Annie Awards: 'Zootopia,' 'Kubo and the Two Strings' Lead Noms as Indies Prove Strong Competitors
In the feature directing category, 'Zootopia' and 'Kubo' are nominated alongside 'My Life as a Zucchini,' 'The Red Turtle' and 'Your Name.'
Walt Disney Feature Animation’s Zootopia leads the feature nominees for the 44th annual Annie Awards with 11 nominations, followed by Laika’s Kubo and the Two Strings with 10 noms. But the full list of nominations for the International Animated Film Society, ASIFA-Hollywood's annual awards competition also underscored the strength of several indie films in this year’s awards race.
In the category for best animated feature, Zootopia and Kubo are nominated alongside Pixar’s Finding Dory, DreamWorks Animation’s Kung Fu Panda 3 and Disney’s Moana. Nominees in the separate best animated independent feature category My Life as a Zucchini (also the Swiss foreign-language Oscar entry) and Miss Hokusai, both released by GKIDS, as well as Long Way North, The Red Turtle and Your Name.
The strength of the indies is evident in other categories including the combined feature directing category, where Zootopia directors Byron Howard and Rich Moore and Kubo helmer Travis Knight are nominated alongside three indie directors: My Life as a Zucchini’s Claude Barras, The Red Turtle’s Michael Dudok de Wit and Your Name’s Makoto Shinkai.
Following Zootopia and Kubo in the feature categories are Moana, which earned a total of six nominations; The Red Turtle, which collected five; Kung Fu Panda 3 and Trolls, which grabbed four apiece, and Finding Dory and My Life as a Zucchini, which took three apiece.
Also to watch with awards season underway, nominees in the best animated short subject category are National Film Board of Canada’s Blind Vaysha, Google Spotlight Stories/Evil Eye Pictures’ Pearl and Pixar’s Piper — all of which made the Oscar shortlist in the animated shorts competition — as well as Deer Flower and Path Title Sequence. Pearl earned an additional three nominations, including best directing in an animated TV/broadcast production for director Patrick Osborne, who previously won an Oscar for his 2014 animated short Feast.
The Annie Awards will be presented Feb. 4 at UCLA's Royce Hall.
A complete list of nominees follows.
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Best Animated Feature
Finding Dory (Pixar Animation Studios)
Kubo and the Two Strings (LAIKA)
Kung Fu Panda 3 (Dreamworks Animation)
Moana (Walt Disney Animation Studios)
Zootopia (Walt Disney Animation Studios)
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Best Animated Feature-Independent
Long Way North (Sacrebleu Productions, Maybe Movies, Norlum Studios, France 3 Cinéma, and 2 minutes)
Miss Hokusai (Produciton I.G)
My Life As A Zucchini (Rita Productions, Blue Spirit Productions, Gebeka Films, KNM)
The Red Turtle (Studio Ghibli, Wild Bunch, Why Not Productions)
Your Name. (CoMix Wave Films)
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Best Animated Special Production
Audrie & Daisy (AfterImage Public Media, Actual Films)
Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Scroll (DreamWorks Animation)
Little Big Awesome (Titmouse, Inc., Amazon Studios)
Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life (CBS Films, J.P. Entertainment, Participant Media)
Pear Cider And Cigarettes (Massive Swerve Studios, Passion Pictures Animation)
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Best Animated Short Subject
Blind Vaysha (National Film Board of Canada)
Deer Flower (Studio ZAZAC)
Path Title Sequence (Acme Filmworks)
Pearl (Google Spotlight Stories, Evil Eye Pictures)
Piper (Pixar Animations Studios)
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Best Animated Television/Broadcast Commercial
Duelyst ( Powerhouse Animations Studios, Inc.)
LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens Trailer (Plastic Wax)
Lily & the Snowman (Hornet)
Loteria 'Night Shift' (Passion Pictures Ltd.)
The Importance of Paying Attention: Teeth (Bill Plympton Studio)
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Best Animated Television/Broadcast Production For Preschool Children
Ask the StoryBots
Episode: Why Do I Have to Brush My Teeth? (JibJab Bros. Studios for Netlix)Peg + Cat, "The Disappearing Art Problem"
Episode: Peg + Cat, "The Disappearing Art P r o b l e m" (The Fred Rogers Company, 9ate7 Productions)Puffin Rock - The First Snow
Episode: 59 (Cartoon Saloon, Dog Ears, Penguin Random House)The Stinky & Dirty Show
Episode: Squeak (Amazon Studios, Brown Bag Films)Tumble Leaf
Episode: Mighty Mud Movers / Having a Ball (Amazon Studios, Bix Pix Entertainment) -
Best Animated Television/Broadcast Production For Children
Adventure TIme
Episode: Bad Jubies (Bix Pix Entertainment, Cartoon Network Frederator Studios)DreamWorks Voltron Legendary Defender
Episode: Return of the Gladiator (DreamWorks Animation Television)Elena of Avalor
Episode: A Day to Remember (Disney Television Animation)Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Episode: Trans-Dimensional Turtles (Nickelodeon)Wander Over Yonder
Episode: My Fair Hatey (Disney Television Animation)
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Best General Audience Animated Television/Broadcast Production
Bob's Burgers
Episode: Glued, Where's My Bob? (Bento Box Entertainment)BoJack Horseman
Episode: Fish Out Of Water (Tornante Producitons, LLC for Netflix)Long Live The Royals
Episode: Punk Show (Cartoon Network Studios)The Simpsons - Barthood
Episode: Barthood (Gracie Films in Association with 20th Century Fox Television)The Venture Bros
Episode: Hostile Makeover (Titmouse, Inc.)
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Best Student Film
Citipati (Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg)
FISHWITCH (Adrienne Dowling)
The Abyss (Liying Huang)
The Wrong End of the Stick (Terri Matthews)
Twiddly Things (Adara Todd)
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Animated Effects in an Animated Production
Kubo and the Two Strings (LAIKA)
Lead Effects Artist: David HorsleyCG Look Development Lead: Eric WachtmanSenior Compositor: Timur KhodzhaevCompositor: Daniel LeatherdaleLead CG Lighter: Terrance TombergKung Fu Panda 3 (DreamWorks Animation)Effects Sequence Lead: Matt TitusEffects Sequence Lead: Jeff BudsbergEffects Sequence Lead: Carl HooperEffects Sequence Lead: Louis FloresEffects Sequence Lead: Jason MayerMoana (Walt Disney Animation Studios)
Head of Effects Animation: Marlon WestEffects Lead: Erin V. RamosEffects Lead: Blair PierpontFoundation Effects Lead: Ian J. CoonyEffects Lead: John M. KosnikThe Red Turtle (Studio Ghibli, Wild Bunch, Why Not Productions)Special Effects Supervisor: MOULOUDOUSSIDZootopia (Walt Disney Animation Studios)Effects Lead: Thom WickesEffects Lead: Henrik FältEffects Animator: Dong Joo ByunEffects Animator: Rattanin SirinaruemarnEffects Animator: Sam Klock -
Animated Effects in a Live Action Production
Deepwater Horizon - The Rig (Lionsgate)
Effects TD Supervisor: Raul EssigDigital Artist : Mark ChatawayLead Digital Artist : George KuruvillaDigital Artist : Mihai CiorobaDr. Strange - Mirror Dimension (Marvel Studios)FX Supervisor: Georg KaltenbrunnerDigital Artist : Michael MarcuzziDigital Artist : Thomas BevanDigital Artist : Andrew GrahamDigital Artist: Jihyun YoonGhostbusters (Iloura)
Animator: Terry BannonAnimator: Nicholas TripodiAnimator: Daniel FotheringhamAnimator: Matt WeaverAnimator: Julien BoudouThe BFG (Amblin Entertainment Walt Disney Pictures)
Lead Effects TD: Claude SchitterSenior Previs Animator: Benjaman FolkmanSenior Effects TD: Gary BoyleFX Supervisor: David CaeiroCG Supervisor: Luke MillarWarcraft - Magic (Legendary, Universal)
FX Supervisor: John HansenLead Artist : George KuruvillaLead Artist : Alexis HallLead Artist : Gordon ChapmanLead Artist : Ben O’Brien -
Character Animation in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production
Atomic Puppet (Mercury Filmworks, Gaumont Animation, Technicolor)
Character Animator: Barry Kennedy, Character: Disastro, Phil Felt, Joey Felt, Old Man, Atomic Puppet, Mookie, Vivian Felt, Smoke Monster, Principal Wartickle, Sword Sister (Paulina), Were-chicken, Chicken, Mr. Inkwood, Cornelius (Octopus), Atomic Android, incidental charactersDreamWorks Trollhunters
Episode: Becoming, Part 1 (DreamWorks Animation Television)Character Animator: Mike Chaffe, Character: Blinky, AaarrrgghhThe Snowy Day (Amazon Studios, Karrot Entertainment)Lead Animator: Rob Thomson, Character: Peter, Mom, Nana + all characters included in reelTumble Leaf
Episode: Thinking Outside The Hoop / Fig's Hay- Maze-ing Wander (Amazon Studios, Bix Pix Entertainment)Lead Animator: Dan MacKenzie, Character: Fig, Hedge, Stick, Okra, Maple, Pine, Buckeye, Gourd, ChickensTumble Leaf
Episode: Mighty Mud Movers / Having A Ball (Amazon Studios, Bix Pix Entertainment)Lead Animator: Joe Heinen, Character: Fig, Hedge, Stick, Buckeye, Pine, Beetles -
Character Animation in an Animated Feature Production
Finding Dory (Pixar Animation Studios)
Character Development and Animation: Erick Oh, Character: All CharactersKubo and the Two Strings (LAIKA)
Animator: Jan Maas, Character: MultipleKung Fu Panda 3 (DreamWorks Animation)
Animation Supervisor: Ludovic Bouancheau, Character: VariousZootopia (1) (Walt Disney Animation Studios)
Animator : Dave Hardin, Character: Judy Hopps, Stu Hopps, Bonnie Hopps, Chief Bogo, Nick WildeZootopia (2) (Walt Disney Animation Studios)
Animator : Chad Sellers, Character: Mr. Big, Koslov, Judy Hopps, Nick Wilde, Flash -
Character Animation in a Live Action Production
Captain America: Civil War - Spider-man (Marvel Studios)
ILM Animation Supervisor: Steve RawlinsCG Lead Artist: Ebrahim JahromiAssociate Animation Supervisor: Cedric LoCG Lead Artist: Stephen KingDigital Artist: Yair GutierrezGames of Thrones Battle of the Bastards Series 6 Episode 9 (HBO)
Visual Effects By Iloura: Nicholas TripodiVisual Effects By Iloura: Dean ElliottVisual Effects By Iloura: James HollingworthVisual Effects By Iloura: Matt WeaverThe Jungle Book (1) (Walt Disney Pictures)
Animation Supervisor: Andrew R. JonesAnimation Supervisor: Peta BayleyAnimation Supervisor: Gabriele ZucchelliCharacter Supervisor: Benjamin JonesThe Jungle Book (2) (Walt Disney Pictures)
Animation Supervisor: Andrew R. JonesSenior Animation Supervior: Paul StoryAnimation Supervisor: Dennis YooMotion Editor: Eteuati TemaSenior Facial Modeller: Andrei CovalWarcraft - Orcs (Legendary, Universal)
Animation Supervisor: Hal HickelDigital Artist : Jee Young ParkDigital Artist: Kai-Hua LanAnimation Supervisor: Cedric LoAnimation Supervisor: KimHuat Ooi -
Character Animation in a Video Game
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Legends (Ludia Inc.)
Character Animator: Lucio MennilloCharacter: Donatello VisionCharacter Animator: Martine QuesnelCharacter: Leonardo VisionCharacter Animator: Alexandre CheffCharacter: Donatello LARPCharacter Animator: Laura GorrieCharacter: Leatherhead LARPLead Animator: Guillaume CharrinCharacter: Raphael VisionTitanfall 2 (Respawn Entertainment, LLC)
Character Animator: Ranon Sarono, Character: Jack Cooper, BT-7274, WeaponsCharacter Animator: Shawn Wilson, Character: BT-7274, CreaturesLead Animator: Mark Grigsby, Character: BT-7274, Jack Cooper, Viper, WeaponsLead Animator: Paul Messerly, Character: BT-7274, Jack Cooper, AICharacter Animator: Moy Parra, Character: BT-7274, VillainsUncharted 4: A Thief's End (Naughty Dog)
Lead Animator: Jeremy Yates, Character: AllLead Animator: Almudena Soria, Character: AllLead Animator: Eric Baldwin, Character: AllLead Animator: Paul Davies, Character: AllLead Animator: Tom Bland, Character: AllWitcher 3 Expansion Packs - Character Animation Reel (CDProjekt Red)
Lead Animator: Sebastian Kalemba, Character: Directing role -
Character Design in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production
Counterfeit Cat
Episode: 28 Seconds Later (Tricon Kids & Family, Wildseed Kids)Art Director: Raphaël Chabassol, Character: Full cast: Max, Gark, Betty, etc.DreamWorks Trollhunters
Episode: Win, Lose or Draal (DreamWorks Animation Television)Character Designer: Victor Maldonado, Character: All CharactersCharacter Designer: Alfredo Torres, Character: All CharactersCharacter Designer: Jules Rigolle, Character: All CharactersPig Goat Banana Cricket
Episode: It's Time to Slumber Party (Nickelodeon)Character Designer: Jennifer Wood, Character: o Cricket with Turbine Nose o Burgerstein Nose Picking o Pig Window Squished o Moms Raisin o Angry Old Raisin Toothless o Angry Old Raisin Falling o Pig Melting o Incidental Adult 0014 Army o Sergeant Broseph Red Eyes o General Potato o Goat Soldier DizzRain or Shine
Episode: N/A (Google Spotlight Stories, Nexus Studios)Character Design: Robin Davey, Character: MultipleWander Over Yonder
Episode: The Night Out (Disney Television Animation)Character Designer: Benjamin Balistreri, Character: multiple characters -
Character Design in an Animated Feature Production
Kubo and the Two Strings (LAIKA)
Character Designer: Shannon Tindle, Character: MultipleMoana (Walt Disney Animation Studios)
Art Director Characters: Bill Schwab, Character: Moana, Maui, Pua, Heihei, Tamatoa, Kakamora, Lalotai Characters (Realm of Monsters )Visual Development Artist: Jin Kim, Character: Moana, Maui, Gramma Tala, Sina, Ancestor Wayfinders, Lalotai Characters (Realm of Monsters), Te K?The Secret Life of Pets (Illumination Entertainment)
Character Design by: Eric Guillon, Character: AllTrolls (DreamWorks Animation)
Art Director: Tim Lamb, Character: TrollsCharacter Designer: Craig Kellman, Character: BergensZootopia (Walt Disney Animation Studios)
Character Design: Cory Loftis, Character: Nick Wilde, Judy Hopps, Flash, Chief Bogo, Clawhauser, Mr. Big, Fru Fru, Koslov, Bellwether, Yax, Finnick, Doug, Mr. and Mrs. Otterton, Duke Weaselton, Misc. Characters -
Directing in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production
A Love Story
Episode: N/A (Passion Pictures)Director: Saschka Unseld
Adventure Time
Episode: Bad Jubies (Cartoon Network Studios)Director: Kirsten Lepore
Open Season: Scared Silly
Episode: Open Season: Scared Silly (Sony Pictures Animation)Director: David Feiss
Pearl
Episode: N/A (Google Spotlight Stories, Evil Eye Pictures)Director: Patrick Osborne
Wander Over Yonder
Episode: My Fair Hatey (Disney Television Animation)Director: Dave ThomasDirector: Eddie TriguerosDirector: Justin Nichols -
Directing in an Animated Feature Production
Kubo and the Two Strings (LAIKA)
Director: Travis Knight
My Life As A Zucchini (Rita Productions, Blue Spirit Producitons, Gebeka Films, KNM)
Director: Claude Barras
The Red Turtle (Studio Ghibli, Wild Bunch, Why Not Productions)
Director: Michael Dudok de Wit
Your Name (CoMix Wave Films)
Director: Makoto Shinkai
Zootopia (Walt Disney Animation Studios)
Directors: Byron Howard and Rich Moore
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Music in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production
Bob's Burgers
Episode: Glued, Where's My Bob? (Bento Box Entertainment)Composers: Loren Bouchard and John Dylan Keith
Disney Mickey Mouse
Episode: Dancevidaniya (Disney Television Animation)Composer: Christopher Willis
DreamWorks Trollhunters
Episode: Becoming, Part 1 (DreamWorks Animation Television)Composers Alexandre Desplat and Tim Davis
Pearl
Episode: N/A (Google Spotlight Stories, Evil Eye PIctures)Composer: Scot StaffordComposer/Lyricist: Alexis HarteComposer/Lyricist: JJ WieslerStar Wars Rebels
Episode: #2-24: "Twilight of the Apprentice" (Lucasfilm Ltd., Disney XD)Composer: Kevin Kiner
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Music in an Animated Feature Production
Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders (Warner Bros. Animation)
Composers: Kristopher Carter, Lolita Ritmanis, Michael McCuistion
Sing (Illumination Entertainment)Composer: Joby Talbot
The Little Prince (Netflix, On Animation Studios)
Composers: Hans Zimmer, Richard Harvey, Camille
The Red Turtle (Studio Ghibli, Wild Bunch, Why Not Productions)
Composer: Laurent Perez Del Mar
The Secret Life of Pets (Illumination Entertainment)
Composer: Alexandre Desplat
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Production Design in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production
Adventure TIme
Episode: Bad Jubies (Bix Pix Entertainment, Cartoon Network Frederator Studios)Production Design: Jason Kolowski
Pearl
Episode: N/A (Google Spotlight Stories, Evil Eye Pictures)Production Design: Tuna Bora
Puffin Rock
Episode: The First Snow (Cartoon Saloon, Dog Ears and Penguin for Netflix)Production Design: Lily Bernard
Rain or Shine
Episode: N/A (Google Spotlight Stories, Nexus Studios)Production Design: Robin Davey
The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show
Episode: The Wrath of Hughes (DreamWorks Animation Television)Production Design: Kevin DartProduction Design: Sylvia LiuProduction Design: Chris TurnhamProduction Design: Eastwood Wong -
Production Design in an Animated Feature Production
Kubo and the Two Strings (LAIKA)
Production Design: Nelson LowryProduction Design: Trevor DalmerProduction Design: August HallProduction Design: Ean McNamaraKung Fu Panda 3 (DreamWorks Animation)
Production Design: Raymond ZibachProduction Design: Max BoasThe Little Prince (Netflix, On Animation Studio)
Production Design: Lou RomanoProduction Design: Alexander JuhaszProduction Design: Celine DesrumauxTrolls (DreamWorks Animation)
Production Design: Kendal CronkhiteProduction Design: Tim LambZootopia (Walt Disney Animation Studios)
Production Design: David GoetzProduction Design: Matthias Lechner -
Storyboarding in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production
Atomic Puppet
Episode: Sick Day (Mercury Filmworks, Gaumont Animation, Technicolor)Storyboard Artist: Kyle Marshall
Disney Mickey Mouse
Episode: Road Hogs (Disney Television Animation)Storyboard Artist: Heiko Von Drengenberg
DreamWorks Trollhunters
Episode: Win, Lose or Draal (DreamWorks Animation Television)Storyboard Artist: Hyunjoo Song
Milo Murphy's Law
Episode: "Going the Extra Milo" (Disney Television Animation)Storyboard Artist: Dan PovenmireStoryboard Artist: Kyle MenkeThe Adventures of Puss in Boots
Episode: Prey Time (DreamWorks Animation Television)Storyboard Artist: Ben Juwono
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Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production
Finding Dory (Pixar Animations Studios)
Storyboard Artist: Trevor Jimenez
Kubo and the Two Strings (LAIKA)
Storyboard Artist: Mark Garcia
Moana (Walt Disney Animation Studios)Storyboard Artist: Normand Lemay
Trolls (DreamWorks Animation)
Storyboard Artist: Claire Morrissey
Zootopia (Walt Disney Animation Studios)
Storyboard Artist: Dean Wellins
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Voice Acting in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production
BoJack Horseman
Episode: Multiple Episodes (Tornante Productions, LLC for Netflix)Starring: Alison Brie, Character: Diane Nguyen
Open Season: Scared Silly
Episode: Open Season: Scared Silly (Sony Pictures Animation)Voice Actor: Will Townsend, Character: Mr. WeenieSplash and Bubbles
Episode: #102 "I Only Have Eyespots"/"Double Bubbles" (The Jim Henson Company, Herschend Entertainment)Puppeteer: Leslie Carrara-Rudolph, Character: BubblesStar Wars Rebels
Episode: #3-05: "Hera's Heroes" (Lucasfilm Ltd., Disney XD)Starring: Lars Mikkelsen, Character: Grand Admiral ThrawnThe Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show
Episode: Ponce de León (DreamWorks Animation Television)Cast: Carlos Alazaraqui, Character: Ponce de León -
Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production
Kubo and the Two Strings (LAIKA)
Kubo: Art Parkinson, Character: KuboMoana (Walt Disney Animation Studios)
Voice Actress: Auli'i Cravalho, Character: Moan aStorks (Warner Animations Group)
Voice of Tulip: Katie Crown, Character: TulipTrolls (DreamWorks Animation)
Cast: Zooey Deschanel, Character: BridgetZootopia (Walt Disney Animation Studios)
Voice Actor: Jason Bateman, Character: Nick Wilde -
Writing in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production
Bob's Burgers
Episode: The Hormone-iums (Bento Box Entertainment)Writer: Lizzie MolyneuxWriter: Wendy MolyneuxGravity Falls
Episode: Weirdmageddon 3: Take Back The Falls (Disney TV Animation)Writer: Shion TakeuchiWriter: Mark RizzoWriter: Jeff RoweWriter: Josh WeinsteinWriter: Alex HirschPuffin Rock - The First Snow
Episode: 59 (Cartoon Saloon, Dog Ears, Penguin Random House)Writer: Davey Moore
The Simpsons - Barthood
Episode: Barthood (Gracie Films in Association with 20th Century Fox Television)Writer: Dan Greaney
The Simpsons - The Burns Cage
Episode: The Burns Cage (Gracie Films in Association with 20th Century Fox Television)Writer: Rob LaZebnik
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Writing in an Animated Feature Production
Kubo and the Two Strings (LAIKA)
Writer: Marc HaimesWriter: Chris ButlerMy Life As A Zucchini (Rita Productions, Blue Spirit Producitons, Gebeka Films, KNM)
Writer: Céline Sciamma
The Red Turtle (Studio Ghibli, Wild Bunch, Why Not Productions)
Writer: Michael Dudok De WitWriter: Pascale FerranZootopia (Walt Disney Animation Studios)
Writer: Jared BushWriter: Phil Johnston -
Editorial in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production
All Hail King Julien
Episode: King Julien Superstar! (DreamWorks Animation Television)Nominee: David CraigNominee: Jeff AdamsBob's Burgers
Episode: Sea Me Now (Bento Box Entertainment)Nominee: Mark SeymourNominee: Chuck SmithNominee: Eric DavidsonDisney Mickey Mouse
Episode: Sock Burglar (Disney Television Animation)Nominee: Illya Owens
Gravity Falls
Episode: Weirdmageddon 3: Take Back The Falls (Disney TV Animation)Nominee: Kevin LocarroNominee: Andrew SorciniNominee: Nancy FrazenNominee: Tony MizgalskiStar Wars Rebels
Episode: #2-24: "Twilight of the Apprentice" (Lucasfilm Ltd., Disney XD)Nominee: Joe E. ElwoodNominee: Alex McDonnell -
Editorial in an Animated Feature Production
April and the Extraordinary World (Je Suis Bien Content, Studiocanal)
Nominee: Nazim Meslem
Kubo and the Two Strings (LAIKA)
Nominee: Christopher Murrie
Moana (Walt Disney Animation Studios)
Nominee: Jeff Draheim
Sausage Party (Columbia Pictures, Annapurna Pictures)
Nominee: Kevin Pavlovic
Zootopia (Walt Disney Animation Studios)
Nominee: Fabienne RawleyNominee: Jeremy Milton