The Annie Awards are the preeminent authority on animation. They get it wrong. Way wrong. But they still have a pretty solid track record.
ANNIE AWARDS
Legend:
Winner Predictions:
Wesley Lovell Pete Patrick Thomas LaTourrette
Runner-Up Predictions:
Wesley Lovell Pete Patrick Thomas LaTourrette
Best Animated Feature
Inside Out 2 TL
Kung Fu Panda 4 Nil
That Christmas Nil
Ultraman: Rising Nil
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl WL PP
The Wild Robot WL PP TL
Wesley Lovell: Without Flow in the mix, The Wild Robot should have an easy time here unless sentiment for Wallace & Gromit is high.
Pete Patrick: The Wild Robot should win this easily with Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl its closest runner-up.
Thomas La Tourette: The Annies have always had a bias against Disney/Pixar films, so that should play into The Wild Robot easily winning this.
Best Animated Feature – Independent
Chicken for Linda! Nil
Flow WL PP TL
Kensuke’s Kingdom Nil
Look Back Nil
Mars Express Nil
Memoir of a Snail WL PP TL
Wesley Lovell: Flow‘s biggest competitor is out of the way, so it must overcome Memoir of a Snail only.
Pete Patrick: Flow is the likely winner here with Memoir of a Snail seemingly the only other nominee that can pull an upset.
Thomas La Tourette: Not competing against the major releases should make for an easy win for Flow.
Best Animated Short Subject
Beautiful Men WL PP TL
In the Shadow of the Cypress Nil
Ruthless Blade Nil
The Swineherd Nil
Wander to Wonder WL PP TL
Wesley Lovell: One of the Oscar nominees will likely come out on top and I suspect it will be Wander to Wonder.
Pete Patrick: Purely guessing on this one, but at least I’ve heard of Wander to Wonder and Beautiful Men.
Thomas La Tourette: Wander to Wonder is a stop motion film which might help it win.
Best Animated Special Production
A Bear Named Wojtek TL
Mog’s Christmas Nil
Orion and the Dark WL
Tabby McTat PP
Yuck! WL PP TL
Wesley Lovell: While both of the Oscar shortlisters here (especially Oscar nominee Yuck!) are certainly contenders, I would imagine the feature length Orion and the Dark might have a chance.
Pete Patrick: I have no idea but here we go.
Best Character Animation
Inside Out 2 WL TL
Kung Fu Panda 4 Nil
Moana 2 Nil
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl PP
The Wild Robot WL PP TL
Wesley Lovell: This can be a funky category with characters that seem most interesting losing out to those who don’t. It’s all about the skill with which they are animated. That’s why Wallace & Gromit may be a threat to The Wild Robot by nature of its manufacture process. That said, I’m not predicting a victory there this year. I’m still leaning towards Wild Robot because of its breadth of character animations for dozens of different types of animals. That alone is why I think it has a good chance of triumphing. Of course, the polish of Pixar might also boost Inside Out 2. This is not a category where anyone is a frontrunner, just who we think has the best chances.
Best Character Animation – Live Action
Better Man WL PP TL
Gladiator II PP
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire Nil
House of the Dragon Season 2 Nil
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes WL TL
Wesley Lovell: With so few characters to animated in live action productions, it’s easier to isolate the films that are more likely to dominate. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes has dozens of simians to animate and thus has a better shot at this than the others. House of the Dragon certainly is possible as well but TV competing against cinema is never a good prospect in this category.
Best Character Design
Inside Out 2 WL PP TL
Scarygirl Nil
Spellbound Nil
That Christmas Nil
The Wild Robot WL PP TL
Wesley Lovell: While this isn’t the category with the most unusual winners, look for productions with lots of new characters. Inside Out 2 has a few but they also have many older ones as well. That might knock it down a peg. The Wild Robot has a good shot because of the number of characters that had to be designed but I wouldn’t count out That Christmas either with its numerous human characters.
Best Storyboarding
Despicable Me 4 PP
Moana 2 WL PP TL
Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie Nil
Spellbound WL
That Christmas TL
Wesley Lovell: This category can often yield surprises as what one artist thinks is compelling may be different to a layman. Generally, the Pixar/Disney teams have the best storyboardists and they win regularly, so Moana 2 as the only Disney/Pixar film probably has an advantage even if it wasn’t well liked (few of these were for that matter).
Best Direction
Chiara Malta, Sébastien Laudenbach – Chicken for Linda! Nil
Simon Otto – That Christmas Nil
Nick Park, Merlin Crossingham – Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl PP
Chris Sanders – The Wild Robot WL PP TL
Gints Zilbalodis – Flow WL TL
Wesley Lovell: Although the members of ASIFA are largely part of one of the major studios, they will likely admire the efforts of Gintz Zilbalodis. That said, this award usually goes to the film they name the best of the year and while both Flow and Wild Robot can be named such, Wild Robot probably has the slight edge.
Best Voice Acting
Kit Connor – The Wild Robot PP
Maya Hawke – Inside Out 2 WL TL
Brian Tyree Henry – Transformers One Nil
Mélinée Leclerc – Chicken for Linda! Nil
Lupita Nyong’o – The Wild Robot WL PP TL
Wesley Lovell: While I’m picking Lupita Nyong’o, I’m cognizant of the fact that ASIFA frequently goes unexpected directions, meaning any of the others could win even if they don’t seem, on the surface, to be likely.
Best Writing
Flow PP TL
Inside Out 2 WL TL
Kensuke’s Kingdom Nil
Memoir of a Snail WL PP
Wesley Lovell: It’s a bit surprising that Wild Robot wasn’t nominated but that leaves room for Memoir of a Snail, which is easily the most unique of pictures nominated here to eke out a victory. Of cousre Inside Out 2 could win as well. I doubt Flow‘s in the running because there’s no dialogue but I won’t entirely discount it.
Best Music
Kensuke’s Kingdom Nil
Piece by Piece TL
That Christmas Nil
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl WL PP
The Wild Robot WL PP TL
Wesley Lovell: The Wild Robot is the only Oscar nominee in this bunch and should have little trouble winning.
Best Editorial
Inside Out 2 TL
Moana 2 Nil
Ultraman: Rising Nil
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl WL PP
The Wild Robot WL PP TL
Wesley Lovell: Lots of action is a good bet for a win in this category. The Wild Robot is quite spectacular in that regard and I expect this is one of the few places where I’d be shocked if something else won.
Best Production Design
Inside Out 2 Nil
That Christmas Nil
Ultraman: Rising Nil
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl WL PP TL
The Wild Robot WL PP TL
Wesley Lovell: Wallace & Gromit has physically created sets and that is always impressive. Sure, it’s not animation in the traditional sense and that might benefit something like Wild Robot but considering how integral to almost every joke in the film the design is in Wallace, I think it will probably win.
Best FX – Feature
Kung Fu Panda 4 Nil
Moana 2 Nil
Ultraman: Rising TL
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl WL PP
The Wild Robot WL PP TL
Wesley Lovell: The Wild Robot looks to be one of the more likely winners here but surprises can happen, especially considering Kung Fu Panda 4‘s presence.
