I love the art of animation, and it's amazing to see how far things have come and advanced over the years. The industry is changing in terms of technology, but what it all really comes down to is telling good stories. There's been a lot of great animated movies this year, and many of them are up for several awards at the 40th Annual Annie Awards.
Some of the movies nomainated include Brave, Frankenweenie, Hotel Transylvania, ParaNorman, Rise of the Guardians, The Pirates! Band of Misfits, and Wreck-It Ralph. Out of those films my favorite is a toss up between Wreck-It Ralph and ParaNorman, those were two pretty incredible films. I think ParaNorman has the edge though.
Some of the other animated properties nominated are Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1, Disney Tron: Uprising, Justice League: Doom, Robot Chicken ‘DC Comics Special', South Park ‘Raising the Bar’, and several others. Look over the list of nominations for yourself and let us know what your favorite animated movies and TV shows were this year!
2012 ANNIE AWARD NOMINATIONS
Best Animated Feature
Brave – Pixar Animation Studios
Frankenweenie – The Walt Disney Studios
Hotel Transylvania – Sony Pictures Animation
ParaNorman – Focus Features
Rise of the Guardians – DreamWorks Animation
The Pirates! Band of Misfits – Aardman Animations
The Rabbi’s Cat – GKIDS
Wreck-It Ralph – Walt Disney Animation Studios
Annie Award for Best Animated Special Production
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 – Warner Bros. Animation
Before Orel – Trust – Starburns Industries, Inc.
Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem – Illumination Entertainment
Disney Tron: Uprising – Beck’s Beginning – Disney TV Animation
Dragons: Gift of the Night Fury – DreamWorks Animation
Justice League: Doom – Warner Bros. Animation
Best Animated Short Subject
Brad and Gary – Illumination Entertainment
Bydlo – National Film Board of Canada
Eyes on the Stars – StoryCorps
Goodnight Mr. Foot – Sony Pictures Animation
Kali the Little Vampire – National Film Board of Canada
Maggie Simpson in ‘The Longest Daycare’ – Gracie Films in Association with 20th Century Fox TV
Paperman – Walt Disney Animation Studios
The Simpsons – ‘Bill Plympton Couch Gag’ – Gracie Films in Association with 20th Century Fox TV
Best General Audience Animated TV Production For Preschool Children
Bubble Guppies ‘A Tooth on the Looth’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
Chuggington ‘Magnetic Wilson’ – Ludorum
Jake & The Never Land Pirates ‘Peter Pan Returns’ – Disney TV Animation
Doc McStuffins ‘The Right Stuff’ – Disney TV Animation
Justin Time ‘Marcello’s Meatballs’ – Guru Studio
Best Animated Television Production For Children
Adventure Time ‘Princess Cookie’ – Cartoon Network Studios
Dragons: Riders of Berk ‘How to Pick Your Dragon’ – DreamWorks Animation
LEGO Star Wars ‘The Empire Strikes Out’ – Threshold Animation Studios
Penguins of Madagascar ‘Action Reaction’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
SpongeBob SquarePants ‘It’s a SpongeBob Christmas!’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
The Amazing World of Gumball ‘The Job’ – Turner Broadcasting System Europe, Ltd.
The Fairly OddParents ‘Farm Pit’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
The Legend of Korra ‘Welcome to Republic City’/’A Leaf in the Wind’ - Nickelodeon Animation Studios
Best General Audience Animated Television Production
Archer ‘Space Race, Part 1’ – Weissman Markovitz Communications for FX
BOB’S BURGERS ‘Earsy Rider’ – 20th Century Fox TV
Motorcity ‘Blond Thunder’ – Disney TV Animation
MAD ‘FrankenWinnie/ParaMorgan’ – Warner Bros. Animation
Robot Chicken ‘DC Comics Special’ - Stoopid Buddy Studios
South Park ‘Raising the Bar’ – Central Productions
Animated Video Game
Borderlands 2 – Gearbox Software
Family Guy – Back to the Mutiverse – Heavy Iron Studios
Journey – Sony Computer Entertainment America
Skullgirls – Lab Zero Games
Best Student Film
Can We Be Happy Now – Tahnee Gehm
Defective Detective – Avner Geller & Steve Lewis
Head Over Heels – Timothy Reckart
I Am Tom Moody – Ainslie Henderson
Ladies Knight – Joseph Rothenberg
Origin – Jessica Poon
The Ballad of Poisonberry Pete – Karen Sullivan
Tule Lake – Michelle Ikemoto
Animated Effects in an Animated Production
Andrew Nawrot, Joe Gorski, Grant Laker – ‘ParaNorman’ – Focus Features
Andrew Schneider ‘Ice Age: Continental Drift’ – Blue Sky Studios
Andy Hayes, Carl Hooper, David Lipton - Rise of the Guardians – DreamWorks Animation
Bill Watral, Chris Chapman, Dave Hale, Keith Klohn, Michael K. O’Brien ‘Brave’ – Pixar Animation Studios
Brett Albert – ‘Wreck-It Ralph’ – Walt Disney Animation Studios
Jihyun Yoon – ‘Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted’ – DreamWorks Animation
Joel Aron – ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ – Lucasfilm Animation Ltd.
Animated Effects in a Live Action Production
Jerome Platteaux, John Sigurdson, Ryan Hopkins, Raul Essig, Mark Chataway ‘The Avengers’ – Industrial Light & Magic
Stephen Marshall, Joseph Pepper, Dustin Wicke ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ – Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures Animation
Sue Rowe, Simon Stanley-Clamp, Artemis Oikonomopoulou, Holger Voss, Nikki Makar, Catherine Elvidge ‘John Carter’ - Cinesite
Willi Geiger, Rick Hankins, Florent Andorra, Florian Witzel, Aron Bonar ‘Battleship’ – Industrial Light & Magic
Character Animation in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production
Dan Driscoll ‘SpongeBob SquarePants: It's a SpongeBob Christmas!’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
Jennifer Dickie ‘Justin Time: Yodel Odel Day’ – Guru Studio
Keith Kellogg ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Revenge’ – Lucasfilm Animation Ltd.
Forrest Savelen ‘SpongeBob SquarePants: It's a SpongeBob Christmas!’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
Shi Zimu ‘Dragons: Riders of Berk’ – DreamWorks Animation
Sihanouk Marinona ‘Before Orel: Trust’ – Starburns Industries, Inc.
Teri Yam ‘Dragons: Riders of Berk’ – DreamWorks Animation
Yan Jiazhuang ‘Dragons: Riders of Berk’ – DreamWorks Animation
Character Animation in a Feature Production
Dan Nguyen ‘Brave’ – Pixar Animation Studios
David Pate ‘Rise of the Guardians’ – DreamWorks Animation
Jaime Landes ‘Brave’ – Pixar Animation Studios
Phillppe LeBrun ‘Rise of the Guardians’ – DreamWorks Animation
Pierre Perifel ‘Rise of the Guardians’ – DreamWorks Animation
Travis Hathaway ‘Brave’ – Pixar Animation Studios
Travis Knight “ParaNorman’ – Focus Features
Will Becher ‘The Pirates! Band of Misfits’ – Aardman Animations
Character Animation in a Live Action Production
Erik de Boer, Amanda Dague, Matt Brown, Mary Lynn Machado, Aaron Grey ‘Life of Pi - Orangutan’ – Rhythm & Hues Studio
Erik de Boer, Matt Shumway, Brian Wells, Vinayak Pawar, Michael Holzl ‘Life of Pi - Tiger’ – Rhythm & Hues Studio
Jakub Pistecky, Maia Kayser, Scott Benzu, Steve King, Kiran Bhat ‘The Avengers’ – Industrial Light & Magic
Mike Beaulieu, Roger Vizard, Atushi Sato, Jackie Kochler, Derek Esparza, Richard Smith, Mac Tyrie – Columbia Pictures – THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN - Sony Pictures Animation
Character Design in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production
Andy Bialk ‘Dragons: Riders of Berk: Alvin and the Outcasts’ – DreamWorks Animaton
Andy Suriano ‘DC Nation-Plastic Man: The Many and the Fowl’ – Big Hair Productions, Inc.
Bryan Konietzko, Joaquim Dos Santos, Ryu Ki-Hyun, Kim Il Kwang, Kim Jin Sun ‘The Legend of Korra: Welcome to Republic City’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
“C” Raggio IV ‘Kick Buttowski: Petrified’ – Disney TV Animation
Derrick Wyatt, Chap Yaep, Steven Choi ‘Ben 10: Omniverse: The More Things Change, Pt. 2’ – Cartoon Network Studios
Gordon Hammond ‘T.U.F.F. Puppy: Dudley Do-Wrong’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
Robert Valley ‘Disney Tron: Uprising: The Renegade, Part I’ – Disney TV Animation
Thaddeus Paul Cauldron ‘Secret Mountain Fort Awesome: Secret Mountain Uncle Grandpa’- Cartoon Network Studios
Character Design in an Animated Feature Production
Bill Schwab, Lorelay Bove, Cory Loftis, Minkyu Lee ‘Wreck-It Ralph’ – Walt Disney Animation Studios
Carlos Grangel ‘Hotel Transylvania’ – Sony Pictures Animation
Carter Goodrich ‘Hotel Transylvania’ – Sony Pictures Animation
Craig Kellman ‘Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted’ – DreamWorks Animation
Heidi Smith ‘ParaNorman’ – Focus Features
Yarrow Cheney, Eric Guillon, Colin Stimpson ‘Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax’ – Illumination Entertainment
Directing in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production
Howie Parkins ‘Jake and The Never Land Pirates: Peter Pan Returns!’ – Disney TV Animation
John Eng ‘Dragons: Riders of Berk: Animal House’ – DreamWorks Animation
Mark Cabalero, Seamus Walsh ‘SpongeBob SquarePants: It’s a Spongebob Christmas’’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
Mic Graves ‘The Amazing World of Gumball: The Job’ – Turner Broadcasting System Europe Ltd.
Michael Chang ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Never Say Xever’ - Nickelodeon Animation Studio
Zack Keller ‘Dick Figures: Kung Fu Winners’ – 6 Point Media
Directing in an Animated Feature Production
Genndy Tartakovsky ‘Hotel Transylvania’ – Sony Pictures Animation
Johan Sfar, Antoine Delesvaux ‘The Rabbi’s Cat - GKIDS
Remi Bezancon, Jean-Christophe Lie ‘Zarafa’ - GKIDS
Rick Moore ‘Wreck-It Ralph’ – Walt Disney Animation Studios
Sam Fell, Chris Butler ‘ParaNorman’ – Focus Features
Music in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production
Adam Berry ‘Penquins of Madagascar: Private and the Winky Factory’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
Alf Clausen ‘The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror XXIII’ – Gracie Films in Association with 20th Century Fox TV
Frederik Wiedmann ‘Green Lantern The Animated Series: Into the Abyss’ - F. Wiedmann, Composer
Guy Moon ‘T.U.F.F. Puppy: Really Big Mission’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
John Paesano ‘Dragons: Riders of Berk: How to Pick Your Dragon’ – DreamWorks Animation
Michael Rubin ‘Bubble Guppies: Bubble Puppy’s Fin-tastic Fairytale!’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
Music in an Animated Feature Production
Alexandre Desplat ‘Rise of the Guardians’ – DreamWorks Animation
Bruce Retief ‘Adventures in Zambezia’ – Saltzman Communications
Henry Jackman ‘Wreck-It Ralph’ – Walt Disney Animation Studios
Joel McNeely, Brendan Milburn, Valerie Vigoda ‘Secret of the Wings’ – DisneyToon Studios
John Powell, Adam Schlesinger, Ester Dean ‘Ice Age: Continental Drift’ – Blue Sky Studios
John Powell, Cinco Paul ‘Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax’ – Illumination Entertainment
Mark Mothersbaugh ‘Hotel Transylvania’ – Sony Pictures Animation
Patrick Doyle, Mark Andrews, Alex Mandel ‘Brave’ – Pixar Animation Studios
Production Design in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production
Alberto Mielgo ‘Tron: Uprising: The Stranger’ – Disney TV Animation
Ian Worrel ‘Gravity Falls – Tourist Trapped’ – Disney TV Animation
Lynna Blankenship, Sean Coons, Hugh Macdonald, Debbie Peterson, Charles Ragins, Lance Wilder, Darrel Bowen, John Krause, Kevin Moore, Brent M. Bowen, Brice Mallier, Steven Fahey, Dima Malanitchev, Karen Bauer, Eli Balser, Anne Legge - ‘The Simpsons: Moe Goes From Rags to Riches’ – Film Roman
Nick Jennings, Martin Ansolebehere, Sandra Calleros, Ron Russell, Santino Lascano, Derek Hunter, Catherine E. Simmonds - ‘Adventure Time – The Hard Easy’ – Cartoon Network Studios
Peter Martin, Chris Grine, Ira Baker, Ramon Olivera, Scott Brown ‘hoops & yo yo’s Haunted Halloween’ – Hallmark
Scott Brandon James, Lee Keith ‘Justin Time: The Rubbery Dumplings’ – Guru Studio
Production Design in an Animated Feature Production
Kendal Cronkhite-Shaindlin, Shannon Jeffries, Lindsey Olivares, Kenard Pak ‘Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted’ – DreamWorks Animation
Marcello Vignali ‘Hotel Transylvania’ – Sony Pictures Animation
Nash Dunnigan, Arden Chen, Jon Townley, Kyle McNaughton ‘Ice Age: Continental Drift’ – Blue Sky Studios
Nelson Lowry, Ross Stewart, Pete Oswald, Ean McNamara, Trevor Dalmer ‘ParaNorman’ – Focus Features
Norman Garwood, Matt Berry ‘The Pirates! Band of Misfits’ – Aardman Animation
Patrick Hanenberger, Max Boas, Jayee Borcar, Woonyoung Jung, Perry Maple, Peter Maynez, Stan Seo, Felix Yoon ‘Rise of the Guardians’ – DreamWorks Animation
Rick Heintzich ‘Frankenweenie’ – The Walt Disney Studios
Steve Pilcher ‘Brave’ – Pixar Animation Studios
Storyboarding in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production
Andy Kelly ‘Doc McStuffins: Righty-On-Lefty’ – Disney TV Animation
Cole Sanchez, Rebecca Sugar ‘Adventure Time: Lady & Peebles’ – Cartoon Network Studios
Doug Lovelace ‘Dragons: Riders of Berk: Portrait of Hiccup as a Buff Man’ – DreamWorks Animation
Holly Forsyth ‘Sofia the First: Once Upon a Princess’ – Disney TV Animation
Irineo Marramba, Ciro Nieli ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: I Think His Name is Baxter Stockman’’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
Robert Valley, Kalvin Lee ‘Tron: Uprising: The Reward’ – Disney TV Animation
Ryan Kramer, Paul Linsley, Kenji Ono, Le Tang, Alice Herring, Mike Mullen, Aaron Hammersley ‘Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness: Enter the Dragon’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
Tom Herpich, Skyler Page ‘Adventure Time: Goliad’ – Cartoon Network Studios
Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production
Emmanuela Cozzi ‘ParaNorman’ – Focus Features
Johanne Matte ‘Rise of the Guardians’ – DreamWorks Animation
Leo Matsuda ‘Wreck-It Ralph’ – Walt Disney Animation Studios
Lissa Treiman ‘Wreck-It Ralph’ – Walt Disney Animation Studios
Rob Koo ‘Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted’ – DreamWorks Animation
Voice Acting in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production
James Patrick Stuart as Private ‘Penguins of Madagascar: High Moltage’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
Jeff Bennett as Keswick ‘T.U.F.F. Puppy: Pup Daddy’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
Jessica Walter as Malory Archer ‘Archer: Lo Scandolo’ – Weissman Markovitz Communications for FX Network
Kevin Michael Richardson as Willem Viceroy ‘Randy Cunningham:
9th Grade Ninja: Gossip Boy’ – Disney TV Animation
Kristen Schaal as Mabel Pines ‘Gravity Falls: Tourist Trapped’ – Disney TV Animation
Mae Whitman as April O'Neil – ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Rise of the Turtles’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
Sam Witwer as Darth Maul ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Revenge’ – Lucasfilm Animation Ltd.
Tom McGrath as Skipper ‘Penguins of Madagascar: The Otter Woman’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production
Adam Sandler as Dracula ‘Hotel Transylvania’ – Sony Pictures Animation
Alan Tudyk as King Candy ‘Wreck-It Ralph’ – Walt Disney Animation Studios
Atticus Shaffer as "E"Gore ‘Frankenweenie’ – The Walt Disney Studios
Catherine O'Hara as Weird Girl ‘Frankenweenie’ – The Walt Disney Studios
Imelda Staunton as Queen Victoria ‘The Pirates! Band of Misfits’ – Aardman Animations
Jim Cummings as Budzo ‘Adventures in Zambezia’ – Saltzman Communications
Jude Law as Pitch ‘Rise of the Guardians’ – DreamWorks Animation
Kelly MacDonald as Merida ‘Brave’ – Pixar Animation Studios
Writing in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production
Doug Langdale - Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness: Kung Fu Day Care’ - Nickelodeon Animation Studios
Eric Horsted – Futurama: The Bots and the Bees’ – Gracie Films in Association with 20th Century Fox TV
Gabe Garza – ‘Penguins of Madagascar: Endangerous Species’ - Nickelodeon Animation Studios
Ian Maxtone-Graham, Billy Kimball ‘The Simpsons: How I Wet Your Mother’ - Gracie Films in Association with 20th Century Fox TV
Kacey Arnold – ‘Robot and Monster: The Blimp’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
Mike Teverbaugh, Linda Teverbaugh - Dragons: Riders of Berk: Animal House’ – DreamWorks Animation
Stephanie Gillis ‘The Simpsons: A Tree Grows in Springfield’ – Gracie Films in Association with 20th Century Fox TV
Trey Parker – ‘South Park: Jewpacabra’ – Central Productions
Writing in an Animated Feature Production
Chris Butler - ParaNorman – Focus Features
Gideon Defoe - The Pirates! Band of Misfits – Aardman Animations
Hayao Miyazaki, Keiko Niwa, Karey Kirkpatrick - From Up on Poppy Hill - GKIDS
John August - Frankenweenie – The Walt Disney Studios
Mark Andrews, Steve Purcell, Brenda Chapman, Irene Mecchi - Brave – Pixar Animation Studios
Phil Johnston, Jennifer Lee - Wreck-It Ralph – Walt Disney Animation Studios
Editorial in an Animated Television Production
Bret Marnell ‘Puss in Boots: Three Diablos’ – DreamWorks Animation
Chris Hink ‘Robot and Monster: Cheer Up Mr. Wheelie’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
Hugo Morales, Adam Arnold, Davrik Waeden, Otto Ferraye ‘Kung Fu Panda: ‘Monkey in the Middle’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
Hugo Morales, Adam Arnold, Davrik Waeden, Otto Ferraye ‘Kung Fu Panda - Enter the Dragon’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
Jason Tucker ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Revival’ – Lucasfilm Animation Ltd.
Lynn Hobson ‘Dragons: Riders of Berk: Animal House’ – DreamWorks Animation
Pieter Kaufman ‘Sofia the First: Once Upon a Princess’ – Disney TV Animation
Steffie Lucchesi, Matt Steinauer, May Blaisdell ‘Dan Vs Monster Under The Bed’ – Film Roman
Editorial in an Animated Feature Production
Catherine Apple ‘Hotel Transylvania’ – Sony Pictures Animation
Joyce Arrastia ‘Rise of the Guardians’ – DreamWorks Animation
Mark Rosenbaum ‘Secret of the Wings’ – DisneyToon Studios
Nicholas A. Smith, ACE, Robert Graham Jones, ACE, David Suther ‘Brave’ – Pixar Animation Studios
Tim Mertens ‘Wreck-It Ralph’ – Walt Disney Animation Studios
JURIED AWARDS
Winsor McCay Award – Oscar Grillo, Terry Gilliam, Mark Henn
June Foray – Howard Green
Ub Iwerks - Toon Boom Animation Pipeline