Overview
- ASIFA-Hollywood released nominations across 32 categories spanning features, independent films, TV/media, shorts, student work and technical fields.
- Lead contenders include Netflix/Sony’s KPop Demon Hunters and Pixar’s Elio, with Deadline reporting 13 total nominations for KPop Demon Hunters and 10 for Elio, while TheWrap counts 10 each within the feature-film categories.
- The Best Feature finalists are Elio, KPop Demon Hunters, Little Amélie or the Character of Rain, The Bad Guys 2 and Zootopia 2.
- Juried honors include Winsor McCay Awards for Michaël Dudok de Wit, Christopher Miller and Phil Lord, and Chris Sanders; the June Foray Award to Sandy Rabins; the Ub Iwerks Award to Wacom; and a Special Achievement Award to LightBox Expo.
- Industry watchers note the Annies’ strong historical overlap with the Oscars’ animated feature lineup, reinforcing the nominations’ awards-season significance.