ASIFA-Hollywood has announced the nominations for its 36th Annual Annie Awards, recognizing the year's best animated features, television productions, commercials, videogames and short subjects. DreamWorks Animation's KUNG FU PANDA leads the field with 17 nominations out of 27 overall for the studio, including Best Animated Feature, and individual nominations for character animation, character design, directing, music, production design, storyboarding, voice acting and writing.
Walt Disney Animation Studios' received nine nominations, including Best Animated Feature for BOLT, and Pixar Animation Studios received eight nominations, including Best Animated Feature for WALL-E. Completing the Best Animated Feature category is Sony Pictures Classics' WALTZ WITH BASHIR and Sherman Pictures/Lama Films' $9.99.
Nickelodeon leads the pack in television with 12 nominations, including two for Best Animated Television Production Produced for Children: AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER and THE MIGHTY B!. Other nominees in this category include FOSTER'S HOME FOR IMAGINARY FRIENDS and UNDERFIST: HALLOWEEN BASH from Cartoon Network Studios and A MISER BROTHERS CHRISTMAS from Warner Bros. Animation.
Nominees for the Best Animated Television Production are PHINEAS AND FERB (Disney Television Animation), THE SIMPSONS (Gracie Films/Fox TV), KING OF THE HILL (20th Century Fox TV) and MORAL OREL and ROBOT CHICKEN: STAR WARS EPISODE II, both from ShadowMachine.
Winners will be announced at the 36th Annual Annie Awards ceremony on Friday, January 30, 2009, at UCLA's Royce Hall, in Los Angeles, California.
Special juried awards honoring career achievement and exceptional contributions to animation will also be awarded: Winsor McCay recipients -- Mike Judge, John Lasseter and Nick Park for career contributions to the art of animation; June Foray award -- Bill Turner for significant and benevolent or charitable impact on the art and industry of animation; and Certificate of Merit award -- Amir Avini, Mike Fontanelli, Kathy Turner, Alex Vassilev.
The Annie Awards' black-tie ceremony will feature a lively mix of animation luminaries, celebrity presenters and comedic talent to celebrate this year's best of the best. A pre-reception begins at 6 p.m. with the awards ceremony following at 8 p.m. A post-show celebration immediately follows at the Royce Hall. More than 1,500 entertainment industry insiders are expected to attend the annual Annie Awards. For tickets, advertising, sponsorship opportunities and up-to-the minute information on the 36th Annual Annie Awards, visit www.annieawards.org.
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 and December 31, 2008.
PRODUCTION CATEGORIES
Best Animated Feature
BOLT -- Walt Disney Animation StudiosKUNG FU PANDA -- DreamWorks Animation$9.99 -- Sherman Pictures/Lama FilmsWALL-E -- Pixar Animation StudiosWALTZ WITH BASHIR -- Sony Pictures Classics/Bridgit Folman, Les Films D'ici, Razor Films
Best Animated Home Entertainment Production
BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHT -- Warner Bros. AnimationCHRISTMAS IS HERE AGAIN -- Easy To Dream Ent.FUTURAMA: THE BEAST WITH A BILLION BACKS -- The Curiosity Company in association with 20th Century Fox Home Ent.JUSTICE LEAGUE: THE NEW FRONTIER -- Warner Bros. AnimationTHE LITTLE MERMAID: ARIEL'S BEGINNING -- DisneyToon Studios
Best Animated Short Subject
GLAGO'S GUEST -- Walt Disney Animation StudiosHOT DOG -- Bill Plympton StudioPRESTO -- Pixar Animation StudiosSEBASTIAN'S VOODOO -- Joaquin BaldwinWALLACE & GROMIT: A MATTER OF LOAF AND DEATH -- Aardman Animations
Best Animated Television Commercial
GIANT MONSTER -- Curious PicturesLONG LEGS MR. HYDE -- Curious PicturesROTOFUGI: THE COLLECTORS -- Screen NoveltiesSARAH -- Z AnimationUnited Airlines' HEART -- Duck Studios
Best Animated Television Production
KING OF THE HILL -- 20th Century Fox TVMORAL OREL -- ShadowMachinePHINEAS AND FERB -- Disney Television AnimationROBOT CHICKEN: STAR WARS EPISODE II -- ShadowMachineTHE SIMPSONS -- Gracie Films/Fox TV
Best Animated Television Production Produced for Children
A MISER BROTHERS CHRISTMAS -- Warner Bros. AnimationAVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER -- NickelodeonFOSTER'S HOME FOR IMAGINARY FRIENDS "Destination Imagination" -- Cartoon Network StudiosTHE MIGHTY B! -- NickelodeonUNDERFIST: HALLOWEEN BASH -- Cartoon Network Studios
Best Animated Video Game
DEAD SPACE -- Electronic ArtsKUNG FU PANDA -- ActivisionWALL-E -- Heavy Iron Studios, a division of THQ, Inc.
INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT CATEGORIES
Animated Effects
Alen Lai, DR. SEUSS' HORTON HEARS A WHO! -- Blue Sky StudiosLi-Ming Lawrence Lee, KUNG FU PANDA -- DreamWorks AnimationFangwei Lee, MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA -- DreamWorks AnimationKevin Lee, BOLT -- Walt Disney Animation StudiosEnrique Vila, WALL-E -- Pixar Animation Studios
Character Animation in a Feature Production
James Baxter, KUNG FU PANDA -- DreamWorks AnimationJeff Gabor, DR. SEUSS' HORTON HEARS A WHO! -- Blue Sky StudiosPhilippe Le Brun, KUNG FU PANDA -- DreamWorks AnimationVictor Navone, WALL-E -- Pixar Animation StudiosDan Wagner, KUNG FU PANDA -- DreamWorks Animation
Character Animation in a Television Production or Short Form
Sandro Cleuzo, SECRETS OF THE FURIOUS FIVE -- DreamWorks AnimationJoshua A. Jennings, ROBOT CHICKEN: STAR WARS EPISODE II -- ShadowMachinePierre Perifel, SECRETS OF THE FURIOUS FIVE -- DreamWorks Animation
Character Design in an Animated Feature Production
Valerie Hadida, IGOR -- Exodus Film GroupSang Jun Lee, DR. SEUSS' HORTON HEARS A WHO -- Blue Sky StudiosNico Marlet, KUNG FU PANDA -- DreamWorks Animation
Character Design in an Animated Television Production or Short Form
Bryan Arnett, THE MIGHTY B!, "Bat Mitzah Crashers" -- NickelodeonBen Balistreri, FOSTER'S HOME FOR IMAGINARY FRIENDS, "Mondo Coco" -- Cartoon Network StudiosSean Galloway, THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN -- Sony Pictures TelevisionJorge Gutierrez, EL TIGRE: THE ADVENTURES OF MANNY RIVERA, "The Good, The Bad, The Tigre" -- NickelodeonNico Marlet, SECRETS OF THE FURIOUS FIVE -- DreamWorks Animation
Directing in an Animated Feature Production
Sam Fell and Rob Stevenhagen, THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX -- Universal PicturesAri Folman, WALTZ WITH BASHIR -- Sony Pictures Classics/Bridgit Folman, Les Films D'ici, Razor FilmsTatia Rosenthal, 9.99 -- Sherman Pictures/Lama FilmsJohn Stevenson and Mark Osborne, KUNG FU PANDA -- DreamWorks AnimationAndrew Stanton, WALL-E -- Pixar Animation Studios
Directing in an Animated Television Production or Short Form
Bob Anderson, THE SIMPSONS "Treehouse of Horror XIX" -- Gracie Films/Fox TVJoaquim Dos Santos, AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER "Sozin's Comet Pt. 3" -- NickelodeonCraig McCracken and Rob Renzetti, FOSTER'S HOME FOR IMAGINARY FRIENDS "Destination Imagination" -- Cartoon Network StudiosChris McKay, MORAL OREL "Passing" -- ShadowMachineAlan Smart, SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS "Penny Foolish" -- Nickelodeon
Music in an Animated Feature Production
Kevin Manthei, BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHT -- Warner Bros. AnimationJohn Powell, DR. SEUSS' HORTON HEARS A WHO -- Blue Sky StudiosMax Richter, WALTZ WITH BASHIR -- Sony Pictures Classics/Bridgit Folman, Les Films D'ici, Razor FilmsWilliam Ross, THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX -- Universal PicturesHans Zimmer and John Powell, KUNG FU PANDA -- DreamWorks Animation
Music in an Animated Television Production or Short Form
Carl Finch and Brave Combo, CLICK AND CLACK'S AS THE WRENCH TURNS -- CTTV ProductionsHenry Jackman, Hans Zimmer and John Powell, SECRETS OF THE FURIOUS FIVE -- DreamWorks AnimationKevin Kiner, STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS, "Rising Malevolence" -- Lucasfilm Animation Ltd.Guy Moon, BACK AT THE BARNYARD, "Cowman: The Uddered Avenger" -- Nickelodeon/OmationGuy Michelmore, GROWING UP CREEPIE, "Rockabye Freakie" -- Taffy Ent.
Production Design in an Animated Feature Production
Ralph Eggleston, WALL-E -- Pixar Animation StudiosPaul Felix, BOLT -- Walt Disney Animation StudiosTang Heng, KUNG FU PANDA -- DreamWorks AnimationEvgeni Tomov, THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX -- Universal PicturesRaymond Zibach, KUNG FU PANDA -- DreamWorks Animation
Production Design in an Animated Television Production or Short Form
Andy Harkness, GLAGO'S GUEST -- Walt Disney Animation StudiosTang Heng, SECRETS OF THE FURIOUS FIVE -- DreamWorks AnimationSeonna Hong -- THE MIGHTY B! "Bee Patients" -- NickelodeonDan Krall, CHOWDER, "The Heavy Sleeper" -- Cartoon Network StudiosRaymond Zibach SECRETS OF THE FURIOUS FIVE -- DreamWorks Animation
Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production
Alessandro Carloni, KUNG FU PANDA -- DreamWorks AnimationRonnie Del Carmen, WALL-E -- Pixar Animation StudiosJoe Mateo, BOLT -- Walt Disney Animation StudiosJen Yuh Nelson, KUNG FU PANDA -- DreamWorks AnimationRob Stevenhagen, THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX -- Universal Pictures
Storyboarding in an Animated Television Production or Short Form
Butch Hartman, FAIRLY ODDPARENTS, "Mission: Responsible" -- NickelodeonAndy Kelly, NI HAO, KAI-LAN, "Twirly Whirly Flyers" -- Nickelodeon Productions/NelvanaAndy Schuler, SECRET OF THE FURIOUS FIVE -- DreamWorks AnimationEddie Trigueros, THE MIGHTY B!, "Name Shame" -- NickelodeonChris Williams, GLAGO'S GUEST -- Walt Disney Animation Studios
Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production
Ben Burtt, voice of Wall-E -- WALL-E -- Pixar Animation StudiosDustin Hoffman, voice of Shifu -- KUNG FU PANDA -- DreamWorks AnimationJames Hong, voice of Mr. Ping -- KUNG FU PANDA -- DreamWorks AnimationIan McShane, voice of Tai Lung -- KUNG FU PANDA -- DreamWorks AnimationMark Walton, voice of Rhino -- BOLT -- Walt Disney Animation Studios
Voice Acting in an Animated Television Production or Short Form
Ahmed Best, voice of Jar Jar Binks -- ROBOT CHICKEN: STAR WARS EPISODE II -- ShadowMachineSeth MacFarlane, voice of Peter Griffin -- FAMILY GUY, "I Dream of Jesus" -- Fox TV Animation/Fuzzy Door ProductionsDwight Schultz, voice of Mung Daal -- CHOWDER, "Apprentice Games" -- Cartoon Network Studios
Writing in an Animated Feature Production
Jon Aibel & Glenn Berger, KUNG FU PANDA -- DreamWorks Animation Etan Cohen and Eric Darnell & Tom McGrath, MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA" -- DreamWorks AnimationAri Folman, WALTZ WITH BASHIR -- Sony Pictures Classics/Bridgit Folman, Les Films D'ici, Razor FilmsCinco Paul & Ken Daurio, DR. SEUSS' HORTON HEARS A WHO -- Blue Sky Studios
Writing in an Animated Television Production or Short Form
Joel H. Cohen, THE SIMPSONS, "The Debarted" -- Gracie Films/Fox TVScott Kreamer, EL TIGRE: THE ADVENTURES OF MANNY RIVERA, "Mustache Love" -- NickelodeonPaul McEvoy and Todd Berger, SECRETS OF THE FURIOUS FIVE -- DreamWorks AnimationTom Root, Douglas Goldstein, Hugh Davidson, Mike Fasolo, Seth Green, Dan Milano, Matthew Senreich, Kevin Shinick, Zeb Wells, ROBOT CHICKEN: STAR WARS EPISODE II -- ShadowMachineChris Williams, GLAGO'S GUEST -- Walt Disney Animation Studios
JURIED AWARDS
Winsor McCay recipients -- Mike Judge, John Lasseter and Nick Park for career contributions to the art of animation.
June Foray Award -- Bill Turner for significant and benevolent or charitable impact on the art and industry of animation.
Certificate of Merit Award -- Amir Avini, Mike Fontanelli, Kathy Turner, Alex Vassilev.
