NOMINATIONS FOR THE 49TH ANNIE AWARDS ANNOUNCED

BURBANK, Calif., Dec. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ASIFA-Hollywood announced nominations today for its 49^th Annual Annie Awards™ recognizing the year's best in the field of animation. For a complete list of nominations, please visit www.annieawards.org/nominations. This year's ceremony is scheduled to return Live on Saturday, February 26, 2022 at UCLA's Royce Hall. Pre-reception and Red Carpet at 4:30 p.m., followed by the ceremony at 7 p.m., and after party immediately following the ceremony.

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This year's Best Animated Feature nominations include: Encanto (Walt Disney Animation Studios), Luca (Pixar Animation Studios), Raya and the Last Dragon (Walt Disney Animation Studios), Sing 2 (Illumination) and The Mitchells vs. The Machines (Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix).

Best Animated Feature-Independent, spotlighting features with a much smaller distribution footprint than major studio releases, include: Belle (Studio Chizu/Distributed by GKIDS), Flee (Final Cut For Real, Sun Creatures, Vivement Lundi!, MostFilm, Mer Film, VICE, Left HandFilms, Participant), Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko (STUDIO 4°C / Distributed by GKIDS), Pompo the Cinephile (CLAP Animation Studio/Distributed by GKIDS) and The Summit of the Gods (Julianne Films, Folivari and Mélusine Productions Present in co-production with France 3 Cinéma and Auvergne-Rhône- Alpes Cinéma in association with Wild Bunch in association with Palatine Etoile 17, Cinémage 14, Indéfilms 8 for Netflix).

"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 sort of normal," remarked Frank Gladstone, Annies executive producer. "2021 brought another increase in Annie Awards submissions, ASIFA memberships and ongoing sponsorships, so we are planning to return to UCLA's Royce Hall for an in-person event with all the trimmings. It is our job to celebrate our community and our accomplishments…and we will continue to fulfill that mission!"

The Annie Awards™ cover 36 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.

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Juried Awards will be presented during the ceremony, honoring unparalleled achievement and exceptional contributions to animation. The Winsor McCay Award in recognition of lifetime or career contributions are being presented to three recipients – Ruben Aquino, legendary Disney animator; Lillian Schwartz, computer animation pioneer; and Toshio Suzuki, prolific Studio Ghibli producer. The June Foray Award for significant and benevolent or charitable impact will be awarded to Renzo & Sayoko Kinoshita, influential animation filmmakers and founders of the Hiroshima International Animation Festival. The Ub Iwerks Award for technical advancement will be presented to Python Foundation, promoting, protecting and advancing the open-source Python programming language, and facilitating the growth of the diverse Python community; and The Special Achievement Award recognizing unique and outstanding achievement not recognized within the existing award category structure will be presented to Glen Vilppu, artist and author internationally known for teaching and training animation professionals. The Certificate of Merit for service to the art and industry will be presented to Evan Vernon.

Many thanks to the generous support from this year's sponsors and advertisers: Platinum Level – Cartoon Network/Warner Bros. Animation, DreamWorks Animation, LA Times, Netflix, Nickelodeon, Variety and Walt Disney Animation Studios/Pixar Animation Studios; Gold Level – Disney TV Animation and Illumination Entertainment; Silver Level – The Animation Guild LATSE Local 839, Pixar Animation Studios, Sony Pictures Animation and Walt Disney Animation Studios; Bronze Level – Epic Game, GKIDS and Skydance Animation; and Education/Nonprofit Level – Sheridan College.

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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 nearly five decades. For more information on the Annie Awards™, please visit www.annieawards.org. For ticket information, please visit www.annieawards.org/tickets.

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SOURCE ASIFA-Hollywood