Disney*Pixar’s ‘Inside Out’ and ‘Boy and the World’ Win Top Prizes at 43rd Annie Awards

The filmmakers behind Disney*Pixar’s Inside Out had a lot to cheer about last weekend, when their film “Inside Out” picked up 10 statuettes, including prizes for best animated feature, director Pete Docter, writing (Docter, Meg LeFauve and Josh Cooley), production design (Ralph Eggleston), music (Michael Giacchino) and voice acting for Phyllis Smith, who played Sadness.

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Edward James Olmos and Rita Moreno

 

This year was the first for the new category Best Animated Feature-Independent with Filme de Papel’s ‘Boy and the World’ taking this top honor. ASIFA-Hollywood, the organization behind the Annie Awards, decided to split the best animated feature category in two so that films with smaller marketing budgets could compete with each other on a more leveled playing field and have a chance at a prize. “Boy and the World” will square off with “Inside Out” for best animated feature at the Academy Awards on February 28.

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“Inside Out” Producer Jonas Rivera and Writer/Director Pete Docter. Photo by David Yeh.

Below is a list of winners who were recognized for their contributions to the film “Inside Out”:

  • Outstanding Achievement for Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production – Tony Rosenast
  • Outstanding Achievement for Editorial in an Animated Feature Production – Kevin Nolting
  • Outstanding Achievement for Character Design in an Animated Feature Production – Albert Lozano and Chris Sasaki
  • Outstanding Achievement for Music in an Animated Feature Production – Michael Giacchino
  • Outstanding Achievement for Character Animation in a Feature Production – Allison Rutland
  • Outstanding Achievement for Production Design in an Animated Feature Production – Ralph Eggleston
  • Outstanding Achievement for Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production – Phyllis Smith

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Phyllis Smith showing nothing but joy after she wins best voice acting as Sadness in “Inside Out”. Photo by David Yeh.

 

  • Outstanding Achievement for Writing in an Animated Feature Production – Pete Docter, Meg LeFauve and Josh Cooley
  • Outstanding Achievement for Directing in an Animated Feature Production – Pete Docter
  • Best Animated Feature – Inside Out
  • Disney Television Animation was the other big winner at the event, taking home five statuettes, including three for “Disney Mickey Mouse,” and one each for “Wander Over Yonder” and “Gravity Falls.”
  • Here is a recap of the Disney winners. It’s no surprise that the team behind Paul Rudish’s Mickey Mouse shorts picked up a few Annies:
  • Best Animated Television/Broadcast Production for Children – Wander Over Yonder – Episode: The Breakfast – Disney Television Animation
  • Outstanding Achievement for Directing in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production – Matt Braly – Gravity Falls – Episode: Northwest Mansion Mystery – Disney Television Animation

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Kristen Schaal jumps on stage after her win for best voice acting in a TV/broadcast production for “Bob’s Burgers”. Photo by David Yeh.

 

  • Outstanding Achievement for Music in a TV/Broadcast Production – Christopher Willis – Disney Mickey Mouse – Episode: ¡Feliz Cumpleaños! – Disney Television Animation
  • Outstanding Achievement for Storyboarding in a TV/Broadcast Production – Alonso Ramirez Ramos – Disney Mickey Mouse – Episode: ¡Feliz Cumpleaños! – Disney Television Animation
  • Outstanding Achievement for Editorial in a TV/Broadcast Production – Illya Owens – Disney Mickey Mouse – Episode: Coned – Disney Television Animation

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ASIFA-Hollywood President Jerry Beck. Photo by David Yeh.

 

The night wasn’t only about Disney and Pixar. Netflix’s BoJack Horseman (a show that was picked up from former Disney CEO Michael Eisner’s Tornante Company), Fox’s Bob’s Burgers and DreamWorks Animation Television’s “Dragons: Race to the Edge” were in the mix for nominations in the TV/Broadcast categories.

Annie432062016_0596Animation legend and Winsor McCay Award recipient Phil Roman and actor Edward James Olmos. Photo by David Yeh.
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Here is a list of other winners in the TV/Broadcast categories:

  • Outstanding Achievement for Character Design in a TV/Broadcast Production – Craig Kellman – Elf: Buddy’s Musical Christmas – Screen Novelties and Warner Bros. Animation
  • Outstanding Achievement for Character Animation in a Television/Broadcast Production – Chi-Ho Chan – Dragons: Race to the Edge – Episode: “Have Dragon Will Travel, Part 1″ – DreamWorks Animation Television
  • Outstanding Achievement for Voice Acting in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production – Kristen Schaal – Bob’s Burgers – Episode: Hawk & Chick – Twentieth Century Fox Television and Bento Box Entertainment
  • Outstanding Achievement for Writing in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production – Steven Davis and Kelvin Yu – Bob’s Burgers – Episode: The Hauntening – Twentieth Century Fox Television Bento Box Entertainment
  • Best Animated Television/Broadcast Production for a General Audience – The Simpsons – Episode: Halloween of Horror – Gracie Films in Association with 20th Century Fox Television
  • Outstanding Achievement for Production Design in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production – Kevin Dart, Sylvia Liu, Chris Turnham and Eastwood Wong – The Mr. Peabody and Sherman Show – Episode: “Peabody’s Parents/Galileo” – DreamWorks Animation Television

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Presenters Sharlto Copley (King Stefan in “Maleficent”) and Michael-Leon Wooley (voice of Louis the Alligator in “The Princess and the Frog”). Photo by David Yeh.

 

In the Annie categories for live-action productions, The Revenant’s bear (who was affectionately referred to as “Judy” by the filmmakers during post-production), created by a team at Industrial Light & Magic, won for character animation, and “Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron” earned the prize for animated effects in a live action production.

Veteran animators Phil Roman, Isao Takahata, and the late Joe Ranft were honored with the Winsor McCay Award in recognition of lifetime and career contributions, and other endeavors which exhibit an outstanding devotion to and promotion of excellence in the art of animation.

Don Hahn, who has produced Disney films like “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Lion King”, was recognized for his benevolent impact on the art and industry of animation with the June Foray Award. For the first time since the Annies were created, Foray, 98, didn’t attend the ceremony, but gave her congratulations via video. Disney fans will recognize Foray for her voice work in Disney films like Lucifer the Cat in the feature film “Cinderella”, Lambert’s mother in “Lambert the Sheepish Lion”, a mermaid in “Peter Pan” and Witch Hazel in the Donald Duck short “Trick or Treat”. Disney Legend Andreas Deja introduced him.

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Disney Legend Andreas Deja and June Foray Award Recipient Don Hahn. Photo by David Yeh.

 

The Annie Awards can be a predictor of who’ll take home the prize at the Academy Awards. The Annies have had a history of matching Oscar winners every other year since 2006. Before that, the Annies matched all the Oscar winners in the best animated feature category since it was added by the Academy in 2001. The winning streak was broken in 2007 when “Happy Feet” won the Oscar over Annie winner “Cars”. Last year, DreamWorks Animation’s “How to Train Your Dragon 2” won the Annie, but Disney’s “Big Hero 6” took home the Oscar.

The size and scope of the Annie Awards, as well as it’s recent growth and place in entertainment, was highlighted during the ceremony.

“Some of that growth is happening because we are inviting the world to our table,” stated Frank Gladstone, Executive Director of ASIFA-Hollywood. “The newest Annie category, Best Feature-Independent, is the most obvious step in that direction, but we are doing more to widen the animation arena, not only in obvious categories like short subjects and student films, but throughout the entire spectrum of nominations.”

The diversity in subject matter, animation techniques and content created for different age groups and demographics in the TV categories were discussed after the show among the guests.

“Animation is an incredible art form, and can tell a story from any genre,” said David Derks, Vice President of ASIFA-Hollywood. “Shows like “BoJack Horseman” and “Moonbeam City”, as well as films like Charlie Kaufman’s “Anomalisa”, exemplify it by using it effectively to tell stories of an adult nature.”

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Presenters Hadley Belle Miller (voice of Lucy in The Peanuts Movie) and Alexander Garfin (voice of Linus in The Peanuts Movie). Photo by David Yeh.
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Created and organized in 1972 by animation’s first lady June Foray, the Annie Awards represents the highest honor in the art of animation, and recognized excellence in character animation, writing, design, directing, voice acting and music in film, television and new media.

Below is a roundup of the remaining award winners:

  • Best Student Film – ed – Taha Neyestani, Sheridan College
  • Best Animated Short Subject – Don Hertzfeldt – World of Tomorrow
  • Best Animated Special Production – He Named Me Malala – Parkes-MacDonald / Little Door
  • Best Animated Television/Broadcast Commercial – Man and Dog – Psyop
  • Best Animated Television/Broadcast Production for Preschool Children – Tumble Leaf – Episode: Mirror – Amazon Studios and Bix Pix Entertainment
  • Best Animated Feature-Independent – Boy and the World – Filme de Papel

Congratulations to all the winners and nominees!

MiceChat favorite, Michael-Leon Wooley (Louis the Alligator from Princess and the Frog), was a presenter at the awards and shared a few candid shots and selfies from the ceremony and backstage.

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Michael-Leon with Disney legend Floyd Norman 12722343_10153786825599471_860738482_o

Bob Bergen, the voice of Porky Pig, and Michael-Leon Wooley

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Michael-Leon Wooley and ASIFA-Hollywood Vice President David Derks backstage just before showtime.

If you’d like to watch the awards, we’ve embeded the show for you here:

If you would like more information about the Annie Awards and ASIFA-Hollywood, be sure to visit them on the Web at www.annieawards.org/nominees/#23 and www.asifa-hollywood.org. Photos from the Annies ceremony can be viewed on the Annie Awards Facebook page at www.facebook.com/AnnieAwards. Our great thanks to David Yeh for his wonderful photos, and to Michael-Leon Wooley for his candid shots from the event.

Are you an animation fan? Are you happy to see that the industry has a first class award program which honors and inspires great talent? Let’s hear from you about the awards and your favorite animated films and shorts of the year.

That’s all folks!

– By Shelly and Noe Valladolid and friends

Shelly Valladolid
Shelly Valladolid, aka Fab, has been writing about Disney and theme parks for about two decades. She has written for various fan and pop culture sites, Disney Magazine and OCRegister.com and participated in several books, including Passporter's Disneyland and Southern California and Disney World Dreams. She was co-founder and president of the Orlando, Florida chapter of the NFFC (now Disneyana Fan Club). She taught a class on theme park history at a Southern California University. She is creator and co-owner of Jim Hill Media, one of the creators of MousePlanet and was a consultant on MSNBC, The Motley Fool and others about Disney and various media matters. She was a Heel wrestling manager on TV and a voice artist on the radio in Honolulu, HI, where she grew up. She has a blog and a podcast with her daughter, Mission:Breakout Obsessive Alice Hill. She and her husband, MiceChat columnist Noe Valladolid, live in Southern California with Alice.