'Raya And The Last Dragon'

Source: Disney

‘Raya And The Last Dragon’

Disney’s Raya And The Last Dragon and Encanto lead the field of nominees for this year’s Annie Awards, announced on Monday by international animated film society ASIFA-Hollywood. 

Besides the two Disney titles, other nominees for the group’s best animated feature award are Pixar’s Luca, Illumination’s Sing 2 and Sony Pictures Animation and Netflix’s The Mitchells Vs The Machines

Nominated for the best independent animated feature Annie are Japanese anime epic Belle and European awards contenders Flee and The Summit Of The Gods, as well as Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko and Pompo The Cinephile, both also from Japan. 

Among the more than 30 other categories in which Annie nominations were announced were short subjects, student films and outstanding individual achievements. 

Juried awards announced by the group include the Winsor McCay Award for lifetime or career contributions, which goes to Disney animator Ruben Aquino, computer animation pioneer Lillian Schwartz and Studio Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki. 

The June Foray Award for significant and benevolent or charitable impact goes to Renzo and Sayoko Kinoshita, filmmakers and founders of the Hiroshima International Animation Festival. 

The Annie Awards are due to be presented at a ceremony scheduled for February 26 in Los Angeles. 

Full list of nominations here.