During a black-tie event at Royce Hall in Los Angeles, ASIFA-Hollywood handed out prizes at the 36th Annual Annie Awards recognizing the year's best animation across film, television, commercials, videogames and short subjects.
KUNG FU PANDA was the big winner, besting awards season favorite WALL-E and getting the Best Animated Feature prize as well as nine other awards for individual animators and voice actors. DreamWorks Animation's KUNG FU PANDA had led the field with 17 nominations out of 27 overall for the studio. Pixar Animation Studios was shut out of all eight awards it was nominated for, and Walt Disney Animation Studios received one award out of nine nominations, for storyboarding on GLAGO's GUEST (Chris Williams).
In television, AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER (Nickelodeon) won for Best Animated Television for children, while ROBOT CHICKEN: STAR WARS EPISODE II won for Best Animated Television Production.
The evening included the presentation of the Winsor McCay award to three industry leaders -- Nick Park, Mike Judge and John Lasseter. This award is named in honor of the prolific animator and stands as one of the highest honors given to an individual in the animation industry in recognition for career contributions to the art of animation. Actor and comedian Billy Crystal was on hand to present Lasseter with his Winsor McCay.
Tom Kenny, the voice of SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS handled hosting duties again this year and was joined on stage by a lively mix of animation luminaries, celebrity presenters and comedic talent included animation legend June Foray, actors Brad Garrett (RATATOUILLE, TILL DEATH), Seth Green (AUSTIN POWERS, ROBOT CHICKEN), James Hong (KUNG FU PANDA, BLADE RUNNER) Donald Faison (SCRUBS), Ben Burtt (WALL-E), Henry Selick (Director, CORALINE, THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS) and a video presentation by Cheech & Chong.
The 2008 Annie Award Winners are:
PRODUCTION CATEGORIES
Best Animated Feature
KUNG FU PANDA -- DreamWorks Animation
Best Animated Home Entertainment Production
FUTURAMA: THE BEAST WITH A BILLION BACKS -- The Curiosity Company in association with 20th Century Fox Home Ent.
Best Animated Short Subject
WALLACE & GROMIT: A MATTER OF LOAF AND DEATH -- Aardman Animations Ltd.
Best Animated Television Commercial
United Airlines HEART -- Duck Studios
Best Animated Television Production
ROBOT CHICKEN: STAR WARS EPISODE II -- ShadowMachine
Best Animated Television Production Produced for Children
AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER -- Nickelodeon
Best Animated Video Game
KUNG FU PANDA -- Activision
INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT CATEGORIES
Animated Effects
Li-Ming Lawrence Lee -- KUNG FU PANDA -- DreamWorks Animation
Character Animation in a Feature Production
James Baxter -- KUNG FU PANDA -- DreamWorks Animation
Character Animation in a Television Production or Short Form
Pierre Perifel -- SECRETS OF THE FURIOUS FIVE -- DreamWorks Animation
Character Design in an Animated Feature Production
Nico Marlet -- KUNG FU PANDA -- DreamWorks Animation
Character Design in an Animated Television Production or Short Form
Nico Marlet -- SECRETS OF THE FURIOUS FIVE -- DreamWorks Animation
Directing in an Animated Feature Production
John Stevenson & Mark Osborne -- KUNG FU PANDA -- DreamWorks Animation
Directing in an Animated Television Production or Short Form
Joaquim Dos Santos -- AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER "Sozin's Comet Pt. 3" -- Nickelodeon
Music in an Animated Feature Production
Hans Zimmer & John Powell -- KUNG FU PANDA -- DreamWorks Animation
Music in an Animated Television Production or Short Form
Henry Jackman, Hans Zimmer & John Powell -- SECRETS OF THE FURIOUS FIVE -- DreamWorks Animation
Production Design in an Animated Feature Production
Tang Heng -- KUNG FU PANDA -- DreamWorks Animation
Production Design in an Animated Television Production or Short Form
Tang Heng -- SECRETS OF THE FURIOUS FIVE -- DreamWorks Animation
Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production
Jen Yuh Nelson -- KUNG FU PANDA -- DreamWorks Animation
Storyboarding in an Animated Television Production or Short Form
Chris Williams -- GLAGO'S GUEST -- Walt Disney Animation Studios
Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production
Dustin Hoffman -- Voice of Shifu -- KUNG FU PANDA -- DreamWorks Animation
Voice Acting in an Animated Television Production or Short Form
Ahmed Best -- Voice of Jar Jar Binks -- ROBOT CHICKEN: STAR WARS EPISODE II -- ShadowMachine
Writing in an Animated Feature Production
Jonathan Aibel & Glenn Berger -- KUNG FU PANDA -- DreamWorks Animation
Writing in an Animated Television Production or Short Form
Tom Root, Douglas Goldstein, Hugh Davidson, Mike Fasolo, Seth Green, Dan Milano, Matthew Senreich, Kevin Shinick, Zeb Wells, Breckin Meyer -- ROBOT CHICKEN: STAR WARS EPISODE II -- ShadowMachine
Special juried awards honoring career achievement and exceptional contributions to animation were also 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.