Hayao Miyazaki's SPIRITED AWAY won top honors at the 30th Annual Annie Awards ceremony, taking home awards for best feature film, writing, music and direction. SPIRIT: STALLION OF THE CIMARRON also ran off with major awards in the categories of character design, effects animation, production design and storyboarding. In television, character design, music, production design and storyboarding awards all went to Cartoon Network's SAMURAI JACK, while Fox Television's THE SIMPSONS took away the honors for Outstanding Animated Television Production. Nelvana's CG-animated preschooler series ROLIE POLIE OLIE took the award for Outstanding Achievement in a Video Production for its full-length movie, ROLIE POLIE OLIE: THE GREAT DEFENDER OF FUN, and the award for Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Television Production Produced for Children. The Annie Awards are presented each year by ASIFA-Hollywood to honor outstanding animation in film, television commercials, home videos and special projects. Normally held in November, this year the awards were moved to February to make them a more closely watched prelude to the Oscars. SPIRITED AWAY has been garnering accolades from the major critics' groups and this Annie win poises the film to be a major contender for the 2002 Animated Feature Oscar.

30TH ANNUAL ANNIE AWARD WINNERS

Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Home Video Production

ROLIE POLIE OLIE: THE GREAT DEFENDER OF FUN A Nelvana Limited/Sparkling* Co-Production




Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Short Subject

THE TORTOISE AND THE HARE Ray Harryhausen & Screen Novelties International



Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Television Commercial

"Courage" Cartoon Network - Cartoon Network




Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Television Production

THE SIMPSONS Gracie Films in association with 20th Century Fox Television



Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Television Production Produced for
Children

ROLIE POLIE OLIE A Nelvana Limited/Sparkling* Co-Production




Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Theatrical Feature

MIYAZAKI'S SPIRITED AWAY Studio Ghibli




Outstanding Achievement for Character Animation

Doug Sweetland - MONSTERS, INC.




Outstanding Achievement for Character Design in an Animated Feature Production

Carlos Grangel - SPIRIT: STALLION OF THE CIMARRON




Outstanding Achievement for Character Design in an Animated Television Production

Lynne Naylor-Reccardi - SAMURAI JACK "Episode VI"




Outstanding Achievement for Directing in an Animated Feature Production

Hayao Miyazaki - MIYAZAKI'S SPIRITED AWAY




Outstanding Achievement for Directing in an Animated Television Production

Rich Moore - FUTURAMA "Roswell That Ends Well"




Outstanding Achievement for Effects Animation

Yancy Lindquist - SPIRIT: STALLION OF THE CIMARRON




Outstanding Achievement for Music in an Animated Feature Production

Joe Hisaishi - MIYAZAKI'S SPIRITED AWAY




Outstanding Achievement for Music in an Animated Television Production

James L. Venable - SAMURAI JACK "Episode I"



Outstanding Achievement for Production Design in an Animated Feature Production

Luc Desmarchelier - SPIRIT: STALLION OF THE CIMARRON




Outstanding Achievement for Production Design in an Animated Television Production

Dan Krall and Scott Wills - SAMURAI JACK "Episode I"




Outstanding Achievement for Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production

Ronnie Del Carmen - SPIRIT: STALLION OF THE CIMARRON