The International Animated Film Society, ASIFA-Hollywood, has unveiled nominations for its 46th Annual Annie Awards™ recognizing the year’s best in the field of animation. 

Nominated for Best Animated Feature are: Early Man (Aardman Animations), Incredibles 2 (Pixar Animation Studios), Isle of Dogs (Fox Searchlight Pictures/Indian Paintbrush/American Empirical Pictures), Ralph Breaks The Internet (Walt Disney Animation Studios) and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Sony Pictures Animation).

In the running for Best Independent Animated Feature--spotlighting films with a much smaller distribution footprint than major studio releases--are: Ce Magnifique Gâteau! (Beast Animation, Vivement Lundi!, Pedri Animation), MFKZ (Ankama/Studio 4ºC), Mirai (Studio Chizu), Ruben Brandt, Collector (Hungarian National Film Fund) and Tito and the Birds (Bits Productions, Split Studio).

“From over 1,600 submissions, our committees have made a great selection of nominees this year. A wide choice of animation techniques, a broad selection of subjects, increasingly creative designs and an encompassing representation of films from other countries and various points of view is going to make this year’s Annie Awards an ever more diversified event,” said Frank Gladstone, ASIFA-Hollywood executive director. “Membership voting begins January 1. Looking at the slate of nominees, I think this year’s decisions will be extraordinary.”        

The Annie Awards cover 36 categories and include Best Animated Feature, Best Animated Feature-Independent, Special Productions, Commercials, Short Subjects, Student Films and Outstanding Individual Achievements, as well as the honorary Juried Awards. The winners will be announced at a black tie ceremony on Saturday, February 2, 2019 at UCLA’s Royce Hall. 

Juried Awards will be presented honoring unparalleled achievement and exceptional contributions to animation. Three Winsor McCay Award recipients have been selected by the ASIFA-Hollywood Board of Directors for their exemplary industry careers: Academy Award-winning director, animator and art director, Ralph Eggleston; Frank Braxton (posthumously), the first African-American animator, animation director and guild president; and casting director, voice director and voice actress Andrea Romano. 

The June Foray Award will be presented to veteran animator, Adam Burke (posthumously) for his significant and benevolent impact on the animation community. Ton Roosendaal, Dutch software developer and film producer, will accept the Ub Iwerks Award for Blender Open Source Animation Software; and a Certificate of Merit will be presented to  dedicated ASIFA volunteer, Jason Jones.       

ASIFA-Hollywood is the professional organization dedicated to promoting the art of animation and celebrating the people who create it. ASIFA-Hollywood, the largest chapter of the international organization ASIFA, supports a range of animation activities and preservation efforts through its membership. Current initiatives include the Animation Archive, Animation Aid Foundation, animated film preservation, special events, classes and screenings.    

Created in 1972 by veteran voice talent June Foray, the Annie Awards have grown in scope and stature for the past four decades. 

Here’s a rundown of Annie nominees:

Annie Award for Best Animated Feature
Early Man
Aardman Animations

Incredibles 2
Pixar Animation Studios

Isle Of Dogs
Fox Searchlight Pictures / Indian Paintbrush / American Empirical Pictures

Ralph Breaks The Internet
Walt Disney Animation Studios

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Sony Pictures Animation

Annie Award for Best Animated Independent Feature
Ce Magnifique Gâteau !
Beast Animation, Vivement Lundi !, Pedri Animation

MFKZ
Ankama / Studio 4ºC

Mirai
Studio Chizu

Ruben Brandt, Collector
Hungarian National Film Fund

Tito and the Birds
Bits Productions, Split Studio

Annie Award for Best Animated Special Production
Back to the Moon
Google Spotlight Stories, Google Doodles, Nexus Studios

Mary Poppins Returns
Walt Disney Studios

The Emperor’s Newest Clothes
HBO / Starburns Industries

The Highway Rat
Magic Light Pictures

Annie Award for Best Animated Short Subject
Grandpa Walrus
Caïmans Productions

Lost & Found
Wabi Sabi Studios

SOLAR WALK
Nørlum

Untravel
Production: Film House Baš Čelik, Serbia
Co-production: BFilm, Bratislava / Your Dreams Factory, Bratislava

Weekends
past lives productions

Annie Award for Best Virtual Reality Production
Age of Sail
Google Spotlight Stories, Broad Reach Pictures

Battlescar
AtlasV

Crow: The Legend
Baobab Studios

Mind Palace
Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg GmbH

Moss
Polyarc

Annie Award for Best Animated Television/Broadcast Commercial
Goldfish at the Fair
Stoopid Buddy Stoodios

Greenpeace ‘There’s a Rang-Tan In My Bedroom’
Passion Animation Studios

Grinch / 40 / Olympics Spot
Illumination

JD.com, ‘Joy and Heron’
Passion Pictures

The Fearless Are Here
Nexus Studios

Annie Award for Best Animated Television/Broadcast Production For Preschool Children
Ask the StoryBots
JibJab Bros. Studios for Netflix

Dinotrux: Supercharged
DreamWorks Animation Television

Hey Duggee
Studio AKA

PJ Masks
Frog Box
Entertainment One

Tumble Leaf
Amazon Studios and Bix Pix Entertainment

Annie Award for Best Animated Television/Broadcast Production For Children
Hilda
Hilda Productions Limited, a Silvergate Media Company, Netflix Inc. and Mercury Filmworks

Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny
DreamWorks Animation Television

Little Big Awesome
Amazon Studios

Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Nickelodeon Animation Studio

Tales of Arcadia: Trollhunters
DreamWorks Animation Television

Annie Award for Best General Audience Animated Television/Broadcast Production
Big Mouth
Netflix

Bob’s Burgers
20th Century FOX Television/Bento Box Entertainment

BoJack Horseman
Tornante Productions, LLC for Netflix

Human Kind Of
Cartuna, Facebook Watch

The Venture Bros.
Adult Swim / Titmouse, Inc.

Annie Award for Best Student Film
A Blink of An Eye
Anke Kletsch

Best Friend
Luce Grosjean

FACING IT
Sam Gainsborough

Hors Piste
Luce Grosjean

Sister
Siqi Song

Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Animated Effects in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production
DreamWorks Theatre Presents Kung Fu Panda
DreamWorks Animation

Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Nickelodeon Animation Studio

SuperMansion
Stoopid Buddy Stoodios

Tales of Arcadia: Trollhunters
DreamWorks Animation Television

Watership Down
42 / Biscuit Entertainment with Netflix

Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Animated Effects in an an Animated Feature Production
Early Man
Aardman Animations

Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation
Sony Pictures Animation

Incredibles 2
Pixar Animation Studios

Next Gen
Baozou with Alibaba Pictures Inc. in association with Tangent Animation for Netflix

Ralph Breaks The Internet
Walt Disney Animation Studios

Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Character Animation in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production
Age of Sail
Google Spotlight Stories, Broad Reach Pictures

Back to the Moon
Google Spotlight Stories, Google Doodles, Nexus Studios

Hilda
Hilda Productions Limited, a Silvergate Media Company, Netflix Inc. and Mercury Filmworks

Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure
Walt Disney Television Animation

Tumble Leaf
Amazon Studios and Bix Pix Entertainment

Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Character Animation in an Animated Feature Production
Early Man
Aardman Animations

Incredibles 2
Pixar Animation Studio

Isle of Dogs
Fox Searchlight Pictures / Indian Paintbrush / American Empirical Pictures

Ralph Breaks The Internet
Walt Disney Animation Studios

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Sony Pictures Animation

Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Character Animation in a Live Action Production
Avengers: Infinity War
Marvel

Christopher Robin
Walt Disney Pictures

Mary Poppins Returns
Walt Disney Pictures

Paddington 2
StudioCanal, Heyday Films, Marmalade Films Ltd

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms
Walt Disney Studios

Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Character Animation in a Video Game
God of War
Santa Monica Studio

GRIS
Nomada Studio

Marvel’s Spider-Man
Insomniac Games

Moss
Polyarc

Shadow of The Tomb Raider
Square Enix

Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Character Design in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production
Age of Sail
Google Spotlight Stories, Broad Reach Pictures

Niko and the Sword of Light
Amazon Studios

Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure
Walt Disney Television Animation

The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle
DreamWorks Animation Television

The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle
DreamWorks Animation Television

Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Character Design in an Animated Feature Production
Incredibles 2
Pixar Animation Studios

Mary Poppins Returns
Walt Disney Studios

Next Gen
Baozou with Alibaba Pictures Inc. in association with Tangent Animation for Netflix

Ralph Breaks The Internet
Walt Disney Animation Studios

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Sony Pictures Animation

Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Directing in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production
Ask the StoryBots
JibJab Bros. Studios for Netflix

Disney Mickey Mouse
Disney Television Animation

Niko and the Sword of Light
Amazon Studios

SuperMansion
Stoopid Buddy Stoodios

Tales of Arcadia: 3Below
DreamWorks Animation Television

Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Directing in an Animated Feature Production
Early Man
Aardman Animations

Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation
Sony Pictures Animation

Incredibles 2
Pixar Animation Studios

Ralph Breaks The Internet
Walt Disney Animation Studios

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Sony Pictures Animation

Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Music in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production
Back to the Moon
Google Spotlight Stories, Google Doodles, Nexus Studios

Disney Mickey Mouse
Disney Television Animation

Elena of Avalor
Disney Television Animation

Tangled: The Series
Walt Disney Television Animation

The Tom and Jerry Show
Warner Bros. Animation

Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Music in an Animated Feature Production
Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch
Illumination

Early Man
Aardman Animations

Incredibles 2
Pixar Animation Studios

Ralph Breaks The Internet
Walt Disney Animation Studios

Smallfoot
Warner Bros. Pictures / Warner Animation Group

Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Production Design in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production
Age of Sail
Google Spotlight Stories, Broad Reach Pictures

Disney Mickey Mouse
Disney Television Animation

Little Big Awesome
Amazon Studios

Niko and the Sword of Light
Amazon Studios

The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle
DreamWorks Animation Television

Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Production Design in an Animated Feature Production
Early Man
Aardman Animations

Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation
Sony Pictures Animation

Isle of Dogs
FOX SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES

INDIAN PAINTBRUSH
AMERICAN EMPIRICAL PICTURES

Mary Poppins Returns
Walt Disney Studios

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Sony Pictures Animation

Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Storyboarding in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production
Ben 10
Cartoon Network Studios

Big Hero 6: The Series
Walt Disney Television Animation

Disney Mickey Mouse
Disney Television Animation

Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Nickelodeon Animation Studio

Star vs. The Forces of Evil
Walt Disney Television Animation

Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production
Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch
Illumination

Incredibles 2
Pixar Animation Studios

Incredibles 2
Pixar Animation Studios

Mary Poppins Returns
Walt Disney Studios

Ralph Breaks The Internet
Walt Disney Animation Studios

Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Voice Acting in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production
BoJack Horseman
Tornante Productions, LLC for Netflix

F is for Family
Wild West Television in association with Gaumont Television for Netflix

Pete the Cat
Amazon Studios, Alcon Television Group, LLC

Skylanders Academy
Activision Blizzard Studios

Unikitty
Warner Bros. Animation

Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production
Early Man
Aardman Animations

Incredibles 2
Pixar Animation Studios

Isle of Dogs
Fox Searchlight Pictures / Indian Paintbrush / American Empirical Pictures

Next Gen
Baozou with Alibaba Pictures Inc. in association with Tangent Animation for Netflix

Ralph Breaks The Internet
Walt Disney Animation Studios

Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Writing in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production
Big Mouth
Netflix

Craig of the Creek
Cartoon Network Studios

Hilda
Hilda Productions Limited, a Silvergate Media Company, Netflix Inc. and Mercury Filmworks

Star vs. The Forces of Evil
Walt Disney Television Animation

We Bare Bears
Cartoon Network Animation Studios

Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Writing in an Animated Feature Production
Incredibles 2
Pixar Animation Studios

Mirai
Studio Chizu

Ralph Breaks The Internet
Walt Disney Animation Studios

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Sony Pictures Animation

Teen Titans Go! to the Movies
Warner Bros. Animation

Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Editorial in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production
Big Hero 6: The Series
Walt Disney Television Animation

Puppy Dog Pals
Wild Canary Animation / Disney Junior

SpongeBob SquarePants
Nickelodeon Animation Studio

Tales of Arcadia: 3Below
DreamWorks Animation Television

The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants
DreamWorks Animation Television

Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Editorial in an Animated Feature Production
Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch
Illumination

Incredibles 2
Pixar Animation Studios

Ralph Breaks The Internet
Walt Disney Animation Studios

Ruben Brandt, Collector
Hungarian National Film Fund

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Sony Pictures Animation