U.K.'s Channel 4 announced that it has commissioned award-winning studio Aardman Animations and leading indie Lupus Films to develop a new online site devoted to animation.

The website, 4mations, will provide a lively new home for animators to view and vote on the latest and greatest animation, upload videos and games for cash prizes, get commissioned to create new work and view classics from the Channel 4 archive.

4mations launches at the British Animation Awards, of which Channel 4 is a sponsor, with a call to action for the animation industry to register interest at www.4mations.tv. The 4mations team will keep registered users up-to-date as the site develops, ahead of the wider launch in the autumn.

A teaser site will be launched in March, with a call for entries for animated films coming in May. The beta site launch is scheduled for summer, with a full launch this fall.