LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – The 51st Annie Awards is currently taking place at UCLA’s Royce Hall, with winners being announced throughout the evening. The event, presented by ASIFA-Hollywood, celebrates the excellence in animation across various categories.
Netflix’s “Nimona” leads the nominations with a total of nine, closely followed by Gkids’ “The Boy and the Heron” and Sony’s “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” both with seven nominations each. Other notable contenders for the Best Feature award include Toho’s “Suzume” and Paramount/Nickelodeon Film’s “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.”
Interestingly, this year’s nominations mark the first time in 32 years that no Disney or Pixar film is competing for the top prize at the Annies. This is a noteworthy shift in the landscape of animation and sets the stage for a potentially diverse winner in the Best Feature category.
The Annies have historically been a predictor of success at the Oscars, with a significant number of winners going on to claim the Best Animated Feature award at the Academy Awards. Last year, Netflix’s “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” triumphed at both the Annies and the Oscars, highlighting the influence and significance of the Annies in the larger animation industry.
As the award season continues, the focus now turns to the upcoming Best Animated Feature Oscar race, which includes “Nimona,” “The Boy and the Heron,” “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” “Elemental,” and “Robot Dreams.” The winners will be revealed on March 10 at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood.
Additionally, the 2024 Annie Awards has already announced several winners, including “War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko” for Best Short Subject and “The Little Poet” by student director Justine King from California Institute of the Arts for Best Student Film. The event also paid tribute to industry luminaries through awards such as The Winsor McCay Award, The June Foray Award, The Ub Iwerks Award, and The Special Achievement Award.
The annual Annie Awards serves as a testament to the innovation, talent, and creativity within the animation industry, showcasing the outstanding work and contributions of individuals and teams in this vibrant and ever-evolving field.