Apple scores Bafta win for best British short animation

"The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse" [Apple TV+]

Apple TV+ and BBC's hand-drawn Christmas hit "The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse" has won the best animation award at the Baftas, the UK's equivalent of the Oscars.

Charlie Mackesy's book was turned into a beautifully animated film that debuted on BBC1 in the UK and on Apple TV+ in the rest of the world, for Christmas 2023. Its all-star cast included Tom Hollander, Idris Elba, and Gabriel Bryne, plus newcomer Jude Coward Nicoll.

The hand-drawn animation, based on Mackesy's own illustrations, was also made by an all-star production team. That included producer Hannah Minghella, Isobel Waller-Bridge who scored the film, and executive producer Jony Ive.

"The journey of making the film of The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse' with my incredibly gifted animation team has been a magical one," said Mackesy when the show was announced in October 2022. "I never dreamt it would happen — but it's so moving to think the story will be watched at Christmas. I really hope it brings a bit of joy, laughter and comfort."

"The Boy..." was Apple's only nomination in this year's Bafta awards. Previously it has won Bafta awards for documentaries such as "9/11: Inside the President's War Room," which was another co-production with the BBC. It also won both supporting actor and adapted screenplay Baftas for "CODA."