ASIFA-Hollywood has unveiled the nominations for its 50th Annual Annie Awards™ recognizing the year’s best in the field of animation. Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio leads the way with nine nominations. The Annie Awards ceremony is scheduled to return live on Saturday, February 25, at UCLA’s Royce Hall.
This year’s Best Animated Feature nominations are: Disney and Pixar’s Turning Red (Pixar Animation Studios), Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (Netflix presents A Double Dare You! Film/A Shadowmachine production in association with The Jim Henson Company), Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (DreamWorks Animation), The Sea Beast (Netflix), and Wendell & Wild (Netflix presents A Monkeypaw Production/A Gotham Group Production).
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Nominated for Best Animated Feature-Independent, spotlighting features with a much smaller distribution footprint than major studio releases are: Charlotte (January Films, Ltd., Balthazar Productions, and Walking The Dog), Inu-Oh (Science SARU). Little Nicholas, Happy As Can Be (On Classics (Mediawan) / Bidibul Productions), Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (Marcel the Movie LLC), and My Father’s Dragon (Cartoon Saloon for Netflix)
“After two years of virtual awards, as much fun as they were, everyone is so eager to get back to a live, in-person event,” remarked Frank Gladstone, Annies’ executive producer. “This is doubly true since this is the Annie Awards 50th year, our Golden Anniversary! We are returning to UCLA’s Royce Hall for an Annies with all the trimmings, and a few surprises. It is important for all of us to be together again, celebrating our community, our accomplishments, and our love for animation and the people who create it.”
Juried Awards will be presented during the ceremony, honoring unparalleled achievement and exceptional contributions to animation. The Winsor McCay Award in recognition of lifetime or career contributions are being presented to three recipients–Pete Docter, animated feature writer/director and Pixar CEO; Evelyn Lambart (posthumously), early National Film Board of Canada collaborator, including her significant series of short films; and Craig McCracken, prolific, influential television series creator. The June Foray Award for significant and benevolent or charitable impact will be awarded to Mindy Johnson, author, historian and educator.
The Ub Iwerks Award for technical advancement affecting the animation industry will be presented to Visual Effects Reference Platform, initially developed by Nick Cannon and Francois Chardavoine to eliminate incompatibilities between digital content creation software. The Certificate of Merit Award for service to the art and industry will be presented to John Omohundro.
ASIFA-Hollywood is the world’s first and foremost professional organization dedicated to promoting the Art of Animation and celebrating the people who create it. Today, ASIFA-Hollywood, the largest chapter of the international organization ASIFA, supports a range of animation activities and preservation efforts through its membership. Current initiatives include the Animation Archive, Animation Aid Foundation, animated film preservation, animation open source support, special events, classes and screenings.
Created in 1972 by veteran voice talent June Foray, the Annie Awards™ have grown in scope and stature over five decades. Here’s a rundown of nominees:
1. Best Feature
Disney and Pixar’s Turning Red
Pixar Animation Studios
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
Netflix Presents A Double Dare You! Film / A Shadowmachine Production in association with The Jim Henson Company
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
DreamWorks Animation
The Sea Beast
Netflix
Wendell & Wild
Netflix Presents A Monkeypaw Production / A Gotham Group Production
2. Best Indie Feature
Charlotte
January Films, Ltd., Balthazar Productions, and Walking the Dog
Inu-Oh
Science SARU
Little Nicholas, Happy As Can Be
On Classics (Mediawan) / Bidibul Productions
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
Marcel the Movie LLC
My Father’s Dragon
Cartoon Saloon for Netflix
3. Best Special Production
Prehistoric Planet
BBC Studios in association with Apple
Superworm
Magic Light Pictures
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse
NoneMore Productions and Bad Robot Productions
The House
Nexus Studios for Netflix
The Sandman
A Netflix Original Series / A Warner Bros. Television Production
4. Best Short Subject
Amok
Boddah
Black Slide
The Hive Studio, in co-production with FlipBook Studio
Ice Merchants
COLA Animation production & Wild Stream
Love, Dad
13ka, in co-production with FAMU & nutprodukcia
The Flying Sailor
National Film Board of Canada
5. Best Sponsored
Can’t Negotiate the Melting Point of Ice
NOMINT
Minions: The Rise of Gru / The Office
Illumination
Save Ralph
Arch Model Studio
Ted Lasso: The Missing Christmas Mustache
Apple presents a Doozer Production in association with Warner Bros. Television and Universal Television
Today’s Holiday Moments are Tomorrow’s Memories
Hornet
6. Best TV/Media – Preschool
Elinor Wonders Why
Episode: 136B – Rest is Best
SHOE Ink. LLC
Gabby’s Dollhouse
Episode: Cakey’s Cupcake Cousins
DreamWorks Animation
Rise Up, Sing Out
Episode: Name Tag
Disney TV Animation
Spirit Rangers
Episode: Thunder Mountain
Laughing Wild / Netflix
The Tiny Chef Show
Episode: Pancakes
Tiny Chef Productions LLC / Imagine Entertainment
7. Best TV/Media – Children
Abominable and the Invisible City
Episode: Everest Returns
DreamWorks Animation
Big Nate
Episode: The Legend of the Gunting
Nickelodeon Animation
Moominvalley
Episode: Lonely Mountain
Gutsy Animations
The Owl House
Episode: King’s Tide
Disney TV Animation
We Baby Bears
Episode: The Real Crayon
Cartoon Network Studios
8. Best TV/Media – Mature
Bob’s Burgers
Episode: Some Like it Bot Part 1: Eighth Grade Runner
20th Television/Bento Box Entertainment
Harley Quinn
Episode: Batman Begins Forever
Warner Bros. Animation
Rick and Morty
Episode: Night Family
Rick and Morty LLC
The Simpsons – Treehouse of Horror XXXIII
Episode: Treehouse of Horror XXXIII
A Gracie Films Production in Association with 20th Television Animation
Tuca & Bertie
Episode: The Pain Garden
The Tornante Company
9. Best TV/Media – Limited Series
BAYMAX!
Episode: Sofia
Walt Disney Animation Studios
El Deafo
Episode: Everybody Sounds So Weird
Lighthouse Studios in association with Apple
HouseBroken
Episode: Who’s Having A Merry Trashmas?
Kapital Entertainment and FOX Entertainment
Oni: Thunder God’s Tale
Episode: The Demon Moon Rises
A Netflix Series / A Tonko House Production
Undone
Episode: Rectify
Tornante Company and Amazon Studios
10. Best Student Film
Au revoir Jรฉrรดme !
Student Director: Adam Sillard, Gabrielle Selnet & Chloรฉ Farr
School: Gobelins, l’รฉcole de l’image
Birdsong
Student Director: Michelle Cheng
Student Producer: Michelle Cheng
School: California Institute of the Arts
Synchronie Passagรจre
Student Director: Julia Le Bras-Juarez
School: Supinfocom Rubika
The Most Boring Granny in the Whole World
Student Director: Damaris Zielke
Student Producer: Jiayan Chen
School: Filmakademie Baden-Wรผrttemberg GmbH
The Soloists
Student Director: Mehrnaz Abdollahinia, Feben Elias Woldehawariat, Razahk Issaka, Celeste Jamneck & Yi Liu
School: Gobelins, l’รฉcole de l’image
11. Best FX – TV/Media
Cars on the Road
Episode: Road Rumblers
Production Company: Pixar Animation Studios
FX Production Company: Pixar Animation Studios
Christopher Foreman, Elana Lederman, John Lockwood, Jae Jun Yi, Justin Ritter
Love Death + Robots
Episode: Bad Traveling
Production Company: Blur Studio for Netflix
FX Production Company: Blur Studio
Kirby Miller, Igor Zanic, Joseph H. Coleman, Steven Dupuy, Josh Schwartz
Prehistoric Planet
Episode: Coasts
Production Company: BBC Studios in association with Apple
FX Production Company: MPC
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse
Episode: special production
Production Company: NoneMore Productions and Bad Robot Productions
FX Production Company: NoneMore Productions
Peter Baynton, Raymond Pang, Martial Coulon
The House
Episode: special production
Production Company: Nexus Studios for Netflix
FX Production Company: Nexus Studios
Germรกn Dรญez, รlvaro Alonso Lomba, Hugo Vieites Caamaรฑo
12. Best FX – Feature
Avatar: The Way of Water
Production Company: 20th Century Studios / Disney Studios
FX Production Company: Wฤtฤ FX
Johnathan M. Nixon, David Moraton, Nicholas Illingworth, David Caeiro Cebrian, Alex Nowotny
Disney and Pixar’s Lightyear
Production Company: Pixar Animation Studios
FX Production Company: Pixar
Carl Kaphan, Cody Harrington, Hope Schroers, Jon Barry, Nate Skeen
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
Production Company: Netflix Presents A Double Dare You! Film / A Shadowmachine Production in association with The Jim Henson Company
FX Production Company: MPC
Aaron Weintraub, Warren Lawtey, Alireza Malmiri, Baptiste Malbranque, Mikhail Donchenko
Minions: The Rise of Gru
Production Company: Illumination
FX Production Company: Illumination
Frank Baradat, Simon Pate, Milan Voukassovitch, Milo Riccarand
The Sea Beast
Production Company: Netflix
FX Production Company: Sony Pictures Imageworks
Spencer Lueders, Dmitriy Kolesnik, Kiel Gnebba, Oleksandr (Alex) Loboda , Jeremy Hoey
13. Best Character Animation – TV/Media
Entergalactic
Episode: special production
Netflix / Mad Solar / Khalabo Ink Society / Edelgang
Aziz Kocanagullari
Oni: Thunder God’s Tale
Episode: The Mighty Storm Gods
A Netflix Series / A Tonko House Production
Toshihiro Nakamura
StoryBots: Answer Time
Episode: Taste
JibJab Bros. Studios for Netflix
Henrique Baron
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse
Episode: special production
NoneMore Productions and Bad Robot Productions
Tim Watts
The House
Episode: special production
Nexus Studios for Netflix
Kecy Salangad
14. Best Character Animation – Feature
Disney and Pixar’s Turning Red
Pixar Animation Studios
Teresa Falcone
Disney and Pixar’s Turning Red
Pixar Animation Studios
Eric Anderson
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
Netflix Presents A Double Dare You! Film / A Shadowmachine Production in association with The Jim Henson Company
Tucker Barrie
The Bad Guys
DreamWorks Animation
Jorge Capote
The Bad Guys
DreamWorks Animation
Min Hong
15. Best Character Animation – Live Action
Avatar: The Way of Water
Wฤtฤ FX
Daniel Barrett, Stuart Adcock, Todd Labonte, Douglas McHale, Stephen Cullingford
Beast
Framestore
Alvise Avati, Chris McGaw, Bora ลahin, Krzysztof Boyoko, Laurent Benhamo
Finch
MPC
Simon Allen, Harinarayan Rajeev, Paul Nelson, Matthias Schoenegger
Jurassic World Dominion
Industrial Light & Magic
Jance Rubinchik, Alexander Lee, Rich Bentley, Antoine Verney Carron, Sally Wilson
Peacemaker
Wฤtฤ FX
Michael Cozens, Mark Smith, Kai-Hua Lan, Selene McLean, Richard John Moore
16. Best Character Animation – Video Game
Cuphead – The Delicious Last Course
Studio MDHR
Chad Moldenhauer, Hanna Abi-Hanna
God of War Ragnarรถk
Santa Monica Studio
Horizon Forbidden West
Guerrilla
Richard Oud, Jan-Erik Sjovall, Guerrilla Animation Team
Moss: Book II
Episode: A single game
Polyarc
Richard Lico
Potionomics
Voracious Games
Emily Lattanavong , Anguel Bogoev
17. Best Character Design – TV/Media
Amphibia
Episode: The Hardest Thing
Disney TV Animation
Joe Sparrow
Entergalactic
Episode: special production
Netflix / Mad Solar / Khalabo Ink Society / Edelgang
Meybis Ruiz Cruz
Love Death + Robots
Episode: Jibaro
Blur Studio for Netflix
Alberto Mielgo
Oni: Thunder God’s Tale
Episode: The Demon Moon Rises
A Netflix Series / A Tonko House Production
Rebecca Chan
Spirit Rangers
Episode: Belly of the Beast
Laughing Wild / Netflix
Marie Delmas
18. Best Character Design – Feature
Luck
Skydance LLC
Massimiliano Narciso
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
DreamWorks Animation
Jesรบs Alonso Iglesias
Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie
Nickelodeon Animation Studio
Ida Hem
The Bad Guys
DreamWorks Animation
Taylor Krahenbuhl
Wendell & Wild
Netflix Presents A Monkeypaw Production / A Gotham Group Production
Pablo Lobato
19. Best Direction – TV/Media
BAYMAX!
Episode: Sofia
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Lissa Treiman
exception
Episode: Misprint
Studio 5 / Tatsunoko Production Co., Ltd. for Netflix
Yรปzรด Satรด
More Than I Want To Remember
Episode: short subject
Mugeni Film LLC, MTV Entertainment Studios
Amy Bench , Maya Edelman
Oni: Thunder God’s Tale
Episode: The Demon Moon Rises
A Netflix Series / A Tonko House Production
Daisuke “ Dice” Tsutsumi
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse
Episode: special production
NoneMore Productions and Bad Robot Productions
Peter Baynton, Charlie Mackesy
20. Best Direction – Feature
Disney and Pixar’s Turning Red
Pixar Animation Studios
Domee Shi
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
Netflix Presents A Double Dare You! Film / A Shadowmachine Production in association with The Jim Henson Company
Guillermo Del Toro, Mark Gustafson
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
Marcel the Movie LLC
Dean Fleischer Camp, Kirsten Lepore, Stephen Chiodo
My Father’s Dragon
Cartoon Saloon for Netflix
Nora Twomey
Wendell & Wild
Netflix Presents A Monkeypaw Production / A Gotham Group Production
Henry Selick
21. Best Music – TV/Media
Love Death + Robots
Episode: The Very Pulse of the Machine
Blur Studio for Netflix
Rob Cairns
Oni: Thunder God’s Tale
Episode: Onari’s Kushi Power
A Netflix Series / A Tonko House Production
Zach Johnston, Matteo Roberts
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse
Episode: special production
NoneMore Productions and Bad Robot Productions
Isobel Waller-Bridge, Charlie Mackesy
The Cuphead Show!
Episode: Carn-Evil
Netflix Animation
Ego Plum
The House
Episode: special production
Nexus Studios for Netflix
Gustavo Santaolalla
22. Best Music – Feature
Disney and Pixar’s Turning Red
Pixar Animation Studios
Ludwig Gรถransson, Billie Eilish, Finneas O’Connell
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
Netflix Presents A Double Dare You! Film / A Shadowmachine Production in association with The Jim Henson Company
Alexandre Desplat, Roeban Katz, Guillermo del Toro, Patrick McHale
Mad God
Tippett Studio
Dan Wool
The Bad Guys
DreamWorks Animation
Daniel Pemberton
The Sea Beast
Netflix
Mark Mancia, Nell Benjamin, Laurence O’Keefe
23. Best Production Design – TV/Media
Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal
Episode: Echoes of Eternity
Adult Swim
Scott Wills
Mall Stories – Atilla the Grilla
Episode: short subject
Chromosphere / Kikutowne
Jasmin Lai, Lauren Zurcher, Junyi Wu
Oni: Thunder God’s Tale
Episode: The Demon Moon Rises
A Netflix Series / A Tonko House Production
Robert Kondo, Rachel Tiep-Daniels, Lia Tin, Yohei Hashizume, Masa Inada
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse
Episode: special production
NoneMore Productions and Bad Robot Productions
Mike McCain
The House
Episode: special production
Nexus Studios for Netflix
Niklas Nilsson, Alexandra Walker
24. Best Production Design – Feature
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
Netflix Presents A Double Dare You! Film / A Shadowmachine Production in association with The Jim Henson Company
Curt Enderle, Guy Davis
Mad God
Tippett Studio
Phil Tippett
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
DreamWorks Animation
Nate Wragg, Joseph Feinsilver, Claire Keane, Wayne Tsay, Naveen Selvanathan
The Bad Guys
DreamWorks Animation
Luc Desmarchelier, Floriane Marchix
The Sea Beast
Netflix
Matthias Lechner, Jung Woonyoung
25. Best Storyboarding – TV/Media
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
Episode: Let You Down
CD Projekt Red in association with Netflix
Kaneko Yoshiyuk
Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight
Episode: The Knight’s Code
DreamWorks Animation
Grace Liu
Looney Tunes Cartoons
Episode: Hex Appeal
Warner Bros. Animation
Mike Ruocco
Love Death + Robots
Episode: The Very Pulse of the Machine
Blur Studio for Netflix
Emily Dean
The Cuphead Show!
Episode: A Very Devil Christmas
Netflix Animation
Karl Hadrika
26. Best Storyboarding – Feature
Minions: The Rise of Gru
Illumination
Nima Azarba (null)
Minions: The Rise of Gru
Illumination
Dave Feiss (null)
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
DreamWorks Animation
Anthony Holden (null)
Strange World
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Jeff Snow (null)
Strange World
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Javier Ledesma Barbolla (null)
27. Best Voice Acting – TV/Media
Looney Tunes Cartoons
Episode: Hex Appeal
Warner Bros. Animation
Candi Milo (Witch Hazel)
StoryBots: Answer Time
Episode: Glue
JibJab Bros. Studios for Netflix
Fred Tatsciore (Bang)
Teen Titans Go! & DC Super Hero Girls Mayhem in the Multiverse
Episode: Full Movie
Warner Bros Animation
Tara Strong (Batgirl, Harley Quinn, Raven)
The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder
Episode: New Kids On The Block
Disney TV Animation
Karen Malina White (Dijonay Jones)
Zootopia+
Episode: The Godfather of the Bride
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Maurice LaMarche (Mr. Big)
28. Best Voice Acting – Feature
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
Netflix Presents A Double Dare You! Film / A Shadowmachine Production in association with The Jim Henson Company
David Bradley
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
Netflix Presents A Double Dare You! Film / A Shadowmachine Production in association with The Jim Henson Company
Gregory Mann
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
Marcel the Movie LLC
Jenny Slate
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
DreamWorks Animation
Wagner Moura
The Sea Beast
Netflix
Zaris-Angel Hator
29. Best Writing – TV/Media
BAYMAX!
Episode: Sofia
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Cirocco Dunlap
Big Nate
Episode: The Legend of the Gunting
Nickelodeon Animation Studio
Mitch Watson, Emily Brundige, Ben Lapides, Sarah Allan
Love Death + Robots
Episode: Bad Traveling
Blur Studio for Netflix
Andrew Kevin Walker
The House
Episode: special production
Nexus Studios for Netflix
Enda Walsh
Tuca & Bertie
Episode: The Pain Garden
The Tornante Company
Lisa Hanawalt
30. Best Writing – Feature
Disney and Pixar’s Turning Red
Pixar Animation Studios
Domee Shi, Julia Cho
ETERNAL SPRING
Lofty Sky Entertainment Inc.
Jason Loftus
Inu-Oh
Science SARU
AKIKO NOGI
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
Marcel the Movie LLC
Dean Fleischer Camp, Jenny Slate, Nick Paley, Elisabeth Holm
31. Best Editorial – TV/Media
Amphibia
Episode: All In
Disney TV Animation
Andrew Sorcini, Yoonah Yim, Jennifer Calbi, Julie Anne Lau, Louis Russell
Green Eggs and Ham
Episode: The Sam Who Came In From The Cold
Gulfstream Pictures/ A Stern Talking To/ A Very Good Production in association with Warner Bros. Animation for Netflix
Margaret Hou
Karma’s World
Episode: Keys, The Inventor
9 Story Media Group, Brown Bag Films and Karma’s World Entertainment for Netflix
Damien Dunne, Ultan Murphy, Emma O’Brien, Fred O’Connor, Aiden McKenna
Star Trek: Lower Decks
Episode: The Stars At Night
CBS’s Eye Animation Productions, Titmouse; Secret Hideout; and Roddenberry Entertainment
Andy Maxwell, Zach Lamplugh, Brandon Brocker, Paul Mazzotta
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse
Episode: special production
NoneMore Productions and Bad Robot Productions
Daniel Budin
32. Best Editorial – Feature
Disney and Pixar’s Lightyear
Pixar
Disney and Pixar’s Turning Red
Pixar Animation Studios
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
Netflix Presents A Double Dare You! Film / A Shadowmachine Production in association with The Jim Henson Company
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Dreamworks Animation
The Sea Beast
Netflix
