Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse came up the big winner on Saturday night (2/17) in Los Angeles at ASIFA-Hollywood’s 51st Annie Awards recognizing the year’s best in the field of animation. The Sony Pictures Animation film topped seven categories, earning Best Feature distinction, as well as feature category wins for Best Direction, Character Design, Music, Production Design and Editorial. Spider-Man also won the prize for best character animation in a video game.
Next in the feature tally with two wins apiece were Nimona (feature writing and voice acting) and The Boy and the Heron (feature character animation and storyboarding).
Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse, Nimona and The Boy and the Heron are all in the running for the Best Animated Feature Oscar along with Elemental and Robot Dreams. Despite earning six Annie nominations, Elemental did not enter the winners’ circle last night while Robot Dreams took the Annie for Best Independent Feature.
On the TV side, Blue Eye Samurai was the top winner with six awards in TV/Media categories (best in mature programming, best FX, character animation, production design, writing and editorial). Next up was Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, which topped three categories (best character design, storyboarding and voice acting).
Juried Awards were also presented during the Annie ceremony, honoring unparalleled achievement and exceptional contributions to animation. The Winsor McCay Award in recognition of lifetime or career contributions were presented to three recipients: Legendary animator and director Charlotte “Lotte” Reiniger (posthumous); prolific Studio Ghibli composer Joe Hisaishi; and National Film Board animator and producer Marcy Page. The June Foray Award for significant and benevolent or charitable impact went to the BRIC Foundation and its co-founders Alison Mann and Nicole Hendrix.
The Ub Iwerks Award for technical advancement affecting the animation industry went to John Oxberry (posthumous). And the Special Achievement Award recognizing unique and outstanding achievement not recognized within the existing award category structure was presented to The Artists of Walt Disney Animation.
Here’s a full rundown of winners:
Best Feature
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Sony Pictures Animation
Best Feature-Independent
Robot Dreams
Arcadia Motion Pictures
Best Special Production
Snoopy Presents: One-of-a-Kind Marcie
WildBrain Studios in association with Apple
Best Short Subject
WAR IS OVER! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko
ElectroLeague
Best Sponsored
“Video Games” by Tenacious D
Pinreel Inc.
Best TV/Media – Preschool
Ghee Happy
Episode: Navagraha
Ghee Happy Studio
Best TV/Media – Children
Hilda
Episode: Chapter 8: The Fairy Isle
Hilda Productions Limited, a Silvergate Media Company, Netflix Inc. and Mercury Filmworks
Best TV/Media – Mature
Blue Eye Samurai
Episode: Pilot: Hammerscale
A Netflix Series / 3 Arts Entertainment and Blue Spirit Productions
Best TV/Media – Limited Series
Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire
Episode: Enkai
Triggerfish Animation Studio & Blinkink
Best Student Film
The Little Poet
Student Director: Justine King
Student Producer: Justine King
School: California Institute of the Arts
Best FX – TV/Media
Blue Eye Samurai
Episode: All Evil Dreams and Angry Words
Production Company: A Netflix Series / 3 Arts Entertainment and Blue Spirit Productions
FX Production Company: Blue Spirit
Thomas Decaens, Karl Burtin, Laurent Bretonniere
Best FX – Feature
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Production Company: Sony Pictures Animation
FX Production Company: Sony Pictures Imageworks
Pav Grochola, Filippo Maccari, Naoki Kato, Nicola Finizio, Edmond Boulet-Gilly
Best Character Animation – TV/Media
Blue Eye Samurai
Episode: Episodes 101, 104 and 106
A Netflix Series / 3 Arts Entertainment and Blue Spirit Productions
Alex Bard
Best Character Animation – Feature
The Boy and the Heron
Studio Ghibli / Distributed by GKIDS
Takeshi Honda
Best Character Animation – Live Action
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Production Company: Marvel Studios
FX Production Company: Framestore
Fernando Herrera, Chris Hurtt, Nathan McConnel, Daniel Cabral, Chris McGaw
Best Character Animation – Video Game
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Insomniac Games
Insomniac Games Animation Team
Best Character Design – TV/Media
Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur
Episode: 515M-106 (The Beyonder)
Disney Television Animation / Cinema Gypsy Productions
Jose Lopez
Best Character Design – Feature
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Sony Pictures Animation
Jesús Alonso Iglesias
Best Direction – TV/Media
Star Wars: Visions
Episode: Screecher’s Reach
Lucasfilm Ltd.
Paul Young
Best Direction – Feature
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Sony Pictures Animation
Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson
Best Music – TV/Media
Star Wars: Visions
Episode: Aau’s Song
Lucasfilm Ltd.
Markus Wormstorm, Nadia Darries, Dineo du Toit
Best Music – Feature
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Sony Pictures Animation
Daniel Pemberton, Metro Boomin
Best Production Design – TV/Media
Blue Eye Samurai
Episode: Hammerscale
Netflix Animation
Jason Scheier
Best Production Design – Feature
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Sony Pictures Animation
Patrick O’Keefe, Dean Gordon
Best Storyboarding – TV/Media
Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur
Episode: 515M-107 “Run the Rink”
Disney Television Animation / Cinema Gypsy Productions
Ben Juwono
Best Storyboarding – Feature
The Boy and the Heron
Studio Ghibli / Distributed by GKIDS
Hayao Miyazaki
Best Voice Acting – TV/Media
Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur
Episode: Moon Girl Landing
Flying Bark Productions / Disney Television Animation
Diamond White (Character: Lunella Lafayette / Moon Girl)
Best Voice Acting – Feature
Nimona
Annapurna Animation for Netflix
Chloë Grace Moretz (Character: Nimona)
Best Writing – TV/Media
Blue Eye Samurai
Episode: Episode 105: The Tale of the Ronin and the Bride
A Netflix Series / 3 Arts Entertainment and Blue Spirit Productions
Amber Noizumi
Best Writing – Feature
Nimona
Annapurna Animation for Netflix
Robert L. Baird, Lloyd Taylor
Best Editorial – TV/Media
Blue Eye Samurai
Episode: Episode 105: The Tale of the Ronin and the Bride
A Netflix Series / 3 Arts Entertainment and Blue Spirit Productions
Yuka Shirasuna
Best Editorial – Feature
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Sony Pictures Animation
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Editorial Team
Juried Awards
- The Winsor McCay Award in recognition of lifetime or career contributions are being presented to three recipients: Legendary animator and director Charlotte “Lotte” Reiniger (posthumous); prolific Studio Ghibli composer Joe Hisaishi; and National Film Board animator and producer Marcy Page.
- The June Foray Award for significant and benevolent or charitable impact will be presented to the BRIC Foundation, Alison Mann and Nicole Hendrix, co-founders.
- The Ub lwerks Award for technical advancement affecting the animation industry will be presented to John Oxberry (posthumous).
- The Special Achievement Award recognizing unique and outstanding achievement not recognized within the existing award category structure will be presented to The Artists of Walt Disney Animation.
