Annie Award Nominations: Netflix Scores 51 Nominations. ‘Arcane,’ ‘The Mitchells Vs. The Machines,’ And ‘Maya And The Three’ Lead For The Streamer
The nominations for the 49th annual ASIFA-Hollywood Annie Awards were announced today.
Across all categories, Netflix leads with 51 nominations; Disney is next with 34. The streamer is especially dominant in the tv/media categories. Its acclaimed show Arcane, which topped its ranking of most-watched English-language series in mid-November, leads the pack with nine nominations. The two next-most-nominated series, Maya and the Three (7) and Love, Death + Robots (5), are also Netflix productions. The streamer also earned 14 nominations across the three Sony Pictures Animation films that it released this year: The Mitchells vs. the Machines, Vivo, and Wish Dragon.
The best feature category has thrown up no surprises. Disney’s three self-produced features of the year — Raya and the Last Dragon, Encanto, and Pixar’s Luca — are all nominated (as they are at the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards). So is Netflix/Sony’s The Mitchells vs. the Machines, which has been tearing up the critics’ group awards. That leaves one slot, which Universal/Illumination’s Sing 2 has taken.
Those four heavyweights (not including Sing 2) have an enormous 35 nominations between them. With ten, Raya and the Last Dragon has the most of any title this year. Given its buzz, though, Mitchells stands a chance of stealing the crown from Disney.
Over in the indie feature category, critical darling Flee is up against three anime releases from GKIDS: Belle, Pompo the Cinéphile, and Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko. Netflix’s The Summit of the Gods is also in the running; surprisingly, this is the only nomination for the well-received mountaineering epic. There’s disappointment for Afghan-set drama My Sunny Maad, which was nominated at the Globes but not here.
Unlike its competitors, Summit has the marketing muscle of a giant company behind it. Belle has the most nominations — five — of any of them, and director Mamoru Hosoda won this award with his last film Mirai. Flee has the most hype. Any of the three could win, but our money’s on Flee.
An indicator of streaming’s pre-eminence in series: of the 15 shows nominated for one of the best tv/media awards (preschool, children, general audience), ten were made for platforms, five for linear broadcast.
The Annie Awards will be presented on February 26, 2022. The current plan is to hold the ceremony in person at UCLA’s Royce Hall. “In spite of everything or maybe because of what we and the world around us have been through for nearly two years, we all want to return to some sort of normal,” said Frank Gladstone, the awards’ executive producer, in a statement.
In addition to the 31 competitive categories, there are five juried awards that honor “unparalleled achievement and exceptional contributions to animation.”
Best Feature
Encanto
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Luca
Pixar Animation Studios
Raya and the Last Dragon
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Sing 2
Illumination
The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix
Best Indie Feature
Belle
Studio Chizu / Distributed by GKIDS
Flee
Final Cut For Real, Sun Creature, Vivement Lundi !, MostFilm, Mer Film, VICE, Left HandFilms, Participant
Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko
Studio 4ºC / Distributed by GKIDS
Pompo the Cinephile
Clap Animation Studio / Distributed by GKIDS
The Summit of the Gods
Julianne Films, Folivari and Mélusine Productions Present In co-production with France 3 Cinéma and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Cinéma in association with Wild Bunch in association with Palatine Etoile 17, Cinémage 14, Indéfilms 8 for Netflix
Best Special Production
For Auld Lang Syne
WildBrain Studios in association with Apple
La Vie de Château
Films Grand Huit in association with Miyu Productions
Mum Is Pouring Rain
Laïdak Films & Dandelooo
Namoo
Baobab Studios
The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf
Studio Mir for Netflix
Best Short Subject
Bestia
Trebol 3 Producciones, Maleza Estudio
Easter Eggs
Animal Tank / Brecht Van Elslande
Maalbeek
Films Grand Huit Films à Vif
Night Bus
Joe Hsieh
Steakhouse
Finta Film, Fabian & Fred, RTV Slovenija, Miyu Productions
Best Sponsored
A Future Begins
Nexus Studios
Fleet Foxes – “Featherweight”
Sing-Sing
The Good Guest Guide to Japan”
Airbnb / Chromosphere
Tiptoe & The Flying Machine
Nexus Studios
Wandavision – “Don’t Touch that Dial” Title Sequence
Titmouse Inc.
Best TV/Media – Preschool
Ada Twist, Scientist
Episode: Twelve Angry Birds
Laughing Wild, Higher Ground Productions, Wonder Worldwide, Netflix
Muppet Babies
Episode: Gonzo-rella
Oddbot Inc
Odo
Episode: Doddle Song
Sixteen South and Letko
Stillwater
Episode: Crossing Over / Kind of Blue
Scholastic Entertainment / Gaumont / Polygon Pictures in association with Apple
Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum
Episode: I am Ella Fitzgerald
9 Story Media Group / Brown Bag Films
Best TV/Media – Children
Amphibia
Episode: True Colors
Walt Disney Television Animation
Carmen Sandiego
Episode: The Himalayan Rescue Caper
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing and DHX Media for Netflix
Dug Days
Episode: Science
Pixar Animation Studios
Maya and the Three
Episode: The Sun and the Moon
A Netflix Series
We the People
Episode: Active Citizenship
Laughing Wild, Higher Ground Productions, Netflix
Best TV/Media – General Audience
Arcane
Episode: When These Walls Come Tumbling Down
A Riot Games and Fortiche Production for Netflix
Bob’s Burgers
Episode: Fingers-loose
20th TV/ Bento Box Animation
Love, Death + Robots
Episode: Ice
Blur Studio for Netflix
Star Wars: Visions
Episode: The Duel
Kamikaze Douga
Tuca & Bertie
Episode: The Dance
The Tornante Company
Best Student Film
A Film About A Pudding
Student director: Roel Van Beek
Student producer: Jack Pollington
School: National Film and Television School, UK
Hope
Student director: Ryoma Leneuf & Gabriel Martinez
Student producer: Nicolas Daguin, Guillaume Uchoa, Arthur Bollia, Benjamin Autour
School: New3dge
I Am A Pebble
Student director: Yasmine Bresson and Maxime Le Chapelain
Student producer: Coline Moire
School: ESMA
Night of the Living Dread
Student director: Ida Melum
Student producer: Danielle Goff
School: National Film and Television School, UK
Slouch
Student director: Michael Bohnenstingl
Student producer:
Michael Bohnenstingl
School: Filmakademie Baden- Württemberg GmbH
Best FX – TV/Media
Arcane
Episode: Oil and Water
Guillaume Degroote, Frederic Macé, Jérôme Dupré, Aurélien Ressencourt, Martin Touzé
FX Production Company: Fortiche Productions
Castlevania
Episode: The Endings
Tam Lu, Adam Deats, Sam Deats
FX Production Company:
Powerhouse Animation Studios
Maya and the Three
Episode: The Sun and the Moon
Alexander Feigin, Graham Wiebe, Pradeep Mynam, Michael Sun, Sergen Eren
FX Production Company:
Tangent Animation Studios
Shaun The Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas
Episode: Broadcast Special
Jim Lewis
FX Production Company:
Aardman
Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans
Episode: Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans
Greg Lev, Brandon Tyra, Prakash Dcunha, Vincent Chou, Chen Ling
FX Production Company:
DreamWorks Animation, CGCG Inc. and Original Force Ltd.
Best FX – Feature
Belle
Ryo Horibe, Yohei Shimozawa
FX Production Company: Studio Chizu / Digital Frontier
Encanto
Alex Moaveni, Dimitri Berberov, Bruce Wright, Scott Townsend, Dale Mayeda
FX Production Company: Walt Disney Animation Studios
Raya and the Last Dragon
Peter De Mund, Cong Wang, Robert Bennett, Joel Einhorn, Debbie Carlson
FX Production Company: Walt Disney Animation Studios
The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Christopher Logan, Man-Louk Chin,
Devdatta Nerurkar, Pav Grochola, Filippo Maccari
FX Production Company: Sony Pictures Imageworks
Vivo
Martin Furness, Stephanie Molk, Lucy Maxian, Nachiket Pujari, Theodor Vandernoot
FX Production Company: Sony Pictures Imageworks
Best Character Animation – TV/Media
Arcane
Episode: The Monster You Created
Lea Chervet
Love, Death + Robots
Episode: All Through the House
Dan Gill
Namoo
Jon Paul Brower
Ultra City Smiths
Episode: The Little Baby Hand Pinky Grip
Ghazal Tahernia
We the People
Episode: Active Citizenship
Stephen Loveluck
Best Character Animation – Feature
Encanto
Dave Hardin
Luca
Tarun Lak
Raya and the Last Dragon
Jennifer Hager
The Boss Baby: Family Business
Ravi Kamble Govind
Wish Dragon
Ketan Adikhari
Best Character Animation – Live Action
Flora & Ulysses
FX Production Company: Framestore
Thomas Becker, Thiago Martins, Daniel Cavalcante, Philipp Winterstein, Victor Dinis
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
FX Production Company:
Weta Digital
Karl Rapley, Sebastian Trujillo, Richard John Moore, Merlin Bela, Wassilij Maertz, Pascal Raimbault
The Suicide Squad
FX Production Company: Framestore
Meena Ibrahim, Alvise Avati, Nicholas Cabana, Adam Goldstein, Lea Vera Toro
The Tomorrow War
FX Production Company: Weta Digital
Carmelo Leggiero, Florent Limouzin, Cajun Hylton, Dave Clayton, Michel Alencar Magalhaes,
Y: The Last Man
FX Production Company:
Industrial Light & Magic
Best Character Animation – Video Game
Disney Wonderful Worlds
Ludia
It Takes Two
Hazelight Studios
Kena: Bridge of Spirits
Ember Lab
Madrid Noir
Atlas V No Ghost /
Aziz Kocanaogullari
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Insomniac Games
Best Character Design – TV/Media
Arcane
Episode: Some Mysteries Better Left Unsolved
Evan Monteiro
Batman: The Long Halloween Part One
Episode: Broadcast Special
Otto Schmidt
Kid Cosmic
Episode: The Rings of Power
Craig McCracken
Maya and the Three
Episode: The Sun and the Moon
Jorge R. Gutierrez
Yuki 7
Episode: They Called Her Number Seven
Keiko Murayama
Best Character Design – Feature
Luca
Deanna Marsigliese
Raya and the Last Dragon
Ami Thompson
Ron’s Gone Wrong
Julien Bizet
The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Lindsey Olivares
Vivo
Joe Moshier
Best Direction – TV/ Media
Amphibia
Episode: True Colors
Jenn Strickland, Kyler Spears
Arcane
Episode: The Monster You Created
Pascal Charue, Arnaud Delord, Barthelemy Maunoury
Crossing Swords
Episode: Tent Pitching
John Harvatine, Brad Schaffer, Ethan Marak
Hilda and the Mountain King
Episode: Broadcast Special
Andy Coyle
Maya and the Three
Episode: The Sun and the Moon
Jorge R. Gutierrez
Best Direction – Feature
Belle
Mamoru Hosoda
Encanto
Jared Bush, Byron Howard, Charise Castro Smith
Flee
Jonas Poher Rasmussen, Kenneth Ladekjær
Luca
Enrico Casarosa
The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Mike Rianda,
Jeff Rowe
Best Music – TV/ Media
Blush
Joy Ngiaw
Hilda and the Mountain King
Episode: Broadcast Special
Ryan Carlson
Maya and the Three
Episode: The Sun and the Moon
Tim Davies, Gustavo Santaolalla
Mila
Flavio Gargano
Mira, Royal Detective
Episode: The Eid Mystery
Amritha Vaz, Matthew Tishler, Jeannie Lurie
Best Music – Feature
Encanto
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Germaine Franco
Luca
Dan Romer
Poupelle of Chimney Town
Youki Kojima, Yuta Bandoh
Raya and the Last Dragon
James Newton Howard, Jhené Aiko
Vivo
Alex Lacamoire, Lin-Manuel Miranda
Best Production Design – TV/Media
Arcane
Episode: Happy Progress Day!
Julien Gorgel, Aymeric Kevin, Arnaud Baudry
Arlo the Alligator Boy
Episode: Broadcast Special
Israel Sanchez, Tania Franco, Margaret Wuller, Michelle Haejung Park, Kayla Jones
Love, Death + Robots
Episode: Ice
Robert Valley
Maya and the Three
Episode: The Sun and the Moon
Jorge R. Gutierrez, Paul Sullivan, Gerald de Jesus, Richard Chen
Yuki 7
Episode: They Called Her Number Seven
Chromosphere Team
Best Production Design – Feature
Belle
Tomm Moore, Pareja Ross Stewart, Alice Dieudonné, Almu Redondo, Maria Pareja
Raya and the Last Dragon
Paul Felix, Mingjue Helen Chen, Cory Loftis
Ron’s Gone Wrong
Aurélien Predal Till Nowak, Nathan Crowley
The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Lindsey Olivares, Toby Wilson, Dave Bleich
Vivo
Carlos Zaragoza, Wendell Dalit, Andy Harkness
Best Storyboarding – TV/Media
Arcane
Episode: When These Walls Come Tumbling Down
Simon Andriveau
Invincible
Episode: Where I Really Come From
Jay Baker
Kid Cosmic
Episode: The Big Win
Justin Nichols
Love, Death + Robots
Episode: Pop Squad
Jennifer Yuh Nelson
The Ghost and Molly McGee
Episode: All Systems No
Johnny Castuciano
Best Storyboarding – Feature
Encanto
Jason Hand
Raya and the Last Dragon
Luis Logam
Spirit Untamed
Gary Graham
The Addams Family 2
Steven Garcia
Vivo
Carlos Romero
Best Voice Acting – TV/Media
Arcane
Episode: When These Walls Come Tumbling Down
Ella Purnell
Arlo the Alligator Boy
Episode: Broadcast Special
Michael J. Woodard
Centaurworld
Episode: Johnny Teatimes Be Best Competition: A Quest for the Sash
Parvesh Cheena
DC Super Hero Girls
Episode: #EnterNightSting
Kimberly Brooks
Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans
Episode: Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans
Charlie Saxton
Best Voice Acting – Feature
Encanto
John Leguizamo
Encanto
Stephanie Beatriz
Luca
Jack Dylan Grazer
Raya and the Last Dragon
Kelly Marie Tran
The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Abbi Jacobson
Best Writing – TV/ Media
Arcane
Episode: The Monster You Created
Christian Linke, Alex Yee
Maya and the Three
Episode: Chapter 4: The Skull
Silvia Olivas, Jorge R. Gutierrez
Muppet Babies
Episode: Gonzo-Rella
Ghia Godfree
The Mighty Ones
Episode: Berry’s Pet Threat
n
Jillian Goldfluss, Erica Jones, Nicolette Wood
Tuca & Bertie
Episode: Planteau
Lisa Hanawalt
Best Writing – Feature
Belle
Mamoru Hosoda
Flee
Jonas Poher Rasmussen, Amin Nawabi
Luca
Jesse Andrews, Mike Jones
Raya and the Last Dragon
Qui Nguyen, Adele Lim
The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Mike Rianda, Jeff Rowe
Best Editorial – TV/ Media
Amphibia
Episode: True Colors
Jennifer Calbi , David Vasquez, Julie Anne Lau, Yoonah Yim, Andrew Sorcini
Arlo the Alligator Boy
Episode: Broadcast Special
Steve Downs
Love, Death + Robots
Episode: Pop Squad
Julian Clarke, Matt Mariska, Valerian Zamel, Brian Swanson, Ky Kenyon
Tom and Jerry in New York
Episode: Billboard Jumble
Michael D’Ambrosio, Jeff Small
What If…?
Episode: What If…Ultron Won?
Joel Fisher, Graham Fisher, Sharia Davis, Basuki Juwono, Adam Spieckerman
Best Editorial – Feature
Encanto
Jeremy Milton, John Wheeler, Pace Paulsen, Brian Estrada
Flee
Janus Billeskov Jansen
Luca
Catherine Apple, Jason Hudak, Jennifer Jew, Tim Fox, David Suther
Raya and the Last Dragon
Fabienne Rawley, Shannon Stein, Todd Fulkerson, Rick Hammel, Brian Millman
The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Greg Levitan, Collin Wightman, T.J. Young, Tony Ferdinand, Bret Allen
Juried Awards
Winsor McCay Award (lifetime achievement)
Ruben Aquino, Lillian Schwartz, Toshio Suzuki
June Foray Award (significant and benevolent or charitable impact)
Renzo Kinoshita (deceased), Sayoko Kinoshita
Ub Iwerks Award (technical advancement)
Python Foundation
Special Achievement Award (unique and outstanding achievement)
Glen Vilppu
Certificate of Merit (service to the art and industry)
Evan Vernon