‘How to Train Your Dragon 2’ Named Best Animated Feature at Annie Awards

DreamWorks Animation’s How To Train Your Dragon 2 won big at the 42nd annual Annie Awards, collecting six awards including best animated feature and best director for its writer-director Dean DeBlois. 

Warner Bros.’ The LEGO Movie — which earned the PGA Award last weekend but was snubbed when the Oscar nominations were announced — won one Annie, which was awarded to its writers-directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller for writing.

In addition to best animated feature and director, How To Train Your Dragon 2 was honored for character animation, editing, music and storyboarding.

Accepting the directing award, DeBlois said “a director is only as good as the team,” as he thanked the 400 artists who worked on the film.

Referring to DWA’s recent announcement of a planned restructuring that would include 500 layoffs, he added, “We had a tough week but moments like this we get to celebrate the work.”

Added DeBlois: “Animation is speaking to a broader and broader audience and I’m happy to be a part of that progress.”

Also in the feature categories, Focus and Laika’s The Boxtrolls won a pair of awards, for production design and voice acting. The later went to Ben Kingsley for his role as Archibald Snatcher.

Read more Sundance Awards: The Winners List

Disney’s Big Hero 6 won a trophy for animated effects, and Fox’s The Book of Life received an award for character design.

How To Train Your Dragon 2, The Boxtrolls and Big Hero 6 are nominated for the Oscar for best animated feature, along with Annie nominees Song of the Sea from Ireland’s Cartoon Saloon and The Tale of The Princess Kaguya, from Japan’s Studio Ghibli, both of which were distributed by GKIDS.

Also at the Annies, held Saturday evening at UCLA’s Royce Hall, best animated short subject was awarded to Disney’s Oscar nominee Feast. Another Oscar nominee, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, won an Annie for character animation in a live action feature.

In television categories, Disney Mickey Mouse earned five trophies including for best direction. The Simpsons was named best animated TV production.

During the ceremony, Winsor McCay lifetime achievement awards were presented to producers Didier Brunner and Lee Mendelson, and animator Don Lusk; the June Foray benevolent service award was given to author and critic Charles Solomon; the Ub Iwerks technical achievement award recognized DWA’s Apollo software and a Special Achievement Award honored the Walt Disney Family Museum.

A complete list of winners follows.

Best Student Film

Jason Rayner — My Big Brother — Savannah College of Art and Design

Storyboarding in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production

Joaquim Dos Santos — Legend of Korra, Venom of the Red Lotus? — Nickelodeon Animation Studio

Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production

Truong “Tron” Son Mai — How to Train Your Dragon 2? — DreamWorks Animation

Editorial in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production

Illya Owens —  Disney Mickey Mouse — ?Disney Television Animation

Editorial in an Animated Feature Production

John K. Carr — How to Train Your Dragon 2 — DreamWorks Animation

Best Video Game

‘Valiant Hearts: The Great War’ — Ubisoft

Character Design in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production

Benjamin Balistreri — Wander Over Yonder — Disney Television Animation

Character Design in an Animated Feature Production

Paul Sullivan, Sandra Equihua, Jorge R. Gutierrez — The Book of Life — ?Reel FX

Music in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production

Christopher Willis — Disney Mickey Mouse? — Disney Television Animation

Music in an Animated Feature Production

John Powell, Jónsi — How to Train Your Dragon 2 — DreamWorks Animation

Animated Effects in an Animated Production

Michael Kaschalk, Peter DeMund, David Hutchins, Henrik Falt, John Kosnik — Big Hero 6 ?— Walt Disney Animation Studios

Animated Effects in a Live Action Production

Steve Avoujageli, Atsushi Ikarashi, Pawel Grochola, Paul Waggoner, Viktor Lundqvist — Edge of Tomorrow — Sony Pictures Imageworks

Best Animated Short Subject

Feast — ?Walt Disney Animation Studios

Character Animation in a Live Action Production

Daniel Barrett, Paul Story, Eteuati Tema, Alessandro Bonora, Dejan Momcilovic — Dawn of the Planet of the Apes — Weta Digital

Character Animation in a Video Game

Mike Mennillo — ‘Assassin’s Creed Unity’ — Ubisoft

Character Animation in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production

Justin Nichols — Wander Over Yonder — Disney Television Animation

Character Animation in an Animated Feature Production

Fabio Lignini — How to Train Your Dragon 2 — DreamWorks Animation

Production Design in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production

Narina Sokolova — Mickey Shorts? — Disney

Production Design in an Animated Feature Production

Paul Lasaine, Tom McClure, August Hall — The Boxtrolls’? — Focus Features/Laika

Best Animated Special Production

Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey — Voyager Pictures LLC

Best Animated TV/Broadcast Commercial

Flight of the Stories – Aardman Animations

Voice Acting in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production

Bill Farmer as the voice of Goofy and Grandma — Disney Mickey Mouse — ?Disney Television Animation

Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production

Ben Kingsley as the voice of Archibald Snatcher — The Boxtrolls — Focus Features/Laika

Writing in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production

Darrick Bachman — Disney Mickey Mouse — Disney Television Animation 

Writing in an Animated Feature Production

Phil Lord, Christopher Miller — The Lego Movie — Warner Bros. Pictures

Best Animated TV/Broadcast Production for Preschool Children

Tumble Leaf — Amazon Studios

Best Animated TV/Broadcast Production for a Children’s Audience

Gravity Falls? — Disney Television Animation

Best General Audience Animated TV/Broadcast Production

The Simpsons — ?Gracie Films in association with 20th Century Fox Television

Directing in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production

Aaron Springer — Disney Mickey Mouse? — Disney Television Animation ?

Directing in an Animated Feature Production

Dean DeBlois — How to Train Your Dragon 2 — DreamWorks Animation

Best Animated Feature

How to Train Your Dragon 2? — DreamWorks Animation