Computer generated content has definitely made its mark in the main stream industry of movies and features. Maybe, it is even one step ahead, as CG imagery allows one to go beyond the limits of the physical realm and create fantastic results out of it.
The 44th Annual Annie awards are all set to honour these incredible achievements by studios and people. Known to be one the most prestigious awards among all things revolving around animation, the 44th instalment of the award will recognise the best of the animation industry, this year, through various categories. ASIFA-Hollywood has announced the name of nominees for this year and just as the previous year; the awards will be extended through 36 categories.
The most celebrated category would probably be “Best Animated Feature” which has a starry list of Finding Dory (Pixar Animation Studios), Kubo and the Two Strings (LAIKA), Kung Fu Panda 3 (DreamWorks Animation), Moana (Walt Disney Animation Studios), Zootopia (Walt Disney Animation Studios) as nominees.
Apart from this category, various artists who worked on the aforementioned features have been nominated under the “Outstanding Achievement, Animated Effects in an Animated Production” and “Outstanding Achievement, Character Animation in a Feature Production” as well.
The new category which was initiated last year titled “Best Animated Feature-Independent” has features like Your Name, The Red Turtle, Miss Hokusai in the nomination list.
The award ceremony will be held on Saturday, 4 February, 2017, at UCLA’s Royce Hall in Los Angeles, California.
Here’s the list of nominees for this year’s Annie Awards:
Best Animated Feature
Finding Dory – Pixar Animation Studios
Kubo and the Two Strings – LAIKA
Kung Fu Panda 3 – DreamWorks Animation
Moana – Walt Disney Animation Studios
Zootopia – Walt Disney Animation Studios
Best Animated Feature – Independent
Long Way North – Produced by Sacrebleu Productions, Maybe Movies, Norlum Studios, France 3 Cinéma and 2 Minutes
Miss Hokusai – Production I.G
My Life As A Zucchini – Rita Productions, Blue Spirit Productions, Gebeka Films, KNM
The Red Turtle – Studio Ghibli – Wild Bunch – Why Not Productions
Your Name. – CoMix Wave Films
Best Animated Special Production
Audrie & Daisy – A production of AfterImage Public Media in association with Actual Films for Netflix
Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Scroll – DreamWorks Animation
Little Big Awesome – Titmouse, Inc. / Amazon Studios
Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life – CBS Films/J.P. Entertainment/Participant Media
Pear Cider and Cigarettes – Massive Swerve Studios and Passion Pictures Animation
Best Animated Short Subject
Blind Vaysha – National Film Board of Canada
Deer Flower – Studio ZAZAC
Path Title Sequence – Acme Filmworks
Pearl – Google Spotlight Stories/Evil Eye Pictures
Piper – Pixar Animation Studios
Best Animated Television/Broadcast Commercial
Duelyst – Powerhouse Animation Studios, Inc.
LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens Trailer – Plastic Wax
Lily & the Snowman – Hornet
Loteria ‘Night Shift’ – Passion Pictures Ltd
The Importance of Paying Attention: Teeth – Bill Plympton Studio & J.J.Sedelmaier Productions, Inc.
Best Animated Television/Broadcast Production For Preschool Children
Ask the StoryBots – Episode: Why Do I Have to Brush My Teeth? – JibJab Bros. Studios for Netflix
Peg + Cat – Episode: The Disappearing Art – Problem – The Fred Rogers Company/ 9ate7 Productions
Puffin Rock – The First Snow – Episode: 59 – Cartoon Saloon, Dog Ears, Penguin Random House
The Stinky & Dirty Show – Episode: Squeak – Amazon Studios and Brown Bag Films
Tumble Leaf – Episode: Mighty Mud Movers / Having a Ball – Amazon Studios and Bix Pix Entertainment
Best Animated Television/Broadcast Production For Children
Adventure TIme – Episode: Bad Jubies – Bix Pix Entertainment Cartoon Network Frederator Studios
DreamWorks Voltron Legendary Defender – Episode: Return of the Gladiator – DreamWorks Animation Television
Elena of Avalor – Episode: A Day to Remember – Disney Television Animation
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Episode: Trans-Dimensional Turtles – Nickelodeon
Wander Over Yonder – Episode: My Fair Hatey – Disney Television Animation
Best General Audience Animated Television/Broadcast Production
Bob’s Burgers – Episode: Glued, Where’s My Bob? – Bento Box Entertainment
BoJack Horseman – Episode: Fish Out Of Water – Tornante Productions, LLC for Netflix
Long Live the Royals – Episode: Punk Show – Cartoon Network Studios
The Simpsons – Barthood – Episode: Barthood- Gracie Films in Association with 20th Century Fox Television
The Venture Bros – Episode: Hostile Makeover – Titmouse, Inc.
Best Student Film
Citipati – Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg
FISHWITCH – Adrienne Dowling
The Abyss – Liying Huang
The Wrong End of the Stick – Terri Matthews
Twiddly Things – Adara Todd
Juried Awards
Winsor McCay Award – for their career contributions to the art of animation
Dale Baer
Caroline Leaf
Mamoru Oshii
Ub Iwerks Award – for technical advancement in the art of animation
Google Spotlight’s Virtual Reality Platform
Special Achievement Award
Life, Animated
June Foray Award – for their significant and benevolent or charitable impact on the art and industry of animation
Bill & Sue Kroyer
Certificate of Merit
Leslie Ezeh
Gary Perkovac
