On Dec. 3, 2003, the nominations for the 2004 IFP Independent Spirit Awards were announced with the French animated feature TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE taking in a nomination for Best Foreign Film. Bringing home five nods was AMERICAN SPLENDOR, based on the life of independent comic writer Harvey Pekar. The film garnered nominations for Best Feature, Best Director (Shari Springer Berman & Robert Pulcini), Best Screenplay (Shari Springer Berman & Robert Pulcini), Best Male Lead (Paul Giamatti) and Best Supporting Male (Judah Friedlander).

Spike TV has named the 16 finalists in wide-ranging awards categories for the network's first annual "Video Game Awards" (VGAs), hosted by actor/comedian David Spade from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, airing 9-11:00 pm on Dec. 4, 2003. The all-men’s channel promises to deliver a non-traditional awards show without podiums, presenters and acceptance speeches. The show will unfold in a futuristic setting that's part "next-century Tokyo" and part "Minority Report" that will seamlessly blend real and animated worlds into a dynamic awards show presentation

Finalists in the nine of 12 categories of competition for the Australian Effects and Animation Festival (AEAF) Awards have been announced. Winners in each category will be announced at the AEAF Awards presentation, Dec. 9, 2003 at 7:00 pm. AEAF will be held at the Sydney Convention Center, Darling Harbor from December 7-10.

All finalists entries will be screened during the Awards ceremony in an evening of animation and vfx entertainment

The winners for the 2003 British Academy Children's Film and Television Awards in association with the LEGO Co. were announced on Nov. 30, 2003. THE BOB THE BUILDER SPECIAL: A CHRISTMAS TO REMEMBER took home the prize for Best Animation. The special was produced by HOT Animation, HIT Ent. and the BBC and features music by Sir Elton John.

On November 24, 2003 in New York City, the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced the winners of the 31st Annual International Emmy Awards. The BBC was the big winner of the night taking home three awards, including the Children & Young People Award for the newest Robbie the Reindeer adventure, LEGEND OF THE LOST TRIBE. The project was co-production between BBC Bristol and Comic Relief.

Adam Benjamin Elliot (BROTHER, COUSIN, FATHER) has received four awards for his newest short, HARVIE KRUMPET, at the 2003 Cinanima Festival, which ran Nov. 10–16. This year was the 27th edition festival, which took place in Espinho, Portugal. Besides the international competition, the event holds panorama sessions, retrospectives, sessions with last edition's winners and special screenings. One of the retrospectives this year was dedicated to the work of Joanna Quinn.

FINDING NEMO (Disney/Pixar) fittingly leads the pack of 11 eligible Oscar contenders for Best Animated Feature announced by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Nov. 19, 2003.

Framestore CFC has received the Best Digital Effects prize at this year’s Royal Television Society Craft & Design Awards. At the Nov. 17, 2003 event, the company won for its work on the two WALKING WITH DINOSAURS specials THE GIANT CLAW and LAND OF GIANTS. The award was accepted on behalf of Framestore CFC by DINOSAURS team members Tim Greenwood, Darren Byford, George Roper and Sarah Tosh.

The British Television Advertising Awards were announced on Nov. 3, 2003 at the Royal Lancaster Hotel. The event attracted more than 400 entries for its 21 categories.

The Angelus Awards Student Film Festival announced the winners of its 8th annual student film competition. Winning films screened at the awards ceremony on October 25 at the Directors Guild of America. A special tribute and SPIRIT OF ANGELUS award were given posthumously to Academy-Award winner Gregory Peck, which was presented to his wife, Vèronique Peck. Twenty-one college and graduate level film students were selected as finalists from a record 472 entries worldwide.

Caligari, award-winning producer of 3D modeling and animation software, released the winners of its Big Break 2003 animation contest. The contest was designed to showcase the talents of artists and animators using Caligari's trueSpace 3D modeling and animation software package and illustrate what's possible using inexpensive software, an ordinary desktop PC and a healthy dose of talent and imagination.

The nominations for the 2003 British Academy Children's Film and Television Awards in association with the LEGO Company have been announced. The winners will be announced on November 30, 2003.

The Best Animation nominees include ALBIE from Cosgrove Hall Films, Granada International and CiTV; BOB THE BUILDER SPECIAL - A CHRISTMAS TO REMEMBER from HOT Animation for HIT Entertainment and BBC; BOUNTY HAMSTER from Silver Fox Films, Peafur Productions and CiTV; and PONGWIFFY from Telemagination and CiTV.

The Animation Writers Caucus of the Writers Guild of America, west (WGAw) will present its sixth annual Animation Writing Award to Mark Evanier at its annual reception, October 23, 2003, at 7:00 pm at 7000 West Third St. in Los Angeles.

“There have been significant advancements in the two-plus decades since Mark first made his entrance into the field of animation,” said Victoria Riskin, WGAw. “His contributions as a writer and advocate for the medium are immeasurable. This award recognizes those achievements.”

The Walt Disney Co. recognized 11 honorees as 2003 Disney Legends for their "creativity and imagination" in a ceremony held Oct. 16 at Disney Legends Plaza on the studio lot in Burbank. Disney vice chairman Roy Disney presided over the induction ceremony, which has honored 163 individual talents since 1987, beginning with actor Fred MacMurray.

The 2003 Disney Legends honorees are as follows:

On October 19, 2003, the Ottawa International Student Animation Festival (SAFO 03) announced its winners. An international jury selected winners in seven categories from 72 films. CalArts student Jean-Jacques Villard took home the top honors with the Nelvana Grand Prize for his film SON OF SATAN. Turku Arts Academy of Finland garnered the Grand Prize - Best School for exhibiting a high level of consistency and diversity in its show reel.

The Academy of Machinima Arts and Sciences has announced the nominations for the 2003 Machinima Awards, which showcases the best in films created in a realtime virtual 3D environment, known as 3D game engines. The winners will be announced at a ceremony on October 25, 2003 at the American Museum of the Moving Image in New York as part of the Machinima Film Festival.

On Sunday, October 5, 2003, the Nordic animated feature THE BOY WHO WANTED TO BE A BEAR took home the top feature prize at this year’s New Nordic Children's Films, an annual meeting of children’s entertainment professionals, which runs along with the Buster Copenhagen Intl. Children's Film Festival. BEAR is directed by Jannik Hastrup, helmer of Stuttgart winner CIRCLEEN - MICE AND ROMANCE. The film follows mother and father polar bears that steal a human baby after their cub dies while the boy’s father searches to reclaim his son.

ShowEast, the conference for movie theater owners and operators, wrapped up its 19th year in Orlando on October 2, 2003. The big news for the animation community was the premiere of Disney’s next 2D animated feature BROTHER BEAR, which hits theaters on November 1, 2003. As well, Warner Bros. started its major push to promote its upcoming LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION, which arrives on November 14.

The 8th annual 2003 Angelus Awards Student Film Festival has selected 21 finalists from around the world for their achievements in filmmaking, animation and documentary. The students were chosen from more than 470 submissions, and were honored October 3, 2003 at an awards luncheon in Hollywood.

The 2003 DIY Book Festival has announced the winners of its annual contest honoring independent authors and publishers. The children's book I LOVE YOU MORE, written by Laura Duksta and illustrated by Karen Keesler, took home the grand prize of $1,000 as DIY Author of the Year and DIY Publisher of the Year.