46th Annie Award Nominations Announced

BURBANK, CA -- The International Animated Film Society, ASIFA-Hollywood, announced nominations today for its 46th Annual Annie Awards recognizing the year’s best in the field of animation.

This year’s Best Animated Feature nominations include: Early Man (Aardman Animations), Incredibles 2 (Pixar Animation Studios), Isle of Dogs (Fox Searchlight Pictures/Indian Paintbrush/American Empirical Pictures), Ralph Breaks The Internet (Walt Disney Animation Studios) and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Sony Pictures Animation). Best Animated Feature-Independent, spotlighting features with a much smaller distribution footprint than major studio releases, include: Ce Magnifique Gâteau! (This Magnficient Cake!) (Beast Animation, Vivement Lundi!, Pedri Animation), MFKZ (Ankama/Studio 4ºC), Mirai (Studio Chizu), Ruben Brandt, Collector (Hungarian National Film Fund) and Tito and the Birds (Bits Productions, Split Studio).

“From over 1,600 submissions, our committees have made a great selection of nominees this year. A wide choice of animation techniques, a broad selection of subjects, increasingly creative designs and an encompassing representation of films from other countries and various points of view is going to make this year’s Annie Awards an ever more diversified event,” said ASIFA-Hollywood executive director Frank Gladstone. “Membership voting begins January 1. Looking at the slate of nominees, I think this year’s decisions will be extraordinary.”

The Annie Awards cover 36 categories and include Best Animated Feature, Best Animated Feature-Independent, Special Productions, Commercials, Short Subjects, Student Films and Outstanding Individual Achievements, as well as the honorary Juried Awards. The winners will be announced at a black tie ceremony on Saturday, February 2, 2019 at UCLA’s Royce Hall. A pre-reception and press line begins at 4:30 p.m. in Dickson Court, adjacent to Royce Hall with the ceremony following at 7:00 pm. A post-show celebration immediately follows the ceremony. All events will be held at Royce Hall.

Juried Awards will also be presented honoring unparalleled achievement and exceptional contributions to animation. Three Winsor McCay Award recipients have been selected by the ASIFA-Hollywood Board of Directors for their exemplary industry careers -- Academy Award-winning director, animator and art director, Ralph Eggleston; Frank Braxton (posthumously), the first African-American animator, animation director and guild president; and casting director, voice director and voice actress Andrea Romano. The June Foray Award will be presented to veteran animator, Adam Burke (posthumously) for his significant and benevolent impact on the animation community. Ton Roosendaal, Dutch software developer and film producer, will accept the Ub Iwerks Award for Blender Open Source Animation Software; and a Certificate of Merit will be presented to dedicated ASIFA volunteer, Jason Jones.

The full list of nominations in all 32 categories is shown below:

Annie Award for Best Animated Feature

• Early Man – Aardman Animations
• Incredibles 2 – Pixar Animation Studios
• Isle Of Dogs – Fox Searchlight Pictures / Indian Paintbrush / American Empirical Pictures
• Ralph Breaks The Internet – Walt Disney Animation Studios
• Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse – Sony Pictures Animation

Annie Award for Best Animated Independent Feature

• Ce Magnifique Gâteau! – Beast Animation, Vivement Lundi!, Pedri Animation
• MFKZ – Ankama / Studio 4ºC
• Mirai – Studio Chizu
• Ruben Brandt, Collector – Hungarian National Film Fund
• Tito and the Birds – Bits Productions, Split Studio

Annie Award for Best Animated Special Production

• Back to the Moon – Google Spotlight Stories, Google Doodles, Nexus Studios
• Mary Poppins Returns – Walt Disney Studios
• The Emperor’s Newest Clothes – HBO / Starburns Industries
• The Highway Rat – Magic Light Pictures

Annie Award for Best Animated Short Subject

• Grandpa Walrus – Caïmans Productions
• Lost & Found – Wabi Sabi Studios
• SOLAR WALK – Nørlum
• Untravel – Production: Film House Baš Čelik, Serbia Co-production: BFilm, Bratislava & Your Dreams Factory, Bratislava
• Weekends – past lives productions

Annie Award for Best Virtual Reality Production

• Age of Sail – Google Spotlight Stories, Broad Reach Pictures
• Battlescar – AtlasV
• Crow: The Legend – Baobab Studios
• Mind Palace – Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg GmbH
• Moss – Polyarc

Annie Award for Best Animated Television/Broadcast Commercial

• Goldfish at the Fair – Stoopid Buddy Stoodios
• Greenpeace “There’s a Rang-Tan In My Bedroom” – Passion Animation Studios
• Grinch / 40 / “Olympics Spot” – Illumination
• JD.com, “Joy and Heron” – Passion Pictures
• “The Fearless Are Here” – Nexus Studios

Annie Award for Best Animated Television/Broadcast Production For Preschool Children

• Ask the StoryBots – JibJab Bros. Studios for Netflix
• Dinotrux: Supercharged – DreamWorks Animation Television
• Hey Duggee – Studio AKA
• PJ Masks – Frog Box Entertainment One
• Tumble Leaf – Amazon Studios and Bix Pix Entertainment

Annie Award for Best Animated Television/Broadcast Production For Children

• Hilda – Hilda Productions Limited, a Silvergate Media Company, Netflix Inc. and Mercury Filmworks
• Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny – DreamWorks Animation Television
• Little Big Awesome – Amazon Studios
• Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Nickelodeon Animation Studio
• Tales of Arcadia: Trollhunters – DreamWorks Animation Television

Annie Award for Best General Audience Animated Television/Broadcast Production

• Big Mouth – Netflix
• Bob’s Burgers – 20th Century FOX Television/Bento Box Entertainment
• BoJack Horseman – Tornante Productions, LLC for Netflix
• Human Kind Of – Cartuna, Facebook Watch
• The Venture Bros. – Adult Swim / Titmouse, Inc.

Annie Award for Best Student Film

• A Blink of An Eye – Anke Kletsch
• Best Friend – Nicholas Olivieri, Yi Shen, Juliana De Lucca, Varun Nair, David Feliu (Gobelins)
• FACING IT – Sam Gainsborough
• Hors Piste – Léo Brunel, Loris Cavalier, Camille Jalabert, Oscar Mallet (ENSI)
• Sister – Siqi Song

Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Animated Effects in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production

• DreamWorks Theatre Presents Kung Fu Panda – DreamWorks Animation
• Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Nickelodeon Animation Studio
• SuperMansion – Stoopid Buddy Stoodios
• Tales of Arcadia: Trollhunters – DreamWorks Animation Television
• Watership Down – 42 / Biscuit Entertainment with Netflix

Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Animated Effects in an Animated Feature Production

• Early Man – Aardman Animations
• Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation – Sony Pictures Animation
• Incredibles 2 – Pixar Animation Studios
• Next Gen – Baozou with Alibaba Pictures Inc. in association with Tangent Animation for Netflix
• Ralph Breaks The Internet – Walt Disney Animation Studios

Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Character Animation in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production

• Age of Sail – Google Spotlight Stories, Broad Reach Pictures
• Back to the Moon – Google Spotlight Stories, Google Doodles, Nexus Studios
• Hilda – Hilda Productions Limited, a Silvergate Media Company, Netflix Inc. and Mercury Filmworks
• Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure – Walt Disney Television Animation
• Tumble Leaf – Amazon Studios and Bix Pix Entertainment

Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Character Animation in an Animated Feature Production

• Early Man – Aardman Animations
• Incredibles 2 – Pixar Animation Studio
• Isle of Dogs – Fox Searchlight Pictures / Indian Paintbrush / American Empirical Pictures
• Ralph Breaks The Internet – Walt Disney Animation Studios
• Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse – Sony Pictures Animation

Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Character Animation in a Live Action Production

• Avengers: Infinity War – Marvel
• Christopher Robin – Walt Disney Pictures
• Mary Poppins Returns – Walt Disney Pictures
• Paddington 2 – StudioCanal, Heyday Films, Marmalade Films Ltd
• The Nutcracker and the Four Realms – Walt Disney Studios

Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Character Animation in a Video Game

• God of War – Santa Monica Studio
• GRIS – Nomada Studio
• Marvel’s Spider-Man – Insomniac Games
• Moss – Polyarc
• Shadow of The Tomb Raider – Square Enix

Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Character Design in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production

• Age of Sail – Google Spotlight Stories, Broad Reach Pictures
• Niko and the Sword of Light – Amazon Studios
• Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure – Walt Disney Television Animation
• The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle – DreamWorks Animation Television
• The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle – DreamWorks Animation Television

Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Character Design in an Animated Feature Production

• Incredibles 2 – Pixar Animation Studios
• Mary Poppins Returns – Walt Disney Studios
• Next Gen – Baozou with Alibaba Pictures Inc. in association with Tangent Animation for Netflix
• Ralph Breaks The Internet – Walt Disney Animation Studios
• Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse – Sony Pictures Animation

Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Directing in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production

• Ask the StoryBots – JibJab Bros. Studios for Netflix
• Disney Mickey Mouse – Disney Television Animation
• Niko and the Sword of Light – Amazon Studios
• SuperMansion – Stoopid Buddy Stoodios
• Tales of Arcadia: 3Below – DreamWorks Animation Television

Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Directing in an Animated Feature Production

• Early Man – Aardman Animations
• Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation – Sony Pictures Animation
• Incredibles 2 – Pixar Animation Studios
• Ralph Breaks The Internet – Walt Disney Animation Studios
• Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse – Sony Pictures Animation

Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Music in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production

• Back to the Moon – Google Spotlight Stories, Google Doodles, Nexus Studios
• Disney Mickey Mouse – Disney Television Animation
• Elena of Avalor – Disney Television Animation
• Tangled: The Series – Walt Disney Television Animation
• The Tom and Jerry Show – Warner Bros. Animation

Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Music in an Animated Feature Production

• Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch – Illumination
• Early Man – Aardman Animations
• Incredibles 2 – Pixar Animation Studios
• Ralph Breaks The Internet – Walt Disney Animation Studios
• Smallfoot – Warner Bros. Pictures / Warner Animation Group

Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Production Design in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production

• Age of Sail – Google Spotlight Stories, Broad Reach Pictures
• Disney Mickey Mouse – Disney Television Animation
• Little Big Awesome – Amazon Studios
• Niko and the Sword of Light – Amazon Studios
• The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle – DreamWorks Animation Television

Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Production Design in an Animated Feature Production

• Early Man – Aardman Animations
• Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation – Sony Pictures Animation
• Isle of Dogs – Fox Searchlight Pictures, Indian Paintbrush, American Empirical Pictures
• Mary Poppins Returns – Walt Disney Studios
• Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse – Sony Pictures Animation

Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Storyboarding in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production

• Ben 10 – Cartoon Network Studios
• Big Hero 6: The Series – Walt Disney Television Animation
• Disney Mickey Mouse – Disney Television Animation
• Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Nickelodeon Animation Studio
• Star vs. The Forces of Evil – Walt Disney Television Animation

Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production

• Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch – Illumination
• Incredibles 2 – Pixar Animation Studios
• Incredibles 2 – Pixar Animation Studios
• Mary Poppins Returns – Walt Disney Studios
• Ralph Breaks The Internet – Walt Disney Animation Studios

Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Voice Acting in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production

• BoJack Horseman – Tornante Productions, LLC for Netflix
• F is for Family – Wild West Television in association with Gaumont Television for Netflix
• Pete the Cat – Amazon Studios, Alcon Television Group, LLC
• Skylanders Academy – Activision Blizzard Studios
• Unikitty – Warner Bros. Animation

Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production

• Early Man – Aardman Animations
• Incredibles 2 – Pixar Animation Studios
• Isle of Dogs – Fox Searchlight Pictures / Indian Paintbrush / American Empirical Pictures
• Next Gen – Baozou with Alibaba Pictures Inc. in association with Tangent Animation for Netflix
• Ralph Breaks The Internet – Walt Disney Animation Studios

Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Writing in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production

• Big Mouth – Netflix
• Craig of the Creek – Cartoon Network Studios
• Hilda – Hilda Productions Limited, a Silvergate Media Company, Netflix Inc. and Mercury Filmworks
• Star vs. The Forces of Evil – Walt Disney Television Animation
• We Bare Bears – Cartoon Network Animation Studios

Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Writing in an Animated Feature Production

• Incredibles 2 – Pixar Animation Studios
• Mirai – Studio Chizu
• Ralph Breaks The Internet – Walt Disney Animation Studios
• Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse – Sony Pictures Animation
• Teen Titans Go! to the Movies – Warner Bros. Animation

Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Editorial in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production

• Big Hero 6: The Series – Walt Disney Television Animation
• Puppy Dog Pals – Wild Canary Animation / Disney Junior
• SpongeBob SquarePants – Nickelodeon Animation Studio
• Tales of Arcadia: 3Below – DreamWorks Animation Television
• The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants – DreamWorks Animation Television

Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Editorial in an Animated Feature Production

• Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch – Illumination
• Incredibles 2 – Pixar Animation Studios
• Ralph Breaks The Internet – Walt Disney Animation Studios
• Ruben Brandt, Collector – Hungarian National Film Fund
• Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse – Sony Pictures Animation

ASIFA-Hollywood is the world’s first and foremost professional organization dedicated to promoting the Art of Animation and celebrating the people who create it. Today, ASIFA-Hollywood, the largest chapter of the international organization ASIFA, supports a range of animation activities and preservation efforts through its membership. Current initiatives include the Animation Archive, Animation Aid Foundation, animated film preservation, special events, classes and screenings.

Created in 1972 by veteran voice talent June Foray, the Annie Awards have grown in scope and stature for the past four decades. For tickets, visit annieawards.org/tickets.

Source: ASIFA-Hollywood

Formerly Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network, Jennifer Wolfe has worked in the Media & Entertainment industry as a writer and PR professional since 2003.