Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, and Disney fans of all ages – welcome! 2025 proved to be a whirlwind year for the Walt Disney Company, with a massive slate of releases across both TV and film. From live-action remakes that redefined nostalgia to original hits that broke the mould, it has been a year of big risks and even bigger magic.
The votes are in, the envelopes are sealed, and the stage is set. Without further ado, welcome to the Steamboat Charlie 2025 Disney Awards!
1. Best Original Song
The Criteria: This category celebrates the track that defined the year’s musical landscape – the one that felt like an instant Disney classic.
🏆 The Winner: Waiting on a Wish (Snow White)
Why it won: Despite the box office flop that Snow White proved to be, it’s hard to disagree that the soundtrack was incredibly catchy! “Waiting on a Wish” was absolutely the pick of the bunch, becoming an instant Princess powerhouse ballad. It’s little surprise to hear that the song was written by Pasek & Paul, the legendary songwriters behind The Greatest Showman. This was the track I found myself playing late into 2025, and it serves as proof that even when a movie is divisive, Disney can still deliver a timeless musical masterpiece.
Notable Mentions: “Burning Love” (Lilo & Stitch) by Nyjah Music & Zyah Rhythm, “Zoo” (Zootopia 2) by Shakira.
2. The Sidekick Spotlight (Best Side Character)
The Criteria: This award is for the supporting character who stole the show, often overshadowing the lead with pure charisma or heart.
🏆 The Winner: Glordon (played by Remy Edgerly in Elio)
Why it won: In a year filled with live-action remakes and sequels, Pixar’s Elio went a little under the radar in 2025 – which is a shame, as the film is great fun! One character who did not go under the radar, however, was Glordon, Elio’s worm-like alien sidekick. It’s a classic Pixar move to take a “scary” alien and make him the sweetest character on screen. His willingness to be Elio’s “bargaining chip” was the funniest and most endearing part of the movie, and his friendship with Elio was the real emotional anchor of the story.
Notable Mentions: Pleakley (played by Billy Magnussen in Lilo & Stitch), K-2SO (played by Alan Tudyk in Andor)
3. Biggest Surprise Hit
The Criteria: I’m looking for the project that beat the odds, exceeded the hype, or simply proved the sceptics wrong.
🏆 The Winner: Pixar’s Win or Lose
Why it won: When I first heard that Pixar was creating a feature-length television series, I naively thought it wouldn’t quite live up to the Pixar magic we’ve come to expect from their movies and that this would simply end up a failed experiment. I couldn’t have been more wrong! Win or Lose got me gripped and engaged right the way through the series. There was absolutely so much I loved about it, from the unique and relatable characters to simply how compact and wild of a ride each episode ended up being! The series genuinely blew my expectations out of the water and ended up being one of my favourite watches of 2025.
Notable Mentions: Lilo & Stitch (Live-Action), The Fantastic Four: First Steps
4. Most Disappointing Release
The Criteria: Not necessarily a “bad” project, but the one where the final result didn’t quite live up to the massive potential or expectations.
🏆 The Winner: Snow White
Why it won: I guess it’s no surprise that Snow White comes in as the most disappointing release of 2025, given its poor box office results and negative reviews among critics. I’ll preface this by saying that I don’t actually think the film was as bad as it’s made out to be; I found the soundtrack to be incredibly catchy and the performance of Rachel Zegler was near faultless, in my opinion. I was, however, disappointed with the overall story and direction of the film. A live-action remake of one of the biggest Princesses in Disney’s IP should have felt fresh and exciting, but instead, Snow White ended up feeling like a poorly written pantomime put on the big screen.
Notable Mentions: Captain America: Brave New World, Tron: Ares
5. Best Performance
The Criteria: This award goes to the actor who gave the most nuanced, powerful, or memorable performance across Film or TV this year.
🏆 The Winner: Diego Luna as Cassian Andor
Why it won: There were a few brilliant performances across 2025, but in truth, there was only ever one winner for this award: Diego Luna and his portrayal of Cassian Andor in Season 2 of Andor. His performance throughout the series was delivered with a fantastic amount of depth and grit, and his character development from a cynical survivor to the rebel leader we see at the end of the series is sensational. Some of his quiet, tense interactions with Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård) are among the best dialogue-led scenes in Star Wars history.
Notable Mentions: Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock (Daredevil: Born Again), Rachel Zegler as Snow White (Snow White)
6. The Golden Streamer for Best Series
The Criteria: My pick for the most well-rounded, addictive, and high-quality storytelling found on Disney+ or Hulu.
🏆 The Winner: Andor (Season 2)
Why it won: Again, maybe there are no surprises here with my pick for Best Series, given it picked up a whopping five Emmy wins out of 14 nominations. Andor Season 2 may just be one of the best series that Disney and Star Wars have released in the past 10 years, let alone in 2025! There’s just so much depth to the show, and it explores themes and narratives we’ve never-before-seen in any Star Wars media. The cast is faultless, the soundtrack is exquisite, and it serves as the perfect prelude to Rogue One. I can’t recommend the series enough!
Notable Mentions: Pixar’s Win or Lose, Daredevil: Born Again
7. The Platinum Mickey for Best Film
The Criteria: The big one. My favourite movie released under the Disney umbrella in 2025.
🏆 The Winner: Lilo & Stitch
Why it won: This was probably the toughest category to pick a winner in, and on any other day, Zootopia 2 or Elio could have taken the crown. However, I have to say, I absolutely loved the Lilo & Stitch live-action remake! These remakes often fail to live up to the original (see Snow White for example!), so I went in a little sceptical, worried that it would tarnish the legacy of the 2002 animated classic. Thankfully, my concerns were short-lived.
The film perfectly encapsulated all the charm and fun of the original while managing to feel like its own unique experience. The blend between live action and animation worked seamlessly – which was one of my biggest fears going in – and the bond between Lilo and Stitch felt more grounded and real than ever. It wasn’t a flawless film by any means, and critically Zootopia 2 was arguably “better,” but the sense of nostalgia and euphoria this movie gave me was unmatched. It made me feel like I was six years old again, falling in love with Stitch for the very first time. In a year of massive blockbusters, this was the one that truly captured the Disney magic.
Notable Mentions: Elio, Zootopia 2
Do you agree with my winners? What was your favourite movie or series released by Disney in 2025? Let me know in the comments below!
Steamboat Charlie 