Archive notice: This article was originally published on December 5, 2013. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
The most important category at the Annie Awards is, of course, Best Animated Feature. Alongside "Frozen" from Walt Disney Animation Studios, "The Croods" from DreamWorks Animation and "Monsters University" from Pixar Animation Studios, the French and Japanese are well represented in this category this year. Although "Despicable Me 2" is a Hollywood production from Universal Pictures, the computer animation was realized by Illumination Entertainment, which acquired the French studio Mac Guff in 2011.
The entry "Ernest & Celestine" comes from the French animation house Les Amateurs and is also expected to make the leap into American cinemas at the beginning of next year.
The Japanese entries are "A Letter to Momo" from Production I.G and "The Wind Rises" from Studio Ghibli.
There were also nominations for the German animation industry: "Room on the Broom" comes from Studio Soi, and in the "Best Student Film" category, the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg received two nominations at once. Both "Wedding Cake" by Viola Baier, who was also nominated for an animago AWARD in the "Best Character Animation" category this year, and "Kellerkind", directed by Julia Ocker, received a nomination.
The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony at UCLA Royce Hall in Los Angeles on February 1, 2014.
Here is an overview of the nominations in the production categories:
Best Animated Feature
- A Letter to Momo – GKIDS
- Despicable Me 2 – Illumination Entertainment/Universal Pictures
- Ernest & Celestine – GKIDS Frozen – Walt Disney Animation Studios
- Monsters University – Pixar Animation Studios
- The Croods – DreamWorks Animation
- The Wind Rises – Studio Ghibli/Touchstone Pictures
Best Animated Special Production
- Chipotle Scarecrow – Moonbot Studios
- Listening Is an Act of Love – StoryCorps
- Room on the Broom – Magic Light Pictures
- Toy Story OF TERROR! - Pixar Animation Studios
Best Animated Short Subject
- Despicable Me 2 – Puppy – Illumination Entertainment/Universal Pictures
- Get A Horse! – Walt Disney Animation Studios
- Gloria Victoria – National Film Board of Canada
- My Mom is an Airplane – Acme Filmworks
- The Numberlys – Moonbot Studios
Best Animated TV/Broadcast Commercial
- Despicable Me 2 – Cinemark – Illumination Entertainment/Universal
- Pictures Sound of the Woods – Acme Filmworks
- The Polar Bears Movie – Scott Free Productions/RSA Films
Best General Audience Animated TV/Broadcast Production For Preschool Children
- Bubble Guppies – Nickelodeon Productions/Nelvana
- Disney Sofia the First – Disney Television Animation
- Doc McStuffins – Brown Bag Films
- Justin Time – Guru Studio
- Peter Rabbit – Nickelodeon Productions/Silver Gate Media
Best Animated TV/Broadcast Production For Children’s Audience
- Adventure Time – Cartoon Network Studios
- Beware the Batman – Warner Bros. Animation
- Disney Gravity Falls – Disney Television Animation
- Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness – Nickelodeon Animation Studio
- Regular Show – Cartoon Network Studios
- Scaredy Squirrel – Nelvana Ltd.
- Teen Titans Go! – Warner Bros. Animation
- The Legend of Korra – Nickelodeon Animation Studio
Best General Audience Animated TV/Broadcast Production
- Archer – FX Networks
- Bob’s Burgers – Bento Box Entertainment
- Disney Tron Uprising – Disney Television Animation
- Futurama – 20th Century Fox Television
- Motorcity – Titmouse Inc.
Best Animated Video Game
- Diggs Nightcrawler – Moonbot Studios
- Tiny Thief – 5 ANTS
- The Last of Us – Naughty Dog
Best Student Film
- Chicken or the Egg – Ringling College of Art and Design
- Kellerkind – Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg
- Miss Todd – Kristina Yee
- Move Mountain – Kirsten Lepore
- SEM̥FORO РUniversity of Southern California
- The Final Straw – Ringling College of Art and Design
- Trusts & Estates – CalArts
- Wedding Cake – Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg
You can find all other nominees in the Individual Achievement categories here.
Image: Screenshot annieawards.org
