"Kung Fu Panda"

"Kung Fu Panda" pulled out all its martial arts moves Friday night at the 36th annual Annie Awards, where it was named best animated feature.

The DreamWorks Animation feature dominated the awards ceremony, held at UCLA's Royce Hall in Westwood and presented by ASIFA-Hollywood, the Los Angeles chapter of the International Animated Film Society.

Winning the top prize over such other nominees as the critical favorites "WALL-E" and "Waltz With Bashir," "Panda" swept the feature film categories as it picked up 10 trophies, bettering Pixar's "Ratatouille" run last year when it earned nine Annies, including best feature.

Additionally, DWA's "Secrets of the Furious Five," a 24-minute short that appears on the "Panda" DVD -- took four awards in the TV production/shortform categories, and Activision's "Kung Fu Panda" game won the award for best video game.

Since the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences set up its best animated feature category in 2001, the Annie winner has gone on to score the animation Oscar every year except for two years ago when the Annies opted for "Cars" but the Academy chose "Happy Feet."

Rounding out the top prize recipients, Aardman Animations' "Wallace & Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death" was named best animated short subject.

ShadowMachine's "Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II" was honored as best animated TV production, while Nickelodeon's "Avatar: The Last Airbender" won the prize for best TV production produced for children.

"Futurama: The Beast With a Billion Backs," from the Curiosity Co. and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, was victorious in the home entertainment category, and Duck Studios' "Heart" commercial for United Airlines was the TV commercial prizewinner.

The "Panda" awards parade to the winner's podium extended throughout the evening. It included a directing award for John Stevenson and Mark Osborne; writing honors for Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger; animated effects, Le-Ming Lawrence Lee; character animation, James Baxter; and storyboarding, Jen Yuh Nelson.

Dustin Hoffman, who plays the Kung Fu master Shifu in "Panda" earned the award for voice acting in a feature film.

Nico Marlet took home two awards for character design -- for both "Panda" and "Secrets." Tang Heng also was a double winner for production design on both projects. And Hans Zimmer and John Powell also were recognized twice, for "Panda"s music and also for the "Secrets" score, where they were joined by Henry Jackman.

In other categories: The prize for TV/short form character animation went to Pierre Perifel, "Secrets"; TV/short form directing, Joaquim Dos Santos, "Avatar: The Last Airbender --"Sozin's Comet Pt. 3"; TV/short storyboarding, Chris Williams, "Glago's Guest" from Disney; voice acting, Ahmed Best, who voices Jar Jar Binks in "Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II"; and TV/short form writing, Tom Root, Douglas Goldstein, Hugh Davidson, Mike Fasolo, Seth Green, Dan Milano, Matthew Senreich, Kevin Shinick, Zeb Wells, Breckin Meyer, "Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II."

A complete list of winners is on the next page.



A complete list of winners follows:

Best feature
Kung Fu Panda -- DreamWorks Animation

Home entertainment production
Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs -- The Curiosity Company in association with 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Short subject
Wallace & Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death -- Aardman Animations Ltd.

Television commercial
United Airlines "Heart" -- Duck Studios

Television production
Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II -- ShadowMachine

Television production produced for children
Avatar: The Last Airbender -- Nickelodeon

Video game
Kung Fu Panda -- Activision

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT CATEGORIES

Animated effects
Li-Ming Lawrence Lee, "Kung Fu Panda"

Character animation in a feature production
James Baxter, "Kung Fu Panda"

Character animation in a television production or short form
Pierre Perifel, "Secrets of the Furious Five"

Character design in an animated feature production
Nico Marlet, "Kung Fu Panda"

Character design in an animated television production or short form
Nico Marlet, "Secrets of the Furious Five"

Directing in an animated feature production
John Stevenson & Mark Osborne, "Kung Fu Panda"

Directing in an animated television production or short form
Joaquim Dos Santos, Avatar: "The Last Airbender -- Sozin's Comet Pt. 3"

Music in an animated feature production
Hans Zimmer & John Powell, "Kung Fu Panda"

Music in an animated television production or short form
Henry Jackman, Hans Zimmer & John Powell, "Secrets of the Furious Five"

Production design in an animated feature production
Tang Heng, "Kung Fu Panda"

Production design in an animated television production or short form
Tang Heng, "Secrets of the Furious Five"

Storyboarding in an animated feature production
Jen Yuh Nelson, "Kung Fu Panda"

Storyboarding in an animated television production or short form
Chris Williams, "Glago's Guest"

Voice acting in an animated feature production
Dustin Hoffman, voice of Shifu, "Kung Fu Panda"

Voice acting in an animated television production or short form
Ahmed Best, voice of Jar Jar Binks, "Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II"

Writing in an animated feature production
Jonathan Aibel & Glenn Berger, "Kung Fu Panda"

Writing in an animated television production or short form
Tom Root, Douglas Goldstein, Hugh Davidson, Mike Fasolo, Seth Green, Dan Milano, Matthew Senreich, Kevin Shinick, Zeb Wells, Breckin Meyer, "Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II"