It was a Christmas miracle for Netflix, as its “Klaus” took home the award for best feature at Saturday evening’s 47th annual Annie Awards, honoring the year’s best in animation.
The Netflix feature film from The Spa Studios and Atresmedia Cine won despite Disney’s box office smash “Frozen 2” and Laika’s Golden Globe-winning “Missing Link” each having a leading eight nominations. It also beat out DreamWorks Animation’s “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World” and Pixar Animation’s “Toy Story 4.”
The Annie Awards, presented by the International Animated Film Society, was presented at UCLA’s Royce Hall.
In addition to the year’s honorees, a series of special awards was presented during the ceremony. Windsor McCay Awards for career achievement were presented to Satoshi Kon, the late Japanese film director, animator and screenwriter; Henry Selick, a stop-motion director/producer best known for “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” “James and the Giant Peach” and “Coraline”; and Ron Clements and John Musker, considered one of the top directing teams at Walt Disney Animation Studios.
Jeanette Bonds, co-founder and director of GLAS Animation, received the society’s June Foray Award while Jim Blinn, a computer graphics expert at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, received the Ub Iwerks Award.
Here is a complete list of winners:
Best Feature
“Klaus,” Netflix Presents A Production of The Spa Studios and Atresmedia Cine
Best Indie Feature
“I Lost My Body,” Xilam for Netflix
Best Special Production
“How to Train Your Dragon Homecoming,” DreamWorks Animation
Best Short Subject
“Uncle Thomas: Accounting for the Days,” Ciclope Filmes, National Film Board of Canada, Les Armateurs
Best VR
“Bonfire,” Baobab Studios
Best Commercial
The Mystical Journey of Jimmy Page’s ’59 Telecaster, Nexus Studios
Best TV/Media – Preschool
“Ask the Storybots,” Episode: Why Do We Have To Recycle?, JibJab Bros. Studios for Netflix
Best TV/Media – Children
“Disney Mickey Mouse,” Episode: Carried Away, Disney TV Animation/Disney Channel
Best TV/Media – General Audience
“BoJack Horseman,” Episode: The New Client, Tornante Productions, LLC for Netflix
Best Student Film
“The Fox & the Pigeon,” Michelle Chua
Best FX for TV/Media
“Love, Death & Robots,” Episode: The Secret War, Blur for Netflix FX Artist: Viktor Nemeth FX Artist: Szabolcs Illes FX Artist: Adam Sipos FX Artist: Vladimir Zhovna
Best FX for Feature
“Frozen 2,” Walt Disney Animation Studios, Benjamin Fiske, Alex Moaveni, Jesse Erickson, Dimitre Berberov, Kee Nam Suong
Best Character Animation – TV/Media
“His Dark Materials,” Episode: 8, BBC Studios, Lead Animator: Aulo Licinio, Character: Iroek
Best Character Animation – Animated Feature
“Klaus,” Netflix Presents A Production of The Spa Studios and Atresmedia Cine, Animation Supervisor: Sergio Martins, Character: Alva
Best Character Animation – Live Action
“Avengers: Endgame,” Weta Digital Animation, Supervisor: Sidney Kombo-Kintombo
Best Character Animation – Video Game
“Unruly Heroes,” Magic Design Studios, Character Animator: Sebastien Parodi, Character: Heroes Kid version, Underworld NPC; Lead Animator: Nicolas Leger, Character: Heroes (Wukong, Kihong, Sandmonk, Sanzang), All enemies (except Underworld levels) and cinematics
Best Character Design – TV/Media
“Carmen Sandiego,” Episode: The Chasing Paper Caper, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing and DHX Media for Netflix, Character Designer: Keiko Murayama, Character: Carmen Sandiego, Paper Star, Player, Shadowsan, Chief, Julia Argent, Chase Devineaux
Best Character Design – Feature
“Klaus,” Netflix Presents A Production of The Spa Studios and Atresmedia Cine, Character Designer: Torsten Schrank, Character: All Characters
Best Direction – TV/Media
“Disney Mickey Mouse,” Episode: For Whom the Booth Tolls, Disney TV Animation/Disney Channel, Director: Alonso Ramirez Ramos
Best Direction – Feature
“Klaus,” Netflix Presents A Production of The Spa Studios and Atresmedia Cine, Director: Sergio Pablos
Best Music – TV/Media
“Love, Death & Robots,” Episode: Sonnie’s Edge Blur for Netflix, Composer/Lyricist: Rob Cairns
Best Music – Feature
“I Lost My Body,” Xilam for Netflix, Composer: Dan Levy
Best Production Design – TV/Media
“Love, Death & Robots,” Episode: The Witness, Blur for Netflix, Production Design: Alberto Mielgo
Best Production Design – Feature
“Klaus,” Netflix Presents A Production of The Spa Studios and Atresmedia Cine, Production Design: Szymon Biernaki, Production Design: Marcin Jakubowski
Best Storyboarding – TV/Media
“Carmen Sandiego,” Episode: Becoming Carmen Sandiego: Part 1, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing and DHX Media for Netflix, Storyboard Artist: Kenny Park
Best Storyboarding – Feature
“Klaus,” Netflix Presents A Production of The Spa Studios and Atresmedia Cine, Storyboard Artist: Sergio Pablos
Best Voice Acting – TV/Media
“Bob’s Burgers,” Episode: Roamin’ Bob-iday, 20th Century Fox / Bento Box Entertainment, Cast: H. Jon Benjamin, Character: Bob
Best Voice Acting – Feature
“Frozen 2,” Walt Disney Animation Studios, Josh Gad, Character: Olaf
Best Writing – TV/Media
“Tuca & Bertie,” Episode: The Jelly Lakes, Tornante Productions, LLC for Netflix, Writer: Shauna McGarry
Best Writing – Feature
“I Lost My Body,” Xilam for Netflix, Writer: Jeremy Clapin, Writer: Guillaume Laurant
Best Editorial – TV/Media
“Love, Death & Robots,” Episode: Alternate Histories, Blur for Netflix, Nominee: Bo Juhl, Nominee: Stacy Auckland, Nominee: Valerian Zamel
Best Editorial – Feature
“Klaus,” Netflix Presents A Production of The Spa Studios and Atresmedia Cine, Nominee: Pablo Garcia Revert