Sony Pictures Animation was a big winner Saturday evening during the 49th Virtual Annie Awards. The Mitchells vs The Machines received eight Annies including Best Feature, Best FX (Christopher Logan, Man-Louk Chin, Devdatta Nerurkar, Pav Grochola, Filippo Maccari), Character Design (Lindsey Olivares), Direction (Mike Rianda, Jeff Rowe), Production Design (Lindsey Olivares, Toby Wilson, Dave Bleich), Voice Acting (Abbi Jacobson as the voice of Katie Mitchell), Writing (Mike Rianda, Jeff Rowe) and Editorial (Greg Levitan, Collin Wightman, T.J.Young, Tony Ferdinand, Bret Allen).

Arcane (A Riot Games and Fortiche Production for Netflix) garnered nine Annies for Best TV/Media – General Audience, Best FX (Guillaume Degroote, Aurélien Ressencourt, Martin Touzé, Frédéric Macé, Jérôme Dupré) Character Animation (Léa Chervet), Character Design (Evan Monteiro), Direction (Pascal Charue, Arnaud Delord, Barthelemy Maunoury) Production Design (Julien Georgel, Aymeric Kevin, Arnaud Baudry), Storyboarding (Simon Andriveau), Voice Acting (Ella Purnell as the voice of Jinx), and Writing (Christian Linke, Alex Yee).

Best Independent Feature went to Flee (NEON, Final Cut For Real, Sun Creature, Vivement Lundi !, MostFilm, Mer Film, VICE, Left HandFilms, Participant); Namoo (Baobab Studios) won Best Animated Special Production, and Best Animated Short Subject – Bestia (Trebol 3 Producciones, MALEZA Estudio). Encanto (Walt Disney Animation Studios) took home three Annies for Music (Score: Germaine Franco, Lin-Manuel Miranda); Storyboarding (Jason Hand); and Character Animation (Dave Hardin).

Annies also went to Best Sponsored Production – A Future Begins (Nexus Studios) and Best Animated TV/Media Production for Children – Maya and the Three (A Netflix Series); Best Animated TV/Media Production for Preschool Children – Ada Twist, Scientist (Laughing Wild, Higher Ground Productions, Wonder Worldwide, Netflix); and Character Animation in a Live Action Production – Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (Karl Rapley, Sebastian Trujillo, Richard John Moore, Merlin Bela Wassilij Maertz, Pascal Raimbault) (Marvel Entertainment, Weta Digital). A complete list of all of the winners can be seen below.

The evening’s presenters included Tom Kenny, Emma Berman and Jack Dylan Grazer, Diane Warren, Charlie Saxton and Guillermo Del Toro, Young Dylan, Jessie T. Usher, Blythe Danner, Pierre Perffiel and Lilly Singh, Mamoru Hosoda, Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart, and John Leguizamo.

The Winsor McCay Award for career contributions to the art of animation were 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 on the art and industry of animation 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 that has made a significant impact on the art and industry of animation was presented to Python Foundation, promoting, protecting and advancing the open-source Python programming language, and facilitating the growth of
the diverse Python community. T

The Special Achievement Award recognizing the unique and significant impact on the art and industry of animation was 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 was presented to Evan Vernon.

49th Annie Awards Winners

Best Feature
The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix

Best Indie Feature
Flee
NEON, Final Cut For Real, Sun Creature, Vivement Lundi !, MostFilm, Mer Film, VICE, Left HandFilms, Participant

Best Special Production
Namoo
Baobab Studios

Best Short Subject
Bestia
Trebol 3 Producciones, MALEZA Estudio

Best Sponsored
A Future Begins
Nexus Studios

Best TV/Media – Preschool
Ada Twist, Scientist
Episode: Twelve Angry Birds
Laughing Wild, Higher Ground Productions, Wonder Worldwide, Netflix

Best TV/Media – Children
Maya and the Three Episode: The Sun and the Moon A Netflix Series

Best TV/Media – General Audience
Arcane
Episode: When These Walls Come Tumbling Down A Riot Games and Fortiche Production for Netflix

Best Student Film
Night of the Living Dread
Student director: Ida Melum
Student producer: Danielle Goff
School: National Film and Television School, UK

Best FX – TV/Media
Arcane
FX Team: Guillaume Degroote, Aurélien Ressencourt, Martin Touzé,
Frédéric Macé, Jérôme Dupré
Episode: Oil and Water
A Riot Games and Fortiche Production for Netflix

Best FX – Feature
The Mitchells vs. The Machines
FX Team: Christopher Logan, Man-Louk Chin, Devdatta Nerurkar, Pav Grochola, Filippo Maccari
Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix

Best Character Animation – TV/Media
Arcane
Animator: Léa Chervet
Episode: The Monster You Created
A Riot Games and Fortiche Production for Netflix

Best Character Animation – Feature
Encanto
Animator: Dave Hardin, Walt Disney Animation Studios

Best Character Animation – Live Action
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Animation Team: Karl Rapley, Sebastian Trujillo, Richard John Moore, Merlin Bela Wassilij Maertz, Pascal Raimbault
Marvel Entertainment, Weta Digital

Best Character Animation – Video Game
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Animation Team: Insomniac Games Animation Team Insomniac Games

Best Character Design – TV/Media
Arcane
Designer: Evan Monteiro
Episode: Some Mysteries Better Left Unsolved A Riot Games and Fortiche Production for Netflix

Best Character Design – Feature
The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Designer: Lindsey Olivares Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix

Best Direction – TV/Media
Arcane
Directors: Pascal Charue, Arnaud Delord, Barthelemy Maunoury Episode: The Monster You Created
A Riot Games and Fortiche Production for Netflix

Best Direction – Feature
The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Directors: Mike Rianda, Jeff Rowe Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix

Best Music – TV/Media
Maya and the Three
Score: Tim Davies, Gustavo Santaolalla Episode: The Sun and the Moon
A Netflix Series

Best Music – Feature
Encanto
Score: Germaine Franco, Lin-Manuel Miranda Walt Disney Animation Studios

Best Production Design – TV/Media
Arcane
Design Team: Julien Georgel, Aymeric Kevin, Arnaud Baudry Episode: Happy Progress Day!
A Riot Games and Fortiche Production for Netflix

Best Production Design – Feature
The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Design Team: Lindsey Olivares, Toby Wilson, Dave Bleich Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix

Best Storyboarding – TV/Media
Arcane
Storyboard Artist: Simon Andriveau
Episode: When These Walls Come Tumbling Down A Riot Games and Fortiche Production for Netflix

Best Storyboarding – Feature
Encanto
Storyboard Artist: Jason Hand Walt Disney Animation Studios

Best Voice Acting – TV/Media
Arcane
As ‘Jinx’: Ella Purnell
Episode: When These Walls Come Tumbling Down A Riot Games and Fortiche Production for Netflix

Best Voice Acting – Feature
The Mitchells vs. The Machines
As ‘Katie Mitchell’: Abbi Jacobson Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix

Best Writing – TV/Media
Arcane
Writers: Christian Linke, Alex Yee – Episode: The Monster You Created
A Riot Games and Fortiche Production for Netflix

Best Writing – Feature
The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Writers: Mike Rianda, Jeff Rowe – Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix

Best Editorial – TV/Media
What If…?
Editorial Team: Joel Fisher, Graham Fisher, Sharia Davis, Basuki Juwono,
Adam Spieckermann
Episode: What If…Ultron Won? Marvel Studios

Best Editorial – Feature
The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Editorial Team: Greg Levitan, Collin Wightman, T.J. Young, Tony Ferdinand,
Bret Allen
Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix

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Jerry Beck

Writer, cartoon producer and author of more than 15 books on animation history. A former studio exec with Nickelodeon and Disney; currently on the faculty at both CalArts in Valencia and Woodbury University in Burbank, California.

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