Awarded gamesGames of the Year
Special AwardThe Super Mario Galaxy Movie
General Description
| Title | The Super Mario Galaxy Movie |
|---|---|
| Release | 2026/04/24(released in Japan) |
| Price | - |
| Platform | - |
| Film production | Illumination / Nintendo Co., Ltd. |
| Publisher | - |
| Developer | - |
| URL | https://mario-movie.jp/ |
| Copyright | © 2026 Nintendo and Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved. |
Special Award Reason
This is an animation film based on the worldview of the Super Mario Galaxy Movie, which was released in 2007.
The film became a massive hit, following in the footsteps of its predecessor, the Super Mario Bros. Movie, which was released in 2023 and grossed over $1.3 billion worldwide.
The Selection Committee honored the film with this award in recognition of its achievements: not only for its box-office revenue as a standalone movie, but also for its IP expansion rooted in gaming, which inspired individuals who had never played video games before to engage with them, thereby acquiring a new fanbase and earning high acclaim globally as a popular piece of Japanese content.
Work Introduction
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie was released worldwide in April 2026. This is a Super Mario animation movie, following the Super Mario Bros. Movie, released in 2023, Chris Meledandri, Illumination founder and CEO, and Shigeru Miyamoto, Nintendo Representative Director and Executive Fellow, co-produced the movie. Following the previous film, the directors are Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, the screenplay is by Matthew Fogel, and the music is by Brian Tyler. The new film grossed over $1 billion worldwide. It secures its place as the second highest-grossing video game adaptation of all time and, alongside its predecessor, dominating the top two spots. In this game, Mario and Luigi, who have successfully restored peace to the Mushroom Kingdom, go on a great adventure with their newly joined companion, Yoshi. Together, they try to uncover the secrets of Rosalina and Princess Peach, who hold the key to the fate of the galaxy.
Comment of the movie producer
We are very grateful for receiving such an honorable award this time. It is a great pleasure that the movie, the Super Mario Galaxy Movie, received the Special Award from the Japan Game Awards 2026, which selects and honors outstanding computer entertainment software works.
This is our second collaboration, and it is really a valuable experience to brainstorm with Illumination's production team, whose deep affection for Mario shines through. I am thrilled that we could create ideas with production staff under the leadership of co-producer Chris Meledandri. I appreciate the teamwork of the directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, the screenplayer Matthew Fogel, the musician Brian Tyler, and others who produced this work.
In addition, like the screenplay by the previous work Super Mario Galaxy Movie, the Super Mario Bros. Movie was rewritten as a Japanese version by Makoto Ueda of Europe Kikaku, not as a Japanese translation. We are really delighted that so many audiences in Japan enjoyed experiencing Mario and his friends' space-adventures on the big screen. Since this sequel features even more characters than the previous film, we hope everyone enjoys watching it while looking back on their own fond memories of Mario and the games.
All staffs are greatly honored to release this movie in the Super Mario Bros. 40th Anniversary, and win this award in Japan, where Mario was born 40 years ago. Thank you very much.
Shigeru Miyamoto, Executive Fellow and Representative Director, Nintendo