I had a lot of fun with the 2023 Annie Award Predictions blog last year, and since I don't have much else to talk about in January, why not do this again? I mean, SAG-AFTRA getting into A.I? Okay yeah that is really bad, like seriously what the Hell? That was literally a massive part of the strikes, this is just stupid. Anyway, last year I did check out the Annie Awards, so I actually am kind of excited for them this year. I don't really care for a lot of discussion around award shows, but in a historical sense, it is kind of fun. So, I'm gonna make my predictions, and as a bonus if I am wrong, or the award winner is one I disagree with, you don't have to read about my complaining about it.
As usual I'm only going to talk about the awards for Features, because I don't watch a lot of TV so this just makes it easier on myself, plus with all the categories, this makes it less to read. If you read my blog from last year you know how this will work, if not, I'll introduce each category, talk about the nominees and who I think will win and who I want to win. You can check out the Nominees for this year here: https://annieawards.org/nominations
With that said, let's talk Nominees!
BEST FEATURE:
All in all I would say that this year's Best Feature awards are looking really strong, literally any movie could walk away with this award and I think everyone would understand. While I think Suzume is a strong, if a bit of a dark horse candidate, I think it will ultimately be down to The Boy and the Heron, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, and Nimona. If I had to pick which is most likely to win, it's kind of tough, I mean last year was pretty clear that it was gonna be Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio, but this year I think those three have equal chances of winning. Into the Spider-Verse won the award in 2018, but at the same time only two sequels won the award alongside their predecessor, those being Toy Story 2 and How to Train Your Dragon 2. I dunno, I wouldn't be surprised if Spider-Verse was the third franchise in this list.
How did Kung Fu Panda 2 lose to Rango? Anyway, I think Across the Spider-Verse is the most likely to win this one, but you know which movie I would love to see win this award? Nimona, and not just because it's my pick for best animated movie of 2023, I want it to win for more... spiteful reasons? It's pretty common knowledge now that Nimona was allegedly cancelled as a Blue Sky movie because of Bob Chapek's homophobia, and I'm just saying if it does win Best Feature and the Annies, I mean I was already hoping he is kicking himself after how successful the movie became, but this would just add salt to the wound.
I wouldn't be surprised if Boy and The Heron Won, giving Studio Ghibli their second Best Feature award since Spirited Away, but I think it will ultimately go to Across the Spider-Verse, and I would prefer it go to Nimona. Oh yeah, there's also some Turtle movie in the list, I don't know.
BEST INDIE FEATURE:
Um... I didn't watch any of these movies so I don't really have any predictions or opinions about this one. Last year I did have some views because looking back on it, I was definitely way to hard on 2022, that year had a great selection of animated movies, and it showed with the fact that I managed to watch two of the five nominees for this category that year. I was surprised Marcel The Shell With Shoes On took home the award, but I was super happy it did because that was my favourite movie of the year.
I guess if I had to pick I'd probably pick Ernest & Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia, but that's like the only nominee I've heard about. I dunno, maybe Four Souls of Coyote or Robot Dreams or The Inventor or White Plastic Sky will take home the award and I'll look like a fool, but I won't be surprised if Ernest & Celestine take the award this year. They lost to Frozen in 2013, so did the Wind Rises actually, so I wouldn't be surprised if this is the movie most people expect to win this award.
BEST FX - FEATURE:
Oh boy, this one is gonna be tough. Well, not really but this is a pretty varied category this year. We have Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, Elemental, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Vere, Suzume, and a film called The Peasants. I think Across the Spider-Verse is the most likely to take this one home. The live-action mixing and different art-styles really makes it stand-out amongst the rest of the nominees. I think I would like Suzume to win this one, because I do think it deserves at least one award, and probably won't win one, but I think it will go to Across the Spider-Verse. I mean the first movie didn't get nominated for effects in 2018, so this is their chance to make up for that.
BEST CHARACTER ANIMATION - FEATURE:
Oh boy this one is pretty tough. I don't think Nimona will take this one, it's probably the least likely to win this award in my opinion, though it would be awesome if it won. I think this one will come down to Elemental and Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken. Though my track record is hilariously off with this award, considering that last year I thought that Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio was least likely to win this award, since Turning Red and The Bad Guys both had two nominations in the category, but what do you know, I was wrong.
As an aside, I'm so happy The Amazing Digital Circus got nominated for Best Character Animation - TV/Media. Dark horse candidate truly, but hopefully it takes home the award.
BEST CHARACTER ANIMATION - LIVE-ACTION:
Cocaine Bear got a nomination in this category, so screw it, GO COCAINE BEAR! I want to live in a world where I can say "The Annie Award winning movie Cocaine Bear"!
BEST CHARACTER DESIGN - FEATURE:
As much as Elemental is a strong contender for this award, I do think it will be down to Nimona or Across the Spider-Verse, again. I think these movies will be neck and neck for a lot of awards this year. Both films were very stylized with a comic book feel so it does seem likely one of them will take the award. I looked up Robot Dreams to see what it looks like, I don't want to be rude, but it doesn't really look like it will be taking home the award, if it does I will genuinely be shocked. As for the final nominee, Merry Little Batman... I don't have many thoughts really.
BEST DIRECTION - FEATURE:
It's tough to really pick for this category because I've only seen three of the five nominees. On the one hand I do think it could be down to Nimona and Spider-Verse again, but at the same time The Boy and the Heron is also a strong candidate, Miyazaki definitely deserves that award too. On the other hand, Robot Dreams could have had amazing direction but I wouldn't know because I didn't watch it. I guess I'll be fair and give it a little leeway with this category, it isn't like the big features are shoe-ins for this category either, but it seems more likely to me that Nimona, Spider-Verse or Boy and the Heron will take home this award.
Also, that Turtle movie is nominated again... hmm.
BEST MUSIC - FEATURE:
I have nothing for this category... umm... I guess I'll pick Elemental as my most likely to win and Suzume as my preferred winner. Spider-Verse, Ninja Turtles and Boy and the Heron will probably also have a chance but uh... yeah I'm pretty useless with this category.
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN - FEATURE:
Okay, let's not talk about Nimona and Across the Spider-Verse again and talk about the other nominations. Elemental does have a chance, and removing the other two movies, I think it is most likely to win. I jest a lot but I do say Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is also a strong candidate, and The Boy and the Heron is probably my other preferred winner of this category. You know, I think Ruby Gillman might have also stood a chance in this category, just not in any other category.
BEST STORYBOARDING - FEATURE:
Another Robot Dreams nomination... There is always one movie that gets a bunch of nominations that I haven't seen, I'll have to add Robot Dreams to my watchlist. I think I'll say that Nimona, shockingly, if my preferred pick, but as for likely pick... I want to say Nimona as well, but Suzume is also a strong contender in my opinion.
BEST VOICE ACTIONG - FEATURE:
Lets see, we have David Hornsby in Merry Little Batman, Tresi Gazal in Migration, Chloe Grace Moretz in Nimona, Hokuto Matsumura in Suzume and Jack Black in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Is that the first nomination for the Super Mario Bros. Movie? Really? Wow, I thought it would have gotten a couple more by now. Anyway, I'm hoping for Nimona to take home this award, though I wouldn't be shocked if it went to Jack Black. I don't think I'd agree with it though, Jack Black's performance was one of my criticisms of the movie, but still I wouldn't be surprised.
BEST WRITING - FEATURE:
Damn, Nimona's gotten a lot of nominations... or... NIMONA-tions... eh?
Anyway, another Robot Dreams nomination, and Suzume is getting a surprising amount of nominations too. The Boy and The Heron is also likely to win, and more Turtles. I can't really pick one, so I'll just pick Nimona and Suzume.
BEST EDITORIAL - FEATURE:
Finally we have best editorial, which the nominees are... pretty okay. This is Leo's first nomination for an award, which is weird considering all the buzz it got, but I guess being better than a mediocre Disney movie only gets you so far. Elemental has another nomination, and it has a pretty good chance of winning. Again, Nimona and Spider-Verse are neck and neck for this award, I think I'll actually have to give it to Spider-Verse, everything that had to be edited together in that movie was pretty impressive. Oh, and that Ninja Turtles movie got nominated again... so that's neat.
I just realized, I said I would share my thoughts on last years winners. I don't think I ever got around to that... whoops. Well I won't be promising anything this year, I may live-tweet the ceremony but barring that once everything is finished, it'll be finished. The awards will take place on February 17th this year, so hopefully I'll be able to catch them.
Ultimately, I think most of the awards will go to Nimona or Across the Spider-Verse, those movies were both just really good, and should get a bunch of awards, and I can't think of any movie that I think shouldn't have been nominated. For as much as I say I'm done with Ninja Turtles, I'm happy it has some nominations, I'm surprised some movies only got nominated once, like Ernest & Celestine, Ruby Gillman and Leo. Still, not much left to do but wait and see, maybe I'll be surprised. Until then, I'll see you in February.
Also, I am absolutely rooting for The Amazing Digital Circus!
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