The Annie Awards are the premier organization honoring animation. They have a number of categories the Oscars don’t have (naturally) and they present them in an annual webcast presentation that has some funny moments, but is generally more weakly produced than their televised rivals. Thomas and I both made prediction in all categories, but we only commented in the Oscar corollaries. That said, my thoughts on those lower races are mostly guesses based on past trends and general feel of how this group tends to vote. The only category I’m really iffy on is the character design category where one film has multiple nominees.

ANNIE AWARDS

Best Animated Feature

Big Hero 6
The Book of Life
The Boxtrolls (RU:Peter, RU:Thomas)
Cheatin’
How to Train Your Dragon 2 (Wesley, Tripp, Thomas)
The Lego Movie (Peter, RU:Wesley, RU:Tripp)
Song of the Sea
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

Wesley Lovell: The Annie Awards have long had a predisposition to DreamWorks. This was notably true after the org’s bitter dispute with Disney. That shouldn’t hurt The Lego Movie much, except that How to Train Your Dragon 2 seems like an effort this group is much more likely to go for.
Peter J. Patrick: The enormous popularity of The Lego Movie should put it over unless this group is as seemingly jealous as the Academy’s animation branch and decides to snub it, too. If that happens I’m rooting for The Boxtrolls although I really have no idea what they will do.
Tripp Burton: This category is giving me a headache these days. Disney and DreamWorks have historically done exceptionally well in this category, but the question looming over the whole thing is if The Lego Movie is really as unpopular as the Oscar/Golden Globe snubs make it seem. I’ll go on a limb and say How to Train Your Dragon 2 wins here (the first also won here), but The Lego Movie could still come out victorious.
Thomas LaTourette: The Boxtrolls has the most nominations, which signifies strong support for the film, but it just doesn’t sound like the type that will carry on to win. That is why I think the second-most nominated film, How to Train Your Dragon 2, will prevail here.

Best Animated Short Subject

Coda (RU:Peter)
The Dam Keeper
Duet (Peter, RU:Tripp)
Feast (Wesley, Tripp, Thomas)
Inside Homer – The Simpsons Couch Gag (Episode #549)
Me and My Moulton (RU:Wesley, RU:Thomas)
The Raven
Silent

Wesley Lovell: Pixar’s cute and bittersweet short should have animal lovers laughing, crying and voting.
Peter J. Patrick: I have no idea on this one, I’m just taking a shot in the dark.
Tripp Burton: The last couple of years has seen this category go with the more mainstream choices, so Feast should win here.
Thomas LaTourette: Feast has definitely gotten the most press and the widest release, which is why I forecast it to win here. If not then Me and My Moulton has a great title, even if I know nothing else about it.

Best Animated Effects, Animation

Big Hero 6
The Book of Life
The Boxtrolls (RU:Wesley, RU:Thomas)
How to Train Your Dragon 2 (Thomas)
The Lego Movie (Wesley)
Mr. Peabody & Sherman
Penguins of Madagascar

Best Animated Effects, Live Action

The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Edge of Tomorrow (RU:Thomas)
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (RU:Wesley)
Noah
Transformers: Age of Extinction
X-Men: Days of Future Past (Wesley, Thomas)

Best Character Animation, Animated Feature

The Boxtrolls – Travis Knight (Wesley)
The Boxtrolls – Malcolm Lamont (RU:Wesley)
The Boxtrolls – Jason Stalman
How to Train Your Dragon 2 – Fabio Lignini (Thomas)
How to Train Your Dragon 2 – Steven “Shaggy” Hornby
How to Train Your Dragon 2 – Thomas Grummt (RU:Thomas)
Penguins of Madagascar – Ravi Kamble

Best Character Animation, Live Action Feature

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes – Daniel Barrett, Paul Story, Eteuati Tema, Alessandro Bonora, Dejan Momcilovic (Wesley, Thomas)
Guardians of the Galaxy – Kevin Spruce, Dale Newton, Sidney Kombo, Chris Mullins, Brad Silby (RU:Wesley, RU:Thomas)
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – Eric Reynolds, David Clayton, Andreja Vuckovic, Guillaume Francois, Gios Johnston

Best Character Design

Big Hero 6 – Shiyoon Kim, Jin Kim (RU:Wesley, RU:Thomas)
The Book of Life – Paul Sullivan, Sandra Equihua, Jorge R. Gutierrez
The Boxtrolls – Mike Smith (Wesley, Thomas)
Mr. Peabody & Sherman – Timothy Lamb, Joe Moshier
Penguins of Madagascar – Craig Kellman, Joe Moshier, Stevie Lewis, Todd Kurosawa
Rio 2 – Sang Jun Lee, Jason Sadler, José Manuel Fernandez Oli
Song of the Sea – Tomm Moore, Marie Thorhauge, Sandra Anderson, Rosa Ballester Cabo

Best Directing

Big Hero 6 – Don Hall & Chris Williams (RU:Thomas)
The Book of Life – Jorge R. Gutierrez
The Boxtrolls – Anthony Stacchi & Graham Annable
Cheatin’ – Bill Plympton
How to Train Your Dragon 2 – Dean DeBlois (Wesley, Thomas)
The Lego Movie – Phil Lord & Christopher Miller, Directors; Chris McKay, Co-Director (RU:Wesley)
Song of the Sea – Tomm Moore
The Tale of The Princess Kaguya – Isao Takahata

Best Music

Cheatin’ – Nicole Renaud, Composer
How to Train Your Dragon 2 – John Powell, Jónsi (Wesley, Thomas)
Mr. Peabody & Sherman – Danny Elfman
Song of the Sea – Bruno Coulais & Kila (RU:Wesley, RU:Thomas)
The Tale of The Princess Kaguya – Joe Hisaishi

Best Production Design

The Book of Life – Simon Varela & Paul Sullivan (RU:Thomas)
The Boxtrolls – Paul Lasaine, Tom McClure & August Hall (Wesley)
The Lego Movie – Grant Freckelton (Thomas, RU:Wesley)
Mr. Peabody & Sherman – David James, Ruben Perez, Priscilla Wong, Timothy Lamb & Alexandre Puvilland
Song of the Sea – Adrien Merigeau

Best Storyboarding

Big Hero 6 – Marc E. Smith (RU:Wesley, RU:Thomas)
The Boxtrolls – Julian Nariño
The Boxtrolls – Emanuela Cozzi
How to Train Your Dragon 2 – Truong “Tron” Son Mai (Wesley, Thomas)
Planes: Fire & Rescue – Piero Peluso
Rio 2 – John Hurst
Rio 2 – Rodrigo Castro

Best Voice Acting

The Boxtrolls – Sir Ben Kingsley as the voice of Archibald Snatcher (Wesley, Thomas)
The Boxtrolls – Dee Bradley Baker as the voice of Fish (RU:Wesley, RU:Thomas)
Henry & Me – Cyndi Lauper as the voice of Nurse Cyndi
Rio 2 – Andy Garcia as the voice of Eduardo

Best Writing

Big Hero 6 – Robert L. Baird, Daniel Gerson & Jordan Roberts
The Boxtrolls – Irena Brignull & Adam Pava
How to Train Your Dragon 2 – Dean DeBlois (Wesley, Thomas)
The Lego Movie – Phil Lord & Christopher Miller (RU:Wesley, RU:Thomas)
Song of the Sea – Will Collins

Best Editing

Big Hero 6 – Tim Mertens (Thomas, RU:Wesley)
How to Train Your Dragon 2 – John K. Carr (RU:Thomas)
The Lego Movie – David Burrows, Todd Hansen, Doug Nicholas, Jonathan Tappin & Courtney O’Brien-Brown (Wesley)
Planes: Fire & Rescue – Dan Molina, Mark Keefer & Karen Hathaway
Song of the Sea – Darragh Byrne