Tom Kenny, the familiar voice behind film and TV's SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS, will handle hosting duties again this year for the 36th Annual Annie Awards on Friday, January 30, 2009, at UCLA's Royce Hall in Los Angeles, CA. The black-tie evening begins with a pre-reception at 6 p.m. followed by the Annie Awards ceremony at 8 p.m. and post award party at 10 p.m. All events will be held at Royce Hall. The Annie Awards ceremony will also be webcasted on www.annieawards.org beginning Tuesday, February 3, 2009.
For tickets and up-to-the minute information on the 36th Annual Annie Awards, please visit www.annieawards.org.
Kenny will be joined on stage by a mix of animation luminaries, celebrity presenters and comedic talent including animation legend June Foray, actors Brad Garrett (RATATOUILLE, TILL DEATH), Seth Green(AUSTIN POWERS, ROBOT CHICKEN), Michael Clarke Duncan (KUNG FU PANDA, THE GREEN MILE), James Hong (KUNG FU PANDA, BLADE RUNNER) Donald Faison (SCRUBS), sound artist Ben Burtt (WALL-E), director Henry Selick (CORALINE, THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS) and other special guests. Presenting the Winsor McCay award to Pixar's John Lasseter will be Roy Disney, Director Emeritus and Consultant, The Walt Disney Company and Chairman of the Board, Shamrock Holdings, Inc.
DreamWorks Animation's KUNG FU PANDA leads the field this year with 17 nominations out of 27 overall for the studio, including Best Animated Feature. Walt Disney Animation Studios and its Best Animated Feature BOLT received 9 nominations and Pixar Animation Studios and its Best Animated Feature WALL-E received 8 nominations. Completing the Best Animated Feature category is Sony Pictures Classics WALTZ WITH BASHIR and Sherman Pictures/Lama Films $9.99.
Often a predictor of the annual Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, the Annie Awards honor overall excellence as well as individual achievement in a total of 24 categories ranging from production design, character animation, and effects animation to storyboarding, writing, music and voice acting. Entries submitted for consideration were from productions that originally aired, were exhibited in an animation festival or commercially released between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2008.
