In a competitive year in animation, Nimona, based on the graphic novel by ND Stevenson, leads the 51st Annie Awards feature competition with nine nominations includes best feature, direction and writing.

In the top category for best feature, the International Animated Film Society ASIFA-Hollywood — which hands out the annual animation prizes — also nominated Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron, Sony Pictures Animation’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and Makoto Shinkai’s Suzume, which earned seven nominations apiece; and Paramount and Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, which collected six nominations. Pixar’s Elemental also earned a total of six nominations, though it was snubbed in the top category.

Nimona, The Boy and the Heron, Across the Spider-Verse, Mutant Mayhem and Robot Dreams (which was also nominated for best independent feature) received directing noms.

Disney’s centennial-celebrating Wish and Dreamworks Animation’s Trolls World Tour both failed to earn a single nomination. Among the additional titles snubbed in the top category for best feature were Illuminations’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie (the year’s highest grossing animated movie that topped $1 billion at the global box office), which grabbed just one Annie nom; Aardman and Netflix’s Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, which earned two Annie noms; and Illumination’s Migration, which collected one.

Nimona began production at the former Blue Sky Studios and was shut down when the studio was acquired by Disney as part of the Fox purchase. But the team, including Annie nominated helmers Nick Bruno and Troy Quane, believed in the movie, and Nimona was revived by Annapurna and Netflix.

A pair of animated shorts that are Oscar shortlisted, HUMO and War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John and Yoko, received Annie nominations for best short subject. VFX shortlisted Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 earned an Annie nom for character animation is a live action feature.

During the 51st Annie Awards, which will be held Feb. 17 at UCLA’s Royce Hall, Winsor McCay Awards for career achievement will be bestowed on animator and director Charlotte “Lotte” Reiniger (posthumous), Studio Ghibli composer Joe Hisaishi, and National Film Board animator and producer Marcy Page. 

“The Artists of Walt Disney Animation” will be honored with a Special Achievement Award. The June Foray Award for charitable impact will be presented to BRIC Foundation co-founders Alison Mann and Nicole Hendrix, and the Ub lwerks Award for technical achievement will go to John Oxberry (posthumous). 

The complete list of nominees follows:

BEST FEATURE

Nimona -Annapurna Animation for Netflix 

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse -Sony Pictures Animation

Suzume -CoMix Wave Films Inc. and STORY inc.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem -Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies

The Boy and the Heron -Studio Ghibli / Distributed by GKIDS

BEST FEATURE-INDEPENDENT

Ernest & Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia -Folivari, Mélusine Productions, Studio Canal / Distributed by GKIDS

Four Souls of Coyote -Cinemon Entertainment 

Robot Dreams -Arcadia Motion Pictures

The Inventor -Curiosity Studios

White Plastic Sky -SALTO Films & Artichoke

BEST SPECIAL PRODUCTION 

Invincible: Atom Eve
Amazon MGM Studios, Skybound Entertainment

Shape Island: The Winter Blues
Bix Pix Entertainment in association with Apple

Snoopy Presents: One-of-a-Kind Marcie
WildBrain Studios in association with Apple

The Smeds and The Smoos
Magic Light Pictures

The Velveteen Rabbit

Magic Light Pictures in association with Apple

BEST SHORT SUBJECT

Carne de Dios
Ojo Raro & Fedora Productions 

Daffy in Wackyland
Warner Bros. Animation

HUMO
Outik Animation, 3rd Street Video, Mindsoup Entertainment, IMCINE

PINA
PUNCHLINE CINEMA / NEXT DAYS FILMS

WAR IS OVER! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko
ElectroLeague

BEST SPONSORED 

“Video Games” by Tenacious D
Pinreel Inc.

Alzheimer’s Research UK ‘Change The Ending’
Passion Pictures

Laugh Track – The National (featuring Phoebe Bridgers)
Bernard Derriman

Up in smoke
NOMINT 

BEST TV/MEDIA – PRESCHOOL

BatwheelsEpisode: To the Batmobile! – Warner Bros. Animatio

Ghee Happy  Episode: Navagraha -Ghee Happy Studio

Playdate with Winnie the Pooh  Episode: Piglet, Tigger and the Cardboard Box -Oddbot Inc.

StoryBots: Answer Time  Episode: Fractions -JibJab Bros. Studios for Netflix

The Creature Cases Episode: The Forest Food Bandit -Silvergate Media/Team TO/Choice/Provisions/Netflix

BEST TV/MEDIA – CHILDREN 

CURSES! Episode: The Baboon Temple -DreamWorks Animation

Hilda Episode: Chapter 8: The Fairy Isle -Hilda Productions Limited, a Silvergate Media Company, Netflix Inc. and Mercury Filmworks

Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur Episode: The Beyonder -Flying Bark Productions / Disney Television Animation 

My Dad the Bounty Hunter Episode: Bizarre Ride -A Netflix Series

Shape Island Episode: 105B Square’s Special Place -Bix Pix Entertainment in association with Apple

BEST TV/MEDIA – MATURE

Big Mouth
Episode: The International Show – Netflix

Blue Eye Samurai
Episode: Pilot: Hammerscale – A Netflix Series / 3 Arts Entertainment and Blue Spirit Productions

Bob’s Burgers Episode: Amelia
– 20th Television Animation

Scavengers Reign
Episode: The Signal
Max in association with Titmouse Animation and Green Street

Tomato Kitchen
Episode: Special Production – Bilibili / Studio Reflection

BEST TV/MEDIA – LIMITED SERIES

Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire Episode: Enkai -Triggerfish Animation Studio & Blinkink

Only You: An Animated Shorts Collection Episode: Yellowbird -Afterman production in association with Max/Warner Bros. Discovery

Pokémon: Path to the Peak Episode: 1 -The Pokémon Company International 

BEST STUDENT FILM

From The Top

Student Director: Rich Farris
Student Producer: Martina Buendia Silva
School: National Film and Television School

Kolaj

Student Director: Besen Dilek 

Student Producer: Besen Dilek

School: Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg GmbH

La quête de l’humain

Student Team: Mélina IENCO, Lucie JURIC, Caroline LEIBEL, Faustine MERLE, Claire PELLET
School: Gobelins, l’école de l’image

Quem Salva 

Student Team: Laure Devin, Maxime Bourstin, Nathan Medam, Charles

Hechinger, Titouan Jaouen
School: Supinfocom Rubika

The Little Poet

Student Director: Justine King
Student Producer: Justine King
School: California Institute of the Arts

BEST FX – TV/MEDIA

Blue Eye Samurai 

Episode: All Evil Dreams and Angry Words
– Production Company: A Netflix Series / 3 Arts Entertainment and Blue Spirit Productions
– FX Production Company: Blue Spirit 

○ Thomas Decaens, Karl Burtin, Laurent Bretonniere 

Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire
Episode: Moremi
– Production Company: Triggerfish for Disney+ – FX Production Company: Lucan 

○ Matthew Dunwoody, Dmitry Sarkisov, Podchasha Yuri Anatolyevich, Richard Bothma, Emile Van Straaten 

● Star Wars: Visions Episode: Sith 

– Production Company: Lucasfilm Ltd.
– FX Production Company: El Guiri Studios 

○ Jonatan Catalán, Alberto Sánchez, Phoebe Arjona, Virginia Cantaro, Rubén Hinarejos 

The Bad Guys: A Very Bad Holiday
Episode: The Bad Guys: A Very Bad Holiday
– Production Company: DreamWorks Animation
– FX Production Company: DreamWorks Animation and 88 Pictures 

○ Sateesh Malla, Russell Richardson Jr., Akash Gopal, Basavaraj P, Kevin Rumold 

What If…? Episode 206, “What If…Kahhori Reshaped the World?” Episode: 206 

– Production Company: Marvel Studios
– FX Production Company: SDFX Studios 

○ Ryan Barringer, Rajkumar Gurudu, Bipin Kumar Patra, Pranil Ravindra Mahajan 

BEST FX – FEATURE

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget 

– Production Company: Netflix Presents An Aardman Production – FX Production Company: Aardman Production 

○ Charles Copping, Jon Biggins, Jim Lewis, Rich Spence, Martin Lipmann 

Elemental
– Production Company: Pixar Animation Studios
– FX Production Company: Pixar Animation Studios 

○ Chris Chapman, Tim Speltz, Krzysztof Rost, Amit Baadkar, Ravindra Dwivedi 

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
– Production Company: Sony Pictures Animation
– FX Production Company: Sony Pictures Imageworks 

○ Pav Grochola, Filippo Maccari, Naoki Kato, Nicola Finizio, Edmond Boulet-Gilly 

Suzume
– Production Company: CoMix Wave Films Inc. and STORY inc.
– FX Production Company: CoMix Wave Films Inc. and STORY inc. 

○ Lukasz Mackiewicz, Kamil Polak 

BEST CHARACTER ANIMATION – TV/MEDIA

Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake 

Episode: The Winter King – Cartoon Network Studios 

○ Andre DeVilliers 

Episode: I Am Your Mother – Lucasfilm Ltd. 

○ Laurie Sitzia 

● THE AMAZING DIGITAL CIRCUS: PILOT Episode: 1 

– Glitch Productions
○ Kevin Temmer 

#14 BEST CHARACTER ANIMATION – FEATURE ● Elemental 

– Pixar Animation Studios ○ Jessica Torres 

● Nimona 

– Annapurna Animation for Netflix ○ Toby Seale 

● Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken 

– DreamWorks Animation ○ Prashanth Cavale 

● Suzume 

– CoMix Wave Films Inc. and STORY inc. ○ Kenichi Tsuchiya 

● The Boy and the Heron 

– Studio Ghibli / Distributed by GKIDS ○ Takeshi Honda 

#15 BEST CHARACTER ANIMATION – LIVE ACTION ● Ahsoka 

– Production Company: Lucasfilm
– FX Production Company: Industrial Light & Magic 

○ Rick O’Connor, Mike Beaulieu, Stewart Alves, Kevin Reuter, Wai Kit Wan 

● Cocaine Bear
– Production Company: Wētā FX
– FX Production Company: Wētā FX 

○ Carmelo Leggiero, Steve Braggs, Kevin Kelm, Cedric Enriquez Canlas, Kane Elferink 

● Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 

– Production Company: Marvel Studios – FX Production Company: Framestore 

○ Fernando Herrera, Chris Hurtt, Nathan McConnel, Daniel Cabral, Chris McGaw 

● The Little Mermaid
– Production Company: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures – FX Production Company: Framestore 

○ Pablo Grillo, Kayn Garcia, Ferran Casas, Stuart Ellis, Joseph Lewis 

● Transformers: Rise of the Beasts – Production Company: Wētā FX
– FX Production Company: Wētā FX 

○ Kevin Estey, Kai-Hua Lan, Blaine Toderian Toderian, Richard John Moore, Joseph C.K Leong 

#16 BEST CHARACTER ANIMATION – VIDEO GAME ● Atomic Heart 

– Mundfish
○ Mundfish Animation Team 

● Hogwarts Legacy 

– Avalanche Software ○ Tara Edwards 

● Let’s! Revolution! 

– BUCK
○ BUCK Animation Team 

● Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 

– Insomniac Games
○ Insomniac Games Animation Team 

● Teslagrad 2 

– Rain Games
○ Aslak Helgesen 

#17 BEST CHARACTER DESIGN – TV/MEDIA ● Clone High 

Episode: Let’s Try This Again
– Max in association with Lord Miller, Doozer, ShadowMachine, and MTV Entertainment 

○ Tara Billinger 

● Jessica’s Big Little World Episode: Bedtime Routine
– Cartoon Network Studios 

○ Nick Winn 

● Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire Episode: You Give Me Heart
– Triggerfish for Disney+ 

○ Lesego Vorester 

● Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur
Episode: 515M-106 (The Beyonder)
– Disney Television Animation / Cinema Gypsy Productions 

○ Jose Lopez 

● Spirit Rangers Episode: Water Protectors – Laughing Wild / Netflix 

○ Marie Delmas 

#18 BEST CHARACTER DESIGN – FEATURE ● Elemental 

– Pixar Animation Studios ○ Maria Yi 

● Merry Little Batman 

– Amazon MGM Studios, Warner Bros. Animation, DC Entertainment ○ Nikolas Ilic 

● Nimona 

– Annapurna Animation for Netflix ○ Aidan Sugano 

● Robot Dreams 

– Arcadia Motion Pictures
○ Daniel Fernandez Casas 

● Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse 

– Sony Pictures Animation
○ Jesús Alonso Iglesias 

#19 BEST DIRECTION – TV/MEDIA
● Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire 

Episode: Moremi
– Triggerfish Animation Studio & Lucan Studio 

○ Shofela Coker, Andrew McNally 

● My Dad the Bounty Hunter Episode: Bizarre Ride
– A Netflix Series 

○ Kenji Ono, Kai Akira, Patrick Harpin 

● Pokémon Concierge
Episode: #2 What’s on Your Mind, Psyduck? – dwarf studios for Netflix 

○ Iku Ogawa 

● Scavengers Reign
Episode: The Fall
– Max in association with Titmouse Animation and Green Street 

○ Diego Porral 

● Star Wars: Visions Episode: Screecher’s Reach – Lucasfilm Ltd. 

○ Paul Young 

#20 BEST DIRECTION – FEATURE ● Nimona 

– Annapurna Animation for Netflix ○ Nick Bruno, Troy Quane 

● Robot Dreams 

– Arcadia Motion Pictures
○ Pablo Berger, Benoît Feroumont 

● Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse 

– Sony Pictures Animation
○ Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson 

● Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem 

– Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies ○ Jeff Rowe, Kyler Spears 

● The Boy and the Heron 

– Studio Ghibli / Distributed by GKIDS ○ Hayao Miyazaki 

#21 BEST MUSIC – TV/MEDIA ● Animaniacs 

Episode: Talladega Mice
– Warner Brothers Animation/Amblin Entertainment/HULU Originals 

○ Steven Bernstein, Julie Bernstein 

● Babylon 5: The Road Home Special Production
– Warner Bros. Animation 

○ Michael McCuistion, Kristopher Carter, Lolita Ritmanis 

● Pacemaker Short Film 

– A Running Commentary
○ Christopher Lennertz 

● Star Wars: Visions Episode: Aau’s Song – Lucasfilm Ltd. 

○ Markus Wormstorm, Nadia Darries, Dineo du Toit 

● The Smeds and The Smoos Special Production
– Magic Light Pictures 

○ René Aubry 

#22 BEST MUSIC – FEATURE ● Elemental 

– Pixar Animation Studios
○ Thomas Newman, Ari “LAUV” Leff 

● Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse 

– Sony Pictures Animation
○ Daniel Pemberton, Metro Boomin 

● Suzume 

– CoMix Wave Films Inc. and STORY inc. ○ Kazuma Jinnouchi, RADWIMPS 

● Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem 

– Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies ○ Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross 

● The Boy and the Heron 

– Studio Ghibli / Distributed by GKIDS ○ Joe Hisaishi 

#23 BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN – TV/MEDIA ● Blue Eye Samurai 

Episode: Hammerscale – Netflix Animation 

○ Jason Scheier 

● Blue Eye Samurai
Episode: The Great Fire of 1657
– A Netflix Series / 3 Arts Entertainment and Blue Spirit Productions 

○ Toby Wilson, James Wilson, Emil Mitev 

● Scavengers Reign
Episode: The Storm
– Max in association with Titmouse Animation and Green Street 

○ Charles Huettner, Jonathan Djob Nkondo, Pauline Mauvière, Hugo Moreno, Jon Juarez 

● Star Wars: Visions Episode: Sith 

– Lucasfilm Ltd.
○ Carlos Salgado 

● What If…?
Episode: What if… Nebula Joined the Nova Corps? – Marvel Studios 

○ Paul Lasaine, Kristina Vardazaryan, Cynthia Halley, Ryan Magno, Simon Dunsdon 

#24 BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN – FEATURE ● Elemental 

– Pixar Animation Studios 

○ Don Shank, Maria Yi, Dan Holland, Jennifer Chang, Laura Meyer 

● Nimona 

– Annapurna Animation for Netflix ○ Aidan Sugano, Jeff Turley 

● Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse 

– Sony Pictures Animation
○ Patrick O’Keefe, Dean Gordon 

● Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem 

– Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies ○ Yashar Kassai, Arthur, Tiffany Lam 

● The Boy and the Heron 

– Studio Ghibli / Distributed by GKIDS ○ Yoji Takeshige 

#25 BEST STORYBOARDING – TV/MEDIA ● Craig Before The Creek 

Episode: Craig Before The Creek – Cartoon Network Studios 

○ Erik Fountain 

● Fright Krewe
Episode: The Blood Awakening, Part 1 – DreamWorks Animation 

○ Leah Artwick 

● Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai Episode: Never Give Up
– Warner Bros. Animation and Amblin Television 

○ Kristine Lee 

● Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight Episode: Apok-ta-pokalypse Now, Part II – DreamWorks Animation 

○ Grace Liu 

● Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur
Episode: 515M-107 “Run the Rink”
– Disney Television Animation / Cinema Gypsy Productions 

○ Ben Juwono 

#26 BEST STORYBOARDING – FEATURE
● Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget 

– Netflix Presents An Aardman Production ○ Richard Phelan 

● Nimona 

– Annapurna Animation for Netflix ○ Esteban Bravo 

● Robot Dreams 

– Arcadia Motion Pictures ○ Maca Gil 

● Suzume 

– CoMix Wave Films Inc. and STORY inc. / ○ Makoto Shinkai 

● The Boy and the Heron 

– Studio Ghibli / Distributed by GKIDS ○ Hayao Miyazaki 

#27 BEST VOICE ACTING – TV/MEDIA ● Archer 

Episode: Keys Open Doors – FX Productions 

○ Aisha Tyler (Character: Lana Kane) 

● Craig Before The Creek Episode: Craig Before The Creek – Cartoon Network Studios 

○ Vico Ortiz (Character: Serena) 

● Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur
Episode: Moon Girl Landing
– Flying Bark Productions / Disney Television Animation 

○ Diamond White (Character: Lunella Lafayette / Moon Girl) 

● Solar Opposites
Episode: The Re-Visibility Bouillabaisse – 20th Television Animation 

○ Dan Stevens (Character: Korvo) 

● The Velveteen Rabbit
Episode: The Velveteen Rabbit
– Magic Light Pictures in association with Apple 

○ Alex Lawther (Character: Velveteen Rabbit) 

#28 BEST VOICE ACTING – FEATURE ● Merry Little Batman 

– Amazon MGM Studios, Warner Bros. Animation, DC Entertainment ○ David Hornsby (Character: Joker) 

● Migration 

– Illumination
○ Tresi Gazal (Character: Gwen) 

● Nimona 

– Annapurna Animation for Netflix
○ Chloë Grace Moretz (Character: Nimona) 

● Suzume 

– CoMix Wave Films Inc. and STORY inc.
○ Hokuto Matsumura (Character: Souta Munakata) 

● The Super Mario Bros. Movie 

– Illumination
○ Jack Black (Character: Bowser) 

#29 BEST WRITING – TV/MEDIA ● Blue Eye Samurai 

Episode: Episode 105: The Tale of the Ronin and the Bride
– A Netflix Series / 3 Arts Entertainment and Blue Spirit Productions 

○ Amber Noizumi 

● Only You: An Animated Shorts Collection
Episode: Yellowbird
– Afterman production in association with Max/Warner Bros. Discovery 

○ Tsvetelina Zdraveva, Jerred North 

● Rock Paper Scissors Episode: Birthday Police
– Nickelodeon Animation Studios 

○ Josh Lehrman, Kyle Stegina, Aram Spencer Porter, Julia Prescott, Mike Trapp 

● Rosie’s Rules
Episode: Time Trouble
– 9 Story Media Group, Brown Bag Films 

○ Leyani Diaz, Maria Escobedo 

● Scavengers Reign
Episode: The Reunion
– Max in association with Titmouse Animation and Green Street 

○ Sean Buckelew 

#30 BEST WRITING – FEATURE ● Nimona 

– Annapurna Animation for Netflix
○ Robert L. Baird, Lloyd Taylor 

● Robot Dreams 

– Arcadia Motion Pictures ○ Pablo Berger 

● Suzume 

– CoMix Wave Films Inc. and STORY inc. ○ Makoto Shinkai 

● Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem 

– Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies
○ Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Jeff Rowe, Dan Hernandez, Benji Samit 

● The Boy and the Heron 

– Studio Ghibli / Distributed by GKIDS ○ Hayao Miyazaki 

#31 BEST EDITORIAL – TV/MEDIA ● Blue Eye Samurai 

Episode: Episode 105: The Tale of the Ronin and the Bride
– A Netflix Series / 3 Arts Entertainment and Blue Spirit Productions 

○ Yuka Shirasuna 

● Hilda
Episode: Chapter 6: The Forgotten Lake
– Hilda Productions Limited, a Silvergate Media Company, Netflix Inc. and Mercury Filmworks 

○ John Mckinnon, Mike Stefanelli 

● I Am Groot
Episode: Groot’s Snow Day – Marvel Studios 

○ Dan Urrutia 

● Star Wars: Visions Episode: Screecher’s Reach – Lucasfilm Ltd. 

○ Richie Cody, ACE, BFE 

● The Legend of Vox Machina
Episode: The Sunken Tomb
– Amazon MGM Studios, Critical Role Productions, Titmouse 

○ Todd Raleigh 

#32 BEST EDITORIAL – FEATURE 

● Elemental 

– Pixar Animation Studios
○ Stephen Schaffer, Amera Rizk, Gregory Snyder, Jen Jew, Kevin Rose-Williams 

● Leo 

– Happy Madison for Netflix
○ Patrick Voetberg, Joseph Titone, Darrian M. James, Danny Miller, Brian 

Robinson 

● Nimona 

– Annapurna Animation for Netflix
○ Randy Trager, Erin Crackel, Stephen Schwartz, Ashley Calle 

● Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse 

– Sony Pictures Animation
○ Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Editorial Team 

● Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem 

– Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies
○ Greg Levitan, Illya Quinteros, David Croomes, Myra Owyang