'The Boy and the Heron' director Hayao Miyazaki, 83, wins historic Oscar but absent from show

Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki won the Academy Award for the animated film "The Boy and the Heron," becoming the oldest director to win in the animated feature film category in 21 years.

The win also marked the 83-year-old's second Oscar after over two decades, but he and producer Toshio Suzuki, 75, were not present to accept the award. Presenters Chris Hemsworth and Anya Taylor-Joy accepted the award on their behalf.

"Really? 'The Boy and the Heron' people couldn't make it? I mean, I can see maybe the boy not showing up, but the heron should be here," host Jimmy Kimmel quipped after the win.

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Kiyofumi Nakajima, chief operating officer for Studio Ghibli, spoke to reporters after the win and apologized for Miyazaki and Suzuki's absence due to their "age bracket."

Nakajima said that the film, which follows a young boy who lost his mother in World War II and is brought by a heron to a world where he can interact with the dead, was a difficult project to bring to completion.

"I am very appreciative that the work that was created after overcoming these difficulties has been seen by so many people around the world," Nakajima said. "Both Hayao and I have aged considerably. I am grateful to receive such an honor at my age and taking this as a message to continue my work.

"I will devote myself to work harder for the future," he said.

Miyazaki, who directed animated classics like "My Neighbor Totoro," won his first Oscar for "Spirited Away" in 2003.

Contributing: Amanda Lee Myers

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'The Boy and the Heron' director Hayao Miyazaki wins historic Oscar