By Steve Pond
TheWrap
“Frozen,” “The Croods,” “Monsters University,” “The Wind Rises,” “Despicable Me 2” and “Ernest and Celestine” are among the films nominated for the top feature award at the 41st annual Annie Awards, the International Animated Film Society, ASIFA-Hollywood, announced on Monday.
Covering 30 categories of feature film, short-form and television work, as well as individual achievements in character animation, design, effects, music, storyboarding, writing, voice acting and more, the Annies nominated most of the top contenders in a competitive year for feature animation, and a year in which no single film is a clear frontrunner.
This is the third year of nominations since ASIFA-Hollywood made significant changes in its voting rules in response to concerns that had caused Disney and Pixar to withdraw its support of the organization. Nominating voters cast a typically wide net, with expanded fields in some of the 30 categories.
Last year, all five Oscar nominees in the Best Animated Feature category also received Annie nominations, though Oscar winner “Brave” lost at the Annies to “Wreck-It Ralph.”
Related stories from TheWrap:‘Frozen,’ ‘The Croods,’ ‘The Wind Rises’ Top Oscar Slate of 19 Animated Films
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