‘How To Train Your Dragon 2′ Wins Annie Awards’ Top Honor

We have an animated Oscar front-runner, ladies and gentlemen. How To Train Your Dragon 2 dominated the 42nd annual Annie Awards tonight. The DreamWorks Animation sequel won Best Animated Feature, Best Director for

Dean DeBlois and four other trophies during the ceremony at UCLA’s Royce Hall. Its two studio rivals were way behind: Awards-season favorite but Oscar-snubbed The Lego Movie won only one award, for Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s writing, and Disney’s Big Hero 6 won only for animated effects.

Since the Best Animated Feature Oscar category was introduced, nine of the 13 winners also took the top prize at the Annies. One of the years they didn’t agree was in 2010, when the Annies tapped How To Train Your Dragon over the eventual Academy Award winner – and Best Picture nominee – Toy Story 3. This year’s toon Oscar race had been considered wide open in the wake of the snub for presumed front-runner The Lego Movie. Rival studios were stunned by the lack of a nom for the Warner Bros pic and immediately started to ramp up their promo machines.

It’s a welcome dose of good news for DreamWorks Animation, which has endured a string of underperforming film that led to write-downs and eventual layoffs. Dragon 2, which had its world premiere at the Cannes, grossed only $177 million during its domestic run that began June 13. But international audiences went along for the ride, and Dragon 2‘s overseas success made it the No. 1 animated movie released in 2014 with $618 million worldwide.

The voice cast includes Jay Baruchel, Cate Blanchett, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, T.J. Miller, Kristen Wiig, Djimon Hounsou and Kit Harington.

Here is the complete list of winners for the 42nd annual Annie Awards:

Best Animated Feature
How to Train Your Dragon 2, DreamWorks Animation

Directing in an Animated Feature Production
Dean DeBlois, How to Train Your Dragon 2; DreamWorks Animation

Directing in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production
Aaron Springer, Disney Mickey Mouse; Disney Television Animation

Best General Audience Animated Television/Broadcast Production
The Simpsons, Gracie Films in association with 20th Century Fox Television

Best Animated Television/Broadcast Production For a Childrens Audience
Gravity Falls, Disney Television Animation

Best Animated TV/Broadcast Production For Preschool Children
Tumble Leaf, Amazon Studios

Writing in an Animated Feature Production
Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, The Lego Movie; Warner Bros. Pictures

Writing in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production
Darrick Bachman, Disney Mickey Mouse; Disney Television Animation

Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production
Sir Ben Kingsley as the voice of Archibald Snatcher, The Boxtrolls; Focus Features/Laika

Voice Acting in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production
Bill Farmer as the voice of Goofy and Grandma, Disney Mickey Mouse; Disney Television Animation

Best Animated Television/Broadcast Commercial
Flight of the Stories, Aardman Animations

Best Animated Special Production|
Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, Voyager Pictures LLC

Production Design in an Animated Feature Production
Paul Lasaine, Tom McClure, August Hall, The Boxtrolls; Focus Features/Laika

Production Design in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production
Narina Sokolova, Mickey Shorts; Disney

Character Animation in an Animated Feature Production
Fabio Lignini, How to Train Your Dragon 2; DreamWorks Animation

Character Animation in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production
Justin Nichols, Wander Over Yonder; Disney Television Animation

Character Animation in a Video Game
Mike Mennillo, Assassins Creed Unity; Ubisoft

Character Animation in a Live Action Production
Daniel Barrett, Paul Story, Eteuati Tema, Alessandro Bonora, Dejan Momcilovic, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes; Weta Digital

Best Animated Short Subject
Feast, Walt Disney Animation Studios

Animated Effects in a Live Action Production
Steve Avoujageli, Atsushi Ikarashi, Pawel Grochola, Paul Waggoner, Viktor Lundqvist, Edge of Tomorrow; Sony Pictures Imageworks

Animated Effects in an Animated Production
Michael Kaschalk, Peter DeMund, David Hutchins, Henrik Falt, John Kosnik, Big Hero 6; Walt Disney Animation Studios

Music in an Animated Feature Production
John Powell, Jónsi, How to Train Your Dragon 2; DreamWorks Animation

Music in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production
Christopher Willis, Disney Mickey Mouse; Disney Television Animation

Character Design in an Animated Feature Production
Paul Sullivan, Sandra Equihua, Jorge R. Gutierrez, The Book of Life; Reel FX

Character Design in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production
Benjamin Balistreri, Wander Over Yonder; Disney Television Animation

Best Video Game
Valiant Hearts: The Great War, Ubisoft

Editorial in an Animated Feature Production
John K. Carr, How to Train Your Dragon 2; DreamWorks Animation

Editorial in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production
Illya Owens, Disney Mickey Mouse; Disney Television Animation

Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production
Truong “Tron” Son Mai, How to Train Your Dragon 2; DreamWorks Animation

Storyboarding in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production
Joaquim Dos Santos, Legend of Korra, Venom of the Red Lotus; Nickelodeon Animation Studio

Best Student Film
Jason Rayner, My Big Brother; Savannah College of Art and Design

Winsor McCay Award
Didier Brunner
Lee Mendelson
Don Lusk

June Foray Award
Charles Solomon

Ub Iwerks Award
DreamWorks Animation’s Apollo Software

Special Achievement Award
The Walt Disney Family Museum

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