‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ leads 49th Annie Awards nominations; Netflix dominates overall

Erik Anderson December 21, 2021

Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon led the nominations for the 49th Annie Awards, celebrating animation in film, television and more, with 10 nods including Best Feature, Best Character Animation, Best Voice Acting and Best Writing.

Disney’s other big animated film, Encanto, was close with 9 followed by Luca (Pixar) and The Mitchells vs. the Machines (Netflix) with eight apiece. NEON’s Flee earned five nominations including Best Indie Feature and Best Directing and Best Writing.

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.

Character voice acting nominations went to Kelly Marie Tran for Raya and the Last Dragon, Stephanie Beatriz and John Leguizamo for Encanto, Jack Dylan Grazer for Luca and Abbi Jacobson for The Mitchells vs. the Machines.

Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, The Tomorrow War and The Suicide Squad are among live-action nominees, a category that is often a good sign for a film’s Visual Effects nomination chances. Previous nominees that have translated a nomination here to the Oscars include The Revenant, Deepwater Horizon, Christoper Robin, Kong: Skull Island and Guardians of the Galaxy 2.

The Annies, presented by the animation organization ASIFA-Hollywood, are set to return with a live ceremony on February 26 at Royce Hall on the campus of UCLA. “In spite of everything, or maybe because of what we and the world around us have been through for nearly two years, we all want to return to some kind of normal,” said Annies executive producer Frank Gladstone. “We are planning to return for an in-person event with all the trimmings. It is our job to celebrate our community and our accomplishments.”

In addition to the 36 competitive award categories, the Annies will also present juried prizes to Disney animator Ruben Aquino, computer pioneer Lillian Schwartz and Studio Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki will receive the Winsor McCay Award for lifetime achievement. The June Foray Award for charitable contributions to the animation industry will go 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 will receive a special achievement award for his work in teaching a generation of animation professionals. A certificate of merit for service to the art and industry of animation will go to Evan Vernon.

Here is the complete list of nominations for the 49th Annie Awards.

Best Feature

Encanto

Luca

Raya and the Last Dragon

Sing 2

The Mitchells vs. The Machines

Best Indie Feature

Belle

Flee

Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko

Pompo the Cinephile

The Summit of the Gods

Best Special Production

For Auld Lang Syne

La Vie de Château

Mum Is Pouring Rain

Namoo

The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf

Best Short Subject

Bestia

Easter Eggs

MAALBEEK

Night Bus

Steakhouse

Best Sponsored

A Future Begins

Fleet Foxes – Featherweight

The Good Guest Guide to Japan

Tiptoe & The Flying Machine

Wandavision – “Don’t Touch that Dial” Title Sequence

Best TV/Media – Preschool

Ada Twist, Scientist

Muppet Babies.

ODO

Stillwater

Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum

Best TV/Media – Children

Amphibia

Carmen Sandiego

Dug Days

Maya and the Three

We the People

Best TV/Media – General Audience

Arcane

Bob’s Burgers

Love, Death + Robots

Star Wars: Visions

Tuca & Bertie

Best Student Film

A Film About A Pudding

HOPE

I Am A Pebble

Night of the Living Dread

Slouch

Best FX – TV/Media

Arcane

Castlevania

Maya and the Three

Shaun The Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas

Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans

Best FX – Feature

Belle

Encanto

Raya and the Last Dragon

The Mitchells vs. The Machines

Vivo

Best Character Animation – TV/Media

Arcane

Love, Death + Robots Episode: All Through the House

Namoo

We the People

Best Character Animation – Feature

Encanto

Luca

Raya and the Last Dragon

The Boss Baby: Family Business

Wish Dragon

Best Character Animation – Live Action

Flora & Ulysses

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

The Suicide Squad

The Tomorrow War

Y: The Last Man

Best Character Animation – Video Game

Disney Wonderful Worlds

It Takes Two

Kena: Bridge of Spirits

Madrid Noir

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

Best Character Design – TV/Media

Arcane

Batman: The Long Halloween

Kid Cosmic

Maya and the Three Episode

Yuki 7

Best Character Design – Feature

Luca

Raya and the Last Dragon

Ron’s Gone Wrong

The Mitchells vs. The Machines

Vivo

Best Direction – TV/ Media

Amphibia – Jenn Strickland, Kyler Spears

Arcane – Pascal Charue, Arnaud Delord, Barthelemy Maunoury

Crossing Swords – John Harvatine, Brad Schaffer, Ethan Marak

Hilda and the Mountain King – Andy Coyle

Maya and the Three Episode – Jorge R. Gutierrez

Best Direction – Feature

Belle – Mamoru Hosoda

Encanto – Jared Bush, Byron Howard, Charise Castro Smith

Flee – Jonas Poher Rasmussen, Kenneth Ladekjaer

Luca – Enrico Casarosa

The Mitchells vs. The Machines – Mike Rianda, Jeff Rowe

Best Music – TV/ Media

Blush

Hilda and the Mountain King

Maya and the Three

Mila

Mira, Royal Detective

Best Music – Feature

Encanto

Luca

Poupelle of Chimney Town

Raya and the Last Dragon

Vivo

Best Production Design – TV/Media

Arcane

Arlo the Alligator Boy Episode: Broadcast Special

Love, Death + Robots Episode: Ice

Maya and the Three

Yuki 7

Best Production Design – Feature

Belle

Raya and the Last Dragon

Ron’s Gone Wrong

The Mitchells vs. The Machines

Vivo

Best Storyboarding – TV/Media

Arcane

Invincible

Kid Cosmic

Love, Death + Robots

The Ghost and Molly McGee

Best Storyboarding – Feature

Encanto

Raya and the Last Dragon

Spirit Untamed

The Addams Family 2

Vivo

Best Voice Acting – TV/Media

Arcane – Ella Purnell

Arlo the Alligator Boy – Michael J. Woodard

Centaurworld – Parvesh Cheena

DC Super Hero Girls – Kemberly Brooks

Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans – Charlie Saxton

Best Voice Acting – Feature

Encanto – John Leguizamo

Encanto – Stephanie Beatriz

Luca – Jack Dylan Grazer

Raya and the Last Dragon – Kelly Marie Tran

The Mitchells vs. The Machines – Abbi Jacobson

Best Writing – TV/ Media

Arcane

Maya and the Three

Muppet Babies

The Mighty Ones

Tuca & Bertie

Best Writing – Feature

Belle

Flee

Luca

Raya and the Last

The Mitchells vs. The Machines

Best Editorial – TV/ Media

Amphibia

Arlo the Alligator Boy

Love, Death + Robots

Tom and Jerry in New York

What If…?

Best Editorial – Feature

Encanto

Flee

Luca

Raya and the Last Dragon

The Mitchells vs. The Machines

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Erik Anderson

Erik Anderson is the founder/owner and Editor-in-Chief of AwardsWatch and has always loved all things Oscar, having watched the Academy Awards since he was in single digits; making lists, rankings and predictions throughout the show. This led him down the path to obsessing about awards. Much later, he found himself in film school and the film forums of GoldDerby, and then migrated over to the former Oscarwatch (now AwardsDaily), before breaking off to create AwardsWatch in 2013.

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.