The Annies

Every form of entertainment has a form of awards. The Tonys, Oscars, Grammys, Emmys, as well as other awards are prestigious and give creditability to the production. Animation has its own awards as well (I'm not talking about the animation subcategories in the Emmys and the Oscars), known as the Annies. Unlike the subcategories of the other, broader awards, which are often rigged- oftentimes there are only a few judges, and they don't always watch all the movies as well as only vote for the 'popular' titles, the Annies are sponsored, hosted, judged, nominated, and competed in by so-called 'animation gurus'- people who know the art form well, and are well-rehearsed in its judging. This year, the Annies will be on Saturday, February 6th. To learn more about the event/see the nominees, see the Annies website at annieawards.org.

Personally I find that the Annies are very fair- they take all films and shows into consideration and even have awards for animation in live action, commercials, and individual achievement. While there are often a couple films each year that steal the show, in my opinion, the films that win always deserve it.

Last year (I mean 2014- the awards mentioned throughout this article are for 2015 released movies), there were many notable animated movies that were released, including Big Hero 6, The Book of Life, The Lego Movie, and How To Train Your Dragon 2, to name a few, as well as many notable shows. As such the awards were varied, but still with a clear forerunner, How to Train Your Dragon 2. This year, I predict there will be much less variety and one film will win by a landslide- Inside Out. If one were to compare the animated movies that came out in 2015, they would find that there was one film that everyone liked, critics, fans, and audiences alike. That film was Inside Out. The Oscars agree with me- of all the animated movies nominated, Inside Out received the most overall nominations.

So that's my prediction for the film part- I believe Inside Out will receive the most awards. It's hard to tell what way the judges will sway in the individual achievement awards, but the shows are easier to predict.

In terms of the shows, recently, there has been a 'Renaissance' of sorts among animated tv shows, with Gravity Falls, Steven Universe, Bob's Burgers, and Star vs the Forces of Evil. This may be bias talking (in fact, it most likely is :), but I think that Gravity Falls will lead the pack. Although, a bias has to have a root- one that is based in a show that has reached its prime in 2015 with good critical and audience ratings and a strong, dedicated fan base (me!!!). Therefore, I believe that Gravity Falls will reign over the awards for tv.

In conclusion, I believe that Gravity Falls and Inside Out will win the most awards. The Annies are usually fair, animation-only awards.