Dig into the roster of animated feature films, TV shows, and shorts vying for wins in 36 different categories on February 8 at ASIFA-Hollywood’s 52nd annual ceremony recognizing the best in animation from the past year.
With ASIFA-Hollywood’s 52st Annual Annie Awards ceremony set for tomorrow evening at UCLA’s Royce Hall, AWN wanted to spotlight some of the top contenders in the feature film, short film and TV categories.
Among major projects like , and , unexpected holiday productions like and independent films like and stand among the nominees and prove that animation is a medium where eclectic, unique ideas thrive.Among story summaries and nominations, we’ve also included in this roundup the features of each project that made the film or TV series unique and the challenges each team had to face in bringing it to fruition.
Here’s the complete list of nominees; read through our extensive roundup and root for your favorites at tomorrow evening’s ceremony.
If you can’t attend, watch it live here! (DreamWorks Animation): A powerful story about the discovery of self, the bridge between technology and nature, and what it means to be alive and connected to all living things, follows the journey of robot ROZZUM unit 7134, or “Roz” for short (Lupita Nyong’o), that is shipwrecked on an uninhabited island and must learn to adapt to the harsh surroundings.Gradually Roz builds relationships with the animals on the island, and after an unfortunate accident, becomes the adoptive parent of an orphaned gosling (Connor), who, after a number of false starts, is named “Brightbill.” Based on the New York Times bestseller of the same name by author and illustrator Peter Brown, DreamWorks Animation’s has a visual style that’s been described as “a Miyazaki forest painted by Monet.” The film pushes the visual boundaries of aesthetics and style, while sensitively exploring the themes and emotional landscape of Brown’s celebrated book. has been nominated for 10 Annie Awards, including Best Feature, Best FX - Feature (Derek Cheung, Michael Losure, David Chow, Nyoung Kim, Steve Avoujageli), Best Character Animation - Feature (Fabio Lignini), Best Character Design - Feature (Genevieve Tsai), Best Direction - Feature (Chris Sanders), Best Music - Feature (Kris Bowers), Best Production Design - Feature (Raymond Zibach, Ritchie Sacilioc), Best Voice Acting - Feature (Lupita Nyong'o, Character: Roz and Kit Connor, Character: Brightbill) and Best Editorial - Feature (Mary Blee, Collin Erker, Orlando Duenas, Lucie Lyon, Brian Parker).“Probably the best way to describe it is that they took the painterly and illustrative style of , and they softened it,” says director Christ Sanders.
“They put a good deal of [Golden Age Disney artist] Tyrus Wong back in.So, these forests feel more like Miyazaki, they feel more like real forests.” He adds, “I want [the audience] to be impressed with where this takes them, and to be impressed with the audacity of what we did.This is not business as usual for an animated film, or for a studio.
This is an extraordinary film, I think, and I can say that because of all the people who worked on it.Everyone – from the actors, to the artists, to the engineers, to our composer Kris Bowers – really adopted this film, and they worked harder and produced much greater things than they really needed to.They could have brought in less, and we would've had a great film, but they far exceeded the assignment.” To learn more about these aesthetic and dramatic achievements, check out AWN’s interview with director Sanders and producer Jeff Hermann, here. (Aardman and Netflix): Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham dusted off ’ silent, villainous, penguin, Feathers – who served as the first true antagonist in the franchise – and gave him a knack for computer hacking to reprise his evil ways in the aptly named . In the Netflix film from Aardman, Gromit’s growing concern that Wallace is becoming too dependent on his inventions proves justified when he invents a “smart” gnome, Norbot, that seems to develop a mind of its own.
When it emerges that a vengeful figure from the past – Feathers – who helped imprison many years ago, might be (definitely) masterminding things, it falls to Gromit to battle sinister forces and save his master… or Wallace may never be able to invent again! is the sixth film overall, the first since in 2008 and the second feature-length film following in 2005.It has been nominated for seven Annie Awards including Best Feature, Best FX - Feature (Aardman’s Howard Jones, Rich Spence, Deborah Jane Price, Jon Biggins, Kirstie Deane), Best Character Animation - Feature (Carmen Bromfield Mason), Best Direction - Feature (Nick Park, Merlin Crossingham), Best Music - Feature (Lorne Balfe, Julian Nott), Best Production Design - Feature (Matt Perry, Darren Dubicki, Richard Edmunds, Matt Sanders, Gavin Lines) and Best Editorial - Feature (Dan Hembery).“I remember the first test of Gromit's face with his eyebrow moving and I was amazed that people were instantly attracted to it and intrigued that little movements on the face and brow could be so powerful,” says Park. Crossingham adds, “And that’s unique to stop-motion and the way we make these films.
It lends itself to stillness without dying.Not all animation does that and it’s something we lean on quite heavily over.When you don't move our characters, they work harder than when they are moving.” Read more about the story and animation behind by checking out the full interview, here. (Pixar Animation Studios): Now the highest grossing animated film in history, Pixar’s tackled the teen coming-of-age with a fresh, and thoroughly anxious spin. It’s been nine years since Pixar released Pete Docter’s brilliantly funny and inventive animated comedy, , where audiences were introduced to what goes on inside the mind of a young girl, Riley, as she struggles emotionally following her family’s move to San Francisco from Minnesota.
Picking up the storytelling mantle in the next phase of Riley’s life are director Kelsey Mann and producer Mark Nielsen, whose 3DCG comedy fast forwards to Riley as a newly minted teenager filled with something entirely unexpected: new emotions! The sudden demolition of her emotional headquarters to make room takes all her existing emotions by surprise. Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust, who’ve long been running a successful operation by all accounts, aren’t sure how to feel when Anxiety shows up.And it looks like she’s not alone.The film not only grossed over $1 billion globally in just over two weeks, it has also received seven Annie Award nominations, including Best Feature, Best Character Animation - Feature (Aviv Mano), Best Character Design - Feature (Deanna Marsigliese), Best Production Design - Feature (Jason Deamer, Josh West, Keiko Murayama, Bill Zahn, Laura Meyer), Best Voice Acting - Feature (Maya Hawke, Character: Anxiety), Best Writing - Feature (Meg LeFauve, Dave Holstein) and Best Editorial - Feature (Maurissa Horwitz, David Suther, Fiona Toth, Jonathan Vargo).
“There are a lot of stories about teenagers and teenage girls,” says director Kelsey Mann.“But how do we find a specific one that's unique and different? Even within our own walls… Domee Shi made , which was about a girl becoming a teenager, too.I remember talking to Domee and I'm like, ‘I think I want to have Riley become a teenager because it was so perfectly set up at the end of the first film.
It feels like what the next one should be.’ I said to her, ‘I want to make sure I'm not in your lane at all.’ She goes, ‘Kelsey, first of all, that movie is about me and my mother.Also, there are lots of different experiences 13-year-old girls have and we didn't tell a story about the only one.’ I was like, ‘All right!’ I relaxed.” Check out the full interview with Mann about how this film was made, here. (Locksmith Animation for Netflix): A heartwarming tale that blends the whimsical allure of the season with the grounded, emotional storytelling of well-known author and producer Richard Curtis, follows a series of entwined tales about family and friends, love and loneliness, and Santa Claus making a big mistake, not to mention an enormous number of turkeys.The film also marks the first foray into animation for Curtis, best known for iconic romantic comedies like and , who served as the film’s writer and executive producer.
The Locksmith Animation film, now streaming on Netflix, has been nominated for six Annie Awards, including Best Feature, Best Character Design - Feature (Uwe Heidschötter), Best Direction - Feature (Simon Otto), Best Music - Feature (John Powell, Ed Sheeran, Johnny McDaid), Best Production Design - Feature (Justin Hutchinson-Chatburn, Mike Redman) and Best Storyboarding - Feature (Ashley Boddy, Lorenzo Fresta, Helen Schroeder).“This was new territory for Richard,” Otto shares.“He’s used to crafting stories in his own way — character-driven, emotional, and comedic.
Animation, with its emphasis on movement and visual storytelling, required us to find a new rhythm together.” Curtis adds, “I also think that if you're telling quite an intimate story, animation can do with human emotion and human faces something that is really hard for real humans to do.You get four emotions really quickly.There are moments in this movie where a child is sort of scared, excited, happy, and worried in a very few seconds.
So, I've really loved, in fact, what animation can do with a little human face.It’s been one of my great joys, as well as the general beauty, which I really adored, and Simon got such a great team together.” Read our full interviews with Otto, here, as well as our talk with Curtis, here. (Netflix Presents in association with Tsuburaya Productions): Since his debut in 1966 on the Japanese TV show , the character of Ultraman has spawned hundreds of series, films, video games, comic books, spinoffs, and even various iterations of the hero known as Ultras.And now, thanks to the efforts of writer/director Shannon Tindle, a diehard fan of Eiji Tsuburaya’s creation since he was growing up in Kentucky, has undergone yet another iteration.
In , Ken Sato, a star baseball player and son of the original Ultraman, reluctantly returns home to Tokyo to take on his father’s duties in order to protect his homeland against a rising number of monster attacks.However, things take on an added layer of complexity when the superhero is compelled to adopt a 35-foot-tall, fire-breathing baby monster (or kaiju, to use its proper Japanese nomenclature).Giving new meaning to the idea of work/life balance, Sato must defend the city, while protecting the baby from forces bent on exploiting her for their own dark plans.
The film’s unusual visual style combines elements of anime and manga but somehow succeeds in achieving a synergy that’s not easily attributable to either.But the efforts paid off with being nominated for four Annie Awards including Best Feature, Best FX - Feature (Industrial Light & Magic’s Goncalo Cabaca, Vishal Patel, Zheng Yong Oh, Nicholas Yoon Joo Kuang, Pei- Zhi Huang), Best Production Design - Feature and Best Editorial - Feature (Bret Marnell, ACE, William Max Steinberg, Nik Siefke, Ryan Sommer, Kaye Speare).“I'm only half joking when I say it's fan fiction that became the real thing,” says director Tindle about his longtime obsession.
“I loved the character of Ultraman since I was little and, when I moved out to LA to go to CalArts, I became even more obsessed because I had a lot more access to information.This whole new world opened up for me and it kindled this idea of, how can I take something that’s niche and tell a story that would be compelling to everybody?” He adds, “When I had my daughter, then it became real, and I started to work all my personal experience into the story.” Read the full interview with Tindle, here. (Walt Disney Animation Studios): Directed by Jason Hand, Dana Ledoux Miller and David G.Derrick Jr., from a screenplay by Ledoux Miller and Jared Bush (who wrote the original film), the sequel reunites lead characters Moana (voice of Auli‘i Cravalho) and Maui (voice of Dwayne Johnson) three years later for an expansive new voyage alongside a crew of unlikely seafarers.
After receiving an unexpected call from her seafaring ancestors, Moana must journey to the far reaches of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she’s ever faced.Originally in production as a Disney+ series with Derrick writing and directing, soon morphed into an animated feature.It marks the first time Walt Disney Animation Studios has produced one of its films from two locations - Burbank and Vancouver – with artists and technicians split between both locations.
The film has also been nominated for four Annie Awards, including Best FX - Feature (Santiago Robles, Marc Bryant, Deborah Carlson, Jake Rice, Ian J.Coony), Best Character Animation - Feature (Brian Scott), Best Storyboarding - Feature (Ryan Green) and Best Editorial - Feature (Jeremy Milton, Michael Louis Hill).“One beautiful and important idea from the first film was that Moana brought her people back to the sea,” director Jason Hand says.
“We always talked about the ocean connecting us in the first film, which is a very real idea for the people of the Pacific.Their islands are not divided by the ocean.They're very much connected by it.
I love that idea, but we never saw that happen.We only heard about it, though we knew that there were other people on other islands, or at least that implication.And because that idea was left undone in the first film, we really wanted to continue from there.” He adds, “When you're in a room with a lot of smart people, it makes you smarter.
And I know when I know something and what it needs to be, but I also know when I don't know something and get to say, ‘Hey, this is what we need this to be.Can we all work on this together and find a better solution?’ 10 out of 10 times, that worked.We have a very, very strong group of people at the studio that I could not be more impressed with.
But I would say, now, I’m even more impressed than I was when I started this film.” Read the full interview with Hand, here. (DreamWorks Animation): Directed by Mike Mitchell and Stephanie Ma Stine, takes us back to the “skadooshy” world of Dragon Warrior Po, ever unsure about his unmatched courage and mad martial arts skills.Po is called upon by destiny to become the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace, so he needs to quickly find and train a new Dragon Warrior before he can assume his new lofty position.On top of that, trouble lies ahead with the recent sighting of a wicked, powerful sorceress, Chameleon (played by Oscar winner Viola Davis), a tiny lizard who can shapeshift into any creature, large or small.
And Chameleon has her beady little eyes on Po’s Staff of Wisdom, which would give her the power to re-summon all the master villains whom Po has vanquished to the spirit realm.Help comes via a crafty, quick-witted thief Zhen (Awkwafina), a corsac fox who really gets under Po’s fur' but whose skills will prove invaluable.In their quest to protect the Valley of Peace from Chameleon’s reptilian claws, Po will discover that heroes can be found in the most unexpected places. The DreamWorks Animation feature has been nominated for three Annie Awards, including Best Feature, Best FX - Feature (Zachary Glynn, Alex Timchenko, Kiem Ching Ong, Yorie Kaela Kumalasari, Jinguang Huang) and Best Character Animation - Feature (Patrick Guisiano).
“I get a lot of love and there's a deep appreciation for the animated films,” says acclaimed actor Jack Black, who has voiced for Po since the panda’s debut in 2008.“I do love the more relaxed environment of an animated set where you can do as many takes as you want.That's a luxury.
You never feel that kind of relaxation on the set of a live-action film where time is money and there's a tremendous amount of pressure to nail it in one or two takes.And it's also fun to just riff back and forth with the directors and try tons of different approaches and improvs.” Read the full interview with Jack Black and his co-star Awkwafina, here.There’s also a great featurette video on the making of the film that’s well worth a watch. (Skydance Animation): From Netflix and Skydance Animation, is set in the kingdom of Lumbria, a world of magic, where its princess, Ellian, has been trying for a year to hide the fact that her parents have been transformed into monsters.
After learning the origins of the dark magic responsible for the King and Queen’s transformative spell, Ellian sets out with her monster mom and dad to “chase the light” and set things right.But the family’s happily ever after may not be what Ellian envisions. The highly reflective and symbolic film about the natures of divorce and what it’s like for children who are caught in the middle of a family feud, has been nominated for two Annie Awards, including Best Character Design - Feature (Guillermo Ramíre) and Best Storyboarding - Feature (Alex Relloso Horna, Carlos Zapater Oliva).Director Vicky Jenson, known for directing and as well as art directing on , has not worked in the animation scene since 2008.
But coming back to direct felt almost like kismet. “I never really intended to go into animation, because I'm not an animator,” notes Jenson.“I was a painter and a concept artist, but it became all about story for me.I went back and forth between animated movies and live-action because, to me, it’s all filmmaking.
The story at the heart of is this family, what they're going through and how they come out the other end.It wasn't going to sugar coat anything and make it all wrap up in a big bow.The story was honest and, as a filmmaker and someone who has been through a divorce, that attracted me.” She adds, “While we were developing the film, almost all we did was share personal stories of experiences with divorce.
We wanted to make sure what we were expressing was not just honest, but also something with common ground for people who have gone through this.Those talks almost became therapy sessions for the team.” Read AWN’s full interview with the director, here. Additional Film Nominations: Best Feature-Independent - Dolce Vita Films, Miyu Productions, Palosanto Films, France 3 Cinéma, Distributed by GKIDS: Summary: A mother who can’t cook and her strong-willed daughter try to find a chicken for their chicken and peppers dinner amidst labor strikes in France and in the wake of the two coping with their grief of losing a beloved family member. Interview with directors Chiara Malta and Sébastien Laudenbach: https://www.awn.com/animationworld/chiara-malta-and-s-bastien-laudenbach-talk-chicken-linda - Sacrebleu Productions, Take Five, Dream Well Studio: Summary: centers on a cat who wakes up in a universe invaded by water, where all human life seems to have disappeared.He finds refuge on a boat with a group of other animals – a secretary bird, capybara, Labrador retriever and ring-tailed lemur – but finds that getting along with them is an even bigger challenge than overcoming a fear of water. Interview with director Gints Zilbalodis: https://www.awn.com/animationworld/flow-cat-aloging-gints-zilbalodis-journey-teamwork-and-self-discovery - Paramount Pictures: Summary: This animated adaptation of the award-winning adventure novel follows a young boy, Michael, who sets off with his family on the sailing trip of a lifetime.
Excitement turns into terror when a violent storm erupts, sweeping Michael and his dog, Stella, overboard.They wash up onto a remote island, frightened and struggling to survive.Michael soon discovers he is not alone; he’s confronted by Kensuke (Ken Watanabe), a mysterious Japanese man who has secretly lived on the island since World War II.
And he is angry at Michael’s arrival.However, when poachers threaten their fragile island paradise and the animals that live there, Michael and Kensuke join forces to save their secret world.Interview with composer Stuart Hancock: https://www.awn.com/animationworld/kensukes-kingdom-weaving-captivating-music-hand-drawn-visual-feast - Studio Durian Distributed by GKIDS: Summary: The overly confident Fujino and the shut-in Kyomoto couldn't be more different, but a love of drawing manga brings these two small-town girls together.
Feature: https://www.awn.com/animationworld/taking-look-look-back - Everybody on Deck, Je Suis Bien Content Distributed by GKIDS: Summary: The film takes place in the year 2200, where the upper echelons of society abandoned Earth to make Mars the vibrant center of civilization.They are served by sentient, obedient robots that are nearly indistinguishable from the humans they have replaced.Amidst a growing scandal of hackers jailbreaking androids, a young cybernetics student disappears.
Capable but troubled private detective Aline and her android partner Carlos take the case to track her down.As they descend into a world of brain farms and criminal conspiracies, they unravel a deeper threat that may alter the fate of mankind–and their robot counterparts.Interview with director Jérémie Périn: https://www.awn.com/animationworld/director-j-r-mie-p-rin-talks-mars-express - Snails Pace Films / Arenamedia: Summary: The story begins by introducing Grace, her twin brother Gilbert, and their paraplegic alcoholic father Percy.
When Percy dies, Grace and Gilbert are separated and begin their own coming-of-age odysseys.There are heartfelt moments along the way, mixed in with electroshock punishments, fetish-filled scrapbooks, nudist colonies and more. Interview with director Adam Elliot: https://www.awn.com/animationworld/crafting-bittersweet-stop-motion-adam-elliots-memoir-snail. Best Short Subject - Animal Tank, Miyu Productions & Ka-Ching Cartoons Summary: The insecurities of three bald brothers intensify during their stay in an Istanbul hotel for hair transplants.Coverage: https://awn.com/news/miyu-productions-bringing-10-films-annecy-2024 - Barfak Animation Studio Summary: A captain suffering from PTSD who lives with his daughter wants to be a caring father but struggles with a harsh life. Coverage: https://www.awn.com/news/shadow-cypress-named-best-show-2024-spark-animation-festival - IDEOMOTOR Culture Media Co., Ltd.
Summary: In the midst of turmoil at Six Lantern Palace, the white tiger named Eleven disrupts an impending execution to rescue his comrades, the Five Tigers of Songtang.In the heat of battle, he discovers that Ruthless Blade, a merciless adversary, is an old acquaintance and a woman he once held dear.Determined to confront their entangled past, buried secrets slowly unravel, revealing an enduring love-hate connection.
Coverage: https://www.awn.com/news/52nd-annual-annie-award-nominations-announced - Fleng Entertainment and Tumblehead Productions Summary: A classic Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale gets a modern new treatment in .The original tale centers on a prince who disguises himself as a pigherd to win the heart of a selfish princess who is only willing to give him kisses in exchange for his magical trinkets. Coverage: https://www.awn.com/news/52nd-annual-annie-award-nominations-announced - Circe Films, Kaap Holland Film, Les Productions de Milou, Beast Animation, Blink Industries & Pictanovo Summary: In the 1980s, Mary, Billybud, and Fumbleton starred in the children's television program Wander to Wonder.They are left alone in the studio after the show's originator passed away.
Coverage: https://awn.com/animationworld/binocular-briefs-january-2024 (Netflix, A Riot Games and Fortiche Studio): ’ first season broke the record as Netflix's highest-rated series within a week of its premiere, ranked first on the Netflix Top 10 Chart in 52 countries and was the recipient of nine Annie Awards and four Primetime Emmy Awards.This year, the beloved animated series’ second season from Christian Linke and Alex Yee leads all TV/episodic Annie nominees, boasting seven nominations. Season 2 of picks up with Caitlyn Kiramman, daughter of one of the ruling houses of Piltover, set on revenge against Under City’s notorious terrorist Jinx for killing her mother and council member Cassandra Kiramman.When Vi, a former prisoner and citizen of Zaun, reluctantly agrees to aid Caitlyn in her quest against the manic terrorist as a Piltover Enforcer, Jinx is disgusted to see her sister Vi wearing the uniform of the people who killed their parents.
When things come to a head, it sets off a literally explosive series of events that not only sees Vi and Jinx reuniting with old family members, but also with Caitlyn joining forces with ruthless warrior Ambessa Medarda, who seeks a power strong enough to free her from past debts. Meanwhile, Jayce tries to find a way to subdue Viktor’s newfound Arcane-derived power, which appears miraculous on the surface but is actually a ticking time bomb that could mean the end of their world.The episode, “The Dirt Under Your Nails” was nominated for Best FX - TV/Media, Best Character Animation - TV/Media, Best Direction - TV/Media, Best Music - TV/Media and Best Production Design - TV/Media.“Pretend Like It’s the First Time” was nominated for Best Editorial - TV/Media and Best Character Animation - TV/Media.
“Killing Is A Cycle” was nominated for Best Character Animation - TV/Media and Best Storyboarding - TV/Media.The nomination for Best Character Animation - TV/Media was also given to Episodes “Heavy Is the Crown,” “Finally Got the Name Right,” “The Message Hidden Within the Pattern” and “Blisters and Bedrock”.Nominated team members include Guillaume Degroote, Aurélien Ressencourt, Adam Bachiri, Guillaume Zaouche, Jérôme Dupré, Tom Gouill, Arnaud Delord, Pascal Charrue, Bart Maunoury, Ryan Jillian Santiago, Alexander Seaver, Simon Wilcox, Arnaud-Loris Baudry, Julien Georgel, Faustine Dumontier, Charlotte O’Neil, Joséphine Meis, Nazim Meslem, Gilad Carmel and Roberto Fernandez.
“You imagine what these episodes will look like for years and then, at some point, you get to watch them and go, “Wow, this is the final expression.” And it’s a very organic approach.Everyone does their part and sometimes, what these people do, you can’t plan for that.It’s an evolving thing.
Read the full interview with Linke, here.Also be sure to read through AWN’s interview with Pascal Charrue and Alexis Wanneroy, co-executive producer/director and co-supervisor of animation, as they discuss the challenges, inspirations, and innovative techniques that pushed visual and storytelling boundaries, here. (Pixar Animation): Set in the wonderfully inventive world of Pixar's Oscar-winning animated hit, , sees Riley growing up...so when her memories need some extra processing, Joy and the rest of the Core Emotions send them to Dream Productions.
In the four-episode series, acclaimed director Paula Persimmon (voice of Paula Pell) faces a nightmare of her own: Trying to create the next hit dream after being paired up with Xeni (voice of Richard Ayoade), a smug daydream director looking to step up into the big leagues of night dreams.For this year’s Annie Awards, episode “A Night to Remember” was nominated for Best TV/Media - Limited Series, Best FX - TV/Media and Best Character Design - TV/Media.“The Dream Team” episode was nominated for Best Character Animation - TV/Media and Best Production Design - TV/Media.
“Out of Body” and “Romance!” was also nominated for Best Character Animation - TV/Media.Paula Pell was nominated for Best Voice Acting - TV/Media for her role as Paula in “Out of Body.” In addition to Pell, nominated team members include Gary Bruins, Jongwon Pak, Arturo Aguilar, Alan Browning, Alen Lai, Travis Hathaway, Grant Alexander, Bert Berry, and Josh Holtsclaw.Read more about the series, here.
(DreamWorks Animation): Universal Animation Studio’s is set six years after the events of Jurassic World: and shortly before the events of (2022).The Nublar Six – who had survived being stranded at an adventure camp on dino-dominated Isla Nublar for a year – have disbanded following Brooklynn’s tragic death from a dinosaur attack.Former group leader Darius, overcome with guilt for not being able to save his friend, has embraced a mostly solitary lifestyle dedicated to finding a way to take down the dino that killed her. That is until Ben invades Darius’ cabin and tells him Brooklynn’s death was “no accident.” In a world where dinosaurs roam freely, Darius is forced to face his demons as the “Camp Fam” reunites to travel across the United States and unravel a vast conspiracy while being targeted by a trio of raptors controlled by a mysterious owner.
For this year’s Annie Awards, the episode “Batten Down the Hatches” was nominated for Best TV/Media - Children and Best Editorial - TV/Media while “That Night” was nominated for Best Storyboarding - TV/Media.Nominated team members include Ben Choo, Rich Liverance, Eric Hendricks, Anna Adams, Ian Hurley and Aevery Huens.“If was the Chamber of Secrets, we’re now in The Deathly Hallows with ,” says EP and showrunner Scott Kreamer.
“I'm just proud of the whole thing, what we've done here and pushing this into a more adult scene.But I think there's plenty for kids to like, as well, and go somewhere the features and the franchise haven't really gone.Anytime you get a chance with an enormous, beloved IP like this and try to do something new and different, you do it.
And I think, I hope, we've been successful.” Read the full interview with Kreamer and fellow EP and showrunner Aaron Hammersley, here. (20th Television Animation) Emmy Award-winning returns for its 15th season.The series centers on the working-class Belcher family -- parents Bob and Linda and their three children, Tina, Gene, and Louise -- who run a seaside New Jersey hamburger restaurant and their adventures interacting with the eccentric members of their community.This season, Bob must face his fears and join Louise in a father-daughter boogie boarding competition; Tina becomes the columnist for the anonymous “Ask an Eighth Grader” advice column; and when the Belchers’ landlord, Mr.
Fischoeder, offers them two months free rent in exchange for catering an important reception at his house, the family must do everything they can to ensure the event goes perfectly.Episode “They Slug Horses, Don't They?” was Annie Awards-nominated for Best TV/Media - Mature, Best Direction - TV/Media (Bernard Derriman) and Best Voice Acting - TV/Media (Kristen Schaal, Character: Louise Belcher).The Right Tough Stuff also received a Best Voice Acting nomination for John Roberts’ role as Linda Belcher.
The series was created and is executive produced by Loren Bouchard.Nora Smith, Dan Fybel, Rich Rinaldi, Greg Thompson, Jon Schroeder, Steven Davis, Scott Jacobson, Holly Schlesinger, Wendy Molyneux and Lizzie Molyneux-Logelin also serve as executive producers.The series was co-developed by Jim Dauterive. Check out our slate of coverage over the years, here. (Nickelodeon Animation Studios and Point Grey Pictures): The 2D series – which acts as a bridge between Jeff Rowe’s 3DCG feature and its upcoming sequel set to release in 2026 – explores the adventures of everyone's favorite pizza-loving teenage heroes as they emerge from the sewers onto the streets of NYC.
Leo, Raph, Donnie and Mikey are faced with new threats and team up with old allies to survive both teenage life and villains lurking in the shadows of the Big Apple.Produced by Nickelodeon Animation and Point Grey Pictures, is executive produced by Chris Yost () and Alan Wan ( [2012 Series]).Episode “The Pearl” was Annie Award-nominated for Best Direction - TV/Media, Best Editorial - TV/Media and Best Storyboarding - TV/Media.
“Bishop Makes Her Move!” was nominated for Best Character Design - TV/Media and Ayo Edebiri (Character: April O'Neil) was also nominated for Best Voice Acting - TV/Media for the Episode: “Splinter and April Fight a Goldfish”.In addition to Edebiri, nominated team members include Alan Wan, Colin Heck, Laura Gille, Sebrina Gao, Kevin Molina-Ortiz, Caleb Yoder and Rustam Hasanov.Yost, who worked on Lloyd Goldfine’s 2003 animated series, notes, “The screenwriters, Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and Jeff Rowe created something so fun and really pushed the idea that this is basically but with mutant kids.
And we wanted to continue that.We wanted to honor that and keep that heart going more than anything else.We've got action, mutants, and an army of evil robots.
But, really, the focus of the show is on these kids, individually and together.” Read the full interview with Yost and Wan, here. (Skydance Animation in association with Apple): Skydance Animation’s new 3DCG-animated series, , is based on the book series from author Tony DiTerlizzi.The show follows Eva, voiced by Jeanine Mason (), a curious, enthusiastic and spirited teenager being raised in a state-of-the-art underground bunker by Muthr, a robot caretaker, voiced by Emmy Award nominee Teri Hatcher () who also narrates the audiobook for DiTerlizzi’s series. On her 16th birthday, an attack on Eva’s bunker forces her onto the Earth’s surface, which is now inhabited by aliens, and covered by other-worldly fauna.No other humans are to be found.
In fact, it’s no longer called Earth but Orbona.Otto (voiced by Emmy Award winner Brad Garrett from ), a loveable giant water bear with whom Eva shares telepathic powers, and Rovender (voiced by Gary Anthony Williams from ), a cantankerous alien with a troubled past, join Eva as she leads the team on a dangerous quest to find humans, her home, and her true destiny.The Episode “Ruins” was Annie-nominated for Best TV/Media - Children.
“Captive” was nominated for Best Music - TV/Media and “Bargain” was nominated for Best Production Design - TV/Media.Nominated team members include Joy Ngiaw and Andy Harkness.“Adaptation is a tricky alchemy,” notes DiTerlizzi, whose series has gone through two very different adaptations, first as a film and now recently as a TV series.
“It’s very tough to transmute a book into zeroes and ones.But Bobs, John, David and Dana, and the whole team at Skydance, were very respectful of me as a storyteller and wanted me to be very involved in this production, which is unusual.I was excited to have a front row seat to see how things were made from soup to nuts.
I was already a tremendous fan of animation so to have that respect going both ways, I think, really helped make this amazing.” Read AWN’s full interview with DiTerlizzi, along with showrunner Bobs Gannaway and composer Joy Ngiaw, here. (Disney Television Animation, Disney Branded Television, Flying Bark Productions, Cinema Gypsy Productions) Disney Branded Television’s Emmy Award-nominated hit animated series,, returned this year to face new foes and new personal challenges on the Lower East Side.The wildly colorful and action-packed comedy series from Titmouse and Cinema Gypsy Productions follows the adventures of 13-year-old super-genius Lunella Lafayette and her 10-ton T-Rex, Devil Dinosaur.After Lunella accidentally brings Devil Dinosaur into present-day New York City, the duo works together to protect the city's Lower East Side from danger.
The 2D animated series is executive produced by Lawrence Fishburne and Helen Sugland’s Cinema Gypsy Productions and Steve Loter.“The Molecular Level” episode was Annie-nominated for Best TV/Media - Children, Best Character Design - TV/Media and Best Editorial - TV/Media.Nominated team members include Jose Lopez, Sandra Powers, Phil Lomboy, Ryan Burkhard, Neil Wilson III and Gabriel Gelbrecht.
Loter shared, “Season 2 is juiced up, for sure.Season 1 was about Lunella becoming Moon Girl.But Season 2 is about Lunella being Moon Girl.
Now that everyone knows that Moon Girl is patrolling the streets of the LES [lower east side], the villains are leveling up against her.She also has some tremendous conflict where she's trying to keep the secret that she's Moon Girl from her family, which has been really difficult as well.So, everything is kind of coming to a head.
But with that being said, we still have plenty of comedy and action and incredible music.” Read the full interview with Loter and Co-EP Rodney Clouden, here. (DreamWorks Animation and Mikros Animation): Produced by DreamWorks Animation and Mikros Animation, follows elementary-aged Orion, who seems like the average shy, unassuming kid harboring a secret crush.But underneath his seemingly normal exterior, Orion is a ball of adolescent anxiety, completely consumed by irrational fears of bees, dogs, the ocean, murderous gutter clowns, falling off a cliff, and even getting cancer.But of all his fears, the thing he’s the most afraid of is what terrifies him on a nightly basis: the dark.
So, when the literal embodiment of his worst fear, Dark, pays a visit, Orion gets whisked away on a roller coaster ride around the world to prove there is nothing to be afraid of during the night.As the unlikely pair grow closer, Orion must decide if he can learn to accept the unknown - to stop letting fear control his life and finally embrace the joy of living.In addition to the film being Annie-nominated for Best Special Production,was also nominated for Best Production Design - TV/Media and Best Writing.
Nominated team members include Timothy Lamb, Christine Bian and Charlie Kaufman.Having worked as a character designer and art director on animated features like and , Lamb was no stranger to eclectic characters and wacky worlds.But when he came onto the team for back in 2020, he knew this would be something really special… and difficult. “I was fully drawn in by the script,” says Lamb.
“I knew that it would present a lot of really interesting creative challenges for us.I knew it'd be fun to design.But the production was small scale.
Very small.This meant there wasn't a lot of development time, even though the scope of the story was huge, global even.So, we had to get creative with our limitations just to find solutions within the parameters of the time we were given.
And that was a weekly conversation we had, about ways to reduce complexity and figure out how to make this thing happen.”
Read the full interview with Lamb and Bian, here.
Victoria Davis is a full-time, freelance journalist and part-time Otaku with an affinity for all things anime.She's reported on numerous stories from activist news to entertainment.Find more about her work at victoriadavisdepiction.com.
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