Animated films get their own awards, too.  Of course, there are categories in the Oscars and the Golden Globes, but this art form deserves its own attention, and for that, we get the Annie Awards.  They’ve been at it since 1972, recognizing the best in animated features and shorts.

This year saw a lot of animated flicks that got the thumbs-up of critics and earned very well at the tills.  It’s no surprise, then, that the nominations for this year’s Annies reflect just that.  Kung Fu Panda is the leader of the pack, with 17 nominations.  WALL-E follows with eight nominations, with Bolt snagging five.  What’s more significant about the Annies, however, is the way it somehow foresees who wins the Oscar race for Best Animated Feature, especially with WALL-E campaigning to be nominated for the Best Picture category itself.

The Annies will be given out on January 30.  After the jump, some of the nominations.

Best Animated Feature
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
$9.99
WALL-E
Waltz with Bashir

Directing in an Animated Feature Production
Sam Fell and Rob Stevenhagen, The Tale of Despereaux
Ari Folman, Waltz with Bashir
Tatia Rosenthal, $9.99
John Stevenson and Mark Osborne, Kung Fu Panda
Andrew Stanton, WALL-E

Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production
Ben Burtt, voice of WALL-E, WALL-E
Dustin Hoffman, voice of Shifu, Kung Fu Panda
James Hong, voice of Mr. Ping, Kung Fu Panda
Ian McShane, voice of Tai Lung, Kung Fu Panda
Mark Walton, voice of Rhino, Bolt


-Henrik Batallones, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: Variety
(Image courtesy of DreamWorks Animation)