15th July 2025
- Blog
Choosing an animation company isn’t just about who has the most polished showreel. It’s about finding a studio that can deliver high-quality animation on time, on brief, and with their own team. For agencies and brands, the right studio means fewer surprises and better work, whether it’s for short films or major campaigns.
The UK is home to some of the top animation studios and top animation companies in the world. From handcrafted stop-motion and traditional hand-drawn techniques to high-end CGI, these UK animation studios bring creativity, character, and consistency to everything from 15-second social ads to full-scale animated films. Many of these are leading animation studios in England. But not all studios are equal. Knowing who actually makes the work and how they produce animation is essential if you want something that lands well and lasts. This guide will help you navigate the landscape of animation studios in the UK.
Table of Contents
- A+C Studios – built for creative teams who want control
- Passion Animation Studios – emotional storytelling with reach
- Framestore – high-end CG and cinematic scope
- BlinkInk – fearless, surreal and visually distinctive
- Studio AKA – crafted 2D with character and charm
- BlueZoo – technically sharp and creatively driven
- Aardman Animation – the UK’s original animation icon
- What to consider when choosing a partner
- Final thoughts
A+C Studios – built for creative teams who want control
If you’ve dealt with studios that make promises they can’t keep and then outsource the work, A+C is the alternative. Founded in 2007, A+C Studios is an animation company that offers full-service, in-house production from concept to delivery. As one of the notable animation companies in England, they ensure there are no third-party teams, no fragmented workflows, and no guesswork. Just a permanent, senior team delivering consistent, quality animations at pace.
A+C specialises in stop-motion, 2D and 3D animation. Their in-house team produces every project in their own studio. This structure enables tighter creative control, faster decision-making, and the kind of collaborative thinking that is challenging to achieve with scattered teams.
The studio collaborates with agencies and brands that prioritise reliability, clarity, and long-term partnerships. Recent campaigns include work for notable clients such as LEGO, Cadbury, Disney, and Pepsi. From hero spots to social cut-downs, A+C supports entire campaigns under one roof, ensuring a consistent animation style.
Why A+C works well for agencies and brand teams
- In-house production from storyboard to delivery
- Clear timelines and direct communication
- Scalable output for campaign work or quick-turnaround content
- A dedicated team that handles the work, not just the pitch
“We need partners who roll with last-minute changes without panicking.”
“A+C just gets it and delivers. No hand-holding required.”
| Feature | A+C Studios | Most other studios |
|---|---|---|
| In-house animators | Yes | Mostly freelance |
| On-site model making | Yes | Often outsourced |
| Flexible scheduling | In-house control | Based on freelancer diaries |
| Transparent process | Start to finish | Varies from project to project |
If you need a UK animation studio that’s built for today’s production realities and tomorrow’s deadlines, A+C is a strong place to start.
Passion Animation – emotional storytelling with reach
Passion Animation has been part of the UK animation scene since 1987, establishing itself as one of the top animation companies. Their work often blends visual craft with emotional storytelling, particularly in commercial content and animated series. This award-winning studio is known for its impactful visual effects.
They’ve produced campaigns for Amazon, Vision Express, and Pizza Hut, and are best known for their Christmas advertising work. Passion handles 2D and 3D animation and visual effects for a range of sectors, combining scale with strong creative direction.
Framestore – high-end CG and cinematic scope
Framestore is one of the most established names in British animation, renowned for its work on feature film projects and counted among the best animation studios in the UK. With roots in long-form and VFX-heavy film work, they’ve delivered visually stunning global campaigns for titles like Gravity, Fantastic Beasts, and The Sandman. Their excellence in visual effects has earned them multiple Academy Awards.
Their UK studio is part of a wider international network, and they excel at combining creative vision with technical skill. Framestore works across film, advertising, and immersive experiences, often integrating live action with animation to create high-quality animation.
BlinkInk – fearless, surreal and visually distinctive
BlinkInk is known for its bold, inventive animation style. Their work leans into the strange, the surreal, and the culturally charged, whether it’s a short film, a campaign, or a music video. They consistently produce animation that pushes creative boundaries, making them a standout among animation studios in England.
Clients include BBC, Netflix, Amazon, and Carhartt. The studio employs a mix of 2D and 3D animation, as well as stop-motion techniques, and often combines multiple formats in a single piece. If you’re after visual storytelling that’s unexpected and impossible to ignore, BlinkInk is a solid choice.
Studio AKA – crafted 2D with character and charm
Studio AKA’s reputation rests on clean, precise design and strong storytelling. Best known for Hey Duggee, the BAFTA-award-winning pre-school animated series, the studio also creates impactful work for commercial and cultural clients, often utilising a charming hand-drawn aesthetic.
While primarily focused on 2D, they also produce 3D animation and work across a range of sectors. Their strength lies in well-considered work that feels both creative and controlled, making them one of the top animation studios for character-driven narratives in the UK animation studios landscape.
BlueZoo – technically sharp and creatively driven
Blue Zoo is one of the leading animation companies in the UK, particularly for 2D and 3D animation. Their work spans children’s TV shows, short films, commercials, and digital campaigns. Clients include BBC, LEGO, Disney, and Nintendo. As one of the prominent animation companies in England, they have a strong industry presence.
The studio also plays a key role in industry advocacy. Blue Zoo founded Animation UK in 2008 and continues to campaign for a stronger, more inclusive sector. They invest heavily in training and diversity, and maintain a technically advanced pipeline that sets them apart for producing quality animations.
Aardman Animation – the UK’s original animation icon
Founded in 1972, Aardman has become synonymous with British stop-motion. From Wallace and Gromit to Shaun the Sheep, their work, including several feature film successes, has shaped perceptions of UK animation globally and earned them multiple Academy Awards. They are undeniably one of the best animation studios in the UK.
They’ve expanded into 3D, digital content, and long-form storytelling but still retain their tactile, character-led style. Aardman sits comfortably alongside names like DreamWorks and the Walt Disney Animation Studios in terms of global recognition for their high-quality animation.
What to consider when choosing a partner
Whether you’re commissioning a campaign, an animated series, or a feature film, finding the proper studio from the many animation studios in the UK isn’t just about creative animation style. It’s about practical fit. Ask:
- Do they work in-house or assemble teams project by project to produce animation?
- Can they deliver across formats and channels?
- Are they used to the pace and pressure of agency work?
- Do they support strategy, not just execution?
Good animation needs more than a reel. It requires a process, a team, and a setup that aligns with your workflow to produce high-quality animations.
Final thoughts
The UK remains a standout market for animation. From regional studios to world-renowned names, there’s no shortage of talent among UK animation studios to produce animation for TV shows, animated films, and more. But it’s how studios work, not just what they make, that separates the good from the reliable among top animation studios and top animation companies.
If you seek a studio that balances creativity with production control, and artistic craft with commercial insight, A+C is worth considering for your next project requiring visually stunning and high-quality animation.
To see how A+C’s in-house model, agile setup and campaign experience can help deliver standout animation with less stress, get in touch and start a conversation.
