Walt Disney Animation’s Frozen, for which a sing-along version was released in theaters on Friday, took top honors as Best Animated Feature at the 41st Annual Annie Awards held Saturday, February 1 at UCLA’s Royce Hall. Often a predictor of the annual Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, the Annie Awards honor overall excellence as well as individual achievement in a total of 30 categories ranging from best feature, production design, character animation, and effects animation to storyboarding, writing, music, editing and voice acting.
Patrick Warburton, television, film and voice actor, lent his humor and talent as the ceremony’s host. Joining him on stage were animation legend June Foray, voice actors Bill Farmer who portrayed animation great Winsor McCay, doing his animated ‘Gertie the Dinosaur’ vaudeville act, celebrating its 100th anniversary this month, Tom Kenny, Nancy Cartwright and actors Mariska Hargitay, Cloris Leachman, Josh Gad, Ariel Winter and director Rob Minkoff. Also providing presenter duties were Marion Ross, Max Charles, Tony Bancroft, Bob Bergen, Jim Meskimen and Mackenzie Foy.
Honored with the Winsor McCay award were Katsuhiro Otomo, Steven Spielberg, who made
his video acceptance, and Phil Tippett. The Winsor McCay stands as one of the highest honors given to an individual in the animation industry in recognition for career contributions to the art of animation.
41st Annie Award Recipients:
Production Categories
Best Animated Feature
Frozen – Walt Disney Animation Studios
Annie Award for Best Animated Special Production
Chipotle Scarecrow
– Chipotle Creative Department, Moonbot Studios
Best Animated Short Subject
Get A Horse!
– Walt Disney Animation Studios
Best Animated TV/Broadcast Commercial
Despicable Me 2
– Cinemark, Universal Pictures
Best General Audience Animated TV/Broadcast Production For Preschool Children
Disney Sofia the First
– Disney Television Animation
Best Animated TV/Broadcast Production For Childrens Audience
Adventure Time
– Cartoon Network Studios
Best General Audience Animated TV/Broadcast Production
Futurama
– 20th Century Fox Television
Best Animated Video Game
The Last of Us
– Naughty Dog
Best Student Film
Wedding Cake
– Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg, Viola Baier, Iris Frisch
Individual Achievement Categories
Animated Effects in an Animated Production
Jeff Budsberg, Andre Le Blanc, Louis Flores, Jason Mayer – The Croods
– DreamWorks Animation
Animated Effects in a Live Action Production
Michael Balog, Ryan Hopkins, Patrick Conran, Florian Witzel – Pacific Rim
– Industrial Light & Magic
Character Animation in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production
Kureha Yokoo – ‘Toy Story OF TERROR!’
– Pixar Animation Studios
Character Animation in an Animated Feature Production
Jakob Jensen – The Croods
– DreamWorks Animation
Character Animation in a Live Action Production
Jeff Capogreco, Jedrzej Wojtowicz, Kevin Estey, Alessandro Bonora, Gino Acevedo – The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – Gollum
– Weta Digital
Character Design in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production
Paul Rudish – Disney Mickey Mouse
– Disney Television Animation
Character Design in an Animated Feature Production
Carter Goodrich, Takao Noguchi, Shane Prigmore – The Croods
– DreamWorks Animation
Directing in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production
Angus MacLane – Toy Story OF TERROR!
– Pixar Animation Studios
Directing in an Animated Feature Production
Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee – Frozen
– Walt Disney Animation Studios
Music in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production
Christopher Willis – Disney Mickey Mouse
– Disney Television Animation
Music in an Animated Feature Production
Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez, Christophe Beck – Frozen
– Walt Disney Animation Studios
Production Design in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production
Angela Sung, William Niu, Christine Bian, Emily Tetri, Frederic Stewart – The Legend of Korra
– Nickelodeon Animation Studio
Production Design in an Animated Feature Production
Michael Giaimo, Lisa Keene, David Womersley – Frozen
– Walt Disney Animation Studios
Storyboarding in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production
Daniel Chong – Toy Story of TERROR!
– Pixar Animation Studios
Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production
Dean Kelly – Monsters University
– Pixar Animation Studios
Voice Acting in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production
Tom Kenny as the voice of Ice King – Adventure Time
– Cartoon Network Studios
Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production
Josh Gad as the voice of Olaf – Frozen
– Walt Disney Animation Studios
Writing in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production
Lewis Morton – Futurama
– 20th Century Fox Television
Writing in an Animated Feature Production
Hayao Miyazaki – The Wind Rises
– Studio Ghibli/Touchstone Pictures/The Walt Disney Studios
Editorial in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production
Illya Owens – Disney Mickey Mouse
– Disney Television Animation
Editorial in an Animated Feature Production
Greg Snyder, Gregory Amundson, Steve Bloom – Monsters University
– Pixar Animation Studios
Juried Awards
Winsor McCay Award – Katsuhiro Otomo, Steven Spielberg & Phil Tippett
June Foray – Alice Davis
Ub Iwerks – Dragonframe
Special Achievement – Creative Talent Network (CTN) Animation eXpo
Certificate of Merit – “I Know That Voice” (Documentary)
