Disney, DreamWorks Nab Lion’s Share of 2012 Annie Award Nominations

Each year, Hollywood gears up for such star-studded events such as the Academy Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards, and the Golden Globe Awards, among others. Animated films occasionally get some of these awards, but they tend to get overlooked, which is why the Annie Awards are such a big deal.

The Annie Awards give recognition and trophies to the best animated features, shorts, commercials, and video games for that calendar year. They are given out by the Los Angeles branch of the International Animated Film Association (ASIFA), which has held a ceremony every year since the awards started in 1972.

For 2012, Disney and DreamWorks both dominated the various categories, with Disney earning ten nods each for “Wreck-It Ralph” and “Brave,” which it co-produced with animation giant Pixar. DreamWorks scored big with “Rise of the Guardians,” which also had ten nominations.

All three of those films got a nomination in the coveted Best Picture category, along with “Hotel Transylvania,” “Frankenweenie,” “ParaNorman,” “The Pirates! Band of Misfits,” and “The Rabbi’s Cat.”

“Wreck-It Ralph” is about Ralph, a video game villain who longs to be a hero. He manages to escape his game and get into another, where he hopes to win a medal that proves he can be a good guy. Chaos ensues as Ralph learns that being a good guy and a hero is about much more than medals. In addition to Best Picture, it was nominated for Character Design in an Animated Feature Production, Individual Achievement for Brett Albert, and Directing in an Animated Feature Production, among others.

“Brave” is about a young Scottish princess who is an expert in archery and a bit of a tomboy. She shuns the life of royalty, and wishes for nothing more than the chance to leave the palace and lead a life where she is free to choose what she wants, rather than what the King and Queen want for her. It earned nominations for Character Animation in a Feature Production, Music in an Animated Feature Production, and Editorial in an Animated Feature Production.

“Rise of the Guardians” is a film adaptation of the “Guardians of Childhood” book series by author William Joyce. The film does veer from the series a bit because it’s set about 200 years after the events of the books, but it still features the same characters and stories. It tells the tale of Jack Frost, who is billed as the spirit of winter, and how he came to be. Among the many nominations it received were Editorial in an Animated Feature Production and Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production.

“Frankenweenie” and “ParaNorman” are both comedies, though each has darker elements to them. In fact, “ParaNorman” has a few downright frights in it, setting it apart from the other films. “Frankenweenie” is a black-and-white film, and it’s similar to “ParaNorman” in being quite different from all the other films honored this year. It would have been easy to nominate more traditional films like “Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted” for the top prize, but the Annie Awards love to give nominations and wins to unconventional films as well; both “Frankenweenie” and “ParaNorman” stand a good chance of winning at least some of the categories they are nominated in.

” The Pirates! Band of Misfits ” is a comedic tale about a pirate captain who is trying to win a coveted pirate award. He hatches a plot to win the prize, but he finds himself in some hot water that could put him and his crew at risk. In addition to a Best Picture nod, it received nominations for Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production and Writing in an Animated Feature Production.

“The Rabbi’s Cat” is likely the nominee that got the least amount of advertising and exposure, but that certainly doesn’t make it any less of a worthy choice for a Best Picture nomination. It features a bunny-eared cat that unexpectedly gets a voice when he swallows a parrot. He is so in love with his new voice that he talks constantly and has several adventures in Algiers, where the film is set.

The 2012 awards show is a special one for the Annie Awards because it marks the 40th anniversary of the ceremony. It takes place on the campus of the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) in Royce Hall on February 2, 2013. Unlike most awards ceremonies, where an invitation is required, tickets for the event are put up for sale to the general public. They can be purchased at the UCLA Central Ticket Office while supplies last.