2026 in animation is an overview of notable events, including notable awards, list of films released, television show debuts and endings, and notable deaths.
Events
January
February
- February 2:
- The Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies shorts began airing on TCM with a marathon of Bugs Bunny cartoons.
- Season 2 of The Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball premiered internationally on Cartoon Network and HBO Max.
- February 7: The eighth Helluva Boss short, titled "Mission: Big Boss", was released on YouTube.
- February 9: Season 7 of The Creature Cases premiered on Netflix.
- February 10: Amphibia creator Matt Braly announces that Sony Pictures Animation has canceled a planned film that he and Steven Universe creator Rebecca Sugar had been working on together.
- February 13:
- Sony Pictures Animation's Goat was released.
- Glitch Productions announces that Knights of Guinevere would be produced as a full series.
- The teaser trailer for the indie animated series, Clara and the Below, created by Amphibia creator Matt Braly, was released on YouTube.
- February 15: The season 37 finale (also promoted as its 800th episode) of The Simpsons premiered on Fox.
- February 18:
- Kim Possible voice actress Christy Carlson Romano announced she had a positive cancer screening result, but not an official diagnosis.
- Kristen Bell was announced to be voicing Amy Rose in Sonic the Hedgehog 4 to be released in 2027.
- February 19: It was announced that Jeff Bergman & Anna Vocino will be voicing Mr. & Mrs. Potato Head in Toy Story 5, replacing Don Rickles and Estelle Harris.
- February 21: The 53rd Annie Awards were held.
- February 22: American Dad! returns to Fox after airing on TBS for 12 years with the 22nd season.
- February 25: It was announced that Smiling Friends will end after three seasons, according to the creators Michael Cusack and Zack Hadel, which was their decision. It was also announced that the last two episodes will premiere on April 12 on Adult Swim.
- February 27:
- ' was released in Japanese theaters.
- The season 19 finale episode of Upin & Ipin premiered on Astro Prima, Astro Ceria, MNCTV, and RCTI, before twentieth season will premiere.
March
- March 1: Various Cartoon Network, Warner Bros. Animation, and Hanna-Barbera series were added to Tubi.
- March 2: The thirteenth season of Gabby's Dollhouse, titled "Fairylandia", premiered on Netflix.
- March 6:
- Pixar's Hoppers was released.
- Paramount+ greenlights a new Garfield series starring Lamorne Morris as the titular character.
- March 7:
- Part 2 of the third and final season of Beastars premiered on Netflix.
- The ninth Helluva Boss short, titled "Mission: Bigfoot", was released on YouTube.
- March 9: It is confirmed that Donald Glover will voice Yoshi in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.
- March 12:
- A second Family Guy spin-off centered around Stewie was announced to be premiering next year on Fox and Hulu.
- Netflix officially greenlit a sequel to KPop Demon Hunters.
- The twentieth season of Upin & Ipin, premiered on MNCTV and was released on YouTube.
- March 15: 98th Academy Awards:
- KPop Demon Hunters directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans wins Best Animated Feature.
- The Girl Who Cried Pearls directed by Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski wins Best Animated Short.
- Ejae, Mark Sonnenblick, 24, Ido, and Teddy Park's Golden from KPop Demon Hunters wins the Academy Award for Best Original Song.
- March 17: The Kickstarter campaign for Amphibia creator Matt Braly's indie animated series Clara and the Below was fully funded within 15 minutes of launching.
- March 18: Season 4 of Invincible premiered on Prime Video.
- March 20: The eighth and penultimate episode of The Amazing Digital Circus, titled "hjsakldfhl", was released on YouTube.
- March 21:
- Music video for "My Little One", by Siamés, premiered on YouTube.
- The first half of Season 2 of Iyanu premiered on Cartoon Network, next day on HBO Max.
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Specific date unknown
Awards
Films released
Television series debuts
Television series endings
Television season premieres
Television season finales
Deaths
January
- January 4: Donald C. Rogers, American sound engineer (The Secret of NIMH), dies at age 94.
- January 8: Guy Moon, American composer (Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue, Hanna-Barbera, Nickelodeon Animation Studio, Grim & Evil, The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle, Johnny Test), dies at age 63.
- January 9:
- Bill Millar, English visual effect artist and animator (', '), dies at age 79.
- T. K. Carter, American actor (voice of Alex in Turbo Teen, Monstar Nawt in Space Jam, Anthony Julian in Jem, Rocksteady in The Transformers episode "Auto-Bop", Sledgehammer O'Possum in the What a Cartoon! episode "Sledgehammer O'Possum: What's Going on Back There?"), dies at age 69.
- Ted Nichols, American composer (Hanna-Barbera), dies at age 97.
- January 13: Scott Adams, American cartoonist and producer (Dilbert) dies at age 68.
- January 14: Gloria Rocha, Mexican voice actress (Latin American dub voice of Olive Oyl in Popeye, Sorceress in He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and ', Tweety in Looney Tunes, Melody in Josie and the Pussycats, Velma Dinkley in Scooby-Doo), dies at age 94.
- January 16:
- Yoichiro Yoshikawa, Japanese composer (ViVid Strike), dies at age 68.
- Mark Jones, American director, screenwriter (Super Friends, Saturday Supercade, Skysurfer Strike Force, Mister T, Heathcliff, Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa, Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels, James Bond Jr., Rubik, the Amazing Cube, The Puppy's Further Adventures) and producer (Rubik, the Amazing Cube, The Puppy's Further Adventures), dies at age 72.
- Kianna Underwood, American actress (voice of Fuchsia Glover in Little Bill), dies at age 33.
- January 18: Roger Allers, American director (The Lion King, Open Season, The Prophet), screenwriter (The Emperor's New Groove, Brother Bear, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King 1ý) and animator (Rock & Rule, Open Season, The Little Mermaid, ', Brother Bear 2), dies at age 76.
- January 19: Stefan Gossler, German actor (German dub voice of Master Monkey in the Kung Fu Panda franchise, King Julien in the Madagascar franchise, Splinter in ', Cell in Dragon Ball Z), dies at age 70.
- January 20: KÃ
ÂzÃ
 Shioya, Japanese voice actor (voice of Majin Buu in Dragon Ball Z), dies at age 70.
- January 22: Hudson Talbott, American author and animator (We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story), dies at age 76.
- January 24: Alexis Ortega, Mexican voice actor (Latin American dub voice of Spider-Man in Spider-Man, Guardians of the Galaxy and Marvel Super Hero Adventures, Tadashi Hamada in Big Hero 6 and ', Ryan "Inside" Laney in Cars 3, Jack in Goldie & Bear), dies at age 38.
- January 25: Gabe Lopez, American composer (Dora, '), dies at age 48.
- January 28: Bryan Loren, American songwriter (wrote "Do the Bartman" for The Simpsons), dies at age 59.
- January 29: Kenneth Hyman, American studio executive (Warner Bros.-Seven Arts), dies at age 97.
- January 30: Catherine O'Hara, Canadian-American actress (voice of Sally and Shock in The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ludmilla in Bartok the Magnificent, Tina in Chicken Little, Kaossandra in Skylanders Academy, Skaelka in The Last Kids on Earth, Aunt Tennelli in The Magic School Bus Rides Again, Susan Frankenstein, Gym Teacher and Weird Girl in Frankenweenie, Judith in Where the Wild Things Are, Kata in Brother Bear 2, Penny in Over the Hedge, Miss Malone in The Completely Mental Misadventures of Ed Grimley, Aunt Edith in Rock & Rule, Brooke Ripple in Elemental, Malicious in Witch's Night Out, Mom in Monster House, Pinktail in The Wild Robot, Morgana in the Sofia the First episode "Gone With the Wand", Gwendolyn Swish in the Central Park episode "The PAIGE-riarchy!"), dies at age 71.
February
- February 4: Ricardo Schnetzer, Brazilian voice actor (Brazilian dub voice of Ares and Hades in Justice League Unlimited, Lancelot in Shrek the Third, Spider-Man Noir in ', Master Monkey in Kung Fu Panda, Captain Planet in Captain Planet and the Planeteers, Deathstroke in Teen Titans Go! To the Movies, Teen Titans, ', Son of Batman and ', Benson Dunwoody in Regular Show, Hank in Dungeons & Dragons), dies at age 72.
- February 5: Eladio González Garza, Mexican voice actor (Latin American dub voice of Robin, The Atom, The Flash, Bizarro, Captain Cold, Gorilla Grodd and Hawkman in Super Friends, The Joker in The New Adventures of Batman, Jimmy Olsen in Superman, Ronald Radford III in Fred and Barney Meet the Thing, Lok in Valley of the Dinosaurs, Station in Lloyd in Space), dies at age 89.
- February 10: Shelly Desai, American actor (voice of Crenshaw in the Archer episode "Mole Hunt"), dies at age 90.
- February 11:
- James Van Der Beek, American actor (voice of Boris in Vampirina, Jonathan "Mox" Moxon in the Robot Chicken episode "Message Chair", English dub voice of Pazu in Castle in the Sky), dies at age 48.
- Bud Cort, American actor and comedian (voice of Toyman in the DC Animated Universe, Tempest in ', The King in The Little Prince, Josiah Wormwood in the ' episode "The Cape and Cowl Conspiracy"), dies at age 77.
- February 13:
- Friedhelm Ptok, German actor (German dub voice of Palpatine in ' and Star Wars Rebels, Alfred Pennyworth in ', Dad in Secrets of the Furious Five), dies at age 92.
- Dolores Muñoz Ledo, Mexican voice actress (Latin American dub voice of Chip in ', Sorceress in He-Man and the Masters of the Universe), dies at age 107.
- February 14: Tom Noonan, American actor (voice of Principal in Hair High, Everyone else in Anomalisa, Phil's Dad in the Animals. episode "The Democratic People's Republic of Kitty City"), dies at age 74.
- February 15:
- James G. Robinson, American studio executive (Morgan Creek Entertainment), dies at age 90.
- Pino Colizzi, Italian actor and voice actor (Italian dub voice of Charlie B. Barkin in All Dogs Go to Heaven, Robin Hood in Robin Hood), dies at age 88.
- February 16: Jane Baer, Canadian-American animator (The Great Mouse Detective, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Mickey's Christmas Carol, Rover Dangerfield, ', Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast, Hot Wheels), dies at age 91.
- February 17: Jesse Jackson, American civil rights activist and politician (voice of Cocky Locky in the ' episode "Henny Penny"), dies at age 84.
- February 19: Eric Dane, American actor (voiced himself in the Family Guy episode "Veteran Guy"), dies at age 53.
- February 21: G.G. Santiago, American animator (Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer), dies at age 82.
- February 23:
- Gary Dontzig, American screenwriter (W.I.T.C.H.), dies at age 79.
- Robert Carradine, American actor (voice of Lewis Skolnick in the Robot Chicken episode "Boo Cocky"), dies at age 71.
- February 25: Michael Halperin, American screenwriter (He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, Challenge of the GoBots), dies at age 91.
March
- March 1: Clément Oubrerie, French comic artist, director, producer, screenwriter and animator (The Rabbi's Cat, Aya of Yop City), dies at age 59.
- March 2: Stephen Hibbert, American screenwriter (Darkwing Duck, Tiny Toon Adventures, Animaniacs, Shrek), dies at age 68.
- March 3:
- Masako Ikeda, Japanese voice actress (voice of Maetel in Galaxy Express 999, Chimera Ant Queen in Hunter àHunter, Sharon in Space Brothers, Nanaka no Oba in Myself; Yourself, Fuyuka Liqueur in Silent Möbius, Nodoka Saotome in Ranma ý, Japanese dub voice of Charlotte in Charlotte's Web, Hera in Hercules), dies at age 87.
- Bob Rosenfarb, American screenwriter (Heathcliff, Defenders of the Earth, The Get Along Gang, The Wuzzles), dies at age 74.
- March 5:
- Yonehiko Kitagawa, Japanese voice actor (voice of Chairman Harabote Muscle in Kinnikuman, Cat Sailor B in Animal Treasure Island, Farmer in Hana no Ko Lunlun, President of Earth in Space Battleship Yamato III, Patrol Chief in Hashire Melos!, Hans in Future War 198X, Boss in Andromeda Stories, Dr. Dinessen in Galactic Gale Baxinger, al-Salem in Legend of the Galactic Heroes), dies at age 94.
- Jane Lapotaire, English actress (voice of Sarah in the ' episode "Abraham"), dies at age 81.
- March 6: Tsutomu Shibayama, Japanese anime director (Doraemon, Ranma ý), animator (God Mazinger) and storyboard artist (Doraemon, Ranma ý), dies at age 84.
- March 9: Yukie Maeda, Japanese voice actress (voice of Alpha Q in ', Onsen Tamago and Sachiyo Matsumoto in Love Hina), dies at age 52.
- March 15:
- Sam Kieth, American comics artist and screenwriter (What a Cartoon!), dies at age 63.
- Bruno Salomone, French actor (voice of Nico in A Cat in Paris, Felix's father in Santa's Apprentice, Albert in A Monster in Paris, Karl in Yellowbird, Manole in Marona's Fantastic Tale, French dub voice of Syndrome in The Incredibles, Zoc in The Ant Bully, Rick in Happily N'Ever After), dies at age 55.
- March 16: Kiki Shepard, American television host (voice of Polly in the Oh Yeah! Cartoons segment "Jamal the Funny Frog" and Naomi in the segment "That's My Pop!"), dies at age 74.
- March 17: Sam Semon, American studio executive (CBS, Gaumont Television, NBCUniversal, Amazon MGM Studios), dies at age 60.
- March 18: Tom Georgeson, British actor (voice of Jacob in the Animated Tales of the World episode "The Enchanted Lion: A Story from Germany"), dies at age 89.
- March 19: Chuck Norris, American martial artist and actor (voiced himself in Karate Kommandos), dies at age 86.
- March 20: Nicholas Brendon, American actor (voice of Huntsboy 89 in '), dies at age 54.
- March 24: Barry Caldwell, American artist (Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain, Tiny Toons, The Smurfs), dies at age 68.
- March 25: Esther Roord, Dutch actress (Dutch dub voice of Joan Rivers in Shrek 2), dies at age 61.
April
Notes
References
External links