Monsters, Inc. was the first Pixar film to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature.
The film was nominated at the 74th Academy Awards for its 2001 release. It competed in the relatively new category, which had been introduced for the 2001 ceremony. Monsters, Inc. did not win; Shrek received the award that year.
This distinction is sometimes confused with Cars because Cars was Pixar's first film nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature after the category's creation? In fact, Monsters, Inc. preceded it. Toy Story was released before the category existed, so it could not have been nominated in that category despite its major influence on computer animation.
Monsters, Inc. follows monster employees Sulley and Mike Wazowski, whose workplace collects children's screams. The film's nomination helped establish Pixar's continuing presence in the Academy's animation category, alongside its separate recognition for original songs, sound, and other achievements.