The award winners pose for a group photo. [Photo/CICAF]

The winners of the Golden Monkey Award, widely regarded as China's highest honor in animation, were announced on June 17 in Hangzhou, with 36 outstanding works receiving awards at the 22nd China International Cartoon & Animation Festival.

The event attracted more than 1,000 original animation works from 20 countries and regions after launching global submissions on March 23.

Among the winners, The Legend of Hei 2 claimed the Animated Feature Film Gold Award, becoming one of the night's highlights. Producer Cao Zijian said the team was surprised and excited by the honor, adding that the next installment of the series is already in production.

Many of the award-winning creations were inspired by traditional culture. The comic The Fifth Daughter Pays Birthday Respects, adapted from the classic Yueju Opera work of the same name, won a Potential Award by blending traditional Chinese aesthetics with modern visual storytelling.

The award ceremony also highlighted the growing integration of animated film production with the cultural industry. An industry matchmaking event for nominated projects resulted in 18 cooperation agreements, with proposed deals worth 49.5 million yuan ($7.3 million). The event helped connect creators with potential business partners.

The award-winning animated feature films in the General Award category. [Photo/CICAF]