51st Annie Awards: ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ leads with seven wins

Sony Pictures Animation’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse won the best feature honour at the 51st Annie Awards celebrated at UCLA, California. The feature film won awards in six other categories.

The Annie Awards honour overall excellence as well as individual achievement in 32 categories from best feature, best feature – independent, production design, character animation, and effects animation to storyboarding, writing, music, editing and voice acting.

Netflix’s series Blue Eye Samurai won six Annies, with feature films like Nimona and The Boy and the Heron also grabbing trophies.

Juried Awards were presented during the ceremony, honouring unparalleled achievement and exceptional contributions to animation. The Winsor McCay Award in recognition of lifetime or career contributions were presented to three recipients: 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 was awarded to the BRIC Foundation, Alison Mann and Nicole Hendrix, co-founders.

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

Below is the full list of winners:

Best Feature

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

Best Feature-Independent

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

Best Special Production

• Snoopy Presents: One-of-a-Kind Marcie – WildBrain Studios in association with Apple (winner)
• Invincible: Atom Eve – Amazon MGM Studios, Skybound Entertainment
• Shape Island: The Winter Blues – Bix Pix Entertainment 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

• War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko – ElectroLeague (winner)
• 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

Best Sponsored

• “Video Games” by Tenacious D – Pinreel (winner)
• 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

• Ghee Happy [Episode: Navagraha] – Ghee Happy Studio (winner)
• Batwheels [Episode: To the Batmobile!] – Warner Bros. Animation
• Playdate with Winnie the Pooh [Episode: Piglet, Tigger and the Cardboard Box] – Oddbot
• StoryBots: Answer Time [Episode: Fractions] – JibJab Bros. Studios for Netflix
• The Creature Cases [Episode: The Forest Food Bandit] – Silvergate Media / TeamTO / Netflix

Best TV/Media – Children

• Hilda [Episode: Chapter 8: The Fairy Isle] – Hilda Productions Limited, a Silvergate Media Company, Netflix and Mercury Filmworks (winner)
• Curses! [Episode: The Baboon Temple] – DreamWorks Animation in association with Apple
• Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur [Episode: The Beyonder] – Disney Television Animation / Cinema Gypsy Productions
• 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

• Blue Eye Samurai [Episode: Pilot: Hammerscale] – A Netflix Series / 3 Arts Entertainment and Blue Spirit Productions (winner)
• Big Mouth [Episode: The International Show] – Netflix
• Bob’s Burgers [Episode: Amelia] – 20th Television Animation
• Capsules [Episode: Tomato Kitchen] – Bilibili / Studio Reflection
• Scavengers Reign [Episode: The Signal] – Max in association with Titmouse Animation and Green Street

Best TV/Media – Limited Series

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

Best Student Film

• The Little Poet – Student Director: Justine King, Student Producer: Justine King, School: California Institute of the Arts (winner)
• 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

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 (winner)
• Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire [Episode: Moremi] – Production Company: Triggerfish Animation 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; 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

• 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 (winner)
• 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
• Suzume – Production Company: CoMix Wave Films Inc. and STORY inc. / distributed by Crunchyroll, Sony Pictures and TOHO ; FX Production Company: CoMix Wave Films, and Story; Yoshitaka Takeuchi, Hiroyuki Seshita, Ryosuke Tsuda
• The Peasants – Production Company: Breakthru Films; FX Production Company: Breakthru Productions; Lukasz Mackiewicz, Kamil Polak

Best Character Animation – TV/Media

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

Best Character Animation – Feature

• The Boy and the Heron – Studio Ghibli / Distributed by GKIDS, Takeshi Honda (winner)
• 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, and Story / distributed by Crunchyroll, Sony Pictures and Toho; Kenichi Tsuchiya

Best Character Animation – Live Action

• Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – Production Company: Marvel Studios; FX Production Company: Framestore; Fernando Herrera, Chris Hurtt, Nathan McConnel, Daniel Cabral, Chris McGaw (winner)
• 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
• 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, Richard John Moore, Joseph Leong

Best Character Animation – Video Game

• Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 – Insomniac Games; Insomniac Games Animation Team (winner)
• Atomic Heart – Mundfish; Mundfish Animation Team
• Hogwarts Legacy – Avalanche Software; The Hogwarts Legacy Animation Team
• Let’s! Revolution! – Buck; Buck Animation Team
• Teslagrad 2 – Rain Games; Aslak Helgesen

Best Character Design – TV/Media

• Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur [Episode: 515M-106 (The Beyonder)] – Disney Television Animation / Cinema Gypsy Productions; Jose Lopez (winner)
• 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 Animation for Disney+; Lesego Vorster
• Spirit Rangers [Episode: Water Protectors] – Laughing Wild / Netflix; Marie Delmas

Best Character Design – Feature

• Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – Sony Pictures Animation; Jesús Alonso Iglesias (winner)
• 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

Best Direction – TV/Media

• Star Wars: Visions [Episode: Screecher’s Reach] – Lucasfilm; Paul Young (winner)
• 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

Best Direction – Feature

• Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – Sony Pictures Animation: Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson (winner)
• Nimona – Annapurna Animation for Netflix: Nick Bruno, Troy Quane
• Robot Dreams – Arcadia Motion Pictures: Pablo Berger, Benoît Feroumont
• 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

• Star Wars: Visions [Episode: “Aau’s Song”] – Lucasfilm Ltd.: Markus Wormstorm, Nadia Darries, Dineo du Toit (winner)
• 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
• The Smeds and The Smoos [Short Film] – Magic Light Pictures: René Aubry

Best Music – Feature

• Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – Sony Pictures Animation: Daniel Pemberton, Metro Boomin (winner)
• Elemental – Pixar Animation Studios: Thomas Newman, Ari “LAUV” Leff
• Suzume – CoMix Wave Films, and Story: 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: “The Great Fire of 1657”] – A Netflix Series / 3 Arts Entertainment and Blue Spirit Productions: Toby Wilson, James Wilson, Emil Mitev (winner)
• 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: 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

• Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – Sony Pictures Animation: Patrick O’Keefe, Dean Gordon (winner)
• Elemental – Pixar Animation Studios: Don Shank, Maria Yi, Dan Holland, Jennifer Chang, Laura Meyer
• Nimona – Annapurna Animation for Netflix: Aidan Sugano, Jeff Turley
• 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

• Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur [Episode: 515M-107 “Run the Rink”] – Disney Television Animation / Cinema Gypsy Productions: Ben Juwono (winner)
• 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

Best Storyboarding – Feature

• The Boy and the Heron – Studio Ghibli / Distributed by GKIDS: Hayao Miyazaki (winner)
• 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

Best Voice Acting – TV/Media

• Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur [Episode: “Moon Girl Landing”] – Flying Bark Productions / Disney Television Animation: Diamond White (Character: Lunella Lafayette / Moon Girl) (winner)
• 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)
• 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

• Nimona – Annapurna Animation for Netflix: Chloë Grace Moretz (Character: Nimona) (winner)
• Merry Little Batman – Amazon MGM Studios, Warner Bros. Animation, DC Entertainment: David Hornsby (Character: Joker)
• Migration – Illumination: Tresi Gazal (Character: Gwen)
• Suzume – CoMix Wave Films, and Story: 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 (winner)
• 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 (winner)
• Robot Dreams – Arcadia Motion Pictures: Pablo Berger
• Suzume – CoMix Wave Films, and Story: 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 (winner)
• 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

• Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – Sony Pictures Animation: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Editorial Team (winner)
• 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
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem – Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies: Greg Levitan, Illya Quinteros, David Croomes, Myra Owyang