It's a very tight race for this year's Annie Awards

by Nathaniel R

Oops. So much was happening this week we completely neglected the Annie nominations. The ceremony will be held on January 25th. There's no clear frontrunner this year with Missing Link and Frozen 2 tied for the most nominations. Their nearest competitors are not far behind. In other words Klaus, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World , I Lost My Body, and Toy Story 4 were also clearly well liked enough to win big. That's 6 features and when it comes time for the Oscar nominations there can be only 5. We can't discount the possibility that another non-American film besides I Lost My Body might prove a darkhouse spoiler with the Academy's animation branch which has proven open to international films (for nominations if not wins) and isn't always keen on blockbuster sequels.  We should also keep a close eye on Japan's International Feature Oscar submission Weathering With You which got some love here at the Annies, too.

The complete list of nominations and a few comments after the jump...

Best Feature

• Frozen 2 (Disney)
• How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (DreamWorks)
• Klaus (Netflix / Spa Studios / Atresmedia Cine)
• Missing Link (LAIKA)
• Toy Story 4 (Pixar)

These are looking like your frontrunners for the correlative nominations with Oscar BUT we suspect I Lost My Body will knock one of them out. 

Best Indie Feature

• Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles (Sygnatia, Glow, Submarine, Hampa Animation Studio)
• I Lost My Body (Xilam for Netflix)
• Okko’s Inn (Madhouse)
• Promare (TRIGGER, XFLAG)
• Weathering With You *Toho Co., LTD. / STORY Inc. / CoMix Wave Films)

This category really ought to be renamed "Best International Feature" since that's what it essentially is used for. Here we have France (I Lost My Body) and Spain (Buñuel)  battling it out with three films from Japan. 

Best Special Production

• Guava Island “Titles and Prologue”
• How to Train Your Dragon Homecoming 
• Infinity Train “The Perennial Child” 
• SpongeBob SquarePants “SpongeBob’s Big Birthday Blowout”
• Zog

Best Short Subject

• Acid Rain
• DONT KNOW WHAT
• Je sors acheter des cigarettes
• Purpleboy
• Uncle Thomas: Accounting for the Days

Best VR

• Bonfire (Baobab Studios)
• GLOOMY EYES (ATLAS V)
• Kaiju Confidential (ShadowMachine)

Best Commercial

FenderThe Mystical Journey of Jimmy Page’s ’59 Telecaster - Nexus Studios for Fender from Bishoy Gendi on Vimeo.

• Dove Self-Esteem Project x Steven Universe: “Social Media”
• Fortnite Season 7 Launch Spot
• The Mystical Journey of Jimmy Page’s ‘59 Telecaster

Best TV/Media – Preschool

• Ask the Storybots Episode: Why Do We Have To Recycle?
• Elena of Avalor Episode: Changing of the Guard 
• Let’s Go Luna! Episode: Dorsay Day/Honey in Paris 
• Norman Picklestripes Episode: “Pizza Pickle/The Forest Next Door”
• Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum Episode: I am Amelia Earhart

Best TV/Media – Children

• Disney Mickey Mouse Episode: Carried Away
• Niko and the Sword of Light Episode: 206: The Caterpillar Train
• Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Episode: “Evil League of Mutants” 
• Tales of Arcadia: 3Below Episode: A Glorious End Part 1
• The Tom and Jerry Show Episode: Calamari Jerry 

Best TV/Media – General Audience

Big Mouth "Disclosure The Movie: The Musical!"

• Big Mouth Episode: Disclosure The Movie: The Musical! 
• BoJack Horseman Episode: The Client
• Harley Quinn Episode: So You Need a Crew
• Tuca & Bertie Episode: The Jelly Lakes
• Undone Episode: 2. The Hospital

Best Student Film

• Con Fuerza -Nichole Tate
• Gravedad -Anke Kletsch
• The Fox & The Pigeon -Michelle Chua
• Un diable dans la poche -Luce Grosjean

Best FX for TV/Media

Love Death + Robots "The Secret War"

• How to Train Your Dragon Homecoming Episode: How to Train Your Dragon Homecoming 
• Love, Death & Robots Episode: The Secret War
• My Moon Episode: My Moon 
• Star Wars Galaxy of Adventures Episode: Episode 115: “Stormtroopers vs. Rebels – Soldiers of the Galactic Empire”
• Tales of Arcadia: 3Below Episode: A Glorious End Part 1 

Best FX for Feature

Abominable

• Abominable
• Frozen 2
• Missing Link
• Toy Story 4
• Weathering With You

Very strong choices. The FX work in all of these films was something else.

Best Character Animation – TV/Media

"Iroek" from His Dark Materials

• Ask the Storybots Episode: Where Do Planets Come From? - Chris O’Hara (for multiple Characters)
• Disney Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure Episode: Rapunzel and The Great Tree
  - Juliane Martin (for multiple characters) 
• His Dark Materials Episode: 8 -Aulo Licinio (for Iroek)
• How to Train Your Dragon Homecoming Episode: How to Train Your Dragon Homecoming -Andrew Muir (for all characters)
• Robot Chicken Episode: Ginger Hill in: Bursting Pipes - Scott DaRos (for all characters)

Best Character Animation – Animated Feature

• Frozen 2 -Andrew Ford (for Elsa, Anna, Olaf, Kristoff, and Sven)
• How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World - Dane Stogner (Toothless, Light Fury, Hiccup, and Deathgrippers)
• How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World - Rani Naamani (for Grimmel, Ruffnutt, Toothless, Light Fury, Hiccup, Baby Furies)
• Klaus - Sergio Martins (for Alva) 
• Missing Link -Rachelle Lambden (for multiple characters) 

Best Character Animation - Live Action

• Alita: Battle Angel - Michael Cozens, Weta Digital
• Avengers: Endgame - Sidney Kombo-Kintombo, Weta Digital
• Game of Thrones – Season 8 Episode 3 “The Long Night” – Jason Snyman, Sheik Ghafoor, Maia Neubig, Michael Siegel, and Cheri Fojtik, Image Engine
• Pokémon Detective Pikachu - Dale Newton, Waiyin Mendoza, Rochelle Flynn, Lelia Gaed, Paul Jones, Framestore 
• Spider-Man: Far From Home - Steven Argula, Joakim Riedinger

They never list which characters for live-action movies which is odd. Nice to see Alita Battle Angel honored though because that was a real craft achievement. 

Best Character Animation – Video Game

• Gears 5  -  Brian Whitmire (for characters: JD, Del, Marcus, Fahz, Reyna, and Kait)
• KINGDOM HEARTS III  Munenori Shinagawa, Kayoo Yajima, Koji Hamada, and Koji Inoue (for multiple characters)
• Sinclair Snake: Museum Mischief - Tommy Rodricks (for Sgt Salamander and Sinclair Snak), Natan Moura (for Sinclair Snake), Nelson Boles for (for various)
• Unruly Heroes - Sebastien Parodi (for Heroes Kid version, Underworld NPC and Nicolas Leger (for Wukong, Kihong, Sandmonk, Sanzang and all enemies except Underworld levels)

Best Character Design – TV/Media

• Carmen Sandiego Episode: The Chasing Paper Caper 
• DC Super Hero Girls Episode: #SweetJustice Pt. 1-4
• T.O.T.S. Episode: 101AB: “You’ve Gotta Be Kitten Me”/”Whale, Hello There!” 
• The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle Episode: Amazamoose and Squirrel Wonder: Chapter Five
• Victor and Valentino Episode: Know It All Cartoon Network Studios

Best Character Design – Feature

• Abominable -Character Designer: Nico Marlet Character: ALL
• Frozen 2 -Character Designer: Bill Schwab Character: Earth Giants, Mattias, King Runeard, Young Agnarr, Young Iduna, Gale, Ryder, Honeymaren, Soldier
• Klaus -Character Designer: Torsten Schrank Character: All Characters
• Spies in Disguise -Character Designer: José Manuel Fernández Oli Character: Killian, Katsu Kimura, Lance Pigeon,
• The Addams Family -Character Designer: Craig Kellman Character: Multiple characters

Best Direction – TV/Media

• Ask the Storybots Episode: How Do You Make Music? -Jeff Gill
• DC Super Hero Girls Episode: #DCSuperHeroBoys -Natalie Wetzig
• Disney Mickey Mouse Episode: For Whom the Booth Tolls --Alonso Ramirez Ramos
• Rilakkuma & Kaoru Episode: Snowman Dwarf -Masahito Kobayashi
• Ultraman Episode: Episode 1 -Kenji Kamiyama and Shinji Aramaki

Best Direction – Feature

• Frozen 2 - Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck
• I Lost My Body - Jérémy Clapin
• Klaus - Sergio Pablos
• Missing Link -Chris Butler
• Weathering With You - Makoto Shinkai

Best Music – TV/Media

• Carmen Sandiego Episode: The Chasing Paper Caper - Jared Lee Gosselin, Steve D’Angelo and Lorenzo Castelli
• Love, Death & Robots Episode: Sonnie’s Edge Blur - Rob Cairns
• Seis Manos Episode: The Empty Place - Carl Thiel 
• She-Ra and the Princesses of Power Episode: Beast Island - Sunna Wehrmeijer
• The Tom and Jerry Show Episode: Eagle Eye Jerry - Vivek Maddala

Best Music – Feature

• AWAY - Gints Zilbalodis
• Frozen 2 -  Christophe Beck, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, and Robert Lopez
• I Lost My Body - Dan Levy
• Spies in Disguise - Mark Ronson, and Theodore Shapiro
• Toy Story 4 - Randy Newman

Best Production Design – TV/Media

• Carmen Sandiego Episode: Becoming Carmen Sandiego: Part 1 
• Disney Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure Episode: Rapunzel and The Great Tree 
• Love, Death & Robots Episode: The Witness Blur for Netflix
• Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart Episode: EPISODE 106 “Ultraclops”
• The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle Episode: The Legend of the Power Gems: Chapter One

Best Production Design – Feature

• Abominable
• How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
• Klaus
• Missing Link
• The Addams Family

Best Storyboarding – TV/Media

• Carmen Sandiego Episode: Becoming Carmen Sandiego: Part 1 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing and DHX Media for Netflix - Kenny Park
• Carole & Tuesday Episode: True Colors -  Shinichiro Watanabe
• Love, Death & Robots Episode: Sucker of Souls Blur -Owen Sullivan
• Snoopy in Space Episode: Mission 6: Space Sleepwalking -Riccardo Durante
• Zog Episode: N/A -Max Lang

Best Storyboarding – Feature

• I Lost My Body -Julien Bisaro
• I Lost My Body - Jérémy Clapin
• Klaus -Sergio Pablos
• Missing Link - Julián Nariño
• Missing Link -Oliver Thomas

Best Voice Acting – TV/Media

• Big City Greens Episode: Green Christmas - Marieve Herington (as Tilly)
• Bob’s Burgers Episode: Roamin’ Bob-iday - H. Jon Benjamin (as Bob)
• Steven Universe Episode: Steven Universe: The Movie - Sarah Stiles (as Spinel)
• Tigtone Episode: Episode 108 “Tigtone and the Cemetery of the Dead” - Debi Derryberry (as Helpy)
• Tuca & Bertie Episode: The Jelly Lakes - Ali Wong (as Bertie)

Thrilled to see H Jon Benjamin here. It's reprehensible that he's only been nominated for one Emmy and one previous Annie in the Voice-Over category when he's been doing genius work on Archer and Bob's Burgers since 2009 and 2011 respectively.

Best Voice Acting – Feature

Jenny Slate recording "Gidget" in Secret Life of Pets 2

• Abominable - Tenzing Norgay Trainor (as Jin)
• Frozen 2 - Josh Gad (as Olaf)
• Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus - Richard Horvitz (as InvaderZim)
• The Secret Life of Pets 2 -Jenny Slate (as Gidget)
• Toy Story 4 - Tony Hale (as Forky)

Fun choices.

Best Writing – TV/Media

• Apple & Onion Episode: Apple’s Short
• BoJack Horseman Episode: Feel-Good Story
• Pinky Malinky Episode: Secret
• Tuca & Bertie Episode: The Jelly Lakes
• Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum Episode: I am Helen Keller

Best Writing – Feature

Weathering with You

• Frozen 2 - Jennifer Lee
• How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World - Dean DeBlois
• I Lost My Body -Jérémy Clapin and Guillaume Laurant
• Toy Story 4 - Andrew Stanton and Stephany Folsom
• Weathering With You - Makoto Shinkai

Best Editorial – TV/Media

• Big Hero 6: The Series Episode: Prey Date
• DC Super Hero Girls Episode: #AdventuresInBunnysitting
• Disney Mickey Mouse Episode: Carried Away
• Green Eggs and Ham Episode: Mouse
• Love, Death & Robots Episode: Alternate Histories 

Best Editorial – Feature

• How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
• Klaus
• Missing Link
• The Secret Life of Pets 2
• Toy Story 4

Comments

[James]

In keeping with his Oscar record, Hanks is snubbed here. to Tony Hale as Forky picks up a nod for voice acting for Toy Story 4. Hanks was nominated only once for an Annie. Back in in 1996 for the original Toy Story, Hanks lost the prize for voice acting to Rob Paulsen as Pinky in Pinky and the Brain.

[NATHANIEL R]

well i'm okay with sticking to new characters here. Hanks has been doing Woody for a long time and i like the nominations this year.

but it *is* strange that Hanks is never up for awards anymore

[ajnrules]

Josh Gad getting the Best Voice Acting (Feature) nomination for Frozen II seems like a cop-out. He was far from the best in the film.

[Volvagia]

Annie are you okay, are you okay Annie? Not a banner year, and please let's omit I Lost My Body when the time comes.

[Jesus Alonso]

I´ve seen only

Toy Story 4 (A)
I lost my body (A)
The LEGO Movie 2 (A-)
Klaus (B) - by the way, it is a spanshi production in collaboration with Netflix

... and it is a pity that The LEGO Movie 2, is going to be ignored. It is a great, great continuation of the original, rather than a sequel.

[Martin]

Where is 'The Lion King' in all of this ? Strange as I actually think it's a beautifully crafted remake - I was absolutely surprised after all the bad or mediocre critics to get swept away by a wonderful film.

[Glenn Dunks]

Dragon and Toy Story seem safe and I guess Frozen 2 will probably get in, but I also think it's very vulnerable. Missing Link seems logical. And either Weathering With You or I Lost My Body in there (hopefully both with Frozen 2 missing).

I'd also love to see PROMARE in there. A visual stunner. Maybe the most purely eye-popping animation movie I've seen since AKIRA?