Nick Park - Details

NICK PARK is a three-time Academy Award® winner in the category of Best Animated Short for the films Creature Comforts (1990), Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers (1993) and Wallace & Gromit: A Close Shave (1995). All three films were created at Aardman, where Park is a Co-Director with founders Peter Lord and David Sproxton.

Park became interested in animation as a child and started making films in his parents' attic at the age of 13. One of his earliest works, "Archie's Concrete Nightmare," shot on standard 8mm film, was shown on BBC Television in 1975.

He went on to earn a BA in Communication Arts at Sheffield Art School in 1980, before moving on to the National Film & Television School in Beaconsfield, England. While there, he began working on Wallace & Gromit: A Grand Day Out (1992) which marked the introduction of Wallace & Gromit. In February 1985, Park joined Aardman where he completed the film. He then directed Creature Comforts (1990) for Aardman's "Lip Synch" series for Channel Four Television.

In 1990, Creature Comforts (1990) won the Academy Award® for Best Animated Short and Wallace & Gromit: A Grand Day Out (1992) received a nomination, giving Park the rare distinction of having two films Oscar®-nominated in the same category in the same year. He also garnered BAFTA nominations for both films, reversing the results by winning for Wallace & Gromit: A Grand Day Out (1992).

Park won his second Academy Award® and another BAFTA Award for the Wallace & Gromit film Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers (1993) and his third Oscar® and BAFTA Award for Wallace & Gromit: A Close Shave (1995), also starring the beloved duo. Two of the most successful animated films ever made, Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers (1993) and Wallace & Gromit: A Close Shave (1995) have won over 80 additional awards between them. Collectively, Park and Aardman were also honored with a BAFTA Special Award for Original Contribution to Television. In 1997, Park was awarded a CBE (Commander of the order of the British Empire).

During his tenure at Aardman, Park has also served as a director and animator on numerous projects including pop promos, title sequences and inserts for children's television.