Due to the recent COVID-19 surge, the 2022 Annie Awards have moved dates and gone virtual. The ceremony will now be held online on March 12 at 7 p.m. PT.
The Annie Awards, presented by the board of directors for ASIFA-Hollywood, recognizes the year’s best in animation, with award categories including best animated feature, animated feature-independent, special productions, sponsored films, short subjects, student films, voice acting, character design, character animation, direction, music, production design, storyboarding and outstanding individual achievements, as well as the honorary juried awards.
This year, nominees for best feature include “Encanto,” “Luca,” “Raya and the Last Dragon,” “Sing 2” and “The Mitchells vs. the Machines.” Up for best indie feature are “Belle,” “Flee,” “Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko,” “Pompo the Cinephile” and “The Summit of the Gods.”
Last year, Pixar’s “Soul” picked up seven awards, including best feature and character animation. “Wolfwalkers” took home five awards, including best independent feature and character design.
“When we announced that the Annies would be in-person this year on February 26, the omicron variant was not even on the horizon,” commented Frank Gladstone, ASIFA’s executive director. “But now it is here and so highly infectious that, after much debate and discussion, ASIFA’s board of directors has decided, in an abundance of caution, to once again move to a virtual ceremony. We’ve also moved the date of the event by two weeks to give our production crew time to gather and edit the huge amount of additional material it takes to construct the virtual ceremony.”
Founded by June Foray, the Annie Awards celebrate its 49th year.
