The 49th ceremony of the Annie Awards, honoring excellence in the field of animation for the year of 2021, was held on March 12, 2022, at the University of California, Los Angeles's Royce Hall in Los Angeles, California as a virtual event. The nominations were announced on December 21, 2021.
Winners and nominees The nominees were announced on December 21, 2021, Raya and the Last Dragon led the nominations with ten, followed by Encanto with nine. For TV, Arcane led with nine nominations, followed by Maya and the Three with seven.
Belle received five Annie Award nominations, including one for Best Independent Animated Feature. It was the most nominated Japanese anime film at the awards until both The Boy and The Heron and Suzume surpassed it with 7 nominations two years later.
The Mitchells vs. the Machines (Film) and Arcane (TV) have swept every awards of its nominations with eight and nine, became the first year to sweep both. The Mitchells vs. the Machines became the second film by Sony Pictures Animation to sweep the Annies after Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse in 2019. Arcane became the first television series to both win the most awards in a single year and season, and to sweep the Annies. Flee also won Best Animated Feature — Independent, making it the first animated documentary to do so.Annie Awards 2022 Winners - Full Winners List|Deadline
Winners are highlighted in boldface
Productions Categories Best Animated FeatureBest Animated Feature — Independent The Mitchells vs. the Machines – Sony Pictures Animation Encanto – Walt Disney Animation Studios Luca – Pixar Animation Studios Raya and the Last Dragon – Walt Disney Animation Studios Sing 2 – Illumination Flee – Final Cut for Real, Sun Creature, Vivement Lundi !, MostFilm, Mer Film, VICE, Left HandFilms, Participant Belle – Studio Chizu; Distributed by GKIDS Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko – Studio 4°C; Distributed by GKIDS Pompo the Cinephile – CLAP Animation Studio; Distributed by GKIDS The Summit of the Gods – Julianne Films, Folivari and Mélusine Productions Present In co-production with France 3 Cinéma and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Cinéma in association with Wild Bunch in association with Palatine Etoile 17, Cinémage 14, Indéfilms 8Best Animated Special ProductionBest Animated Short Subject Namoo – Baobab Studios For Auld Lang Syne – WildBrain Studios in association with Apple La Vie de Château – Films Grand Huit in association with Miyu Productions Mum is Pouring Rain – Laïdak Films & Dandelooo The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf – Studio Mir for Netflix Bestia – Trébol 3 Producciones, MALEZA Estudio Easter Eggs – Animal Tank, Brecht Van Elslande MAALBEEK – Films Grand Huit Films à Vif Night Bus – Joe Hsieh Independent Production Steakhouse – Finta Film, Fabian & Fred, RTV Slovenija, Miyu ProductionsBest Sponsored ProductionBest Animated Television/Broadcast Production for Preschool Children A Future Begins – Nexus Studios Fleet Foxes - "Featherweight" – Sing-Sing The Good Guest Guide to Japan – Airbnb, Chromosphere Tiptoe & The Flying Machine – Nexus Studios WandaVision - "Don't Touch That Dial" Title Sequence – Titmouse, Inc. Ada Twist, Scientist (Episode: "Twelve Angry Birds") – Laughing Wild, Higher Ground Productions, Wonder Worldwide, Netflix Muppet Babies (Episode: "Gonzo-Rella") – Oddbot Inc. Odo (Episode: "Doddle Song") – Sixteen South and Letko Stillwater (Episode: "Crossing Over / Kind of Blue") – Scholastic Entertainment, Gaumont, Polygon Pictures in association with Apple Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum (Episode: "I Am Ella Fitzgerald") – 9 Story Media Group, Brown Bag FilmsBest Animated Television/Broadcast Production for ChildrenBest General Audience Animated Television/Broadcast Production Maya and the Three (Episode: "The Sun and the Moon") – Netflix Amphibia (Episode: "True Colors") – Walt Disney Television Animation Carmen Sandiego (Episode: "The Himalayan Rescue Caper") – Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing and DHX Media for Netflix Dug Days (Episode: "Science") – Pixar Animation Studios We the People (Episode: "Active Citizenship") – Laughing Wild, Higher Ground Productions, Netflix Arcane (Episode: "When These Walls Come Tumbling Down") – A Riot Games and Fortiche Production for Netflix Bob's Burgers (Episode: "Fingers-loose") – 20th TV, Bento Box Animation Love, Death + Robots (Episode: "Ice") – Blur Studio for Netflix Star Wars: Visions (Episode: "The Duel") – Kamikaze Douga Tuca & Bertie (Episode: "The Dance") – The Tornante CompanyBest Student Film Night of the Living Dread – Ida Melum, director; Danielle Goff, producer (National Film and Television School, UK) A Film About a Pudding – Roel Van Beek, director; Jack Pollington, producer (National Film and Television School, UK) HOPE – Ryoma Leneuf & Gabriel Martinez, directors; Nicolas Daguin, Guillaume Uchoa, Arthur Bollia, Benjamin Autour; producers (New3dge) I Am a Pebble – Yasmine Bresson and Maxime Le Chapelain, directors; Coline Moire, producer (ESMA) Slouch – Michael Bohnenstingl, director and producer (Film Academy Baden-Württemberg)
Individual achievement categories Outstanding Achievement for Animated Effects in an Animated Television/Broadcast ProductionOutstanding Achievement for Animated Effects in an Animated Production Arcane (Episode: "Oil and Water") – Guillaume Degroote, Aurélien Ressencourt, Martin Touzé, Frédéric Macé, Jérôme Dupré Castlevania (Episode: "The Endings") – Tam Lu, Adam Deats, Sam Deats Maya and the Three (Episode: "The Sun and the Moon") – Alexander Feigin, Graham Wiebe, Pradeep Mynam, Michael Sun, Sergen Eren Shaun The Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas – Jim Lewis Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans – Greg Lev, Brandon Tyra, Prakash Dcunha, Vincent Chou, Chen Ling | valign="top" | The Mitchells vs. the Machines – Christopher Logan, Man-Louk Chin, Devdatta Nerurkar, Pav Grochola, Filippo Maccari Belle – Ryo Horibe, Yohei Shimozawa Encanto – Alex Moaveni, Dimitre Berberov, Bruce Wright, Scott Townsend, Dale Mayeda Raya and the Last Dragon – Peter De Mund, Cong Wang, Robert Bennett, Joel Einhorn, Debbie Carlson Vivo – Martin Furness, Lucy Maxian, Nachiket Pujari, Theodor Vandernoot, Stephanie Molk |- !style="width=50%"|Outstanding Achievement for Character Animation in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production !style="width=50%"|Outstanding Achievement for Character Animation in an Animated Feature Production |- | valign="top" | Arcane (Episode: "The Monster You Created") – Léa Chervet Love, Death + Robots (Episode: "All Through the House") – Dan Gill Namoo – Jon Paul Brower Ultra City Smiths (Episode: "The Little Baby Hand Pinky Grip") – Ghazal Tahernia We the People (Episode: "Active Citizenship") – Stephen Loveluck | valign="top" | Encanto – Dave Hardin Luca – Tarun Lak Raya and the Last Dragon – Jennifer Hager The Boss Baby: Family Business – Ravi Kamble Govind Wish Dragon – Ketan Adikhari |- !style="width=50%"|Outstanding Achievement for Character Animation in a Live Action Production !style="width=50%"|Outstanding Achievement for Character Animation in a Video Game |- | valign="top" | Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings – Karl Rapley, Sebastian Trujillo, Richard John Moore, Merlin Bela Wassilij Maertz, Pascal Raimbault Flora & Ulysses – Thomas Becker, Daniel Cavalcante, Philipp Winterstein, Victor Dinis, Thiago Martins The Suicide Squad – Meena Ibrahim, Alvise Avati, Nicholas Cabana, Adam Goldstein, Lea Vera Toro The Tomorrow War – Carmelo Leggiero, Cajun Hylton, Michel Alencar Magalhaes, Florent Limouzin, Dave Clayton Y: The Last Man – Industrial Light & Magic Animation Team | valign="top" | Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart – Insomniac Games Disney Wonderful Worlds – Ludia It Takes Two – Hazelight Studios Team Kena: Bridge of Spirits – Ember Lab Team Madrid Noir – Aziz Kocanaogullari |- !style="width=50%"|Outstanding Achievement for Character Design in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production !style="width=50%"|Outstanding Achievement for Character Design in an Animated Feature Production |- | valign="top" | Arcane (Episode: "Some Mysteries Better Left Unsolved") – Evan Monteiro Batman: The Long Halloween (Episode: "Part One") – Otto Schmidt Kid Cosmic (Episode: "The Rings of Power") – Craig McCracken Maya and the Three (Episode: "The Sun and the Moon") – Jorge R. Gutierrez Yuki 7 (Episode: "They Called Her Number Seven") – Keiko Murayama | valign="top" | The Mitchells vs. the Machines – Lindsey Olivares Luca – Deanna Marsigliese Raya and the Last Dragon – Ami Thompson Ron's Gone Wrong – Julien Bizet Vivo – Joe Moshier |- !style="width=50%"|Outstanding Achievement for Directing in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production !style="width=50%"|Outstanding Achievement for Directing in an Animated Feature Production |- | valign="top" | Arcane (Episode: "The Monster You Created") – Pascal Charue, Arnaud Delord, Barthelemy Maunoury Amphibia (Episode: "True Colors") – Jenn Strickland, Kyler Spears Crossing Swords (Episode: "Tent Pitching") – John Harvatine, Brad Schaffer, Ethan Marak Hilda and the Mountain King – Andy Coyle Maya and the Three (Episode: "The Sun and the Moon") – Jorge R. Gutierrez | valign="top" | The Mitchells vs. the Machines – Mike Rianda, Jeff Rowe Belle – Mamoru Hosoda Encanto – Jared Bush, Byron Howard, Charise Castro Smith Flee – Jonas Poher Rasmussen, Kenneth Ladekjær Luca – Enrico Casarosa |- !style="width=50%"|Outstanding Achievement for Editorial in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production !style="width=50%"|Outstanding Achievement for Editorial in an Animated Feature Production |- | valign="top" | What If...? (Episode: "What If... Ultron Won?") – Joel Fisher, Graham Fisher, Sharia Davis, Basuki Juwono, Adam Spieckerman Amphibia (Episode: "True Colors") – Jennifer Calbi, Julie Anne Lau, Yoonah Yim, Andrew Sorcini, David Vasquez Arlo the Alligator Boy – Steve Downs Love, Death + Robots (Episode: "Pop Squad") – Julian Clarke, Matt Mariska, Valerian Zamel, Brian Swanson, Ky Kenyon Tom and Jerry in New York (Episode: "Billboard Jumble") – Michael D'Ambrosio, Jeff Small | valign="top" | The Mitchells vs. the Machines – Greg Levitan, Collin Wightman, T.J. Young, Tony Ferdinand, Bret Allen Encanto – Jeremy Milton, John Wheeler, Pace Paulsen, Brian Estrada Flee – Janus Billeskov Jansen Luca – Catherine Apple, Jason Hudak, Jennifer Jew, Tim Fox, David Suther Raya and the Last Dragon – Fabienne Rawley, Shannon Stein, Todd Fulkerson, Rick Hammel, Brian Millman |- !style="width=50%"|Outstanding Achievement for Music in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production !style="width=50%"|Outstanding Achievement for Music in an Animated Feature Production |- | valign="top" | Maya and the Three (Episode: "The Sun and the Moon") – Tim Davies, Gustavo Santaolalla Blush – Joy Ngiaw Hilda and the Mountain King – Ryan Carlson Mila – Flavio Gargano Mira, Royal Detective (Episode: "The Eid Mystery") – Amritha Vaz, Matthew Tishler, Jeannie Lurie | valign="top" | Encanto – Lin-Manuel Miranda, Germaine Franco Luca – Dan Romer Poupelle of Chimney Town – Youki Kojima, Yuta Bandoh Raya and the Last Dragon – James Newton Howard, Jhené Aiko Vivo – Alex Lacamoire, Lin-Manuel Miranda |- !style="width=50%"|Outstanding Achievement for Production Design in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production !style="width=50%"|Outstanding Achievement for Production Design in an Animated Feature Production |- | valign="top" | Arcane (Episode: "Happy Progress Day!") – Julien Georgel, Aymeric Kevin, Arnaud Baudry Arlo the Alligator Boy – Israel Sanchez, Margaret Wuller, Michelle Haejung Park, Kayla Jones, Tania Franco Love, Death + Robots (Episode: "Ice") – Robert Valley Maya and the Three (Episode: "The Sun and the Moon") – Jorge R. Gutierrez, Paul Sullivan, Gerald de Jesus, Richard Chen Yuki 7 (Episode: "They Called Her Number Seven") – Chromosphere Team | valign="top" |