The film Spider-Man: Crossing the Multiverse by Joaquim Dos Santos, Justin K. Thompson and Kemp Powers topped the Annie Animation Awards this Saturday, winning the seven awards it was up for, including Best Picture, during the Spanish director Pablo Berger won in the “Best Independent Film” category with “Robot Dreams”. Both works will compete again at the Oscars next March 10, with the film about the Marvel superhero the favorite and the Spanish feature film the main competitor.
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Since the Academy Awards established the Best Animated Film category in 2002, 14 of the 21 films that won the top Annie Award have gone on to win the Hollywood statuette, marking the film's victory over Spider-Man, who was of Latino descent Title reconfirmed as favorite for March 10th. However, Berger's victory makes him the main alternative. The other three candidates are The Boy and the Heron by Hayao Miyazaki, Nimona by Troy Quane and Nick Bruno and Elemental by Peter Sohn and Denise Ream.
“I want to metaphorically share this award with the other nominees because I'm still going to take it with me to Spain,” Berger joked as he accepted the second-most important award at the gala known as the “Oscars of animation.” “Thanks to the vibrant Spanish animation industry, we are coming back!” added the director and screenwriter of the story, which revolves around the friendship between a dog and a robot. Berger wasn't the only Spaniard to win, as illustrator Jesús Alonso Iglesias won the Annie for best character design for Spider-Man: Crossing the Multiverse.
Miyazaki's film, which tells the story of a boy who is taken to a fantastical portal by a heron after his mother's death, won two of seven awards: best animation and best storyboard. The 83-year-old Japanese director was not present at the ceremony due to the complications that such a “long journey” could bring at his age, a representative for the Studio Ghibli founder said as he accepted the awards in his place. The film Nimona, which was the most nominated film of the evening with nine nominations, won in the categories of best voice actor and best screenplay.
The Best Short Film award went to War Is Over!, produced by Sean Lennon Ono, while the Best Special Production winner was Snoopy Presents: One-of-a-Kind Marcie. In television, series such as Star Wars: Visions, winner of the Annie for Best Music for a Television Production and Best Television Direction, stood out, Ghee Happy in the category of Best Preschool Production and Blue Eye Samurai in the category of Best Series for Adults.
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