ASIFA-Hollywood Sets April 16, 2021 for the Digital Annie Awards

BURBANK, Calif. (October 15, 2020) – ASIFA-Hollywood announced today that its 48th Annie Awards™ ceremony will be a Virtual event, to be held on Friday, April 16, 2021. Details are currently in the planning stages. As ceremony information becomes available, the Annie Awards™ official website will be updated. “One particular advantage of this year’s virtual event is the participation of our international members – artists, animators and filmmakers – who will be on hand for the first time to celebrate this year’s honorees, nominees and winners,” said Jerry Beck, president, ASIFA-Hollywood.

“The decision to go virtual was difficult, but we feel it is the best way to share this year’s animation talent across broadcast and feature productions without the fear of endangering the hundreds of guests who gather each spring to celebrate animation’s best,” said Sue Shakespeare, vice-president, ASIFA-Hollywood.

Key Dates for the 48th Annie Awards™ Ceremony Include:

  • Call for Entries – Monday, January 4, 2021;
  • Annies Submissions Deadline – 5 p.m. (PST), Monday, February 1,
    2021;
  • Nominations Announced – 8 a.m. (PST) on Wednesday, March 3, 2021;
  • Deadline to Become an Annies Sponsor & Advertiser, Monday,
    March 22, 2021;
  • Online balloting begins Monday, March 29, 2021 and ends Friday,
    April 9, 2021.

All other important dates, details and the 48th Annie Awards™ rules are located on the official Annie Awards™ website – www.annieawards.org.

Entries submitted for consideration will be from animated productions that were released in the United States between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020. Exceptions are commercials, short subjects, special projects and student films, which can qualify with or without United States releases. Submissions close on Monday, February 1, 2021 at 5 p.m. (PST).

Created in 1972 by veteran voice talent June Foray, and in whose name the philanthropic June Foray Award was established, the Annie Awards™ have grown in scope and stature for the past four decades. ASIFA-Hollywood is the world’s first and foremost professional organization dedicated to promoting the Art of Animation and celebrating the people who create it.

Today, ASIFA-Hollywood, the largest chapter of the international organization ASIFA, supports a range of animation activities and preservation efforts through its membership. Current initiatives include the Animation Archive, Animation Aid Foundation, Animation Educators Forum, animated film preservation, special events, scholarships and screenings.

For up-to-the minute details and information on the 48th Annie Awards™, please visit www.annieawards.org. For information on ASIFA-Hollywood, please visit www.asifa-hollywood.org.

Recommendations for Juried Awards Now being Accepted

ASIFA-Hollywood also announced it will begin accepting recommendations for Juried Award nominations honoring career achievement and exceptional contributions to animation.

Applications may be submitted now through Saturday, October 31 via email at info@asifa-hollywood.org or mailed to the ASIFA-Hollywood offices at 2114 W. Burbank Blvd., Burbank, CA 91506. The Juried Award recipients will be honored during the 48th Annie Awards™ set for Friday, April 16, 2021.

The Board of Directors of ASIFA-Hollywood shall select by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote, for each of the Juried Award categories listed below. At its discretion, the Board of Directors may elect not to give an award in any category.

“The Winsor McCay Awards are our highest honors. In fact, they were the first Annies ever given and were the only awards granted for the first several years,” remarked Frank Gladstone, Annie Awards executive producer. “Other juried categories have been added over time, which has not diminished their significance. On the contrary, the juried categories have grown into a most important and significant part of each year’s honors.”

Juried Award Categories:

  • Winsor McCay Award in recognition of lifetime or career contributions to the art of animation in producing, directing, animating, design, writing, voice acting, sound technical influence, music, education, or for other endeavors which exhibit outstanding contributions to excellence in animation;
  • June Foray Award to an individual who has made a significant and benevolent or charitable impact on the art and industry of animation;
  • Ub Iwerks Award to an individual or company for a technical advancement that has made a significant impact on the art or industry of animation;
  • Special Achievement Award may be given to an individual, individuals or a company for unique and significant achievement made between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020, not recognized by other Annie Award categories.
  • Certificate of Merit to an individual or organization for current service to the art, craft, and industry of animation.

All important dates, details, and ruled for the 48th Annie Awards™ can be found at the event’s official website.