Canadian student crew FIVEGUYS from Sheridan College earned first place in the 2026 24 HOURS Animation Contest for Students after judges finished scoring submissions from around the world. It’s a demanding competition that gave participating teams exactly one day to produce a completed 30-second animated short built around a surprise creative prompt. Organizers announced the official results during a livestream on Friday, awarding top honors to student artists who handled fast production schedules without sacrificing storytelling clarity. The winning entry from the Sheridan College animation program screened two days later at the Animation Is Film festival in Los Angeles [1].
Leaderboard Standings and Final Scores
Judges scored 670 completed films this year, and Canadian teams secured two of the top three placements on the final leaderboard. For first place, team FIVEGUYS represented school Sheridan College in Canada, claiming victory after earning 361 out of 400 points from the judging panel [2]. Taking third place, team 500lb Tungsten Cube also represented school Sheridan College in Canada, finishing with 356 points [1].
In second place, team The Whomp Whomps represented their school California State University, Long Beach in the United States after earning 357 points. International honors extended across several continents in the final standings. First runner-up team Leticias e Taxistas represented their school Faculdade Méliès in Brazil with 352 points [2]. Second runner-up team Jam on Fire represented their school Communication University of China in China with 345 points [1]. In the secondary school bracket, Best High School team The Collectors represented their school Interlochen Center for the Arts in the United States after posting 280 points. Those scores show how closely matched the global field was across every division [2].
Beyond the finished shorts, organizers presented the Behind-the-Scenes Prize to team Bald Guyz from the University of Technology, Jamaica. Cartoon Brew reported that the award honors a two-minute documentary recording the reality of the 24-hour sprint. The team filmed under-the-desk confessionals and paid tribute to a drawing tablet that failed during production [2]. The award marks a proud moment for Sheridan animation peers and international competitors who finished on time [1].
The 24-Hour Theme and Rules
The 24-hour challenge hasn’t changed since its launch, demanding that five-person student crews conceive, animate, and score a short film in one day. This year, teams built their 30-second projects around the prompt “Everyone Calm Down.” Special guest Daniel Chong revealed the topic during the opening broadcast. Chong, who directed Pixar’s feature Hoppers and created the animated series We Bare Bears for Cartoon Network, challenged artists to interpret the phrase with comedy, drama, or abstract motion [1].
Teams can’t spend hours debating minor aesthetic choices when the clock is running. Animators must divide duties early so rough keys, clean lines, and sound mixing move forward together. That collaborative discipline directly mirrors production pipelines governed by the SAG-AFTRA TV animation agreement, preparing students for commercial deadlines [1].
Seven winning teams split prize packages valued at more than $107,000, including software licenses, digital drawing tablets, cash awards, art books, and festival passes. It isn’t easy to afford professional creative software on a student budget, so sponsor support provides practical help [2].
Global Turnout Across 50 Countries
Aubry Mintz, an animation professor at California State University, Long Beach who also serves as executive director of ASIFA-Hollywood, founded the competition and continues to direct it. Over its 24-year run, the contest expanded from a campus gathering into an international fixture that drew more than 22,000 enrolled students from 377 schools across 50 countries. While this year’s top entries came from Brazil, Canada, China, Jamaica, and the United States, past competitions have honored student winners from France, India, Israel, Lebanon, and Thailand [1].
Mintz pointed out that the competition builds strong personal bonds across borders as students face identical pressures while working under the clock: “These films remind us of the power of bringing people together around a shared creative goal — even under incredible time constraints,” Mintz 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. We are the animation community, and we are here for one another. Despite how large our community has become, this contest reminds me that we can still feel like a small family — connected, creative, and never alone.” [1]
The event remains free for all students, asking only for optional donations to support entries and equipment. A suggested gift of $25 per team funds drawing tablets for underserved students and event prizes. Contributions are tax-deductible through fiscal sponsor Legends Animated [1].
Why Sheridan College Animation Stood Out
With FIVEGUYS finishing in first place and 500lb Tungsten Cube securing third, Sheridan College placed two student groups in the top three of an event featuring 670 entries. That level of success shows that Sheridan College animation classes prepare students to manage stressful production timelines without losing artistic control. Both teams delivered cohesive storytelling, expressive timing, and clean visuals that earned high scores from the judging panel [2].
How did the winning team handle the 24-hour limit? The key was picking a clear visual idea that didn’t demand excessive cleanup during the final hours of the contest. Team FIVEGUYS structured their short around direct physical gags and clear silhouettes so viewers could grasp the joke quickly. A simple concept executed cleanly will almost always score higher than an overly complicated project that runs out of time before ink and paint are finished, as seen in previous editions of Animation Is Film showcases [1].
Teamwork also made the difference. When five artists spend a full day in one room, they must communicate clearly and trust each person’s work on storyboards, backgrounds, character movement, and sound design. Sheridan’s crews divided tasks according to each animator’s strengths, avoiding confusion when fatigue set in after midnight. It won’t be long before these students bring those collaborative habits into professional animation studios [1].
Screenings for Sheridan College Animation Winners
Following the livestream announcement on Friday, the winning film by FIVEGUYS debuted on a big screen at the Animation Is Film festival in Los Angeles on Sunday, October 18 [2]. Festival exposure introduces student work to industry executives and enthusiastic fans. In the same way that theatrical releases from distributors like GKIDS bring animated features to theaters for wider public viewing, festival screenings help Sheridan College animation winners showcase their short films to an audience of animation fans [1].
Fans and artists will have another chance to view winning films during Lightbox Expo later this month. On Sunday, October 25, the convention will screen top winners from the past decade at 2:45 p.m. in Room 204. The event will also host a panel discussion where past winners and judges discuss how to navigate the 24-hour challenge and build a career in animation [1].
For viewers who can’t travel to Southern California, the top 160 films are available on the contest’s 2026 YouTube playlist. Browsing through the selection lets audiences see how student teams interpreted Daniel Chong’s prompt. It doesn’t take long to appreciate the inventiveness on display across the entire lineup [1].
- ONLINE NEWS Sarto, D. (2026, October 19). Sheridan College’s FIVEGUYS wins 2026 24 HOURS animation contest. Animation World Network. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Lang, J. (2026, October 19). 2026 24 Hours animation contest for students winners unveiled. Cartoon Brew. [Article Link]
