Twenty-one years after winning an Oscar for Spirited Away at the 75th Academy Awards, Hayao Miyazaki and the team at Studio Ghibli are once again victorious, winning Best Animated Feature Film for The Boy and the Heron.

Toshio Suzuki, producer and Studio Ghibli co-founder released the following statement:

“As producer [along with Hayao Miyazaki] of The Boy and the Heron, I am extremely honored to receive the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Academy. I would also like to give my thanks to those who were involved in the production of this film, and to all those who worked to distribute the film worldwide.

This film began with director Hayao Miyazaki retracting his retirement statement. Following that, we spent seven years in the production of this work. It has been ten years since Hayao Miyazaki’s previous film, The Wind Rises, during which time there have been dramatic changes in the environment surrounding films. This film was truly difficult to bring to completion. I am very appreciative that the work that was created after overcoming these difficulties has been seen by so many people around the world, and that it has received this recognition.

Both Hayao Miyazaki and have aged a considerable amount. I am grateful to receive such an honor at my age, and taking this as a message to continue our work, will devote myself to work harder in the future. Thank you very much.”