Sheridan Students Take Two Of The Top Three Prizes At 2026 24 Hours Animation Contest

Teams from Sheridan College took first and third place at this year’s 24 Hours Animation Contest for Students, which awarded more than $107,000 in prizes to seven winning teams.

Now in its 24th year, the competition gave students one day to create a 30-second animated film on the theme “Everyone Calm Down,” announced by Hoppers director and creator of We Bare Bears, Daniel Chong.

Organizers judged 670 films. Sheridan’s FIVEGUYS claimed the top prize, followed by The Whomp Whomps from California State University, Long Beach, and Sheridan’s 500lb Tungsten Cube. Teams from Brazil, China, Jamaica, and the United States also won awards.

Beyond the finished shorts, the contest’s Behind-the-Scenes Prize recognizes a two-minute film documenting the production experience. This year’s winner, Bald Guyz from Jamaica’s University of Technology, captured under-the-desk confessionals and a tribute to a drawing tablet that failed during the competition.

For founder Aubry Mintz, those glimpses of students working through the challenge together reflect an important part of the event.

“These films remind us of the power of bringing people together around a shared creative goal — even under incredible time constraints,” he said. “What I’m most proud of is how this contest has become a global community of students supporting one another through wars, political upheaval, fires, floods, and other challenges.”

The first-place film screened at Animation Is Film on October 18. Next, Lightbox Expo will host a selection of winning films from the past decade and a panel with past winners and judges on October 25.

Hosted by Mintz at California State University, Long Beach, the free competition has drawn more than 22,000 students from 377 schools across 50 countries over its history. This year’s prize packages included cash, software, drawing tablets, festival passes, art books, and studio merchandise.

2026 Winning Teams

1st Place
Team: FIVEGUYS
School: Sheridan College
Country: Canada

2nd Place
Team: The Whomp Whomps
School: California State University, Long Beach
Country: United States

3rd Place
Team: 500lb Tungsten Cube
School: Sheridan College
Country: Canada

1st Runner-Up
Team: Leticias e Taxistas
School: Faculdade Méliès
Country: Brazil

2nd Runner-Up
Team: Jam on Fire
School: Communication University of China
Country: China

Best High School
Team: The Collectors
School: Interlochen Center for the Arts
Country: United States

Behind-the-Scenes Prize
Team: Bald Guyz
School: University of Technology, Jamaica
Country: Jamaica

Watch The Films

• 2026 winners announcement
• Past winning films
• Bald Guyz’s reaction to their win