 47).
- Tokyo Godfathers: 2003 film directed by Satoshi Kon (sitelink_count: 31).
- Wolf Children Ame and Yuki: 2012 animated film directed by Mamoru Hosoda (sitelink_count: 33).

#### Television Series
- Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: Japanese anime television series (sitelink_count: 21).
- Sonny Boy: Japanese anime television series (sitelink_count: 12).

These recipients span feature-length animations and episodic series, showcasing the award's broad scope in honoring animation excellence.