This year’s Academy Awards featured an unlikely winner: an anthropomorphized ball of dough.

Pixar’s “Bao” — the Chinese word for a steamed bun — won the prize for best animated short at the 91st Academy Awards on Sunday evening. The film tells the story of a Chinese-Canadian woman who gets a second chance at being a mother after her handmade steamed bun comes to life. “To all of the nerdy girls out there who hide behind their sketchbooks, don’t be afraid to tell your stories to the world,” the film’s director, Domee Shi, said during her acceptance speech.

Along with “Bao,” another film with ties to China — “One Small Step” from Chinese-American production unit Taiko Studios — was also nominated in the best animated short category. (Image: Douban)