The Ann Awards brought ogether animation talent from across Asia to celebrate creativity, storytelling, innovation and technical excellence.
Organised by AnimationXpress, the Ann Awards 2026 took place on 28 and 29 August 2026 at the Nesco Exhibition Centre in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The event provided a platform for studios, production houses, independent creators, students and emerging artists to showcase work shaping the future of animation and visual storytelling.
The 2026 edition expanded its focus beyond India, recognising outstanding animation content and creative achievements across national and international categories. The awards aimed to connect creators with industry leaders, broadcasters, OTT platforms and global studios.
The national categories cover several areas of the Indian animation ecosystem, including digital and OTT content, licensing and merchandising, technical achievements, animated feature films, anime originals, live-action programming for children and special awards. The categories also recognise creative and technical roles including animators, directors, storyboard artists, character designers, composers, editors and voice-over artists.
The Ann Awards 2026 continued two of its key honours: the Arnab Chaudhari Awards and the Ram Mohan Awards. The awards also featured the 28th DigiCon6 Asia Awards 2026, organised by Tokyo Broadcasting System Television, with AnimationXpress serving as the official Indian representative.
The ANN Awards also added a new feather to its cap this year with the launch of the Ramoji Animation Excellence Awards. Inspired by the legacy of late media baron Ramoji Rao, the awards celebrate creative and technical achievement across animation and the wider visual storytelling ecosystem. The recognition spans originality, craftsmanship, collaboration and innovation, with a particular focus on talent and independent studios shaping the future of Indian animation.
ANN Awards are entry-driven awards. The winners are selected from the entries submitted in each category. And behind every award, is a jury that has had the rather difficult job of choosing the best from an incredible pool of talent.
The esteemed members of the Ann Awards 2026 jury included:
- Anil NM Wanvari | Founder, Chairman & Editor-in-Chief, AnimationXpress
- Dhimant Vyas | Professor of Practice, IDC-IIT Powai
- Rajesh Turakhia | Founder & Director, Frameboxx
- Ashish Kulkarni | Founding Director- IICT
- Vivek Nag | Head of Department – Animation, Whistling Woods International
- Raul Garcia | Film Director, Producer, Animation Director, R&R Communications Inc
- Ajey Sadashiv Lele | VisDev/ Art Director, Bahubali – Eternal War Part 01
- Shilpa Ranade | Professor, IDC School of Design, IIT Bombay
- Catherine Lepage | Independent filmmaker, Ping Pong Ping
- Sachitha Kalingamudali | General Manager, Mogo Studios
- Aashish Mall | Co-Founder & Director, Paperboat Design Studios
- Pradipto Sengupta | Character Effects Supervisor / Board of Managers, DreamWorks Animation Studio / VES-LA
Here is the full list of winners:
International
Best Animated Series
Legends of Evergreen Hills– Saffronic
Animated Short Film – Editorial choice
I don’t know what to do by Akshita Tyagi (BAU Centro Universitario de Artes y Diseño)
Animated Short Film
Duck– Saffronic
Animated Feature Film
Stitch head – Assemblage Entertainment
Animated Feature Film
Shin chan: The Spicy Kasukabe Dancers in India – Shin-Ei Animation/ TV Asahi/ ADK Emotions/ Futabasha
Anime Series
Gachiakuta– Avex Pictures
Animated Brand Film
Juha – The FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025 – Fractal Picture
Best Use of AI in Animation
Incube8 Academy of VFX and Animation (Fractal Picture) – Dreamscapes
Best Animated Licensed Character
Shin chan– Shin-Ei Animation/ TV Asahi/ ADK Emotions/ Futabasha
Best Animated Character Merchandise
Sony Yay X Naruto– Sony Pictures Network India (Sony Yay!)
Digital & OTT
Best Animated Digital Series – 2D
Chhota Bheem Origin Of Bheem Part01– Green Gold Animation
Best Animated Digital Series – 2D
Chote Tara ka Bada Gadar– Kayhan Enterprises
Chote Tara Ka Bada Gadar– KidZ on Zee5 (ZEE Entertainment Enterprises)
Best Animated Digital Series – 3D
Kurukshetra– Hitech Animation Studio
Best Animated Full length Feature Film
The Jungle book X’mas Special (Jungle All the Way)– Powerkids Entertainment
Best animated short film
Innocent Prisoner– Makrand Joshi
Best use of animation in a music video
Shivlok Ke Kundakka Mandakka Song– KidZ on Zee5 (ZEE Entertainment Enterprises)
Best 3D Content acquired
Legends of Lego– ZEE Entertainment Enterprises
Best acquired anime
ETV Bal Bharat – Detective Conan
Pre School
Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah Rhymes– Neela Mediatech
Licensing & Merchandising
Best licensed animated series programme
The Jungle Book– Powerkids Entertainment
Media Advertising & Marketing
Best Digital Campaign for an Animated Series
VidUnit Media – Back To School
Best Channel Packaging
Powerkids Entertainment– PowerKids TV
Best experiential marketing
Powerkids Entertainment – The Jungle Book – Experiential Licensing Campaign
Best Innovative Campaign
KidZ Innovation- ZEE Entertainment Enterprises
Carmond Infinity – Maayan comics x Mathrubhumi Kuttykoottam innovative campaign
Best use of animated character in a brand TVC
Famous Digital Studios – Hero Destini
Powerkids Entertainment – Mowgli
Best Promo
Itah– The Snow Keeper– Powerkids Entertainment
The Guardians of Pushpak– Sutra Digital
Best Promo with AI
Caizon Creations – Noko
Best Brand Collaboration
Syncink Entertainment – The Last Supper Ft. Anna & Sara | Lies/ Loot & Legacy #BGMI
Best Animated Brand Film
Famous Digital Studios – Hero Destini
Best Animated Brand Film using AI
Shemaroo Entertainment– Her Role Her Rise
Partners-Service
Best Preschool show
Saffronic – Gabby’s Doll House
Best Partnered Animation Work
Assemblage Entertainment – Gabby’s Dollhouse: The movie
Best Producer
Studio56 Animation – Black Diamond Race
Best Lightning artist
Lalu Mastan – Duck
Best layout artist (Animation)
Smruti Ranjan Sarangi – Team Mekbots
Best Animated Digital Series
Assemblage Entertainment – Wolf King
Best Character Design
Gowra Hari Perla – Zatak
Best Compositor
Syed Rahim – Legends of Evergreen Hills
Best Animator – Male
Ajith Kumar – Legends of Evergreen Hills
Best Animated Full length Feature Film
Assemblage Entertainment – Stitch head
Best Animated Short Film
Carmond Infinity – Kingara Kavyam: Poem of the Enslaved
Best animated series
Assemblage Entertainment – Wolf King
Best animated TVC
Famous Digital Studios– Hero Destini
Best Animator – Female
Anuska Poddar – Legends of Evergreen Hills
Programming
Best Preschool Show
Powerkids Entertainment – Little Mowgli
Best Animated Full length Feature Film
ETV Bal Bharat – Bal Bahubali-The Rise of the Sun Guardian
Best 3D animated series
ETV Bal Bharat – Akasa The Medallion Kids
Best 2D animated series
Ele Animation/ Toonz Media Group – Jay Jagannath
Social Media
Best Reel with the use of Animation
Carmond Infinity – Maayan Comics Promo Reel
Best social media presence by an Animation platform/ studio
Powerkids Entertainment– Powerkids TV
Best social media content animated
Syncink Entertainment (Not your Type)– Kolkata Is Bad !
Student
Best Student 3D film
MAAC India – Cosmic Buddies
Best student 2D film
Kalyani B – Mareechika (The Mirage of a Dream)
Technology
Best Hardware used in animation
Studio56 Animation – Mission Santa
Best software used in animation
Studio56 Animation – Mission Santa
Best use of AI
Shemaroo Entertainment– Kindness Badhaye Goodness
Technical
Best Screenplay writer
Gaurav Malani and Seema Malani – Khel Khel Mein (Chhota Bheem and Little Singham Crossover Movie)
Best Screenplay writer
Yash Thakur & Bahaish Kapoor – Little Singham & Smaashhing Simmba: Khiladiyon Ka Khel
Best Storyboard artist
Gowra Hari Perla – Zatak
Best Character Design
Jayant Kumar – Boy King
Best Dialogue writer
Saharsh Wardhan Singh Rathore – Kian & Kiki – Full Magic Zero Logic
Sonam Shekhawat – 13 Days to Dawn
Best Animator – Male
Suman Manna & Subhajit Kar – The Last Supper Ft. Anna & Sara | Lies/ Loot & Legacy #BGMI
Best Producer
Manoj Mishra – Little Mowgli (Rumble in the Jungle)
Best Director of a digital series
Arushi Govil & Dalbir Singh – Shivlok Ke Kundakka Mandakka
Best Effects
Famous Digital Studios– Hero Destini
Best Director of an animated film
Dhrumit Gada – Dream
Special Awards
Best Indian Cinema inspired animated IP
ZEE Entertainment– Chote Tara Ka Bada Gadar
Contribution to Animation industry
Powerkids Entertainment– Manoj Mishra
Best use of animation in a public service message
National Institute of design/ Jorhat Assam – Jhijhak
Best use of animation in a public service message
Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) – Stop. Think. Then Act: Cybercrime Awareness Series for Teenagers
Best Syndicated Content
Powerkids Entertainment– Dragonero: Tales of Paladins – Season 2
India’s most loved animated character
Green Gold Animation– Chhota Bheem
Studio of the Year
Assemblage Entertainment – Assemblage Entertainment
Best Showrunner
CEO & Managing Director/ PowerKids Entertainment – Manoj Mishra
