The Annie Awards celebrate the best in animation. This year, of course, the awards ceremony was virtual. It was held on April 16, 2021.

ASIFA-Hollywood, an American non-profit organization in Los Angeles, California, United States, is a branch member of the “Association Internationale du Film d’Animation” or “ASIFA” (the International Animated Film Association). The Annie Awards, hosted by ASIFA-Hollywood, were created by voice actor June Foray in 1972. The ceremonies were virtual this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is not unusual for Disney Studios to receive multiple nominations in various categories. This year, Soul, was nominated for ten awards and won seven. Soul won Best Feature, Best FX for Feature, Best Character Animation – Feature, Best Music – Feature, Best Storyboarding – Feature, Best Writing – Feature, and Best Editorial – Feature.

Soul is also nominated for an Oscar for Best Animated Feature. It is Pixar’s first film to feature an African-American protagonist. It was directed by Pete Docter and written by Docter, Mike Jones, and Kemp Powers. It stars Jamie Foxx as Joe Gardner, a middle school music teacher.

Here is the list of nominations in each category. The winner in each category is shown in bold.

Best Feature

• Onward
• Soul
• The Croods: A New Age
• The Willoughbys
• Trolls World Tour

Best Indie Feature

• Shaun the Sheep: Farmaggedon
• Calamity Jane
• Ride Your Wave
• On-Gaku: Our Sound
• Wolfwalkers

Best Special Production

• Baba Yaga
• Nixie & Nimbo
• Libresse/Bodyform – #Wombstories
• The Snail and the Whale
• Shooom’s Odyssey

Best Short Subject

• Filles Bleues, Peur Blanche
• Souvenir, Souvenir
• KKUM
• The Places Where We Live (Cake)
• World of Tomorrow Episode Three: The Absent Destinations of David Prime

Best Sponsored

• Erste Group ‘Edgar’s Christmas’
• Max & Maxine
• The Last Mile
• There’s a Monster in my Kitchen
• Travel the Vote

Best TV/Media – Preschool

• Buddi Episode “Snow”
• Muppet Babies Episode “Wock-a-Bye Fozzie”
• The Adventures of Paddington Episode “Paddington Digs a Tunnel to Peru”
• Stillwater Episode “The Impossible Dream/Stuck in the Rain”
• Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum Episode “I am Madam President”

Best TV/Media – Children

• Hilda Episode Chapter 9 “The Deerfox”
• Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Episode Finale Part 4 “Rise”
• She-Ra and the Princesses of Power Episode “Heart, Part 2”
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars Episode “Shattered”
• Victor and Valentino Episode The Lonely Haunts Club 3 “La Llorona”

Best TV/Media – General Audience

• Close Enough Episode “Logan’d Run/Room Parents
• Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal Episode “Coven of the Damned”
• Harley Quinn Episode “Something Borrowed, Something Green”
• Rick and Morty Episode “The Vat of Acid”
• The Midnight Gospel Episode “Mouse of Silver”

Best Student Film

• 100,000 Acres of Pine
• Coffin
• La Bestia
• O Black Hole!
• Latitude du Printemps

Best FX for TV/Media

• Fast & Furious: Spy Racers Episode “Sirocco Fire Explosion”
• Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous Episode “Welcome to Jurassic World”
• Lamp Life Episode “Lamp Life”
• Tales of Arcadia: Wizards Episode “Killahead, Part 2”
• Transformers: War for Cybertron (Siege) Episode 6

Best FX for Feature

• Over the Moon
• Soul
• The Croods: A New Age
• Trolls World Tour
• Wolfwalkers

Best Character Animation – TV/Media

• Alien Xmas
• BoJack Horseman Episode “Good Damage”
• Cosmos: Possible Worlds Episode Vavilov
• Hilda
• Lamp Life

Best Charaction Animation – Feature

• Onward
• Soul
• The Croods: A New Age
• Wolfwalker
• The Willoughbys

Best Character Animation – Live Action

• The Christmas Chronicles 2
• The Mandalorian
• The Umbrella Academy 2
• Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made

Best Character Animation – Video Game

• League of Legends
• Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales
• Ori and the Will of the Wisps
• The Last of Us Part II

Best Character Design – TV/Media

• Amphibia Episode “The Shut-In!”
• BNA Episode “Runaway Raccoon”
• Craig of the Creek
• Looney Tunes Cartoons
• The Owl House Episode “Young Blood, Old Souls”

Best Character Design – Feature

• Soul
• The Croods: A New Age
• The Willoughbys
• Wolfwalkers
• Trolls World Tour

Best Direction – TV/Media

• Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal Episode “Plague of Madness”
• Great Pretender Episode “Case 1_1 Los Angeles Connection”
• Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart Episode “Mao Mao’s Nakey”
• Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Episode “Battle Nexus NYC”
• The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse Episode “Hard to Swallow”

Best Direction – Feature

• Calamity Jane
• Over the Moon
• Ride Your Wave
• Soul
• Wolfwalkers

Best Music – TV/Media

• Blood of Zeus Episode “Escape or Die”
• Mira, Royal Detective Episode “The Great Diwali Mystery”
• Star Trek: Lower Decks Episode “Crisis Point”
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars Episode “Victory and Death”
• The Tiger Who Came to Tea

Best Music – Feature

• Onward
• Over the Moon
• Soul
• The Willoughbys

Best Production Design – TV/Media

• Baba Yaga
• Shooom’s Odyssey
• The Adventures of Paddington Episode “Paddington and Halloween”
• To: Gerard
• Trash Truck

Best Production Design – Feature

• Onward
• Soul
• The Willoughbys
• Trolls World Tour
• Wolfwalkers

Best Storyboarding – TV/Media

• Archibald’s Next Big Thing Episode “Baritone Tea Part 1”
• Big City Greens Episode “Cheap Show”
• Looney Tunes Cartoons
• Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge
• Shooom’s Odyssey

Best Storyboarding – Feature

• Earwig and the Witch
• Over the Moon
• Soul
• The Croods: A New Age
• Wolfwalkers

Best Voice Acting – TV/Media

• Dragon Rescue Riders: Hunt for the Golden Dragon – Jeff Bennett as Erik the Wretched
• It’s Pony Episode “107” – Jessica DiCicco as Annie
• Phineas and Ferb the Movie Episode “Candace Against the Universe” – Ashley Tisdale as Candace
• Tales of Arcadia: Wizards Episode “Our Final Act” – David Bradley as Merlin
• ThunderCats ROAR! Episode “ThunderSlobs” – Patrick Seitz as Mumm-ra and Tygra

Best Voice Acting – Feature

• Earwig and the Witch – Vanessa Marshall as Bella Yaga
• Onward – Tom Holland as Ian Lightfoot
• Over the Moon -Robert G. Chiu as Chin
• The Croods: A New Age – Nicolas Cage as Grug
• Wolfwalkers – Eva Whittaker as Mebh Og MacTire

Best Writing – TV/Media

• Big Mouth Episode “The New Me”
• Craig of the Creek
• Fancy Nancy Episode “Nancy’s New Friend”
• Harley Quinn Episode “Something Borrowed, Something Green”
• She-Ra and the Princesses of Power Episode “Heart, Part 2”

Best Writing – Feature

• Shaun the Sheep: Farmaggedon
• Onward
• Over the Moon
• Soul
• Wolfwalkers

Best Editorial – TV/Media

• Cops and Robbers
• Hilda Episode “Chapter 9 The Deerfox”
• If Anything Happens I Love You
• Lamp Life
• To: Gerard

Best Editorial – Feature

• Shaun the Sheep: Farmaggedon
• Calamity Jane
• Onward
• Soul
• The Willoughbys

Which of these animated features and shows have you seen? Do you agree with the judges; choices? If not, which would you have chosen? Share your opinions with us in the Comments Section below.

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