ASIFA-Hollywood announced nominations today for its 51st Annie Awards recognizing the year’s best in the field of animation.
The 51st Annie Awards will return to UCLA’s Royce Hall on Saturday, February 17, 2024. Pre-reception and Red Carpet will begin at 4:30 p.m., followed by the ceremony at 7 p.m., and after party immediately following the ceremony.
This year’s Best Animated Feature nominations include: Nimona – Annapurna Animation for 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; and The Boy and the Heron – Studio Ghibli / Distributed by GKIDS.
Best Animated Feature-Independent, spotlighting feature 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; 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 unparalleled 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.
Final voting will begin on February 5 at 8 AM PT and run through February 12 at 11:59 PM PT.
Best Feature
- Nimona (Annapurna Animation for 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?”
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, Jim Lewis, Rich Spence, Martin Lipmann - 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 Edwards - 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, Titmouse
Todd Raleigh
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
The 51st Annie Awards will take place on February 17, 2024.
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