ASIFA-Hollywood, the International Animated Film Society, announced nominations today for the 32nd Annual Annie Awards recognizing the year's finest achievement in animation across film, television, commercials and short subjects. Seen as a precursor to the Oscar for animation, the Annie's are the industry's oldest and most prestigious awards. This year's nominations reflect the complexity and popularity of animation today, from the highflying "The Incredibles" to the undersea adventures of "The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie" and "Shark Tale".
Pixar Animation Studios (Walt Disney Pictures) led the field with 16 nominations for "The Incredibles", including Best Animated Feature as well as individual nominations for Character Design, Animated Effects, Character Animation, Directing, Music, Production Design, Storyboarding, Voice Acting (Samuel L. Jackson as Lucius Best/Frozone and Brad Bird as Edna Mode) and Writing.
DreamWorks Animation garnered 14 nominations overall for "Shrek 2" and "Shark Tale", each with seven. "Shrek 2" captured nominations for Best Animated Feature, Animated Effects, Directing, Music, Storyboarding, Voice Acting (Antonio Banderas for Puss in Boots), and Writing. "Shark Tale" received its nominations for Animated Effects, Character Animation, Character Design, Production Design (three nominations) and Writing.
Rounding out the nominations for top animated feature are "Ghost In The Shell 2: Innocence" from Go Fish Pictures (DreamWorks Animation) and "The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie" from Peanut Worm Productions (Paramount Pictures).
For television, children's favourite
"SpongeBob SquarePants"
shares the spotlight with its feature production counterpart having picked up a
nomination for Best Animated Television Production. Other nominations in this
category include "My Life As A Teenage Robot" from Frederator/Nickelodeon, "Foster's Home for Imaginary
Friends" and "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" from Cartoon Network
Studios, and "The Batman" from Warner Bros. Animation.
PRODUCTION CATEGORIES
Best Animated Feature
- "Ghost In The Shell 2:
Innocence" - Go Fish Pictures
- "The Incredibles" -
Pixar Animation Studios
- "Shrek
2" - DreamWorks Animation
- "The SpongeBob
SquarePants Movie" - Peanut Worm
Productions
Best Home Entertainment Production
- "The Lion King 1
½" - DisneyToon Studios
- "Mickey, Donald &
Goofy "The Three Musketeers" - DisneyToon
Studios
- "Scooby-Doo and the Loch
