Until 2011, the award category had to be activated by the Awards Board each year, whereas now it is a standard category. The award is given only if there are at least eight animated feature films (with a theatrical release in Los Angeles). For the purposes of the award, only films over 40 minutes long are considered to be feature films. If there are 16 or more films submitted for the category, the winner is voted from a shortlist of five films (which has thus far happened only in 2002 and 2009, and will happen again in the upcoming 2011 ceremony), otherwise there will only be three films on the shortlist.