“How to Train Your Dragon 2” was the dominant feature at Saturday night’s Annie Awards, the main awards show for animated films and television shows.
At awards given out by the International Animated Film Association, ASIFA-Hollywood, the DreamWorks Animation film beat “Big Hero 6,” “The Boxtrolls” and “The Lego Movie” to be named the year’s best animated film. It also won awards for its directing, storyboarding, music, character animation and editorial.
The six wins for “Dragon” were far more than its chief competitors. “The Boxtrolls” won for production design and for Ben Kingsley’s voice work, while “Big Hero 6” won a single award, for animated effects, and “The Lego Movie” won one, for writing.
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“Dragon” director Dean DeBlois’ sequel followed in the footsteps of his original 2010 movie, which won 10 Annie Awards, including Best Animated Feature. That win was controversial, because Disney and Pixar – which released the Oscar winner “Toy Story 3” – had withdrawn support of ASIFA-Hollywood, in a move that led to changes in the way the Annies were selected.
Under the new rules, Annies voters have typically spread the wealth among a number of films, making the sweeping victory for “Dragon” more unexpected. With “The Lego Movie” failing to land an Oscar nomination, DreamWorks Animation has an edge over Disney’s “Big Hero 6” for the animated-feature Oscar.
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Disney’s Oscar-nominated short “Feast” won the award for best animated short subject.
In the television categories, “Disney Mickey Mouse” won five awards, while “Wander Over Yonder” won two. Other TV winners included “Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey,” “Tumble Leaf,” “Gravity Falls” and “The Simpsons.”
The winners:
Best Animated Feature: “How to Train Your Dragon 2” – DreamWorks Animation
Best Animated Special Production: “Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey” – Voyager Pictures LLC
Best Animated Short Subject: “Feast” – Walt Disney Animation Studios
Best Animated Television/Broadcast Commercial: “Flight of the Stories” – Aardman Animations
Best Animated TV/Broadcast Production For Preschool Children: “Tumble Leaf” – Amazon Studios
Best Animated Television/Broadcast Production For a Children’s Audience: “Gravity Falls” Disney Television Animation
Best General Audience Animated Television/Broadcast Production: “The Simpsons” – Gracie Films in association with 20th Century Fox Television
Best Video Game: “Valiant Hearts: The Great War” – Ubisoft
Best Student Film: Jason Rayner – “My Big Brother” – Savannah College of Art and Design
Animated Effects in an Animated Production: Michael Kaschalk, Peter DeMund, David Hutchins, Henrik Falt, John Kosnik – “Big Hero 6” – Walt Disney Animation Studios
Animated Effects in a Live Action Production: Steve Avoujageli, Atsushi Ikarashi, Pawel Grochola, Paul Waggoner, Viktor Lundqvist – “Edge of Tomorrow”– Sony Pictures Imageworks
Character Animation in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production: Justin Nichols – “Wander Over Yonder” – Disney Television Animation
Character Animation in an Animated Feature Production: Fabio Lignini – “How to Train Your Dragon 2” – DreamWorks Animation
Character Animation in a Live Action Production: Daniel Barrett, Paul Story, Eteuati Tema, Alessandro Bonora, Dejan Momcilovic – “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” – Weta Digital
Character Animation in a Video Game: Mike Mennillo – “Assassin’s Creed Unity” – Ubisoft
Character Design in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production: Benjamin Balistreri – “Wander Over Yonder” – Disney Television Animation
Character Design in an Animated Feature Production: Paul Sullivan, Sandra Equihua, Jorge R. Gutierrez – “The Book of Life” – Reel FX
Directing in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production: Aaron Springer – “Disney Mickey Mouse” – Disney Television Animation
Directing in an Animated Feature Production: Dean DeBlois – “How to Train Your Dragon 2” – DreamWorks Animation
Music in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production: Christopher Willis – “Disney Mickey Mouse” – Disney Television Animation
Music in an Animated Feature Production: John Powell, Jónsi – “How to Train Your Dragon 2” – DreamWorks Animation
Production Design in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production: Narina Sokolova – “Mickey Shorts” – Disney
Production Design in an Animated Feature Production: Paul Lasaine, Tom McClure, August Hall – “The Boxtrolls” – Focus Features/Laika
Storyboarding in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production: Joaquim Dos Santos – “Legend of Korra, Venom of the Red Lotus” – Nickelodeon Animation Studio
Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production: Truong “Tron” Son Mai – “How to Train Your Dragon 2” – DreamWorks Animation
Voice Acting in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production: Bill Farmer as the voice of Goofy and Grandma – “Disney Mickey Mouse” – Disney Television Animation
Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production: Sir Ben Kingsley as the voice of Archibald Snatcher – “The Boxtrolls” – Focus Features/Laika
Writing in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production: Darrick Bachman – “Disney Mickey Mouse” – Disney Television Animation
Writing in an Animated Feature Production: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller – “The LEGO Movie” – Warner Bros. Pictures
Editorial in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production: Illya Owens – “Disney Mickey Mouse” – Disney Television Animation
Editorial in an Animated Feature Production: John K. Carr – “How to Train Your Dragon 2” – DreamWorks Animation