Sheridan grads Maggie Kang, Domee Shi and Brad Zoern receive Oscar nominations

Sheridan graduates Maggie Kang (Animation ’04), Domee Shi (Bachelor of Animation ’11) and Brad Zoern (Media Arts ’92) are in the running for an Oscar, with movies they worked on having receiving nods in for the 98th Academy Awards.

The Oscars, which recognize excellence in cinematic achievement by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, announced its nominations on Thursday, January 22, with Kang’s KPop Demon Hunters up against Shi’s Elio in the category of Best Animated Feature film. Zoern is nominated in the Sound category for his work on Frankenstein.

Kang co-wrote and co-directed the smash-hit KPop Demon Hunters, which originated from her own idea. It tells the story of a fictional K-pop group that also secretly battles demons, all backed by music that has gained massive popularity. KPop Demon Hunters also received a nomination in the category of Best Original Song for the hit Golden, and the movie won a pair of Golden Globes for best Motion Picture – Animated and Best Original Song – Motion Picture earlier this month.

Shi co-directed Elio, which is about a boy who is mistakenly assumed to be Earth’s ambassador to the rest of the universe and must navigate alien interactions, all the while figuring out who he is. Zoern has had a long career in the film and television industries, and his work was also nominated for Best Sound Mixing 2018.

“We are beyond thrilled that three of our grads have been recognized with such a prestigious recognition. It’s a true testament to their hard work and creative abilities,” says Mark Jones, Dean of the Faculty of Animation, Arts & Design (FAAD). “Sheridan grads continue to set the standard in the creative industries, which is something our current students take note of and are inspired by. We will all be watching and cheering for Maggie, Domee and Brad on Oscars’ night.”

“The news that alumni in my program have been nominated for Oscars brought me hope and optimism. The success of KPop Demon Hunters gave me the belief that people love experiencing others’ stories through animated films,” says Phoebe Lee, a fourth-year animation student. “When I see Sheridan animation alumni becoming candidates for such big awards, I know that I will always be supported because I am a part of the Sheridan animation community. I think we can look forward to seeing more big stories like KPop Demon Hunters or Turning Red and maybe one day it might be me.”

Sheridan College graduates have a long history of winning at the Oscars, with seven alumni having walked away with one of the gold-plated statuettes, including Shi, who won best animated short for Bao in 2019. That category has been particularly good for College alumni, with John Minnis (Animation ’83) becoming the first Sheridan grad to win at the Oscars for his short film Charade in 1985.  Eric Armstrong (Animation ’88) followed that in 2003 for The Chubbchubbs!, and Alan Barillaro (Animation ’96) won in 2017 for Piper. Chris Williams took home a best animated feature Oscar when Big Hero 6, which he co-directed, won in 2015. Former faculty member Colin Doncaster (Animation ’98) and Tibor Madjar (Computer Animation ’99) were each given an Academy Award for Scientific and Technical Achievement in 2014.

In addition to the Oscars, Sheridan alumni have received other top honours including the Golden Globes, Emmys and Canadian Screen Awards. FAAD is the top animation school in Canada and continues to find new ways to respond to needs of creative industries, helping students unlock innovation and success. Most recently, FAAD launched Canada’s first master’s in animation, games, and immersive experiences. Last year, Sheridan was named as an Apple Distinguished School, launched the Honours Bachelor of 3D Animation and Emerging Technologies (3DAET), and unveiled Nova, an interdisciplinary initiative designed to explore changes in creative industries.