Best Animated Feature nominees ‘Elio,’ ‘Little Amélie or the Character of Rain,’ ‘KPop Demon Hunters,’ ‘The Bad Guys 2,’ and ‘Zootopia 2’ top the expansive list of category nominations; animation’s biggest awards ceremony is scheduled to return live on Saturday, February 21 at UCLA’s Royce Hall
ASIFA-Hollywood has just released nominations for its 53rd Annual Annie Awards recognizing the year’s best in the field of animation.This year, the ceremony is scheduled to be held live, in-person on Saturday, February 21, 2026 at UCLA’s Royce Hall.
and lead all feature nominees with 10 nominations each, followed by and with seven each and with five.leads all TV/episodic nominees with six.
The Annie Awards cover 37 categories and include Best Animated Feature, Best Animated Feature-Independent, Special Productions, Sponsored Films, Short Subjects, Student Films and Outstanding Individual Achievements, as well as the honorary Juried Awards.Juried Awards will be presented during the ceremony, honoring achievement and exceptional contributions to animation.The Winsor McCay Award in recognition of lifetime or career contributions is being presented to four recipients: Michaël Dudok de Wit, Christopher Miller and Phil Lord, and Chris Sanders; The June Foray Award for significant and benevolent or charitable impact will be awarded to Sandy Rabins, animation and live-action producer and the founding guiding light for the AnimAID effort to assist and support those in the animation industry who were affected by the L.
A.wildfires.The Ub Iwerks Award for technical advancement affecting the animation industry will be presented to Wacom, manufacturer of the Cintiq graphics tablet and other products that have become an integral part of animation production worldwide.
The Special Achievement Award recognizing unique and outstanding achievement not recognized within the existing award category structure will be presented to LightBox Expo, the annual event that brings the creative animation community of filmmakers together with animation students and fans.ASIFA-Hollywood is the world’s first and foremost professional organization dedicated to promoting the Art of Animation and celebrating the people who create it.Today, ASIFA-Hollywood, the largest chapter of the international organization ASIFA, supports a range of animation activities and preservation efforts through its membership.
Current initiatives include the Animation Archive, Animation Aid Foundation, animated film preservation, animation open source support, special events, classes and screenings. Created in 1972 by veteran voice talent June Foray, the Annie Awards have grown in scope and stature for the past four decades.For information regarding the Annie Awards, please visit https://annieawards.org/.The full list of nominations in all categories is shown below: Best Feature - Pixar Animation Studios - Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix - Maybe Movies, Ikki Films, Distributed by GKIDS - DreamWorks Animation - Walt Disney Animation Studios Best Feature-Independent - Mediawan, What the Prod and Bidibul productions - Remembers, MountainA France, France 3 Cinéma - Cinema Fantasma, Warner Bros.
Discovery, Woo Films, Cine Vendaval - Netflix / Climax Studio - Studio CHIZU Best Special Production - Nickelodeon Animation Studio & Jam Filled Entertainment - Titmouse and Williams Street - Venturia Animation Studios for CNEK Films LLC - WildBrain Studios in association with Apple - Lupus Films, Universal Pictures Content Group Best Short Subject - Locksmith Animation , Jante Films, Apparat Filmproduktion AB - Animoshe - The Art of Aaron Blaise - National Film Board of Canada Best Sponsored Animated Short: | - FLiiiP Design - A Gracie Films Production in Association with 20th Television Animation - Imagine Create Media Inc.in conjunction with Maileg APS - Screen Novelties & Passion Pictures - The Animation - SEGA of America in association with GXS Productions Best TV/Media - Preschool , Episode: Welcome to Treetopington - Brown Bag Films / Scholastic Entertainment in association with Apple , Episode: Gotta Go! - Oddbot Entertainment, Disney Branded Television , Episode: Tiny Chef's Spooky Stump Spectacular - Imagine Entertainment, Tiny Chef Productions and Nickelodeon Productions , Episode: Rainy Day - Punkrobot , Episode: I am Jackie Robinson - 9 Story Media Group, Brown Bag Films Best TV/Media - Children , Episode: All For Our Best Friend - Sanrio Company for Netflix , Episode: 1 - Steamroller Animation , Episode: Rise of the Night Ninja - Nickelodeon Animation Studios and PointGrey Pictures , Episode: The Rewrite - Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe , Episode: Sungandeul - Nickelodeon Animation Studios / Jam Filled Entertainment Best TV/Media - Mature , Episode: Grand Pre-Pre-Pre Opening - 20th TV , Episode: Pilot - Green Street Pictures, Bandera Entertainment and Williams Street Productions , Episode: 107 - Duncan Holds a Baby - Williams Street , Episode: Claudia entra in un caffè - Luckyred, Megadrago , Episode: Sermon on the 'Mount - Comedy Central LLC Best TV/Media - Limited Series , Episode: Episode III - Netflix / Banijay Productions France / Légende Films , Episode: Into The Lion's Den - Marvel Studios , Episode: 2 - Marvel Studios , Episode: BLACK - david production , Episode: Episode 8: Home - Pixar Animation Studios Best Student Film - Student Director: Tobias Eckerlin; Student Producer: Tobias Eckerlin; School: Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg GmbH - Student Directors: Eloïse Alluyn, Hugo Danet, Anna Despinoy, Antonin Guerci, Alexandre Marzin, Shali Reddy; School: Gobelins - Student Directors: Martin Chailloux, Ai Kim Crespin, Elise Golfouse, Chloé Lab, Hugo Taillez, Camille Truding; School: École des Nouvelles Images - Student Director: Oscar Jacobson; Student Producers: Franz Rügamer, Nadiia Yunatska; School: Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg GmbH - Student Directors: Maxime Crançon, Alexis Le Ral; Student Producers: Robin Delaporte, Romain Fleischer, Mattéo Durand; School: ESMA Best FX - TV/Media , Episode: Episode 4 - Production Company: Marvel Animation; FX Production Company: Stellar Creative Lab, Inc.- Emma Badia, Tristan Fairclough, Jimmy Dumont, Sheng Hung, Arth Vasavada , Episode: The Big Freeze - Production Company: BBC Studios Natural History Unit; FX Production Company: Framestore - Edward Ferrysienanda, Kevin Christensen, Guy Shuleman, Benedikt Roettger, Kevin Tarpinian , Episode: 1 - Production Company: Steamroller Animation; FX Production Company: Steamroller Animation - Steamroller Animation Effects Department , Episode: The Bird of Paradise - Production Company: Polygon Pictures; FX Production Company: Polygon Pictures - Takashi Okamoto, Kohei Yamamoto, Genyo Sasaki, Chizuru Nakamura, Erika Matsui , Episode: Lost - Production Company: Skydance Animation; FX Production Company: ICON Creative Studio - EP 209 ICON Creative Studio FX Team Best FX - Feature - Production Company: Pixar Animation Studios; FX Production Company: Pixar Animation Studios - Ferdi Scheepers, Shaun Galinak, Alyssa Lee, Nate Skeen, Gary Bruins - Production Company: Netflix, Kuku Studios; FX Production Company: Sony Pictures Imageworks - Dmitriy Kolesnik, Stephen Paschk, David Sellares, Stephanie McNair - Production Company: Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix; FX Production Company: Sony Pictures Imageworks - Filippo Macari, Nicola Finizio, Simon Lewis, Naoki Kato, Daniel La Chapelle - Production Company: DreamWorks Animation; FX Production Company: DreamWorks Animation - Landon Gray, Michael Losure, Zachary Glynn, Chris Wombold, Olivier Malric - Production Company: Walt Disney Animation Studios; FX Production Company: Walt Disney Animation Studios - Le Joyce Tong, Shamintha Kalamba Arachchi, Dimitre Berberov, Chris Carignan, Cristiana Covone Best Character Animation - TV/Media , Episode: Episode III - Netflix / Banijay Productions France / Légende Films - Floriane Caseiro , Special Production - Nathan Engelhardt and Jeremy Spears - Brendan Gottlieb - WildBrain Studios in association with Apple - Chris Derochie , Various Episodes - Gracie Films Production in Association with 20th Television Animation - Nik Ranieri , Various Episodes - Pixar Animation Studios - Alli Sadegiani Best Character Animation - Feature - Pixar Animation Studios - Jonah Sidhom - Sony Pictures Animation, Netflix - Ryusuke Furuya - Maybe Movies, Ikki Films, Distributed by GKIDS - Juliette Laurent - DreamWorks Animation - Ludovic Bouancheau - Walt Disney Animation Studios - Tony Smeed Best Character Animation - Live Action - Production Company: Warner Bros.
Pictures, Legendary Pictures, Mojang Studios, Vertigo Entertainment, On the Roam; FX Production Company: Weta FX - Kevin Estey, Anthony McIndoe, Jade Lorier, Caroline Ting, Luisma Lavin Peredo - Production Company: Marvel Studios, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures; FX Production Company: Weta FX - Sidney Kombo-Kintombo, Andrew William Park, Marco Röth, Paul Seyb, Thien Ly - Production Company: DreamWorks Animation; FX Production Company: Framestore - Kayn Garcia, Jean-Denis Haas, Meena Ibrahim, Nathan McConnel, Nick Tripodi - Production Company: BBC Studios Natural History Unit; FX Production Company: Framestore - Adrien Annesley, Alvise Avati, Riyad Chalakkara, Daniel Mizuguchi, Liam Russell - Production Company: DC Studios; FX Production Company: Framestore - Loic Mireault, Michael Elder, Philipp Winterstein, Victor Dinis, Diego De Paula, Pereira Batista Best Character Animation - Video Game - Little Sewing Machine - Chris Darril - Kojima Productions - Hideo Kojima, Masaaki Kawata, Kojima Productions, PlayStation Studios XDEV - Sucker Punch Productions - Sucker Punch Productions Animation Team - Double Fine Productions - Zach Baharov, Alex Turner, Jerry Matsko, Anne-Sophie Savard, Geneviève Desbiens - Compulsion Games - Mike Jungbluth, Sebastien Dussault, Vincent Schneider, Remi Edmond Best Character Design - TV/Media , Episode: Episode IV - Netflix / Banijay Productions France / Légende Films - Borja Montoro , Episode: A Knight at the Movies - Amazon MGM Studios, Warner Bros.Animation, DC Entertainment - Benjamin Tong , Episode: 400 Boys - Blur Studio for Netflix - Robert Valley , Short Film - DreamWorks Animation - Seth St.Pierre , Episode: Episode 8, Home - Pixar Animation Studios - Lou Hamou-Lhadj Best Character Design - Feature - Pixar Animation Studios - Matt Nolte, Yingzong Xin, James Woods, Kaleb Rice, Bob Pauley - Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix - Craig Kellman - Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix - Scott Watanabe, Ami Thompson - Paramount Animation / Nickelodeon Movies - Adam Paloian, Thaddeus Couldron, Alvi Ramirez - Netflix Presents / The Roald Dahl Story Company - Kei Acedera, Tristan Poulain, Jules Rigolle, Fernando Peque, Remi Salmon Best Direction - TV/Media , Episode: Cliff's Edge - Green Street Pictures, Bandera Entertainment and Williams Street Productions - Vincent Tsui , Episode: Clash! Space Kaiju vs.
Giant Robot! - Science SARU, Mainichi Broadcasting System, Distributed by GKIDS - Fuga Yamashiro, Abel Góngora , Episode: It’s a Boat - Silver Creek Falls Entertainment / Passion Pictures in association with Apple - Siri Melchior , Episode: Rise of the Night Ninja - Nickelodeon Animation Studios and PointGrey Pictures - JJ Conway, Kevin Molina-Ortiz , Short Film - Martirio Films & Illusorium films - James A.Castillo Best Direction - Feature - Remembers, MountainA France, France 3 Cinéma - Ugo Bienvenu, Adam Sillard, Anaëlle Saba - MAPPA Studios - Tatsuya Yoshihara - Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix - Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans - Maybe Movies, Ikki Films, Distributed by GKIDS - Maïlys Vallade, Liane-Cho Han - Studio CHIZU - Mamoru Hosoda Best Music - TV/Media , Episode: Lakeshore Limited - Green Street Pictures, Bandera Entertainment, and Williams Street Productions - Nicolas Snyder , Episode: The First Circle - A Netflix Series / Studio Mir / Adi Shankar Animation / Capcom - Power Glove, Alex Seaver , Short Film - Cartoon Saloon - Leo Pearson, Ceara Conway - WildBrain Studios in association with Apple - Ben Folds, Jeff Morrow, Alan Zachary, Michael Weiner , Episode: Episode 6, Mixed Signals - Pixar Animation Studios - Ramin Djawadi, Shane Eli, Johnny Pakfar Best Music - Feature - Remembers, MountainA France, France 3 Cinéma - Arnaud Toulon - Pixar Animation Studios - Rob Simonsen - Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix - KPop Demon Hunters Music Team - Maybe Movies, Ikki Films, Distributed by GKIDS - Mari Fukuhara - Walt Disney Animation Studios - Shakira, Ed Sheeran, Blake Slatkin, Michael Giacchino Best Production Design - TV/Media , Episode: Episode II - Netflix / Banijay Productions France / Légende Films - Aurélien Prédal , Special Production - Nathan Engelhardt and Jeremy Spears - Jeremy Spears, Gregory Culp , Episode: How Zeke Got Religion - Blur Studio for Netflix - Gigi Cavenago , Special Production – LAIKA - Thibault Leclercq, Santiago Montiel, Jung Woonyoung, Stephanie Bray-Lee , Short Film - DreamWorks Animation - Frederic Stewart Best Production Design - Feature - Pixar Animation Studios - Harley Jessup, Ernesto Nemesio, Maria Lee, Kristian Norelius, Kyle Jones - Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix - Helen Chen, Dave Bleich, Wendell Dalit, Scott Watanabe, Celine Kim - DreamWorks Animation - Luc Desmarchelier, Floriane Marchix - Netflix Presents / The Roald Dahl Story Company - Estefania Pantoja, Alexandre Diboine, Clement Dartigues, Fernando Peque, Remi Salmon - Walt Disney Animation Studios - Cory Loftis, Limei Z.Hshieh Best Storyboarding - TV/Media , Episode: How Zeke Got Religion - Blur Studio for Netflix - Edgar Martins , Special Production – LAIKA - Coleton Palmer, Katherine Jay Myong, Heewon Jeong , Short Film - The Art of Aaron Blaise, LLC.
- Aaron Blaise
, Episode: Rise of the Night Ninja - Nickelodeon Animation Studios and PointGrey Pictures - Richard Chi, Matthew Kim, Sheldon Vella, Lyndsay Simpson
, Episode: Episode 8, Home - Pixar Animation Studios - Esteban Bravo
Best Storyboarding - Feature
- Remembers, MountainA France, France 3 Cinéma - Ugo Bienvenu
- Pixar Animation Studios - Tony Rosenast
- Maybe Movies, Ikki Films, Distributed by GKIDS - Nicolas Pawlowski
- DreamWorks Animation - Anthony Holden, Young Ki Yoon
- Walt Disney Animation Studios - Hikari Toriumi
Best Voice Acting - TV/Media
, Episode: Don't Worry Be Hoopy - 20th TV - Dan Mintz (Character: Tina Belcher)
, Episode: Behind Closed Doors - Amazon MGM Studios, A24, Bento Box Entertainment - Erika Henningsen (Character: Charlie Morningstar)
, Episode: Shira Can’t Cook - Tornante Television and ShadowMachine for Netflix - Abbi Jacobson (Character: Shira Schwooper)
, Episode: Shmaloogles - Williams Street - Zach Hadel (Character: Evil Wizard)
, Episode: The Amadain - Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe - Alkaio Thiele (Character: Gumball Watterson)
Best Voice Acting - Feature
- DreamWorks Animation - Lil Rey Howery (Character: Chief)
- Pixar Animation Studios - Remy Edgerly (Character: Glordon)
- Netflix Presents a Kuku Studios Production / Sony Pictures Imageworks - Craig Robinson (Character: Baloney Tony)
- Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix - Arden Cho (Character: Rumi)
- Netflix Presents / The Roald Dahl Story Company - Maitreyi Ramakrishnan (Character: Beesha)
Best Writing - TV/Media
, Episode: Episode 101: NINE TEN - Amazon MGM Studios, A24, Cairo Cowboy - Ramy Youssef, Pam Brady
, Special Production - Titmouse and Williams Street - Pendleton Ward, Ian Jones-Quartey, Rebecca Sugar, Patrick McHale
, Episode: Pilot - Green Street Pictures, Bandera Entertainment, and Williams Street Productions - Joe Bennett, Steve Hely
, Special Production - Bento Box and Propagate in association with Apple - Allison Flom
, Episode: Episode 4, Pickle - Pixar Animation Studios - Carrie Hobson, Michael Yates
Best Writing - Feature
- Pixar Animation Studios - Julia Cho, Mark Hammer, Mike Jones
- Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix - Danya Jimenez, Hannah McMechan, Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans
- Maybe Movies, Ikki Films, Distributed by GKIDS - Liane-Cho Han, Aude Py, Maïlys Vallade, Eddine Noël
- Studio CHIZU - Mamoru Hosoda
- Walt Disney Animation Studios - Jared Bush
Best Editorial - TV/Media
, Episode: Episode III - Netflix / Banijay Productions France / Légende Films - David Boyadjian
, Episode: Raid - Green Street Pictures, Bandera Entertainment, and Williams Street Productions - Tony Christopherson, Joie Lim
, Episode: The Acolytes of Abaddon - Titmouse for Netflix - Benjamin Morse, Benjamin Martian, Marshall Wetta
, Episode: I Thought You'd Never Shut Up - Amazon MGM Studios, Skybound Animation - Luke Asa Guidici, Matt Michael, Lea Carosella, Liam Johnson
, Episode: Up From the Grave - Ubisoft Film & Television - Thomas Belair, Nicolas Bourgeois, Julien Perez
Best Editorial - Feature
- Remembers, MountainA France, France 3 Cinéma - Nathan Jacquard
- Pixar Animation Studios - Anna Wolitzky, Steve Bloom, Noah Newman, Greg Snyder, Ben Morris
- Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix - KPop Demon Hunters Editorial Team
- Maybe Movies, Ikki Films, Distributed by GKIDS - Ludovic Versace
- Cine Chani, Historias de Bibi & Guasábara Cine - Tomás Pichardo Espaillat
Dan Sarto is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network.
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