49th Annie Awards: ‘The Mitchells vs. the Machines,’ ‘Arcane’ dominate
Netflix cleaned up at the 49th Annie Awards on Saturday, with the The Mitchells vs. the Machines on the feature film side earning eight wins and on the TV/Media side the video game adaptation Arcane, an League of Legends game adaptation from Riot Games and Fortiche Production, led all winners in a clean sweep with nine awards overall, winning in each of the categories for which it was nominated.
Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon had led the nominations 10, including Best Feature, Best Character Animation, Best Voice Acting and Best Writing, but went home empty-handed.
Disney’s other big animated film, Encanto, won two awards of its nine nominations, Best Music and Best Storyboarding.
Netflix dominated the overall nomination total with 52, led by Arcane, its series based on the multiplayer online game League of Legends by Riot Games, which earned nine, plus the haul from The Mitchells vs. the Machines. Disney was next with 29 with Pixar, Marvel and its own animation studio across film and television.
In addition to the 36 competitive award categories, the Annies presented juried prizes to Disney animator Ruben Aquino, computer pioneer Lillian Schwartz and Studio Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki received the Winsor McCay Award for lifetime achievement. The June Foray Award for charitable contributions to the animation industry went to filmmakers Renzo and Sayoko Kinoshita, founders of the Hiroshima International Animation Festival. The Python Foundation will be honored with the Ub Iwerks Award for technical achievement for its open-source Python programming language. Artist and author Glen Vilppu received a special achievement award for his work in teaching a generation of animation professionals. The certificate of merit for service to the art and industry of animation went to Evan Vernon.
Here is the complete list of winners for the 49th Annie Awards.
Film
Best Feature
Encanto
Luca
The Mitchells vs. the Machines – WINNER
Raya and the Last Dragon
Sing 2
Best Indie Feature
Belle
Flee – WINNER
Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko
Pompo the Cinephile
The Summit of the Gods
Best Short Subject
Bestia – WINNER
Easter Eggs
MAALBEEK
Night Bus
Steakhouse
Best Direction – Feature
Belle (Mamoru Hosoda)
Encanto (Jared Bush, Byron Howard, Charise Castro Smith)
Flee (Jonas Poher Rasmussen, Kenneth Ladekjær)
Luca (Enrico Casarosa)
The Mitchells vs. the Machines (Mike Rianda, Jeff Rowe) – WINNER
Best Writing – Feature
Belle (Mamoru Hosoda)
Flee (Jonas Poher Rasmussen, Amin Nawabi)
Luca (Jesse Andrews, Mike Jones)
The Mitchells vs. the Machines (Mike Rianda, Jeff Rowe) – WINNER
Raya and the Last Dragon (Qui Nguyen, Adele Lim)
Best Music – Feature
Encanto (Lin-Manuel Miranda, Germaine Franco) – WINNER
Luca (Dan Romer)
Poupelle of Chimney Town (Youki Kojima, Yuta Bandoh)
Raya and the Last Dragon (James Newton Howard, Jhené Aiko)
Vivo (Alex Lacamoire, Lin-Manuel Miranda)
Best Voice Acting – Feature
Stephanie Beatriz, Encanto
Jack Dylan Grazer, Luca
Abbi Jacobson, The Mitchells vs. the Machines – WINNER
John Leguizamo, Encanto
Kelly Marie Tran, Raya and the Last Dragon
Best Character Animation – Feature
The Boss Baby: Family Business
Encanto – WINNER
Luca
Raya and the Last Dragon
Wish Dragon
Best Character Animation – Live Action
Flora & Ulysses
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings – WINNER
The Suicide Squad
The Tomorrow War
Y: The Last Man
Best Character Design – Feature
Luca
The Mitchells vs. the Machines – WINNER
Raya and the Last Dragon
Ron’s Gone Wrong
Vivo
Best Editorial – Feature
Encanto
Flee
Luca
The Mitchells vs. the Machines – WINNER
Raya and the Last Dragon
Best Production Design – Feature
Belle
The Mitchells vs. the Machines – WINNER
Raya and the Last Dragon
Ron’s Gone Wrong
Vivo
Best Storyboarding – Feature
The Addams Family 2
Encanto – WINNER
Raya and the Last Dragon
Spirit Untamed
Vivo
Best FX – Feature
Belle
Encanto
The Mitchells vs. the Machines – WINNER
Raya and the Last Dragon
Vivo
Best Student Film
A Film About A Pudding
HOPE
I Am a Pebble
Night of the Living Dread – WINNER
Slouch
Television/Media
Best TV/Media – General Audience
Arcane (Episode: When These Walls Come Tumbling Down) – WINNER
Bob’s Burgers (Episode: Fingers-loose)
Love, Death + Robots (Episode: Ice)
Star Wars: Visions (Episode: The Duel)
Tuca & Bertie (Episode: The Dance)
Best TV/Media – Children
Amphibia (Episode: True Colors)
Carmen Sandiego (Episode: The Himalayan Rescue Caper)
Dug Days (Episode: Science)
Maya and the Three (Episode: The Sun and the Moon) – WINNER
We the People (Episode: Active Citizenship)
Best TV/Media – Preschool
Ada Twist, Scientist (Episode: Twelve Angry Birds) – WINNER
Muppet Babies (Episode: Gonzo-rella)
ODO (Episode: Doddle Song)
Stillwater (Episode: Crossing Over / Kind of Blue)
Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum (Episode: I am Ella Fitzgerald)
Best Special Production
For Auld Lang Syne
La Vie de Château
Mum Is Pouring Rain
Namoo – WINNER
The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf
Best Sponsored
A Future Begins – WINNER
Fleet Foxes – Featherweight
The Good Guest Guide to Japan
Tiptoe & The Flying Machine
Wandavision – “Don’t Touch that Dial” Title Sequence
Best Direction – TV/Media
Amphibia (Episode: True Colors) – Jenn Strickland, Kyler Spears
Arcane (Episode: The Monster You Created) – Pascal Charue, Arnaud Delord, Barthelemy Maunoury – WINNER
Crossing Swords (Episode: Tent Pitching) – John Harvatine, Brad Schaffer, Ethan Marak
Hilda and the Mountain King (Episode: Broadcast Special) – Andy Coyle
Maya and the Three (Episode: The Sun and the Moon) – Jorge R. Gutierrez
Best Writing – TV/Media
Arcane (Episode: The Monster You Created) – Christian Linke, Alex Yee – WINNER
Maya and the Three (Episode: Chapter 4: The Skull) – Silvia Olivas, Jorge R. Guitterez
Muppet Babies (Episode: Gonzo-Rella) – Ghia Godfree
The Mighty Ones (Episode: Berry’s Pet Threat) – Jillian Goldfluss, Erica Jones, Nicolette Wood
Tuca & Bertie (Episode: Planteau) – Lisa Hanawalt
Best Voice Acting – TV/Media
Kimberly Brooks, DC Super Hero Girls (Episode: #EnterNightSting)
Parvesh Cheena, Centaurworld (Episode: Johnny Teatimes Be Best Competition: A Quest for the Sash)
Ella Purnell, Arcane (Episode: When These Walls Come Tumbling Down) – WINNER
Charlie Saxton, Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans (Episode: Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans)
Michael J. Woodard, Arlo the Alligator Boy (Episode: Broadcast Special)
Best Music – TV/Media
Blush (Episode: Broadcast Short Film) – Joy Ngiaw
Hilda and the Mountain King (Episode: Broadcast Special) – Ryan Carlson
Maya and the Three (Episode: The Sun and the Moon) – Tim Davies, Gustavo Santaolalla – WINNER
Mila (Episode: Broadcast Short Film) – Flavio Gargano
Mira, Royal Detective (Episode: The Eid Mystery) – Amritha Vaz, Matthew Tishler, Jeannie Lurie
Best Character Animation – TV/Media
Arcane (Episode: The Monster You Created) – WINNER
Love, Death + Robots (Episode: All Through the House)
Namoo (Episode: Namoo Animated Short)
Ultra City Smiths (Episode: The Little Baby Hand Pinky Grip)
We the People (Episode: Active Citizenship)
Best Character Animation – Video Game
Disney Wonderful Worlds
It Takes Two
Kena: Bridge of Spirits
Madrid Noir
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart – WINNER
Best Character Design – TV/Media
Arcane (Episode: Some Mysteries Better Left Unsolved) – WINNER
Batman: The Long Halloween Part One (Episode: Broadcast Special)
Kid Cosmic (Episode: The Rings of Power)
Maya and the Three (Episode: The Sun and the Moon)
Yuki 7 (Episode: They Called Her Number Seven)
Best Editorial – TV/Media
Amphibia (Episode: True Colors)
Arlo the Alligator Boy (Episode: Broadcast Special)
Love, Death + Robots (Episode: Pop Squad)
Tom and Jerry in New York (Episode: Billboard Jumble)
What If…? (Episode: What If…Ultron Won?) – WINNER
Best Production Design – TV/Media
Arcane (Episode: Happy Progress Day!) – WINNER
Arlo the Alligator Boy (Episode: Broadcast Special)
Love, Death + Robots (Episode: Ice)
Maya and the Three (Episode: The Sun and the Moon)
Yuki 7 (Episode: They Called Her Number Seven)
Best Storyboarding – TV/Media
Arcane (Episode: When These Walls Come Tumbling Down) – WINNER
Invincible (Episode: Where I Really Come From)
Kid Cosmic (Episode: The Big Win)
Love, Death + Robots (Episode: Pop Squad)
The Ghost and Molly McGee (Episode: All Systems No)
Best FX – TV/Media
Arcane (Episode: Oil and Water) – WINNER
Castlevania (Episode: The Endings)
Maya and the Three (Episode: The Sun and the Moon)
Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas (Episode: Broadcast Special)
Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans (Episode: Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans)
He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.
- 2024 Camerimage Film Festival: Danish Oscar Entry ‘The Girl With the Needle’ Wins Golden Frog - November 23, 2024
- 2025 Oscar Predictions: BEST PICTURE and BEST DIRECTOR (November) - November 22, 2024
- 2025 Oscar Predictions: SUPPORTING ACTOR (November) - November 21, 2024
2024 Camerimage Film Festival: Danish Oscar Entry ‘The Girl With the Needle’ Wins Golden Frog 
Interview: ‘Gladiator II’ Cinematographer John Mathieson on Reuniting with Ridley Scott and Continuing the Legacy and Lore 
Interview: Alan Menken and Glenn Slater on Creating the Songs and Score for ‘Spellbound’ and the “Perfectly” Cast Rachel Zegler 
2025 Oscar Predictions: BEST PICTURE and BEST DIRECTOR (November)