Netflix proved once again that it’s a major player in the animation game, notching 40 nominations at the upcoming Annie Awards. Pixar and DreamWorks Animation also received their fair share of nominations for their work last year. Founded in 1972, the Annie Awards recognize the best in animation across 31 categories, honoring both individuals and companies in the film industry.
Both Pixar and DreamWorks received two nods each in the best feature category. Pixar’s “Onward” earned seven nominations, while recent Golden Globe animated feature winner “Soul” was recognized in 10 categories. Meanwhile, DreamWorks’ “The Croods: A New Age” and “Trolls World Tour” netted six and four nominations, respectively. Rounding out the category is Netflix’s “The Willoughbys,” which earned six nods.
A DreamWorks Animation Executive Offers Their No. 1 Piece of Voiceover Advice In terms of the film and guilds award season, the most watched category is best animated feature at the Academy Awards—and the Annies are frequently a predictor of the winner. In the 20 years since the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences introduced the category, the Annies’ top feature winner went on to take home Oscar gold 13 times; it most recently did so in 2018 when Sony Pictures’ “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” swept both categories.
Last year, however, the Annie Award feature winner, Netflix’s “Klaus,” lost the Oscar to Pixar’s “Toy Story 4.” Though it broke a four-year streak, the Academy Award winner has always at least been nominated for the Annie.
Netting a staggering 10 nominations is Cartoon Saloon’s “Wolfwalkers,” which is up for best indie feature. Premiering last September at the Toronto International Film Festival, the Irish film that’s deeply rooted in cultural history is directed by Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart, who were also nominated in the best direction category. “Wolfwalkers” is the third and final installment in a trilogy created by Moore, following 2009’s “The Secret of Kells” and 2014’s “Song of the Sea,” which were both nominated for Academy Awards.
Looking for voiceover gigs in animation? Click here!
Also nominated in the indie feature category are the U.K.’s “A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon,” France’s “Calamity Jane,” and Japan’s “On-Gaku: Our Sound” and “Ride Your Wave.”
The Annies also present juried awards that honor achievements in the field. This year’s Winsor McCay Award recipients, selected by the ASIFA-Hollywood Board of Directors, will be Willie Ito, Bruce Smith, and the late Sue Nichols.
The 2021 June Foray Award is going to Daisuke “Dice” Tsutsumi, and the Special Achievement Award will be presented to “Howard,” a 2018 American documentary about songwriter Howard Ashman written and directed by Don Hahn.
The Annie Awards will be presented via a virtual ceremony on April 16 at the University of California. For more information, visit annieawards.org.
Check out Backstage’s film audition listings!