The nominees for the 49th Annie Awards were unveiled on Tuesday, with Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon leading the pack with 10 nominations, though it was Netflix that dominated the lineup with 52 nominations overall (compared to 29 for Disney).
The Netflix series Arcane, which is based on Riot Games’ online multiplayer game League of Legends, earned nine nominations, tied with Disney’s Encanto for second-most overall. Netflix also earned eight nods for The Mitchells vs. The Machines, which was produced by Sony Pictures Animation, while the streamer’s limited series Maya and the Three picked up seven nominations.
Raya and the Last Dragon and Encanto will compete with The Mitchells vs. The Machines for the Best Feature prize, along with Pixar’s Luca and Illumination Entertainment’s Sing 2.
Arcane will duke it out with fellow Netflix series Love, Death + Robots, as well as Bob’s Burgers, Star Wars: Visions, and Tuca & Bertie, the latter of which was canceled by Netflix in 2019 before being rescued by Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim.
Meanwhile, Jonas Poher Ramussen‘s staggering animated documentary Flee will compete for the Independent Feature prize along with The Summit of the Gods and three films from GKIDS — Belle, Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko, and Pompo the Cinephile.
Finally, as an older millennial, it was nice to see shows like Carmen Sandiego and Muppet Babies still going strong, as each was nominated in the children’s TV and preschool TV categories, respectively. Carmen Sandiego will have to fend off Maya and the Three and Pixar’s Dug Days, while Muppet Babies will compete against popular animated characters such as Ada Twist and Xavier Riddle.
Elsewhere, the Annies will hand out lifetime achievement awards to Disney animator Ruben Aquino, Studio Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki, and computer pioneer Lillian Schwartz, while filmmakers Renzo and Sayoko Kinoshita, who founded the Hiroshima International Animation Festival, will be honored for their charitable contributions to the animation industry. Artist and author Glen Vilppu will receive a special achievement award for his work as a teacher, and Evan Vernon will receive a certificate of merit for service to the art and industry of animation. Finally, the Ub Iwerks Award for technical advancement will be given to the Python Foundation for its open-source Python programming language.
“In spite of everything, or maybe because of what we and the world around us have been through for nearly two years, we all want to return to some kind of normal,” said Annies executive producer Frank Gladstone. “We are planning to return for an in-person event with all the trimmings. It is our job to celebrate our community and our accomplishments.”
To that end, the Annie Awards will take place on Feb. 26, 2022 at UCLA’s Royce Hall, and you can see the full list of nominees below.
Best Feature
Encanto
Luca
Raya and the Last Dragon
Sing 2
The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Best Indie Feature
Belle
Flee
Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko
Pompo the Cinephile
The Summit of the Gods
Best Special Production
For Auld Lang Syne
La Vie de Château
Mum Is Pouring Rain
Namoo
The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf
Best Short Subject
Bestia
Easter Eggs
MAALBEEK
Night Bus
Steakhouse
Best Sponsored
A Future Begins
Fleet Foxes – Featherweight
The Good Guest Guide to Japan
Tiptoe & The Flying Machine
Wandavision – “Don’t Touch that Dial” Title Sequence
Best TV/Media – Preschool
Ada Twist, Scientist
Muppet Babies.
ODO
Stillwater
Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum
Best TV/Media – Children
Amphibia
Carmen Sandiego
Dug Days
Maya and the Three
We the People
Best TV/Media – General Audience
Arcane
Bob’s Burgers
Love, Death + Robots
Star Wars: Visions
Tuca & Bertie
Best Student Film
A Film About A Pudding
HOPE
I Am A Pebble
Night of the Living Dread
Slouch
Best FX – TV/Media
Arcane
Castlevania
Maya and the Three
Shaun The Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas
Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans
Best FX – Feature
Belle
Encanto
Raya and the Last Dragon
The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Vivo
Best Character Animation – TV/Media
Arcane
Love, Death + Robots Episode: All Through the House
Namoo
We the People
Best Character Animation – Feature
Encanto
Luca
Raya and the Last Dragon
The Boss Baby: Family Business
Wish Dragon
Best Character Animation – Live Action
Flora & Ulysses
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
The Suicide Squad
The Tomorrow
Y: The Last Man
Best Character Animation – Video Game
Disney Wonderful Worlds
It Takes Two
Kena: Bridge of Spirits
Madrid Noir
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Best Character Design – TV/Media
Arcane
Batman: The Long Halloween
Kid Cosmic
Maya and the Three Episode
Yuki 7
Best Character Design – Feature
Luca
Raya and the Last Dragon
Ron’s Gone Wrong
The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Vivo
Best Direction – TV/ Media
Amphibia – Jenn Strickland, Kyler Spears
Arcane – Pascal Charue, Arnaud Delord, Barthelemy Maunoury
Crossing Swords – John Harvatine, Brad Schaffer, Ethan Marak
Hilda and the Mountain King – Andy Coyle
Maya and the Three Episode – Jorge R. Gutierrez
Best Direction – Feature
Belle – Mamoru Hosoda
Encanto – Jared Bush, Byron Howard, Charise Castro Smith
Flee – Jonas Poher Rasmussen, Kenneth Ladekjaer
Luca – Enrico Casarosa
The Mitchells vs. The Machines – Mike Rianda, Jeff Rowe
Best Music – TV/ Media
Blush
Hilda and the Mountain King
Maya and the Three
Mila
Mira, Royal Detective
Best Music – Feature
Encanto
Luca
Poupelle of Chimney Town
Raya and the Last Dragon
Vivo
Best Production Design – TV/Media
Arcane
Arlo the Alligator Boy Episode: Broadcast Special
Love, Death + Robots Episode: Ice
Maya and the Three
Yuki 7
Best Production Design – Feature
Belle
Raya and the Last Dragon
Ron’s Gone Wrong
The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Vivo
Best Storyboarding – TV/Media
Arcane
Invincible
Kid Cosmic
Love, Death + Robots
The Ghost and Molly McGee
Best Storyboarding – Feature
Encanto
Raya and the Last Dragon
Spirit Untamed
The Addams Family 2
Vivo
Best Voice Acting – TV/Media
Arcane – Ella Purnell
Arlo the Alligator Boy – Michael J. Woodard
Centaurworld – Parvesh Cheena
DC Super Hero Girls – Kemberly Brooks
Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans – Charlie Saxton
Best Voice Acting – Feature
Encanto – John Leguizamo
Encanto – Stephanie Beatriz
Luca – Jack Dylan Grazer
Raya and the Last Dragon – Kelly Marie Tran
The Mitchells vs. The Machines – Abbi Jacobson
Best Writing – TV/ Media
Arcane
Maya and the Three
Muppet Babies
The Mighty Ones
Tuca & Bertie
Best Writing – Feature
Belle
Flee
Luca
Raya and the Last Dragon
The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Best Editorial – TV/ Media
Amphibia
Arlo the Alligator Boy
Love, Death + Robots
Tom and Jerry in New York
What If…?
Best Editorial – Feature
Encanto
Flee
Luca
Raya and the Last Dragon
The Mitchells vs. The Machines
