Kung Fu Panda: DreamWorks Animation’s box office hit is the top contender for the Annie Awards, having received 16 nominations – more than twice the number of nods (7) that went to Disney/Pixar’s critical favorite WALL-E. Mark Osborne and John Stevenson directed Kung Fu Panda.
Annie Awards: ‘Kung Fu Panda’ way ahead of ‘WALL-E’ & ‘Waltz with Bashir’
From Kate Winslet to kung-fu-fighting pandas: The International Animated Film Association’s 2009 Annie Awards’ nominations are in.
Mark Osborne and John Stevenson’s Kung Fu Panda, a DreamWorks Animation release, is up for 16 Annie Awards, among them Best Animated Feature and Best Directing in an Animated Feature Production.
Critics’ fave WALL-E, a Disney/Pixar release directed by Andrew Stanton, received a relatively modest seven nominations. Like Kung Fu Panda, WALL-E is in the running for Best Animated Feature and Best Directing in an Animated Feature Production.
More Best Animated Feature nominees
The Annie Awards’ three other Best Animated Feature nominees are the following:
- Byron Howard and Chris Williams’ Bolt, another Disney production – but without direct Pixar involvement despite John Lasseter’s executive producer role. Bolt has been shortlisted in five categories.
- Ari Folman’s Israel-Lebanon War-set Waltz with Bashir. A likely Academy Award nominee and this year’s National Society of Film Critics Best Film winner, the Israeli production received four nods.
- Tatia Rosenthal’s $9.99, an Australian/Israeli stop-motion animated feature written by Rosenthal and Etgar Keret (the director of Jellyfish), from Keret’s short stories.
The Annie Awards list below has been updated to include the winners in each category. (Feb. 2011 update: Check out “Controversial Annie Awards.”)
Annie Awards winners & nominations
Production Categories
Best Animated Feature
Bolt.
* Kung Fu Panda.
$9.99.
WALL-E.
Waltz with Bashir.Best Animated Home Entertainment Production
Batman: Gotham Knight.
Christmas Is Here Again.
* Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs.
Justice League: The New Frontier.
The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning.Best Animated Short Subject
Glago’s Guest
Hot Dog
Presto
Sebastian’s Voodoo
* Wallace & Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and DeathBest Animated Television Production
King of the Hill
Moral Orel
Phineas and Ferb
* Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II
The SimpsonsBest Animated Television Production Produced for Children
A Miser Brothers Christmas
* Avatar: The Last Airbender
Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, “Destination Imagination”
The Mighty B!
Underfist: Halloween BashIndividual Achievement Categories (Animated Feature Production only)
Best Animated Effects
Alen Lai, Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who
* Li-Ming Lawrence Lee, Kung Fu Panda
Fangwei Lee, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
Kevin Lee, Bolt
Enrique Vila, WALL-EBest Character Animation
* James Baxter, Kung Fu Panda
Jeff Gabor, Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who
Philippe Le Brun, Kung Fu Panda
Victor Navone, WALL-E
Dan Wagner, Kung Fu PandaBest Character Design
Valerie Hadida, Igor
Sang Jun Lee, Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who
* Nicolas Marlet, Kung Fu PandaBest Directing
Sam Fell, Rob Stevenhagen, The Tale of Despereaux
Ari Folman, Waltz with Bashir
Tatia Rosenthal, 9.99
* John Stevenson & Mark Osborne, Kung Fu Panda
Andrew Stanton, WALL-EBest Music
Kevin Manthei – Batman: Gotham Knight
John Powell – Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who
Max Richter – Waltz with Bashir
William Ross – The Tale of Despereaux
* Hans Zimmer & John Powell – Kung Fu PandaBest Production Design
Ralph Eggleston, WALL-E
Paul Felix, Bolt
* Tang Heng, Kung Fu Panda
Evgeni Tomov, The Tale of Despereaux
Raymond Zibach, Kung Fu PandaBest Storyboarding
Alessandro Carloni – Kung Fu Panda
Ronnie Del Carmen – WALL-E
Joe Mateo, Bolt
* Jennifer Yuh Nelson – Kung Fu Panda
Rob Stevenhagen – The Tale of DespereauxBest Voice Acting
Ben Burtt – Voice of WALL-E – WALL-E
* Dustin Hoffman – Voice of Shifu – Kung Fu Panda
James Hong – Voice of Mr. Ping – Kung Fu Panda
Ian McShane – Voice of Tai Lung – Kung Fu Panda
Mark Walton – Voice of Rhino – BoltBest Writing
* Jon Aibel & Glenn Berger – Kung Fu Panda
Etan Cohen and Eric Darnell & Tom McGrath – Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
Ari Folman – Waltz with Bashir
Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio – Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a WhoJuried Awards
Winsor McCay Award:
Mike Judge, John Lasseter, and Nick Park for career contributions to the art of animationJune Foray Award:
Bill Turner for significant and benevolent, or charitable impact on the art and industry of animationCertificate of Merit Award:
Amir Avni
Mike Fontanelli
Kathy Turner
Alex Vassilev
“Annie Awards 2009” notes
Annie Awards website.
Kung Fu Panda image: DreamWorks Animation.