LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” dominated the 51st Annie Awards on Sunday night at UCLA’s Royce Hall, securing the Best Feature award and six other trophies. With its impressive haul, the Sony Animation sequel is positioned as the front-runner for the Animated Feature Oscar next month, setting the stage for a potential repeat of its predecessor’s success at the 91st Academy Awards.
The Annie Awards have served as a reliable predictor for the Best Animated Feature category at the Oscars, with many past winners of the Annies’ top feature prize going on to claim the golden statuette. This trend continued last year, solidifying the position of “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” as a strong contender for the coveted Oscar.
In addition to “Spider-Man,” other top film winners included Gkids’ “The Boy and the Heron” and Netflix’s “Nimona,” which will join the Sony Animation sequel in competing for the Animated Feature Oscar against Disney/Pixar’s “Elemental” next month. “Nimona” received accolades for Writing and Voice Acting for Chloë Grace Moretz, while “The Boy and the Heron” won Best Storyboarding and Character Animation.
This year’s Annie Awards also marked a departure from the norm, as no Disney or Pixar film was nominated for the top prize, and their film “Elemental” went home empty-handed. Instead, Netflix’s “Blue Eye Samurai” dominated the TV categories, walking away with six trophies, followed by Disney Television Animation’s “Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur” and Lucasfilm’s “Star Wars: Visions,” both of which won three and two awards respectively.
The complete list of winners from the 51st Annie Awards showcases the diverse and talented pool of animators, writers, and creators who continue to push the boundaries of the industry, shaping the future of animation.
The Annie Awards recognize excellence in the field of animation and celebrate the innovation and creativity that bring animated stories to life. With the stage now set for the Animated Feature Oscar, the animation community eagerly awaits the final showdown at the 94th Academy Awards next month.