Three animated movies nominated for best picture, zero victories. Voters repeatedly crown cartoons in Best Animated Feature yet have never handed animation the ceremony's top prize.

Since Best Animated Feature debuted in 2002, critics argue a side category contains animated excellence. Post-2011, no new animated movies nominated for best picture have emerged.

Shrek won the first Animated Feature Oscar in 2002. Beauty and the Beast had already proved animated movies nominated for best picture were possible — the new category changed campaign math.

WALL-E won Animated Feature and Screenplay nods in 2009 but missed Best Picture in the final five-film year. Many pundits call it the largest gap since the last animated movies nominated for best picture.

Up and Toy Story 3 used the five-to-ten nominee expansion to join animated movies nominated for best picture. Wider slates lowered the math bar — but no cartoon has returned since 2011.