How to Train Your Dragon Leads 2011 Annie Award Nominations
Earlier this year, Disney and Pixar caused a bit of a stir when they decided to withdraw from the Annie Awards, in protest over the membership criteria. They had been consistently losing out to DreamWorks films over the past few years, and hinted that it might be related to the fact that DreamWorks gives every single one of their employees a membership card, allowing them to vote. Well, this year’s Annie Awards nominees have just been announced, and although both Toy Story 3 and Tangled did get nominated for Best Animated Feature, they have been largely ignored in other categories. So what was the film with the most nominations? Why, How to Train Your Dragon, of course!
I don’t think many people would disagree that How to Train Your Dragon deserves plenty of recognition, but the fact that it picked up 15 nods while Toy Story 3 had just 3 seems pretty ludicrous. At this point it is definitely throwing into question the validity of these awards at all. Despicable Me, The Illusionist, Legend of the Guardians and Megamind all picked up a handful of nominations as well. What do you think about this year’s list of nominees? Do you think How to Train Your Dragon was actually the best animated film of the year? Check out the full list of movie-related nominations after the jump.
Best Animated Feature
Despicable Me – Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures
How to Train Your Dragon – DreamWorks Animation
Tangled – Disney
The Illusionist – Django Films
Toy Story 3 – Disney/Pixar
Best Animated Short Subject
Coyote Falls – Warner Bros. Animation
Day & Night – Pixar
Enrique Wrecks the World – House of Chai
The Cow Who Wanted To Be A Hamburger – Plymptoons Studio
The Renter – Jason Carpenter
Animated Effects in an Animated Production
Andrew Young Kim “Shrek Forever After” – DreamWorks Animation
Jason Mayer “How To Train Your Dragon” – DreamWorks Animation
Brett Miller “How To Train Your Dragon” – DreamWorks Animation
Sebastian Quessy “Legend Of The Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole” – Warner Bros. Pictures
Krzysztof Rost “Megamind” – DreamWorks Animation
Character Animation in a Feature Production
Mark Donald “Megamind” – DreamWorks Animation
Anthony Hodgson “Megamind” – DreamWorks Animation
Gabe Hordos “How To Train Your Dragon” – DreamWorks Animation
Jakob Hjort Jensen “How To Train Your Dragon” – DreamWorks Animation
David Torres “How To Train Your Dragon” – DreamWorks Animation
Character Animation in a Live Action Production
Quentin Miles – Clash of the Titans
Ryan Page – Alice in Wonderland
Character Design in a Feature Production
Sylvain Chomet “The Illusionist” – Django Films
Carter Goodrich “Despicable Me” – Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures
Timothy Lamb “Megamind” – DreamWorks Animation
Nico Marlet “How To Train Your Dragon” – DreamWorks Animation
Directing in a Feature Production
Sylvain Chomet “The Illusionist” – Django Films
Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud “Despicable Me” – Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures
Mamoru Hosoda “Summer Wars” – Madhouse/Funimation
Chris Sanders, Dean DeBlois “How To Train Your Dragon” – DreamWorks Animation
Lee Unkrich “Toy Story 3” – Disney/Pixar
Music in a Feature Production
Sylvain Chomet “The Illusionist” – Django Films
David Hirschfelder “Legend Of The Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole” – Warner Bros. Pictures
John Powell “How To Train Your Dragon” – DreamWorks Animation
Harry Gregson Williams “Shrek Forever After” – DreamWorks Animation
Pharrell Williams, Heitor Pereira “Despicable Me” – Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures
Production Design in a Feature Production
Yarrow Cheney “Despicable Me” – Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures
Eric Guillon “Despicable Me” – Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures
Dan Hee Ryu “Legend Of The Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole” – Warner Bros. Pictures
Pierre Olivier Vincent “How To Train Your Dragon” – DreamWorks Animation
Peter Zaslav “Shrek Forever After” – DreamWorks Animation
Storyboarding in a Feature Production
Alessandro Carloni “How To Train Your Dragon” – DreamWorks Animation
Paul Fisher “Shrek Forever After” – DreamWorks Animation
Tom Owens “How To Train Your Dragon” – DreamWorks Animation
Catherine Yuh Rader “Megamind” – DreamWorks Animation
Voice Acting in a Feature Production
Jay Baruchel as Hiccup “How To Train Your Dragon” – DreamWorks Animation
Gerard Butler as Stoick “How To Train Your Dragon” – DreamWorks Animation
Steve Carrell as Gru “Despicable Me” – Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures
Cameron Diaz as Fiona “Shrek Forever After” – DreamWorks Animation
Geoffrey Rush as Ezylryb “Legend Of The Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole” – Warner Bros. Pictures
Writing in a Feature Production
Michael Arndt “Toy Story 3” – Disney/Pixar
Sylvain Chomet “The Illusionist” – Django Films
William Davies, Dean DeBlois, Chris Sanders “How to Train Your Dragon” – DreamWorks Animation
Dan Fogelman “Tangled” – Disney
Alan J. Schoolcraft, Brent Simons “Megamind” – DreamWorks Animation
Comments (7)
I still think How to Train Your Dragon is the best film of the year, so no complaints here.
Posted by Goon on December 7th, 2010Pixar/Disney were not ignored. As you mentioned in the post, they’re boycotting the awards and therefore did not submit material to be considered in most of the individual categories. Their choice.
A couple weekends back I was hanging out with some friends I worked with at my first job in animation. When the conversation turned to features we mostly talked about a bunch of Dreamworks movies. We didn’t bring up Pixar at all. On animation alone, Dreamworks is definitely superior to Pixar.
The Annies are an industry award geared towards animators and animation aficionados, not regular filmgoers. If you’re not in that group then complaining about the awards is the equivalent to a Twilight fan complaining that Eclipse didn’t get nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards despite sweeping the Teen Choice awards.
Posted by Wintle on December 7th, 2010Agree with Wintle.
Posted by swarez on December 8th, 2010“Writing in a Feature Production”, Sylvain Chomet “The Illusionist”.
So you can be granted a writing nomination by using someone else’s, in this case Jacques Tati’s, script.
Stupid as it comes.
Should the nomination not be Tati who without his writing they would be no Illusionist animated movie?
Chomet’s movie is a true travesty in the art of failed directing and bad story telling. How it can be nominated for best Animated Feature is beyond belief.
So to question the validity of these awards is correct, as they are probably divvied up by the companies who sponsor the event the most.
Posted by KCA on December 8th, 2010The last three Pixar films are far more visually pleasing, interesting and effective than anything Dreamworks has done. I don’t think I need to have worked in animation to see what is plainly on the screen.
Posted by Nate on December 24th, 2010I agree to the fact Pixar/Disney has always usually had good movies, but stupid TV shows. I would know I grew up on Disney and Dreamworks came along. I have to say Toy Story 3 came close to being a favorite, till How to Train Your Dragon came along. Something about HTTYD that captured my heart and I’m an adult. There are WAY more people MY age that absolutely adored it and I think it deserves it’s beauty and hard work that Dreamwork’s has put in it. Don’t vote because of the company. Evaluate the movie more than the Studio. It is my duty as a lover of this incredible movie not only for the story and animation, but the music tells the story if you listen to it. Get the soundtrack and you’ll see what I mean. It’s something you can truly call music. Not what kids listen to these days.
Posted by Sophie on January 14th, 2011In my opinion put boldly, I think How to Train Your Dragon should win best animation of the year.
C:
In my opinion both the talent and leadership that are responsible for the creation of these legendary and hugely profitable animated properties deserve better than this.
Posted by Tina on February 6th, 2011Leave a Reply