Apple and the BBC have won an animated short Oscar for "The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse," a magical fable by writer and artist Charlie Mackesy.
Winning at the 95th Academy Awards over the weekend, the film follows the dreamlike friendship of a boy, a mole, a fox and a horse traveling together in the boy's search for home. It stars Tom Hollander as The Mole, Idris Elba as The Fox, Gabriel Byrne as The Horse, and Jude Coward Nicoll as The Boy.
Apple Original Films acquired the production last year and it debuted on Apple TV+ and the BBC during Christmas 2022.
Apple CEO Tim Cook congratulated the team involved in making "The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse" in a tweet, adding "Your beautiful short tells an enduring story about the meaning of kindness, acceptance and hope."
The Oscar is Apple's first for an animated short. It was Apple's only win at this year's Oscars, with Apple receiving one other nomination, for Brian Tyree Henry for supporting actor in Apple TV+ drama "Causeway."
Congratulations to the team behind The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse on their Academy Award! Your beautiful short tells an enduring story about the meaning of kindness, acceptance, and hope. — Tim Cook (@tim_cook) March 13, 2023
At the 2022 Oscars, Apple became the first streaming service to win the best picture prize for "CODA," in addition to wins for Troy Kotsur for supporting actor and director Siân Seder for adapted screenplay.
