FROZEN Wins Best Animated Feature At 41st Annual Annie Awards

Walt Disney Animation’s ‘Frozen’ took top honors as Best Animated Feature at the 41st Annual Annie Awards held Saturday, February 1 at UCLA’s Royce Hall. The Best Animated Special Production was awarded to ‘Chipotle Scarecrow’ (Chipotle Creative Department, Moonbot Studios); Best Animated Short Subject ‘Get A Horse!’ (Walt Disney Animation Studios); Best Animated TV/Broadcast Commercial ‘Despicable Me 2’ (Cinemark-Illumination Entertainment/Universal); Best General Audience Animated TV/Broadcast Production for Preschool Children ‘Disney Sofia the First’ (Disney Television Animation); Best Animated TV/Broadcast Production for Children’s Audience ‘Adventure Time’(Cartoon Network Studios); Best General Audience Animated TV/Broadcast Production ‘Futurama’ (20th Century Fox Television); Best Animated Video Game ‘The Last of Us’ (Naughty Dog); and Best Student Film ‘Wedding Cake’(Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg – Viola Baier, Iris Frisch).

Often a predictor of the annual Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, the Annie Awards honor overall excellence as well as individual achievement in a total of 30 categories ranging from best feature, production design, character animation, and effects animation to storyboarding, writing, music, editing and voice acting.

The ceremony was live-streamed again this year at www.annieawards.org/watch-it-live where animation enthusiasts and those who were unable to attend the event, could watch the show. A complete list of winners can be viewed at www.annieawards.org.

“Our industry waits all year for this event and it never disappoints,” said ASIFA-Hollywood President, Frank Gladstone. “This was a terrific night with something for everyone. It was fun to take a look back at our history as well as celebrating and honoring what we have accomplished over the past year.”

Patrick Warburton, television, film and voice actor, lent his humor and talent as the ceremony’s Host. Joining him on stage were animation legend June Foray, voice actors Bill Farmer who portrayed animation great Winsor McCay, doing his animated ‘Gertie the Dinosaur’ vaudeville act, celebrating its 100th anniversary this month, Tom Kenny, Nancy Cartwright and actorsMariska Hargitay, Cloris Leachman, Josh Gad, Ariel Winter and director Rob Minkoff. Also providing presenter duties wereMarion Ross, Max Charles, Tony Bancroft, Bob Bergen, Jim Meskimen and Mackenzie Foy.

Honored with the Winsor McCay award were Katsuhiro Otomo, Steven Spielberg, who made his video acceptance, and Phil Tippett. The Winsor McCay stands as one of the highest honors given to an individual in the animation industry in recognition for career contributions to the art of animation. Alice Davis was honored with the June Foray award for her significant and benevolent contributions to the art and industry of animation; Dragonframe received the Ub Iwerks award for technical advancements that made a significant impact on the art or industry of animation; and the Special Achievement award was presented to the CTN Animation eXpo. The Certificate of Merit award was presented to the documentary “I Know That Voice.”