Disney just scored a double surprise at the 2026 Golden Globes — and fans of Zootopia and Pixar are about to lose their minds.

2025 turned out to be a banner year for The Walt Disney Company, with animated films like Moana 2 and, most recently, Zootopia 2 drawing wide audiences and putting Disney’s storytelling back in the spotlight. Now, as 2026 begins, Disney is looking to translate that momentum into awards recognition. With fresh films on the slate, the studio’s blend of blockbuster appeal and creative ambition might just set the stage for a huge win on the awards circuit (several times over).

The 2026 Golden Globes have officially unveiled their nomination list — and there are some wins (already) for Disney to celebrate. Both Zootopia 2 and Elio have secured nods in multiple categories that could position them to bring home a Golden Globe.

In fact, both films have been announced as contenders for the Best Motion Picture — Animated category, underscoring Disney’s continued strength in animation. Zootopia 2’s nomination recognizes it as one of the year’s standout animated films. In addition to the Animated Feature category, the film also appears in the newly revamped Cinematic and Box Office Achievement category — a nod to its impressive commercial success and cultural impact.

Given Zootopia’s legacy, this nomination signals hopes that the sequel can live up to, or even surpass, its predecessor in both quality and audience reach.

Meanwhile, the sleeper hit, Elio — a bold, sci-fi-tinged animated film from Pixar — is also up for Best Animated Feature.  This nod acknowledges Disney’s willingness to push genre boundaries within animation and highlights Elio’s creative ambition.

Just being nominated for a Golden Globe is a HUGE honor within the entertainment industry, and for Disney to have TWO films up for potential wins across multiple categories could set them up big going into the new year. Each of the categories the films are nominated for is super competitive; however, having two Disney films nominated in one of those doubles Disney’s shot at a win and shows the variety of its animated offerings. A win for Zootopia 2 would reinforce a return to franchise strength, while a win for Elio could mark a breakthrough for more experimental animation within the Disney/Pixar universe.

With the Golden Globes ceremony scheduled for January 11th, 2026, it will be exciting to see whether audiences and voters embrace nostalgia, spectacle, or innovation to allow these films to bring home the gold! We’ll be keeping you updated as the wins come in, so be sure to check back with us to see which films came out victorious in their nominations.

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Which of these Disney movie award nominations are you pulling for the most? Leave your picks in the comments below!