The short film by the Bristol-based animation house, which was broadcast in the UK over Christmas 08, is nominated for Best Animated Short Film at the 82nd Academy Awards.

The company has already won four Oscars, for The Wrong Trousers (1993) and A Close Shave (1995) while it’s first feature film, The Curse of the WereRabbit won Best Animated Feature in 2006.

The company also received a nomination for A Grand Day Out (1989) but lost out to its other short film Creature Comforts.

Sean Clarke, head of Aardman Rights, commented: “We are thrilled that 20 years after the first nomination they received for A Grand Day Out, Wallace & Gromit have now received their fifth Oscar nomination to date, proving their enduring global appeal. This news along with the fantastic new World of Invention series for BBC One creates a great platform for us to continue to appeal to our fans across all media’.

The awards will be announced on 8 March.