The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences (AIAS) has announced the recipients of its 4th annual Interactive Achievement Awards. The Awards were presented at a gala event held in San Jose at Polly Esther’s on March 22. DIABLO II (PC), developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment, garnered three awards, including the top honor of overall Game of the Year 2001 and Computer Game of the Year.

On March 25, 2001 in Los Angeles, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the winners for this year's Oscars. Taking home the prize for outstanding animated short was Michael Dudok de Wit's lyrically elegant FATHER & DAUGHTER. The big winner for the evening was the visual effects epic GLADIATOR, which received five Oscars for best picture, best actor Russell Crowe, best visual effects, best costume design and best sound. Oscar was also kind to the other big visual effects film of the year CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON.

The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has announced the nominees for the 28th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards. Leading the toon nominees is CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG with five nominations including three in the voice acting category. Receiving nods for Outstanding Children's Animated Program were ARTHUR, CLIFFORD, DRAGON TALES, MADELINE and THE WILD THORNBERRYS. Nominated for Outstanding Special Class Animated Program were ANGELA ANACONDA, BATMAN BEYOND, BUZZ LIGHTYEAR OF STAR COMMAND, ROUGHNECKS: THE STARSHIP TROOPER CHRONICLES and SHERLOCK HOLMES IN THE 22ND CENTURY.

The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences (AIAS) has announced its nominees for the 4th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards. Over 100 senior AIAS members in specialty groups chose the finalists. As part of the awards gala, John Carmack, founder of id Software, will be inducted into the Academy's Hall of Fame. Carmack is the creator of DOOM and QUAKE, which popularized the first-person shooter genre of gaming. Comedian Martin Lewis will host the ceremony on March 22, 2001 in San Jose, California.

The Tampere International Short Film Festival awarded its winners on Sunday, March 11, 2001. The prestigious special prize of the jury went to the Brothers Quay for their film IN ABSENTIA (U.K.). The prize for the best animation was given to Helene Moinerie for the film D'UNE CITÉ L'AUTRE (France). The Grand Prix of the festival went to the Finnish documentary HYPPÄÄJÄ by PV Lehtinen. Twenty films out of 69 in the competition were animations, somewhat less than usual.

The 20th Brussels Cartoon and Animated Film Festival - Festival du dessin animé et du film d'animation – handed out its top European awards. There were prizes only for national films, because the international official selection is non-competitive. Because Brussels is the capital of Belgium, a country with two separate language-based communities, there are, of course, two national Grand Prixs.

In its first pre-Oscar ceremony, the Orange British Film Academy Awards were handed out on Sunday, February 25, 2001. Michael Dudok de Wit's lyrical ode to a girl's love for her father over the passing of time, FATHER & DAUGHTER, took home the prize for best animated short. For best British film, Aardman Animations/DreamWorks' CHICKEN RUN was defeated by the live-action ballet picture, BILLY ELLIOT. Visual flare was a big winner in the U.K.

The U.S. Recording Academy handed out its Grammy awards, giving two statuettes to TOY STORY II. The first went to "Woody's Roundup Featuring The Riders In The Sky" for outstanding musical album for children. The second went to Randy Newman's tune "When She Loved Me" for outstanding song written for a motion picture, television or other visual media.

Mainly an international showcase for live-action films, the Berlin Film Festival awarded the "Ours d'Or" award for best short film to Martine Chartrand's animated short L'AME NOIRE (BLACK SOUL). The film was produced by the National Film Board of Canada and tells the story of African people's migration through the Caribbean to America. The Berlin International Film Festival was founded in 1951 from an American cultural-political initiative and has become one of the foremost film festivals in the world.

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences has announced their nominations for the coveted Oscar award. Receiving nominations for best animated short were Michael Dudok de Wit's lyrically elegant FATHER & DAUGHTER, Steffen and Annette Schaffler's moody puppet film THE PERIWIG-MAKER and Don Hertzfeldt's humorously chaotic short REJECTED. GLADIATOR, HOLLOW MAN and THE PERFECT STORM all received nods for best visual effects. Surprisingly absent from the F/X nomination list was Disney's $150 million-plus budgeted DINOSAUR.