The shortlist of contenders for the 2017 Irish Animation Awards has been published ahead of the ceremony, set for Saturday, March 25 in Dingle. Presented by Animation Ireland, the second IAAs comprise 12 award categories (including new contests for commercial and feature/special), as well as the prestigious Murakami Award, which last year went to Cartoon Saloon founder and Oscar-nominated director Tomm Moore.
Winners will receive a statuette, designed by animator, film maker and teacher Eimhin McNamara, which resembles a Phenakistoscope which was an early animation device used to create an illusion of motion.
“It is fantastic to see so many companies up for these awards which include Best Animated Preschool series, Best Writer, Best VFX as part of Animated TV series or film and a new category Best Irish Feature Film or Special,” said Paul Young, Industry chair for Animation Ireland. “The Irish animation industry has witnessed substantial growth in the last decade. It is a central and important component of Ireland’s digital and creative economy, employing 1,600 full-time staff. We Irish have a passion for storytelling and the arts – a culture which is ideally suited for the creativity of world-class animation studios and we need to recognise the outstanding talent that is out there.”
2017 Irish Animation Awards Nominees:
Best Animated Preschool Series (up to 6 years)
Lily’s Driftwood Bay – Production Team
Little Roy – JAM Media Production Team
Puffin Rock – Maurice Joyce, Director
Kid’s Choice Award For Best Animated Series
Danger Mouse – Peter Lewis
Roy – JAM Media Production Team
Wander Over Yonder – Peter Lewis, Producer; Gillian Comerford, Director; Pete Slattery, Animation Director
Best Animated Short Film
City of Roses – Andrew Kavanagh
Geist – Alex Sherwood, Ben Harper, Sean Mullen
Second to None – Vincent Gallagher
Best Writer for Preschool Animation (up to 6 years)
Doc McStuffins “Welcome to McStuffinsville” – Chris Nee, Kent Redeker
Octonauts “The Great Swamp Search” – Stephanie Simpson
Puffin Rock “The First Snow” – Davey Moore, Sara Daddy
Best Writer for an Animated Series
Brain Freeze “(DNA): Is Every Human Being Unique?” – Colm Tobin & Aidan O’Donovan
Roy “Karma Chameleon” – Dave Rice
Roy “ROY 2.0” – Mark Hodkinson
Best VFX as part of Animated TV Series or Film
Brain Freeze – Ian Benjamin Kenny
Go Jetters – Rob Fletcher, Mario Bortas, Rodrigo Rocha
Wander Over Yonder – Peter Lewis, Producer; Gillian Comerford, Director; Deirdre Behan, FX Lead
Best Animation for Apps and Gaming
Her Majesty’s SPIFFING – Production Team; William Barr & Alan Martin
The Little Acre – Pewter Games Production Team
Little Roy’s Wonder Doodler – Niall Mooney, Director; Will Wivell, Animator
Best Design and Art Direction
Bernard Dunne’s Mythical Heroes – Ian Benjamin Kenny
Octonauts – Stephen O’Connor
Puffin Rock – Lily Bernard, Stefano Scapolan
Best Director of an Animated TV Series
Danger Mouse – Rob Cullen
Lily’s Driftwood Bay – Tim Harper, Colin Williams
Little Roy – Alan Shannon
Best Animation
Puffin Rock – Animation Team
The Day Henry Met a Camera – Gilly, Director; Susan Broe, Producer; Andrew Dawson, Animation Director
Two by Two – Oops! The Ark Has Gone – Moetion Films Animation Team
Best Music and Sound Design
Brain Freeze – Stephen Kelly, Steve Lynch and Giles Packham
Danger Mouse – Dominic Lawrence, Supervising Sound Editor & Dubbing Mixer; Sol O’Carroll, Sound Editor; Andy Kirwan, Sound Editor
Go Jetters – Carl Cullen, Supervising Sound Editor & Dubbing Mixer; Edward Costello, Sound Editor
Best Irish Feature Film or Special
Song of the Sea – Tomm Moore
Two by Two – Oops! The Ark Has Gone – Moetion Films Team
Wander Over Yonder “My Fair Hatey” – Producer: Peter Lewis, Director: Gillian Comerford, Animation Director: Pete Slattery/Stephen McGann
