The 51st Annie Awards celebrated the best in animation with a glittering ceremony at UCLA's Royce Hall, marking a night where "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" emerged as the standout winner. The sequel from Sony Pictures Animation not only clinched the prestigious Best Feature award but also led the pack with a total of seven wins. This achievement mirrors the success of its predecessor, "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse," at the 2019 Annies, reinforcing its position as a frontrunner for the upcoming Animated Feature Oscar.

Historically, the Annie Awards have been a reliable predictor of Oscar success in the animated feature category. Since the introduction of the Best Animated Feature Oscar in 2002, a significant number of Annie winners for Best Feature have gone on to win the Oscar, with last year's "Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio" continuing this trend. "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" excelled in various categories, including Directing, Music, Production Design, Character Design, FX, and Editing, showcasing the breadth of its acclaim.

Competing closely in the film categories were "The Boy and the Heron" by Gkids and Netflix's "Nimona," each securing two awards. "Nimona," with the highest nominations at nine, won for Writing and Voice Acting, courtesy of Chloë Grace Moretz's performance. "The Boy and the Heron" received accolades for Best Storyboarding and Character Animation, highlighting director Hayao Miyazaki's creative vision. Additionally, "Robot Dreams" from Arcadia Motion Pictures was recognized as Best Feature – Independent, positioning these films as strong contenders for the Academy Award alongside "Spider-Verse" and Disney/Pixar's "Elemental."

It was a notable year for the Annies as it marked the first time in over three decades that no Disney or Pixar film competed for the top prize. Both "Elemental" and other nominees like "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem" and "Suzume" did not secure any awards.

On the television front, Netflix's "Blue Eye Samurai" dominated with six awards, excelling in Writing, Editing, FX, Character Design, Production Design, and Best TV/Media for Mature Audiences. Disney Television Animation's "Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur" and Lucasfilm's "Star Wars: Visions" were also celebrated, winning three and two Annies respectively.

The ceremony not only honored contemporary achievements but also paid tribute to lifetime accomplishments in the field. Winsor McCay Awards for career achievement were presented to the legendary animator-director Charlotte “Lotte” Reiniger (posthumously), Studio Ghibli composer Joe Hisaishi, and National Film Board animator and producer Marcy Page. The evening also recognized the Artists of Walt Disney Animation with a special achievement award, and the charitable impact of BRIC Foundation co-founders Alison Mann and Nicole Hendrix was celebrated with the June Foray Award. The Ub Iwerks Award for technical achievement was posthumously awarded to John Oxberry, acknowledging his contributions to the industry.

The 51st Annie Awards not only highlighted the exceptional talent within the animation industry but also set the stage for upcoming accolades, including the Academy Awards, further cementing the importance of animation in the broader landscape of film and entertainment.

Here’s the complete list of winners:

BEST FEATURE

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Sony Pictures Animation

BEST FEATURE – INDEPENDENT

Robot Dreams

Arcadia Motion Pictures

BEST DIRECTION – FEATURE

Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Sony Pictures Animation

BEST DIRECTION – TV/MEDIA

Paul Young

Star Wars: Visions

Episode: Screecher’s Reach

Lucasfilm Ltd. / Cartoon Saloon

BEST STORYBOARDING – FEATURE

Hayao Miyazaki

The Boy and the Heron

Studio Ghibli / Distributed by Gkids

BEST STORYBOARDING – TV/MEDIA

Ben Juwono

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur

Episode: Goodnight Moon Girl

Disney Television Animation / Cinema Gypsy Productions

BEST TV/MEDIA – LIMITED SERIES

Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire

Episode: Enkai

Triggerfish & Blinkink

BEST TV/MEDIA – MATURE

Blue Eye Samurai

Episode: Pilot: Hammerscale

A Netflix Series / 3 Arts Entertainment and Blue Spirit Productions

BEST TV/MEDIA – CHILDREN

Hilda

Episode: Chapter 8: The Fairy Isle

Hilda Productions Limited, a Silvergate Media Company, Netflix Inc. and Mercury Filmworks

BEST TV/MEDIA – PRESCHOOL

Ghee Happy

Episode: Navagraha

Ghee Happy Studio

BEST WRITING – FEATURE

Robert L. Baird, Lloyd Taylor

Nimona

Annapurna Animation for Netflix

BEST WRITING – TV/MEDIA

Amber Noizumi

Blue Eye Samurai

Episode: The Tale of the Ronin and the Bride

A Netflix Series / 3 Arts Entertainment and Blue Spirit Productions

BEST VOICE ACTING – FEATURE

Chloë Grace Moretz (character: Nimona)

Nimona

Annapurna Animation for Netflix

BEST VOICE ACTING – TV/MEDIA

Diamond White (character: Lunella Lafayette / Moon Girl)

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur

Episode: Moon Girl Landing

Disney Television Animation / Cinema Gypsy Productions

BEST EDITORIAL – FEATURE

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Editorial Team

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Sony Pictures Animation

BEST EDITORIAL – TV/MEDIA

Yuka Shirasuna

Blue Eye Samurai

Episode: The Tale of the Ronin and the Bride

A Netflix Series / 3 Arts Entertainment and Blue Spirit Productions

BEST FX – FEATURE

Pav Grochola, Filippo Maccari, Naoki Kato, Nicola Finizio, Edmond Boulet- Gilly

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Sony Pictures Animation

FX: Sony Pictures Imageworks

BEST FX – TV/MEDIA

Thomas Decaens, Karl Burtin, Laurent Bretonniere

Blue Eye Samurai

Episode: All Evil Dreams and Angry Words

A Netflix Series / 3 Arts Entertainment and Blue Spirit Productions

FX: Blue Spirit

BEST CHARACTER ANIMATION – FEATURE

Takeshi Honda

The Boy and the Heron

Studio Ghibli Distributed by Gkids

BEST CHARACTER ANIMATION – TV/MEDIA

Alex Bard

Blue Eye Samurai

Episodes: 101, 104 and 106

A Netflix Series / 3 Arts Entertainment and Blue Spirit Productions

BEST CHARACTER ANIMATION – LIVE ACTION

Fernando Herrera, Chris Hurtt, Nathan McConnel, Daniel Cabral, Chris McGaw

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Marvel Studios

FX: Framestore

BEST CHARACTER ANIMATION – VIDEO GAME

Insomniac Games Animation Team

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

Insomniac Games

BEST CHARACTER DESIGN – FEATURE

Jesús Alonso Iglesias

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Sony Pictures Animation

BEST CHARACTER DESIGN – TV/MEDIA

Jose Lopez

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur

Episode: The Beyonder

Disney Television Animation / Cinema Gypsy Productions

BEST MUSIC – FEATURE

Daniel Pemberton, Metro Boomin

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Sony Pictures Animation

BEST MUSIC – TV/MEDIA

Markus Wormstorm, Nadia Darries, Dineo du Toit

Star Wars: Visions

Episode: Aau’s Song

Lucasfilm Ltd. / Triggerfish

BEST SPONSORED

“Video Games” by Tenacious D

Pinreel Inc

BEST SPECIAL PRODUCTION

Snoopy Presents: One-of-a-Kind Marcie

WildBrain Studios in association with Apple

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN – FEATURE

Patrick O’Keefe, Dean Gordon

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Sony Pictures Animation

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN – TV/MEDIA

Toby Wilson, James Wilson, Emil Mitev

Blue Eye Samurai

Episode: The Great Fire of 1657

A Netflix Series / 3 Arts Entertainment and Blue Spirit Production

BEST SHORT SUBJECT

War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko

ElectroLeague

BEST STUDENT FILM

The Little Poet

Student director: Justine King

School: California Institute of the Arts

Previously Announced

The Winsor McCay Award for Lifetime or Career Contributions

Charlotte “Lotte” Reiniger (posthumous)

Joe Hisaishi

Marcy Page

The June Foray Award (Significant and benevolent or charitable impact)

BRIC Foundation (Alison Mann and Nicole Hendrix, co-founders)

The Ub Lwerks Award (Technical advancement affecting the animation industry)

John Oxberry (posthumous)

The Special Achievement Award (Unique and outstanding achievement not recognized within the existing award category structure)

The Artists of Walt Disney Animation