52nd Annie Awards: ‘The Wild Robot’ and ‘Arcane’ win big

DreamWorks Animation’s The Wild Robot won the best feature title at the 52nd Annie Awards held at the UCLA, California on 8 February 2025. The film won awards in eight other categories, becoming the feature film with the most awards this year.

Annie Awards honours excellence and individual achievements in the field of animation via 32 categories like best feature – independent, production design, character animation, and effects animation to storyboarding, writing, music, editing and voice acting.

Netflix’s animated series Arcane won seven awards while Orion and the Dark and Flow won two awards each. 

The jury awards were handed out for honouring unparalleled achievement and exceptional contributions to animation. The Winsor McCay Award in recognition of lifetime or career contributions were given to Disney supervising animator/director and educator Aaron Blaise, National Film Board of Canada (NFB) writer, director, producer and Academy Award influencer Eunice Macaulay (posthumous) and NFB composer and sound designer Normand Roger. The June Foray Award for significant and benevolent impact was awarded to the global non-profit Women In Animation, advocating for gender equity and inclusion in animation, VFX, and gaming.

The Ub Iwerks Award for technical advancement affecting the animation industry was presented to visual effects, animation and gaming pioneer Alberto Menache. The Special Achievement Award acknowledging unique and outstanding achievement not recognised within the existing award category structure was presented to Directing at Disney: The Original Directors of Walt’s Animated Films, the historically important new book by Pete Docter and Don Peri.

Below is the full list of winners:

Best Feature

• The Wild Robot – DreamWorks Animation (winner)
• Inside Out 2 – Pixar Animation Studios
• Kung Fu Panda 4 – DreamWorks Animation
• That Christmas – Locksmith Animation for Netflix
• Ultraman: Rising – Netflix Presents in association with Tsuburaya Productions
• Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl – Aardman and Netflix

Best Feature – Independent

• Flow – Sacrebleu Productions, Take Five, Dream Well Studio (winner)
• Chicken for Linda! – Dolce Vita Films, Miyu Productions, Palosanto Films, France 3 Cinéma, Distributed by GKids
• Kensuke’s Kingdom – Lupus Films
• Look Back – Studio Durian Distributed by GKids
• Mars Express – Everybody on Deck, Je Suis Bien Content Distributed by GKids
• Memoir of a Snail – Snails Pace Films / Arenamedia

Best Special Production

• Orion and the Dark – DreamWorks Animation (winner)
• A Bear Named Wojtek – The Illuminated Film Company and Filmograf
• Mog’s Christmas – Lupus Films
• Tabby McTat – Magic Light Pictures
• Yuck! – Ikki Films & Iliade et Films

Best Short Subject

• Wander to Wonder – Circe Films, Kaap Holland Film, Les Productions de Milou, Beast Animation, Blink Industries & Pictanovo (winner)
• Beautiful Men – Animal Tank, Miyu Productions & Ka-Ching Cartoons
• In the Shadow of the Cypress – Barfak Animation Studio
• Ruthless Blade – Ideomotor Culture Media
• The Swineherd – Fleng Entertainment and Tumblehead Productions

Best Sponsored

• Fuzzy Feelings – Passion Pictures Hungry Man (winner)
• feelslikeimfallinginlove – Blinkink
• Moonlit Bamboo Forest – Passion Paris Production, HoYoFair
• Natlan Impressions Trailer – “Blaze to Natlan” – Buck
• Welcome to the City of Love – Nexus Studios

Best TV/Media – Preschool

• The Tiny Chef Show {Episode: Tiny Chef’s Spooky Stump Spectacular} – Imagine Entertainment, Tiny Chef Productions and Nickelodeon Productions (winner)
• Disney Jr.’s Ariel {Episode: Crystal Cavern Caper} – Wild Canary, Disney Branded Television
• Gabby’s Dollhouse {Episode: Pandy’s Bad Day} – DreamWorks Animation
• Jessica’s Big Little World {Episode: Jessica’s Picnic} – Cartoon Network Studios
• Wonder Pets: In The City {Episode: Save Tate?} – A Nickelodeon Production in association with Apple

Best TV/Media – Children

• Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur {Episode: The Molecular Level} – Flying Bark Productions, Disney Television Animation, Disney Branded Television, Cinema Gypsy Productions (winner)
• Gremlins: The Wild Batch {Episode: Never Use Double Negatives} – Warner Bros. Animation
• Jurassic World: Chaos Theory {Episode: Batten Down the Hatches} – DreamWorks Animation
• Primos {Episode: Summer of Tater Luna} – Disney Television Animation, Disney Branded Television
• WondLa {Episode: Ruins} – Skydance Animation in association with Apple

Best TV/Media – Mature

• Bob’s Burgers {Episode: They Slug Horses, Don’t They?} – 20th Television Animation / FOX Entertainment (winner)
• Solar Opposites {Episode: The What If?! Device} – 20th Television Animation
• South Park {Episode: The End of Obesity} – MTV Entertainment Studios
• The Great North {Episode: Aunt Misbehavin’ Adventure} – 20th Television Animation / Fox Entertainment Studios
• The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy {Episode: The Land of Sex and Death} – Amazon MGM Studios, Titmouse Studios

Best TV/Media – Limited Series

• Dream Productions {Episode: A Night to Remember} – Pixar Animation Studios (winner)
• Iwájú {Episode: Tola} – Walt Disney Animation Studios
• LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy {Episode: Part Three} – Lucasfilm 
• Moon Girl’s Lab {Episode: Moon Girl Saves the Moon} – Disney Television Animation, Disney Branded Television
• My Adventures with Superman {Episode: Pierce the Heavens, Superman!} – Warner Bros. Animation

Best Student Film

• Adiós – Student Director: José Prats, Student Producer: Bernardo Angeletti, School: National Film and Television School (winner)
• El Ombligo de la Luna – Student Directors: Sara António, Julia Grupińska, Bokang Koatja, Tian, Westraad, Ezequiel Garibay, School: Gobelins
• Pear Garden – Student Director/Producer: Shadab Shayegan, School: Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg GmbH, Animationsinstitut
• Polliwog – Student Director: Julia Skala, Student Producer: Max Pollmann, School: Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg GmbH, Animationsinstitut
• Turmspringer – Student Director: Oscar Bittner, Student Producer: Andra Berila, School: Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg GmbH, Animationsinstitut

Best FX – TV/Media

• Arcane – {Episode: The Dirt Under Your Nails} Production Company: A Riot Games and Fortiche, Production for Netflix, FX Production Company: Fortiche Studio, Guillaume Degroote, Aurélien Ressencourt, Adam Bachiri, Guillaume Zaouche, Jérôme Dupré (winner)
• Dream Productions – {Episode: A Night to Remember}  Production Company: Pixar Animation Studios, FX Production Company: Pixar Animation Studios, Gary Bruins, Jongwon Pak, Arturo Aguilar, Alan Browning, Alen Lai
• Secret Level – {Episode: Warhammer 40,000: And They Shall Know No Fear} Production Company: Amazon MGM Studios, Blur Studio Inc., FX Production Company: Blur Studio, Josh Schwartz, Joe Coleman, Michael Huang, Guilherme Casagrandi, Raul Rodrigues
• Secret Level – {Episode: Dungeons & Dragons: The Queen’s Cradle} Production Company: Amazon MGM Studios, Blur Studio, FX Production Company: Blur Studio, Arthur Loiseau, Tom O’Bready, Esteban Genre, Alexandre Lerouge, Guillaume Grelier
• Secret Level – {Episode: Crossfire: Good Conflict} Production Company: Amazon MGM Studios, Blur Studio, FX Production Company: Blur Studio, Kamil Murzyn, Rafał Rumiński, Jarosław Armata, Michał Śledź, Michał Firek

Best FX – Feature

• The Wild Robot – Production Company: DreamWorks Animation, FX Production Company: DreamWorks Animation, Derek Cheung, Michael Losure, David Chow, Nyoung Kim, Steve Avoujageli (winner)
• Kung Fu Panda 4 – Production Company: DreamWorks Animation, FX Production Company: DreamWorks Animation, Zachary Glynn, Alex Timchenko, Kiem Ching Ong, Yorie Kaela Kumalasari, Jinguang Huang
• Moana 2 – Production Company: Walt Disney Animation Studios, FX Production Company: Walt Disney Animation Studios, Santiago Robles, Marc Bryant, Deborah Carlson, Jake Rice, Ian J. Coony
• Ultraman: Rising – Production Company: Netflix Animation, FX Production Company: Industrial Light & Magic, Goncalo Cabaca, Vishal Patel, Zheng Yong Oh, Nicholas Yoon Joo Kuang, Pei-Zhi Huang Huang
• Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl – Production Company: Aardman and Netflix, FX Production Company: Aardman Production, Howard Jones, Rich Spence, Deborah Jane Price, Jon Biggins, Kirstie Deane

Best Character Animation – TV/Media

• Arcane – {Episodes: Killing Is A Cycle, Heavy Is the Crown, Finally Got the Name Right, The Message Hidden Within The Pattern, The Dirt Under Your Nails, Pretend Like It’s the First Time, Blisters And Bedrock} A Riot Games and Fortiche Production for Netflix, Tom Gouill (winner)
• Dream Productions – {Episodes: The Dream Team, Out of Body, Romance!} Pixar Animation Studios, Travis Hathaway
• In the Know – {Episodes: Yogurt Week, Thinksgiving} Peacock Original in association with Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, Bandera, ShadowMachine, Jeff Riley
• Star Trek: Lower Decks – {Episodes: Various} CBS’s Eye Animation Productions, Titmouse, Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment, Raymond Dunster
• The Patrick Star Show – {Episode: Something Stupid This Way Comes} Screen Novelties / Nickelodeon Animation Studios, Colin Lepper

Best Character Animation – Feature

• The Wild Robot – DreamWorks Animation, Fabio Lignini (winner)
• Inside Out 2 – Pixar Animation Studios, Aviv Mano
• Kung Fu Panda 4 – DreamWorks Animation, Patrick Giusiano
• Moana 2 – Walt Disney Animation Studios, Brian Scott
• Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl – Aardman and Netflix, Carmen Bromfield Mason

Best Character Animation – Live Action

• Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes – Production Company: 20th Century Studios FX Production Company: Wētā FX, Christian Kickenweitz, Aidan Martin, Allison Orr, Radiya Alam, Howard Sly (winner)
• Better Man – Production Company: Footloose Productions, VicScreen, Partizan, Facing East Entertainment, Rocket Science, Lost Bandits, FX Production Company: Wētā FX, Shaun Freeman, Luisma Lavin Peredo, Carlos Lin, Seoungseok Charlie Kim, Kaori Miyazawa
• Gladiator II – Production Company: Paramount, FX Production Company: Framestore LTD, Kyle Dunlevy, Philipp Winterstein, Gil Daniel, Michael Elder, Julien Bagory
• Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire – Production Company: Legendary Entertainment, FX Production Company: Wētā FX, Ludovic Chailloleau, Jonathan Paquin, Craig Penn, Florian Fernandez, Marco Barbati
• House of the Dragon Season 2 – Production Company: Warner Bros, FX Production Company: Wētā FX, Jason Snyman, Manjoe Chan, Chloe McLean, Cedric Enriquez Canlas, Vincent Lee

Best Character Animation – Video Game

• Neva – Nomada Studio, Nomada Studio Animation Team (winner)
• #BLUD – Exit 73 Games, Chris Burns, Bob Fox
• Asgard’s Wrath 2 – Sanzaru Games, Sanzaru Games Animation Team
• Diesel Legacy – Maximum Entertainment, Maximum Entertainment
• Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II – Ninja Theory, Ninja Theory

Best Character Design – TV/Media

• Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur {Episode: The Molecular Level} Disney Television Animation, Cinema Gypsy Productions, Jose Lopez (winner)
• Dream Productions {Episode: A Night to Remember} Pixar Animation Studios,Grant Alexander
• Jentry Chau vs. the Underworld {Episode: Pilot} A Netflix Series, Kal Athannassov
• Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles {Episode: Bishop Makes Her Move!} Nickelodeon Animation Studios and Point / Grey Pictures, Rustam Hasanov
• X-Men ’97 {Episode: Mutant Liberation Begins} Marvel Studios, Amelia Vidal

Best Character Design – Feature

• The Wild Robot – DreamWorks Animation, Genevieve Tsai (winner)
• Inside Out 2 – Pixar Animation Studios, Deanna Marsigliese
• Scarygirl – Highly Spirited and Like A Photon Creative, Nathan Jurevicius
• Spellbound – Netflix Presents / Skydance Animation Presents a Skydance Animation Film, Guillermo Ramírez
• That Christmas – Locksmith Animation for Netflix, Uwe Heidschötter

Best Direction – TV/Media

• Arcane {Episode: The Dirt Under Your Nails} A Riot Games and Fortiche Production for Netflix, Arnaud Delord, Pascal Charrue, Bart Maunoury (winner)
• Big City Greens the Movie: Spacecation {Television Movie} Disney Television Animation, Disney Branded Television, Anna O’Brian
• Bob’s Burgers {Episode: They Slug Horses, Don’t They?} 20th Television Animation / FOX Entertainment, Bernard Derriman
• Tabby McTat {Television Movie} Magic Light Pictures, Jac Hamman, Sarah Scrimgeour
• Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles {Episode: The Pearl} Nickelodeon Animation Studios and Point / Grey Pictures, Alan Wan, Colin Heck

Best Direction – Feature

• The Wild Robot – DreamWorks Animation, Chris Sanders (winner)
• Chicken for Linda! – Dolce Vita Films, Miyu Productions, Palosanto Films, France 3 Cinéma / Distributed by GKIDS, Chiara Malta, Sébastien Laudenbach
• Flow – Take Five, Sacrebleu Productions, Dream Well Studio, Gints Zilbalodis
• That Christmas – Locksmith Animation for Netflix, Simon Otto
• Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl – Aardman and Netflix, Nick Park, Merlin Crossingham

Best Music – TV/Media

• Arcane {Episode: The Dirt Under Your Nails} A Riot Games and Fortiche Production for Netflix, Ryan Jillian Santiago, Alexander Seaver, Simon Wilcox (winner)
• Big City Greens the Movie: Spacecation {Television Movie} Disney Television Animation, Disney Branded Television, Joachim Horsley
• Hazbin Hotel {Episode: Masquerade} Amazon MGM Studios, A24, Bento Box Entertainment, Sam Haft, Andrew Underberg
• Jentry Chau vs. the Underworld {Episode: Lock-In} A Netflix Series, Brian H. Kim
• WondLa {Episode: Captive} Skydance Animation in association with Apple, Joy Ngiaw

Best Music – Feature

• The Wild Robot – DreamWorks Animation, Kris Bowers (winner)
• Kensuke’s Kingdom – Lupus Films, Stuart Hancock
• Piece By Piece – i am OTHER, TREMOLO in association with The LEGO Group, Pure Imagination Studios and Tongal, Pharrell Williams, Michael Andrews
• That Christmas – Locksmith Animation for Netflix, John Powell, Ed Sheeran, Johnny McDaid
• Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl – Aardman and Netflix, Lorne Balfe, Julian Nott

Best Production Design – TV/Media

• Arcane {Episode: The Dirt Under Your Nails} A Riot Games and Fortiche Production for Netflix, Arnaud-Loris Baudry, Julien Georgel, Faustine Dumontier, Charlotte O’Neill (winner)
• Dream Productions {Episode: The Dream Team} Pixar Animation Studios, Bert Berry, Josh Holtsclaw
• Orion and the Dark {Special Production} DreamWorks Animation, Timothy Lamb, Christine Bian
• Silly Sundays {Episode: Stringy Soup} Cartoon Saloon, Fran Bravo, Rosa Ballester Cabo
• WondLa {Episode: Bargain} Skydance Animation in association with Apple, Andy Harkness

Best Production Design – Feature

• The Wild Robot – DreamWorks Animation, Raymond Zibach, Ritchie Sacilioc (winner)
• Inside Out 2 – Pixar Animation Studios, Jason Deamer, Josh West, Keiko Murayama, Bill Zahn, Laura Meyer
• That Christmas – Locksmith Animation for Netflix, Justin Hutchinson-Chatburn, Mike Redman
• Ultraman: Rising – Netflix Presents in association with Tsuburaya Productions, The Ultraman: Rising Production Design Team
• Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl – Aardman and Netflix, Matt Perry, Darren Dubicki, Richard Edmunds, Matt Sanders, Gavin Lines

Best Storyboarding – TV/Media

• Arcane {Episode: Killing is a Cycle} A Riot Games and Fortiche Production for Netflix, Joséphine Meis (winner)
• Invincible Fight Girl {Episode: The Way Of The World} Cartoon Network Studios, Gladyfaith Abcede, Miki Brewster, Kaela Lash, Sheldon Vella
• Jurassic World: Chaos Theory {Episode: That Night} DreamWorks Animation, Aevery Huens
• Snoopy Presents: Welcome Home, Franklin {Short Film} WildBrain Studios in association with Apple, David Lux
• Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles {Episode: The Pearl} Nickelodeon Animation Studios and Point / Grey Pictures, Laura Gille, Sebrina Gao, Kevin Molina-Ortiz, Christopher Luc

Best Storyboarding – Feature

• Despicable Me 4 – Illumination, Habib Louati (winner)
• Moana 2 – Walt Disney Animation Studios, Ryan Green
• Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie – Nickelodeon Animation, Piero Piluso
• Spellbound – Netflix Presents / Skydance Animation Presents a Skydance Animation Film, Alex Relloso Horna, Carlos Zapater Oliva
• That Christmas – Locksmith Animation for Netflix, Ashley Boddy, Lorenzo Fresta, Helen Schroeder

Best Voice Acting – TV/Media

• Dream Productions {Episode: Out of Body} Pixar Animation Studios, Paula Pell (Character: Paula) (winner)
• Bob’s Burgers {Episode: The Right Tough Stuff} 20th Television Animation / FOX Entertainment, John Roberts (Character: Linda Belcher)
• Bob’s Burgers {Episode: They Slug Horses, Don’t They?} 20th Television Animation / FOX Entertainment, Kristen Schaal (Character: Louise Belcher)
• Hazbin Hotel {Episode: Dad Beat Dad} Amazon MGM Studios, A24, Bento Box Entertainment, Jeremy Jordan (Character: Lucifer)
• Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles {Episode: Splinter and April Fight a Goldfish} Nickelodeon Animation Studios and Point / Grey Pictures, Ayo Edebiri (Character: April O’Neil)

Best Voice Acting – Feature

• The Wild Robot – DreamWorks Animation, Lupita Nyong’o (Character: Roz) (winner)
• Chicken for Linda! – Dolce Vita Films, Miyu Productions, Palosanto Films, France 3 Cinéma / Distributed by GKIDS, Mélinée Leclerc (Character: Linda)
• Inside Out 2 – Pixar Animation Studios, Maya Hawke (Character: Anxiety)
• The Wild Robot – DreamWorks Animation, Kit Connor (Character: Brightbill)
• Transformers One – Paramount Animation, Brian Tyree Henry (Character: D-16 / Megatron)

Best Writing – TV/Media

• Orion and the Dark {Special Production} DreamWorks Animation, Charlie Kaufman (winner)
• Craig of the Creek {Episode: Whose Dimension Is It Anyway?} Cartoon Network Studios, Harron Atkins, Lorraine DeGraffenreidt, Pearl Low, Richie Pope
• Jessica’s Big Little World {Episode: Jessica’s Picnic} Cartoon Network Studios, Austin Faber, Gabriel Franklin, Shawneé Gibbs, Shawnelle Gibbs, Ashleigh Hairston
• The Simpsons {Episode: Bart’s Birthday} A Gracie Films Production in Association with 20th Television Animation, Jessica Conrad
• Yuck! {Special Production} Ikki Films & Iliade et Films, Loïc Espuche

Best Writing – Feature

• Flow – Take Five, Sacrebleu Productions, Dream Well Studio, Gints Zilbalodis, Matīss Kaža (winner)
• Inside Out 2 – Pixar Animation Studios, Meg LeFauve, Dave Holstein
• Kensuke’s Kingdom – Lupus Films, Frank Cottrell-Boyce
• Memoir of a Snail – Snails Pace Films / Arenamedia, Adam Elliot

Best Editorial – TV/Media

• Arcane {Episode: Pretend Like It’s the First Time} A Riot Games and Fortiche Production for Netflix, Nazim Meslem, Gilad Carmel, Roberto Fernandez (winner)
• Creature Commandos {Episode: Cheers to the Tin Man} Warner Bros. Animation and DC Studios, Annie De Brock
• Jurassic World: Chaos Theory {Episode: Batten Down the Hatches} DreamWorks Animation, Ben Choo, Rich Liverance, Eric Hendricks, Anna Adams, Ian Hurley
• Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur {Episode: The Molecular Level} Disney Television Animation, Cinema Gypsy Productions, Sandra Powers, Phil Lomboy, Ryan Burkhard, Neil Wilson III, Gabe Oh
• Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles {Episode: The Pearl} Nickelodeon Animation Studios and Point / Grey Pictures, Caleb Yoder

Best Editorial – Feature

• The Wild Robot – Dreamworks Animation, Mary Blee, Collin Erker, Orlando Duenas, Lucie Lyon, Brian Parker (winner)
• Inside Out 2 – Pixar Animation Studios, Maurissa Horwitz, David Suther, Fiona Toth, Jonathan Vargo
• Moana 2 – Walt Disney Animation Studios, Jeremy Milton, Michael Louis Hill
• Ultraman: Rising – Netflix Presents in association with Tsuburaya Productions, Bret Marnell, ACE, William Max Steinberg, Nik Siefke, Ryan Sommer, Kaye Speare
• Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl – Aardman and Netflix, Dan Hembery