Wreck-It Ralph smashes competition at Annie Awards

The film, about a video game bad guy who wants to turn hero, beat Pixar’s Golden Globe-winner Brave as well as ParaNorman, Frankenweenie and Hotel Transylvnia for the top prize.

It also won best director for Rich Moore, best music, best writing and best voice acting for Alan Tudyk, who played King Candy.

The ceremony was held at the University of California in Los Angeles on Saturday night (Feb 2).

New to the awards this year was the addition of the best student film, which was won by British stop-frame animation Head Over Heels.

Made by students at the National Film and Television School, it centres on an elderly couple who have grown apart (one of the lives on the ceiling).

Director Timothy Reckart  said: “We are so honoured to have won an Annie Award for Head Over Heels. The recognition is especially meaningful coming from our peers in the animation industry who have such a passion for this art form. I’m proud to be part of the very old tradition of stop motion animation, and our film’s reception here at the Annie’s has made us feel very much at home in this industry.”

Nick Park, who created popular characters Wallace and Gromit while studying at the NFTS 30 years ago, said: “Head Over Heels is one of those stand-out little gems that doesn’t come around that often. It’s a cleverly conceived but simple idea – a clear and inventively told story – very poignant and full of heart. I’m not surprised Timothy Reckart is winning awards with Head Over Heels – much deserved.”

The film, produced by Fodhla Cronin O’Reilly, has also been nominated for an Oscar in the Short Animated Film category, where it will go up against major studio titles from Disney and Fox.

Other notable winners included Paperman from Walt Disney Animation Studios, which won best animated short subject, and Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem from Illumination Entertainment, which picked up best animated special production.

Hosting duties were shared by movie reviewer Leonard Maltin and voice actors Rob Paulsen and Maurice Lamarche.

Honored with the Winsor McCay award were Terry Gilliam, Oscar Grillo and Mark Henn. The Winsor McCay stands as one of the highest honors given to an individual in the animation industry in recognition for career contributions to the art of animation.

PRODUCTION CATEGORIES

Best Animated Feature
Wreck-It Ralph — Disney

Annie Award for Best Animated Special Production
Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem – Illumination Entertainment

Best Animated Short Subject
Paperman (Disney)

Best General Audience Animated TV Production For Preschool Children
Bubble Guppies ‘A Tooth on the Looth’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios

Best Animated Television Production For Children
Dragons: Riders of Berk ‘How to Pick Your Dragon’ – DreamWorks Animation

Best General Audience Animated Television Production
Robot Chicken ‘DC Comics Special’ – Stoopid Buddy Studios

Animated Video Game
Journey – Sony Computer Entertainment America

Best Student Film
Head Over Heels – Timothy Reckart

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT CATEGORIES

Animated Effects in an Animated Production
Andy Hayes, Carl Hooper, David Lipton – Rise of the Guardians – DreamWorks Animation

Animated Effects in a Live Action Production
Jerome Platteaux, John Sigurdson, Ryan Hopkins, Raul Essig, Mark Chataway ‘The Avengers’ – Industrial Light & Magic

Character Animation in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production
Dan Driscoll ‘SpongeBob SquarePants: It’s a SpongeBob Christmas!’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios

Character Animation in a Feature Production
Travis Knight “ParaNorman’ – Focus Features

Character Animation in a Live Action Production
Erik de Boer, Matt Shumway, Brian Wells, Vinayak Pawar, Michael Holzl ‘Life of Pi – Tiger’ – Rhythm & Hues Studio

Character Design in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production
Robert Valley ‘Disney Tron: Uprising: The Renegade, Part I’ – Disney TV Animation

Character Design in an Animated Feature Production
Heidi Smith ‘ParaNorman’ – Focus Features

Directing in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production
John Eng ‘Dragons: Riders of Berk: Animal House’ – DreamWorks Animation

Directing in an Animated Feature Production
Rich Moore ‘Wreck-It Ralph’ – Walt Disney Animation Studios

Music in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production
John Paesano ‘Dragons: Riders of Berk: How to Pick Your Dragon’ – DreamWorks Animation

Music in an Animated Feature Production
Henry Jackman, Adam Young, Matthew Thiessen, Jamie Houston, Yasushi Akimoto ‘Wreck-It Ralph’ – Walt Disney Animation Studios

Production Design in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production
Alberto Mielgo ‘Tron: Uprising: The Stranger’ – Disney TV Animation

Production Design in an Animated Feature Production
Steve Pilcher ‘Brave’ – Pixar Animation Studios

Storyboarding in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production
Doug Lovelace ‘Dragons: Riders of Berk: Portrait of Hiccup as a Buff Man’ – DreamWorks Animation

Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production
Johanne Matte ‘Rise of the Guardians’ – DreamWorks Animation

Voice Acting in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production
Kristen Schaal as Mabel Pines ‘Gravity Falls: Tourist Trapped’ – Disney TV Animation

Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production
Alan Tudyk as King Candy ‘Wreck-It Ralph’ – Walt Disney Animation Studios

Writing in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production
Trey Parker – ‘South Park: Jewpacabra’ – Central Productions

Writing in an Animated Feature Production
Phil Johnston, Jennifer Lee – Wreck-It Ralph – Walt Disney Animation Studios

Editorial in an Animated Television Production
Hugo Morales, Adam Arnold, Davrik Waeden, Otto Ferraye ‘Kung Fu Panda – Enter the Dragon’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios

Editorial in an Animated Feature Production
Nicholas A. Smith, ACE, Robert Graham Jones, ACE, David Suther ‘Brave’ – Pixar Animation Studios

JURIED AWARDS

• Winsor McCay Award – Oscar Grillo, Terry Gilliam, Mark Henn
• June Foray Award – Howard Green
• Ub Iwerks Award – Toon Boom Animation Pipeline