51st Annual Annie Award Nominations Announced

ASIFA-Hollywood has just released nominations for its 51st Annual Annie Awards recognizing the year’s best in the field of animation. This year, the ceremony is scheduled to be held live, in-person on Saturday, February 17, 2024 at UCLA’s Royce Hall.

Netflix’s Nimona (Annapurna Animation), Sony Pictures Animation’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Suzume (CoMix Wave Films Inc. and Story inc.), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies), and The Boy and the Heron (Studio Ghibli) lead the pack as nominees for Best Animated Feature

Best Animated Feature-Independent, spotlighting features with a much smaller distribution footprint than major studio releases, include Ernest & Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia (Folivari, Mélusine Productions, Studio Canal / Distributed by GKIDS); Four Souls of Coyote (Cinemon Entertainment); Robot Dreams (Arcadia Motion Pictures), The Inventor (Curiosity Studios); and White Plastic Sky (SALTO Films & Artichoke).

The Annie Awards cover 36 categories and include Best Animated Feature, Best Animated Feature-Independent, Special Productions, Sponsored Films, Short Subjects, Student Films and Outstanding Individual Achievements, as well as the honorary Juried Awards.

Juried Awards will be presented during the ceremony, honoring achievement and exceptional contributions to animation. The Winsor McCay Award in recognition of lifetime or career contributions are being presented to three recipients: Legendary animator and director Charlotte “Lotte” Reiniger (posthumous); prolific Studio Ghibli composer Joe Hisaishi and National Film Board animator and producer Marcy Page. The June Foray Award for significant and benevolent or charitable impact will be awarded to the BRIC Foundation, Alison Mann and Nicole Hendrix, co-founders.

The Ub Iwerks Award for technical advancement affecting the animation industry will be presented to John Oxberry (posthumous). The Special Achievement Award recognizing unique and outstanding achievement not recognized within the existing award category structure will be presented to The Artists of Walt Disney Animation.

This year’s sponsors and advertisers include: Platinum – DreamWorks Animation, Netflix, Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Animation Studios and Warner Bros. Animation; Gold – Disney TV Animation and Illumination Entertainment; Silver – Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation; Bronze – GKIDS and Industry – Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF).

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, animation open source support, 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 information regarding the Annie Awards, please visit https://annieawards.org/.

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

Best Feature

• Nimona - Annapurna Animation - Netflix
• Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - Sony Pictures Animation
• Suzume - CoMix Wave Films Inc. and STORY inc.
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem - Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies
• The Boy and the Heron - Studio Ghibli / Distributed by GKIDS

Best Feature-Independent

• Ernest & Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia - Folivari, Mélusine Productions, Studio Canal / Distributed by GKIDS
• Four Souls of Coyote - Cinemon Entertainment
• Robot Dreams - Arcadia Motion Pictures
• The Inventor - Curiosity Studios
• White Plastic Sky - SALTO Films & Artichoke

Best Special Production

• Invincible: Atom Eve - Amazon MGM Studios, Skybound Entertainment
• Shape Island: The Winter Blues - Bix Pix Entertainment in association with Apple
• Snoopy Presents: One-of-a-Kind Marcie - WildBrain Studios in association with Apple
• The Smeds and The Smoos - Magic Light Pictures
• The Velveteen Rabbit - Magic Light Pictures in association with Apple

Best Short Subject

• Carne de Dios - Ojo Raro & Fedora Productions
• Daffy in Wackyland - Warner Bros. Animation
• HUMO - Outik Animation, 3rd Street Video, Mindsoup Entertainment, IMCINE
• PINA - Punchline Cinema / Next Days Films
• WAR IS OVER! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko - ElectroLeague

Best Sponsored

• "Video Games" by Tenacious D - Pinreel Inc.
• Alzheimer’s Research UK Change the Ending - Passion Pictures
• Laugh Track - The National (featuring Phoebe Bridgers) - Bernard Derriman
• Up in smoke - Nomint

Best TV/Media - Preschool

• Batwheels Episode: “To the Batmobile!” - Warner Bros. Animation
• Ghee Happy Episode: “Navagraha” - Ghee Happy Studio
• Playdate with Winnie the Pooh Episode: “Piglet, Tigger and the Cardboard Box” - Oddbot Inc.
• StoryBots: Answer Time - Episode: “Fractions” - JibJab Bros. Studios for Netflix
• The Creature Cases Episode: “The Forest Food Bandit” - Silvergate Media/Team TO/Choice/Provisions/Netflix

Best TV/Media - Children

• CURSES! Episode: “The Baboon Temple” - DreamWorks Animation
• Hilda Episode: Chapter 8: The Fairy Isle - Hilda Productions Limited, a Silvergate Media Company, Netflix Inc. and Mercury Filmworks
• Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur Episode: “The Beyonder” - Flying Bark Productions / Disney Television Animation
• My Dad the Bounty Hunter Episode: “Bizarre Ride” - A Netflix Series
• Shape Island Episode: “105B Square's Special Place” - Bix Pix Entertainment in association with Apple

Best TV/Media - Mature

• Big Mouth Episode: “The International Show” – Netflix
• Blue Eye Samurai Episode: “Pilot: Hammerscale” - A Netflix Series / 3 Arts Entertainment and Blue Spirit Productions
• Bob's Burgers Episode: “Amelia” - 20th Television Animation
• Scavengers Reign Episode: “The Signal” - Max in association with Titmouse Animation and Green Street
• Tomato Kitchen­ – Special Production - Bilibili / Studio Reflection

Best TV/Media – Limited Series

• Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire Episode: “Enkai” - Triggerfish Animation Studio & Blinkink
• Only You: An Animated Shorts Collection Episode: “Yellowbird” - Afterman production in association with Max/Warner Bros. Discovery
• Pokémon: Path to the Peak Episode: 1 - The Pokémon Company International

Best Student Film

• From The Top - Student Director: Rich Farris, Student Producer: Martina Buendia Silva, School: National Film and Television School
• Kolaj - Student Director: Besen Dilek, Student Producer: Besen Dilek, School: Filamakademie Baden-Württemberg GmbH
• La quête de l'humain - Student Team: Mélina Ienco, Lucie Juric, Caroline Leibel, Faustine Merle, Claire Pellet, School: Gobelins, l'école de l'image
• Quem Salva - Student Team: Laure Devin, Maxime Bourstin, Nathan Medam, Charles Hechinger, Titouan Jaouen. School: Supinfocom Rubika
• The Little Poet - Student Director: Justine King, Student Producer: Justine King, School: California Institute of the Arts

Best FX - TV/Media

• Blue Eye Samurai Episode: “All Evil Dreams and Angry Words” - Production Company: A Netflix Series / 3 Arts Entertainment and Blue Spirit Productions, FX Production Company: Blue Spirit: Thomas Decaens, Karl Burtin, Laurent Bretonniere
• Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire Episode: “Moremi” - Production Company: Triggerfish for Disney+, FX Production Company: Lucan: Matthew Dunwoody, Dmitry Sarkisov, Podchasha Yuri Anatolyevich, Richard Bothma, Emile Van Straaten
• Star Wars: Visions Episode: “Sith” - Production Company: Lucasfilm Ltd.,FX Production Company: El Guiri Studios: Jonatan Catalán, Alberto Sánchez, Phoebe Arjona, Virginia Cantaro, Rubén Hinarejos
• The Bad Guys: A Very Bad Holiday Episode: “The Bad Guys: A Very Bad Holiday” - Production Company: DreamWorks Animation, FX Production Company: DreamWorks Animation and 88 Pictures: Sateesh Malla, Russell Richardson Jr., Akash Gopal, Basavaraj P, Kevin Rumold
• What If...? Episode 206, "What If...Kahhori Reshaped the World?" - Episode: 206, Production Company: Marvel Studios, FX Production Company: SDFX Studios: Ryan Barringer, Rajkumar Gurudu, Bipin Kumar Patra, Pranil Ravindra Mahajan

Best FX – Feature

• Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget - Production Company: Netflix Presents an Aardman Production, FX Production Company: Aardman Production: Charles Copping, Jon Biggins, Elemental - Production Company: Pixar Animation Studios; FX Production Company: Pixar Animation Studios: Chris Chapman, Tim Speltz, Krzysztof Rost, Amit Baadkar, Ravindra Dwivedi
• Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - Production Company: Sony Pictures Animation, FX Production Company: Sony Pictures Imageworks: Pav Grochola, Filippo Maccari, Naoki Kato, Nicola Finizio, Edmond Boulet-Gilly
• Suzume - Production Company: CoMix Wave Films Inc. and STORY inc., FX Production Company: CoMix Wave Films Inc. and STORY inc.: Yoshitaka Takeuchi, Hiroyuki Seshita
• The Peasants - Production Company: Breakthru Films, FX Production Company: Breakthru Productions: Lukasz Mackiewicz, Kamil Polak

Best Character Animation - TV/Media

• Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake Episode: “The Winter King” - Cartoon Network Studios: Alex Small-Butera
• Blue Eye Samurai Episode: Episodes 101, 104 and 106 - A Netflix Series / 3 Arts Entertainment and Blue Spirit Productions: Alex Bard
• Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire - Episode: “Moremi, Surf Sangoma, Stardust” - Triggerfish Animation for Disney+: Andre DeVilliers
• Star Wars: Visions Episode: “I Am Your Mother” - Lucasfilm Ltd.: Laurie Sitzia
• The Amazing Digital Circus: Pilot - Episode: 1 - Glitch Productions: Kevin Temmer

Best Character Animation - Feature

• Elemental - Pixar Animation Studios: Jessica Torres
• Nimona - Annapurna Animation for Netflix: Toby Seale
• Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken - DreamWorks Animation: Prashanth Cavale
• Suzume - CoMix Wave Films Inc. and STORY inc.: Kenichi Tsuchiya
• The Boy and the Heron - Studio Ghibli / Distributed by GKIDS: Takeshi Honda

Best Character Animation - Live Action

• Ahsoka - Production Company: Lucasfilm, FX Production Company: Industrial Light & Magic: Rick O’Connor, Mike Beaulieu, Stewart Alves, Kevin Reuter, Wai Kit Wan
• Cocaine Bear - Production Company: Wētā FX, FX Production Company: Wētā FX: Carmelo Leggiero, Steve Braggs, Kevin Kelm, Cedric Enriquez Canlas, Kane Elferink
• Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 - Production Company: Marvel Studios, FX Production Company: Framestore: Fernando Herrera, Chris Hurtt, Nathan McConnel, Daniel Cabral, Chris McGaw
• The Little Mermaid - Production Company: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, FX Production Company: Framestore: Pablo Grillo, Kayn Garcia, Ferran Casas, Stuart Ellis, Joseph Lewis
• Transformers: Rise of the Beasts - Production Company: Wētā FX, FX Production Company: Wētā FX: Kevin Estey, Kai-Hua Lan, Blaine Toderian Toderian, Richard John Moore, Joseph C.K Leong

Best Character Animation - Video Game

• Atomic Heart – Mundfish: Mundfish Animation Team
• Hogwarts Legacy - Avalanche Software: Tara Edward
• Let's! Revolution! – BUCK: BUCK Animation Team
• Marvel's Spider-Man 2 -Insomniac Games: Insomniac Games Animation Team
• Teslagrad 2 - Rain Games: Aslak Helgesen

Best Character Design - TV/Media

• Clone High Episode: “Let’s Try This Again” - Max in association with Lord Miller, Doozer, ShadowMachine, and MTV Entertainment: Tara Billinger
• Jessica's Big Little World Episode: “Bedtime Routine” - Cartoon Network Studios: Nick Winn
• Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire Episode: “You Give Me Heart” - Triggerfish for Disney+: Lesego Vorester
• Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur Episode: 515M-106 (“The Beyonder”) - Disney Television Animation / Cinema Gypsy Productions: Jose Lopez
• Spirit Rangers Episode: “Water Protectors” - Laughing Wild / Netflix: Marie Delmas

Best Character Design - Feature

• Elemental - Pixar Animation Studios: Maria Yi
• Merry Little Batman - Amazon MGM Studios, Warner Bros. Animation, DC Entertainment: Nikolas Ilic
• Nimona - Annapurna Animation for Netflix: Aidan Sugano
• Robot Dreams - Arcadia Motion Pictures: Daniel Fernandez Casas
• Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - Sony Pictures Animation: Jesús Alonso Iglesias

Best Direction - TV/Media

• Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire Episode: “Moremi” -Triggerfish Animation Studio & Lucan Studio: Shofela Coker, Andrew McNally
• My Dad the Bounty Hunter: Episode: “Bizarre Ride” - A Netflix Series: Kenji Ono, Kai Akira, Patrick Harpin
• Pokémon Concierge Episode: #2 “What’s on Your Mind, Psyduck?” -dwarf studios for Netflix: Iku Ogawa
• Scavengers Reign Episode: “The Fall” -Max in association with Titmouse Animation and Green Street: Diego Porral
• Star Wars: Visions Episode: “Screecher’s Reach” Lucasfilm Ltd.” Paul Young

Best Direction - Feature

• Nimona - Annapurna Animation for Netflix: Nick Bruno, Troy Quane
• Robot Dreams - Arcadia Motion Pictures: Pablo Berger, Benoît Feroumont
• Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - Sony Pictures Animation: Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem - Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies: Jeff Rowe, Kyler Spears
• The Boy and the Heron - Studio Ghibli / Distributed by GKIDS: Hayao Miyazaki

Best Music - TV/Media

• Animaniacs Episode: “Talladega Mice” - Warner Brothers Animation/Amblin Entertainment/HULU Originals: Steven Bernstein, Julie Bernstein
• Babylon 5: The Road Home Special Production - Warner Bros. Animation: Michael McCuistion, Kristopher Carter, Lolita Ritmanis
• Pacemaker Short Film - A Running Commentary: Christopher Lennertz
• Star Wars: Visions Episode: “Aau’s Song” - Lucasfilm Ltd.: Markus Wormstorm, Nadia Darries, Dineo du Toit
• The Smeds and The Smoos Short Film - Magic Light Pictures: René Aubry

Best Music - Feature

• Elemental - Pixar Animation Studios: Thomas Newman, Ari "LAUV" Leff
• Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - Sony Pictures Animation: Daniel Pemberton, Metro Boomin
• Suzume - CoMix Wave Films Inc. and Story inc.: Kazuma Jinnouchi, Radwimps
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem - Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies: Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross
• The Boy and the Heron - Studio Ghibli / Distributed by GKIDS: Joe Hisaishi

Best Production Design - TV/Media

• Blue Eye Samurai Episode: “Hammerscale” - Netflix Animation: Jason Scheier
• Blue Eye Samurai Episode: “The Great Fire of 1657” - A Netflix Series / 3 Arts Entertainment and Blue Spirit Productions: Toby Wilson, James Wilson, Emil Mitev
• Scavengers Reign Episode: “The Storm” - Max in association with Titmouse Animation and Green Street: Charles Huettner, Jonathan Djob Nkondo, Pauline Mauvière, Hugo Moreno, Jon Juarez
• Star Wars: Visions Episode: “Sith” - Lucasfilm Ltd.: Carlos Salgado
• What If...? Episode: “What if... Nebula Joined the Nova Corps?” - Marvel Studios: Paul Lasaine, Kristina Vardazaryan, Cynthia Halley, Ryan Magno, Simon Dunsdon

Best Production Design - Feature

• Elemental - Pixar Animation Studios: Don Shank, Maria Yi, Dan Holland, Jennifer Chang, Laura Meyer
• Nimona - Annapurna Animation for Netflix: Aidan Sugano, Jeff Turley
• Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - Sony Pictures Animation: Patrick O'Keefe, Dean Gordon
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem - Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies: Yashar Kassai, Arthur, Tiffany Lam
• The Boy and the Heron - Studio Ghibli / Distributed by GKIDS: Yoji Takeshige

Best Storyboarding - TV/Media

• Craig Before the Creek Episode: “Craig Before the Creek” - Cartoon Network Studios: Erik Fountain
• Fright Krewe Episode: “The Blood Awakening, Part 1” – DreamWorks Animation: Leah Artwick
• Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai Episode: “Never Give Up” - Warner Bros. Animation and Amblin Television: Kristine Lee
• Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight Episode: “Apok-ta-pokalypse Now”, Part II - DreamWorks Animation: Grace Liu
• Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur Episode: 515M-107 "Run the Rink" - Disney Television Animation / Cinema Gypsy Productions: Ben Juwono

Best Storyboarding - Feature

• Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget - Netflix Presents an Aardman Production: Richard Phelan
• Nimona - Annapurna Animation for Netflix: Esteban Bravo
• Robot Dreams - Arcadia Motion Pictures: Maca Gil
• Suzume - CoMix Wave Films Inc. and Story inc.: Makoto Shinkai
• The Boy and the Heron - Studio Ghibli / Distributed by GKIDS: Hayao Miyazaki

Best Voice Acting - TV/Media

• Archer Episode: “Keys Open Doors” - FX Productions: Aisha Tyler (Character: Lana Kane)
• Craig Before the Creek Episode: “Craig Before the Creek” - Cartoon Network Studios: Vico Ortiz (Character: Serena)
• Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur Episode: “Moon Girl Landing” - Flying Bark Productions / Disney Television Animation: Diamond White (Character: Lunella Lafayette / Moon Girl)
• Solar Opposites Episode: “The Re-Visibility Bouillabaisse” - 20th Television Animation: Dan Stevens (Character: Korvo)
• The Velveteen Rabbit Episode: “The Velveteen Rabbit” - Magic Light Pictures in association with Apple: Alex Lawther (Character: Velveteen Rabbit)

Best Voice Acting - Feature

• Merry Little Batman - Amazon MGM Studios, Warner Bros. Animation, DC Entertainment: David Hornsby (Character: Joker)
• Migration – Illumination: Tresi Gazal (Character: Gwen)
• Nimona - Annapurna Animation for Netflix: Chloë Grace Moretz (Character: Nimona)
• Suzume - CoMix Wave Films Inc. and Story inc.: Hokuto Matsumura (Character: Souta Munakata)
• The Super Mario Bros. Movie – Illumination: Jack Black (Character: Bowser)

Best Writing - TV/Media

• Blue Eye Samurai Episode: Episode 105: “The Tale of the Ronin and the Bride” - A Netflix Series / 3 Arts Entertainment and Blue Spirit Productions: Amber Noizumi
• Only You: An Animated Shorts Collection Episode: “Yellowbird” - Afterman production in association with Max/Warner Bros. Discovery: Tsvetelina Zdraveva, Jerred North
• Rock, Paper, Scissors Episode: “Birthday Police” - Nickelodeon Animation Studios: Josh Lehrman, Kyle Stegina, Aram Spencer Porter, Julia Prescott, Mike Trapp
• Rosie's Rules Episode: “Time Trouble” - 9 Story Media Group, Brown Bag Films: Leyani Diaz, Maria Escobedo
• Scavengers Reign Episode: The Reunion - Max in association with Titmouse Animation and Green Street: Sean Buckelew

Best Writing - Feature

• Nimona - Annapurna Animation for Netflix: Robert L. Baird, Lloyd Taylor
• Robot Dreams - Arcadia Motion Pictures: Pablo Berger
• Suzume - CoMix Wave Films Inc. and Story inc.: Makoto Shinkai
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem - Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies: Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Jeff Rowe, Dan Hernandez, Benji Samit
• The Boy and the Heron - Studio Ghibli / Distributed by GKIDS: Hayao Miyazaki

Best Editorial - TV/Media

• Blue Eye Samurai Episode: Episode 105: “The Tale of the Ronin and the Bride” - A Netflix Series / 3 Arts Entertainment and Blue Spirit Productions: Yuka Shirasuna
• Hilda Episode: Chapter 6: “The Forgotten Lake” - Hilda Productions Limited, a Silvergate Media Company, Netflix Inc., and Mercury Filmworks: John Mckinnon, Mike Stefanelli
• I Am Groot Episode: “Groot's Snow Day” - Marvel Studios: Dan Urrutia
• Star Wars: Visions Episode: “Screecher’s Reach” - Lucasfilm Ltd.: Richie Cody, ACE, BFE
• The Legend of Vox Machina Episode: “The Sunken Tomb” - Amazon MGM Studios, Critical Role Productions: Todd Raleigh and Joelle Kristy

Best Editorial - Feature

• Elemental - Pixar Animation Studios: Stephen Schaffer, Amera Rizk, Gregory Snyder, Jen Jew, Kevin Rose-Williams
• Leo - Happy Madison for Netflix: Patrick Voetberg, Joseph Titone, Darrian M. James, Danny Miller, Brian Robinson
• Nimona - Annapurna Animation for Netflix: Randy Trager, Erin Crackel, Stephen Schwartz, Ashley Calle
• Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - Sony Pictures Animation: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Editorial Team
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem - Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies: Greg Levitan, Illya Quinteros, David Croomes, Myra Owyang

Source: ASIFA-Hollywood

Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.