Kung Fu Panda 2 apparently has all the right moves – the DreamWorks Animation release scored no fewer than 12 nominations in the 2011 Annie Awards, leading the list of plaudits announced this week by the International Animated Film Society, ASIFA-Hollywood.
Puss in Boots  (DreamWorks) and  Rango  (Paramount/Nickelodeon Movies) followed with nine nominations each;  Rio  (Blue Sky Studios) and  Winnie the Pooh  (Disney) tied for eight; and  Cars 2  (Pixar) placed with seven nominations.

In some categories, the interesting story is what  didn’t  get nominated. Despite being lauded in categories for animated effects, character animation, writing, direction, and storyboarding, Pooh was not included among the 10 films under consideration for the top prize. Underdogs like A Cat in Paris(Folimage),  Arrugas (Perro Verde Films), and  Chico & Rita  (Chico & Rita Distribution) are no doubt grateful for its absence.  
And the much-hyped Steven Spielberg/Peter Jackson co-production  Tintin made it onto the 10-film shortlist but received only five nods overall, perhaps due in part to the gap between motion-captured animation and more traditional (if CG) techniques. (For example,  Tintin  got no nominations for character animation or character design.)
The Annies will be given out in a ceremony at the UCLA Royce Hall in Los Angeles on February 4. Scroll down for the full list of nominees.
For more information: www.annieawards.org.
2011 ANNIE AWARD NOMINATIONS

PRODUCTION CATEGORIES

#1 – Best Animated Feature
A Cat in Paris – Folimage
Arrugas (Wrinkles) – Perro Verde Films, S.L.
Arthur Christmas – Sony Pictures Animation, Aardman Animations
Cars 2 – Pixar Animation Studios
Chico & Rita – Chico & Rita Distribution Limited
Kung Fu Panda 2 – DreamWorks Animation
Puss In Boots – DreamWorks Animation
Rango – Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies present A  Blind Wink/GK Films Production
Rio – Blue Sky Studios
Tintin – Amblin Entertainment, Wingnut Films and Kennedy/Marshall
#2 – Annie Award for Best Animated Special Production  
Adventure Time: Thank You – Cartoon Network Studios
Batman: Year One – Warner Bros. Animation
Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas – Blue Sky Studios
Kung Fu Panda – Secrets of the Masters – DreamWorks Animation
Prey 2 –Blur Studio
Star Tours – Industrial Light & Magic

# 3 – Best Animated Short Subject

Adam and Dog – Minkyu Lee
I Tawt I Taw A Puddy Tat – Warner Bros. Animation
La Luna – Pixar Animation Studios
(Notes on) Biology – Ornana Films
Paths of Hate – Platige Image
Sunday – National Film Board of Canada
The Ballad of Nessie –Walt Disney Animation Studios
The Girl and the Fox – Base14
Wild Life – National Film Board of Canada and Studio GDS
# 4 – Best Animated Television Commercial
Audi “Hummingbird” – The Mill
Geico “Foghorn” – Renegade Animation
McDonald’s “Apple Tree” Duck Studios/Kompost
McDonald’s “Suzi Van Zoom” Duck Studios/Kompost
Norton “Stuff”- Psyop
O2 “Niggles & Narks”- The Mill
Statoil “Good Night” – Studio AKA
“The Pirate” – Meindbender
Twinings “Sea” – Psyop

#5 – Best General Audience Animated TV Production

Archer – FX Productions
Green Lantern: The Animated Series – Warner Bros. Animation
Hoops & YoYo Ruin Christmas – Hallmark
MAD – Warner Bros. Animation
Mary Shelley’s Frankenhole Season 2 – Starburns Industries, Inc.  
Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice – Walt Disney Animation Studios
Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Lucasfilm Animation, Ltd.  
The Simpsons – Gracie Films
#6 – Best Animated Television Production – Preschool
Chuggington – Ludorum plc
Disney Jake and the Never Land Pirates – Disney Television  Animation
Disney Mickey Mouse Clubhouse – Disney Television Animation
The WotWots Season 2 – Pukeko Pictures

#6A – Best Animated Television Production – Children

Fanboy and Chum Chum – Nickelodeon and Frederator
Kung Fu Panda – Nickelodeon and DreamWorks Animation
Penguins of Madagascar – Nickelodeon and DreamWorks Animation
The Amazing World of Gumball – Cartoon Network in Association  with Dandelion Studios, Boulder Media & Studio Soi
#7 – Best Animated Video Game
Bumpy Road – Simogo
Catherine – Atlus  
Gears of War 3 – Epic Games
Gesundheit – Konami Digital Entertainment
Ghost Trick: “Phantom Detective” – Capcom
Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet – Shadow Planet Productions,  Gagne/Fuelcell
Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One – Insomniac Games
Rayman Origins – Ubisoft Montpellier
Unchartered 3: Drake’s Deception – Naughty Dog

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT CATEGORIES

#8 – Animated Effects in an Animated Production
Can Yuksel “Puss In Boots” DreamWorks Animation
Chase Cooper “Rango” Industrial Light & Magic
Dan Lund “Winnie The Pooh” Walt Disney Animation Studios  
Dave Tidgwell “Kung Fu Panda 2” DreamWorks Animation
Eric Froemling “Cars 2” Pixar Animation Studios
Jason Mayer “Kung Fu Panda 2” DreamWorks Animation
Joel Aron “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” Lucasfilm Animation, Ltd.
Jon Reisch “Cars 2” Pixar Animation Studios
Kevin Romond “Tintin” Amblin Entertainment, Wingnut Films and  Kennedy/Marshall
Willi Geiger “Rango” Industrial Light & Magic
#9 – Animated Effects in a Live Action Production
Branko Grujcic “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” Industrial Light & Magic
Florent Andarra “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” Industrial Light &  Magic
Gary Wu “Cowboys & Aliens” Industrial Light & Magic
Lee Uren “Cowboys & Aliens” Industrial Light & Magic#10 – Character Animation in a Television Production
Chad Sellers “Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice” Walt Disney  Animation Studios
Michael Franceschi “Kung Fu Panda” Nickelodeon and DreamWorks  Animation
Rebecca Wilson Bresee “Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice” Walt  Disney Animation Studios
Sihanouk Mariona “Mary Shelley’s Frankenhole Season 2” Starburns  Industries, Inc.  
Tony Smeed “Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice” Walt Disney  Animation Studios
#11 – Character Animation in a Feature Production
Andreas Deja “Winnie The Pooh” Walt Disney Animation Studios
Dan Wagner “Kung Fu Panda 2” DreamWorks Animation
Jeff Gabor “Rio” Blue Sky Studios
Mark Henn “Winnie The Pooh” Walt Disney Animation Studios
Olivier Staphylas “Puss In Boots” DreamWorks Animation
Patrik Puhala “Rio” Blue Sky Studios  
Pierre Perifel “Kung Fu Panda 2” DreamWorks Animation

#12 – Character Animation in a Live Action Production

Andy Arnett “HOP” Rhythm & Hues, Illumination Entertainment
David Lowry “Paul” Double Negative Visual Effects for Universal  
Productions/Relativity Media/Working Title Films/Big Talk Productions
Eric Reynolds “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” 20th  Century Fox
Mike Hull “Paul” Double Negative Visual Effects for Universal  
Productions/Relativity Media/Working Title Films/Big Talk Productions
#13 – Character Design in a Television Production
Bill Schwab “Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice ” Walt Disney  Animation Studios
Carl Raggio “Disney Kick Buttowski” Disney Television Animation
Chad Hurd “Archer” FX Productions
Chris Battle “Dan Vs.” Starz Film Roman
Eric Robles “Fanboy and Chum Chum” Nickelodeon & Frederator
Gordon Hammond “TUFF Puppy” Nickelodeon
Mike Dougherty “TUFF Puppy” Nickelodeon
Robert Ryan Cory “Secret Mountain Fort Awesome” Cartoon Network  Studios

#14 – Character Design in a Feature Production

Jay Shuster “Cars 2” Pixar Animation Studios
Mark “Crash” McCreery “Rango” Paramount Pictures and  Nickelodeon Movies present A Blind Wink/GK Films Productions
Patrick Mate “Puss In Boots” DreamWorks Animation
Peter de Seve “Arthur Christmas” Sony Pictures Animation, Aardman  Animations
Sergio Pablos “Rio” Blue Sky Studios
#15 – Directing in a Television Production
Brian Sheesley “Dan Vs.” Starz Film Roman
Chris Savino & Clay Morrow ” Disney Kick Buttowski” Disney  Television Animation
Dan Riba “Ben 10 Ultimate Alien” Cartoon Network Studios
Duke Johnson “Community” 23 D Films, Inc.
Gabe Swarr “Kung Fu Panda” Nickelodeon and DreamWorks Animation
Ken Bruce “TUFF Puppy” Nickelodeon
Kevin Deters & Stevie Wermers-Skelton “Prep & Landing: Naughty  vs. Nice” Walt Disney Animation Studios
Matthew Nastuk “The Simpsons” Gracie Films
Mic Graves & Ben Bocquelet “The Amazing World of Gumball”  Cartoon Network Europe in association with Dandelion Studios,  Boulder Media & Studio Soi
Peter Hausner “Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu” Wil Film
Steve Loter, Christo Stamboliev, Shaun Cashman, David Knott  “Penguins of Madagascar” Nickelodeon and DreamWorks Animation
Tony Craig “Hoops & YoYo Ruin Christmas” Hallmark
#16 – Directing in a Feature Production
Carlos Saldahna “Rio” Blue Sky Studios
Chris Miller “Puss In Boots” DreamWorks Animation
Don Hall & Stephen Anderson “Winnie The Pooh” Walt Disney  Animation Studios
Gore Verbinski “Rango” Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies  present a Blind Wink/GK Films Productions
Jennifer Yuh Nelson “Kung Fu Panda 2” DreamWorks Animation
Kelly Asbury “Gnomeo & Juliet” Touchstone Pictures
#17 – Music in a Television Production
Adam Berry, Bob Schooley, Mark McCorkle “Penguins of  Madagascar” Nickelodeon and DreamWorks Animation
Ben Locket “The Amazing World of Gumball” Cartoon Network  Europe in association with Dandelion Studios, Boulder Media &  Studio Soi
Frederik Wiedmann “Green Lantern The Animated Series” Warner  Bros. Animation
Grace Potter, Michael Giacchino “Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice”  Walt Disney Animation Studios
Joel McNeely, Brendan Milburn and Valerie Vigoda  “Pixie Hollow  Games” DisneyToon Studios
Kevin Kliesch “Thundercats” Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon  Network    
Shawn Patterson, Zeb Wells “Robot Chicken” ShadowMachine and  Stoopid Monkey in association with Adult Swim
#18 – Music in a Feature Production
Henry Jackman “Puss In Boots” DreamWorks Animation
John Williams “Tintin” Amblin Entertainment, Wingnut Films and  Kennedy/Marshall
Mikael Mutti, Siedah Garrett, Carlinhos Brown, Sergio Mendes, John  Powell, “Rio” Blue Sky Studios
Zooey Deschanel, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Henry Jackman, Robert  Lopez “Winnie The Pooh” Walt Disney Animation Studios
#19 – Production Design in a Television Production
Mark Bodnar, Chris Tsirgiotis, Sue Mondt and Daniel Elson “Secret  Mountain Fort Awesome” Cartoon Network Studios
Peter Martin “Hoops & YoYo Ruin Christmas” Hallmark
#20 – Production Design in a Feature Production
Harley Jessup “Cars 2” Pixar Animation Studios
Paul Felix “Winnie The Pooh” Walt Disney Animation Studios
Raymond Zilbach “Kung Fu Panda 2” DreamWorks AnimationTom Cardone, Kyle MacNaughton & Peter Chan “Rio” Blue Sky  Studios
#21 – Storyboarding in a Television Production
Barry W. Johnson “Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice”  Walt Disney Animation Studios  
Benton Connor “Regular Show” Cartoon Network Studios
Brian Kesinger “Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice”  Walt Disney Animation Studios
Dave Thomas “TUFF Puppy” Nickelodeon
Fred Gonzalez “TUFF Puppy” Nickelodeon
Joe Mateo “Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice”  Walt Disney Animation Studios
Justin Nichols “Fanboy & Chum Chum” Nickelodeon &  Frederator
Katie Rice “Fanboy & Chum Chum” Nickelodeon &  Frederator
Rebecca Sugar “Adventure Time” Cartoon Network Studios
#22 – Storyboarding in a Feature Production
Bob Logan “Puss In Boots” DreamWorks Animation
Delia Gosman “Rango” Paramount Pictures & Nickelodeon  
Movies present A Blind Wink/GK Films Production
Gary Graham “Kung Fu Panda 2” DreamWorks Animation
Jeremy Spears “Winnie The Pooh” Walt Disney Animation Studios
Josh Hayes “Rango” Paramount Pictures & Nickelodeon  Movies present A Blind Wink/GK Films Production
Kris Pearn “Arthur Christmas” Sony Pictures Animation, Aardman  Animations
Nelson Yokota “Gnomeo and Juliet” Touchstone Pictures
Philip Craven “Kung Fu Panda 2” DreamWorks Animation
Scott Morse “Cars 2” Pixar Animation Studios
#23 – Voice Acting in a Television Production
Carlos Alazraqui as Denzel Crocker “Fairly OddParents” Nickelodeon
Dan Harmon as Jekyll “Mary Shelley’s Frankenhole Season 2”  Starburns Industries, Inc.  
Daran Norris as Cosmo “Fairly OddParents” Nickelodeon
Dee Bradley Baker as Clone Troopers “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”  Lucasfilm Animation, Ltd.  
Diedrich Bader as Batman “Batman: The Brave and the Bold” Warner  Bros. Animation
H. Jon Benjamin as Sterling Archer “Archer” FX Productions
Jeff Bennett as Kowalski “Penguins of Madagascar” Nickelodeon and  DreamWorks Animation
Jeff B. Davis as Victor Frankenstein “Mary Shelley’s Frankenhole  Season 2” Starburns Industries, Inc.  
Jessica Walter as Malory Archer “Archer” FX ProductionsJudy Greer as Cheryl Tunt “Archer” FX Productions
Logan Grove as Gumball “The Amazing World of Gumball” Cartoon  Network Europe in association with Dandelion Studios, Boulder  Media & Studio Soi
Nika Futterman as Asajj Ventress “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”  Lucasfilm Animation, Ltd.  
Scott Adsit as the Creature “Mary Shelley’s Frankenhole Season 2”  Starburns Industries, Inc.  
Tara Strong as Timmy Turner “Fairly OddParents – “Operation:  Dinkleberg” Nickelodeon
#24 – Voice Acting in a Feature Production
Ashley Jensen as Bryony “Arthur Christmas” Sony Pictures  Animation, Aardman Animations  
Bill Nighy as Grandsanta “Arthur Christmas” Sony Pictures  Animation, Aardman Animations  
Gary Oldman as Shen “Kung Fu Panda 2” DreamWorks Animation
James Hong as Mr. Ping “Kung Fu Panda 2” DreamWorks Animation
Jemaine Clement as Nigel “Rio” Blue Sky Studios
Jim Cummings as Featherstone “Gnomeo and Juliet” Touchstone  Pictures
Zach Galifianakis as Humpty Alexander Dumpty “Puss In Boots”  DreamWorks Animation
#25 – Writing in a Television Production
Blake Lemons, William Reiss, C.H. Greenblatt, Derek Evanick, Diana Lafyatis, Neil Graf “Disney Fish Hooks – Fish School Musical”  Disney Television Animation
Carolyn Omine “The Simpsons -Treehouse of Horror XXII” – Gracie  Films
Dani MIchaeli, Sean Charmatz, Nate Cash, Luke Brookshier, Paul  Tibbitt “SpongeBob SquarePants – Patrick’s Staycation”  Nickelodeon
Josh Weinstein “Futurama – All The President’s Heads” The Curiosity  Company in association with 20th  Century Fox Television  
Kevin Sullivan, Will Schifrin, Ray DeLaurentis “TUFF Puppy  Thunder Dog” Nickelodeon
Matt Maiellaro, Dave Willis “Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1 – The Creditor”  Williams Street Studios, Adult Swim  
Ray DeLaurentis, Will Schifrin, Kevin Sullivan “Fairly OddParents:  Invasion of the Dads” Nickelodeon  
Steve Wermers-Skelton, Kevin Deters “Prep & Landing: Naughty vs.  Nice” Walt Disney Animation Studios
#26 – Writing in a Feature Production
Andy Riley, Kevin Cecil, Mark Burton, Kathy Greenburg, Emily Cook,  Rob Sprackling, John R. Smith, Kelly Asbury, Steve Hamilton  “Gnomeo & Juliet” Touchstone Pictures
Brian Kesinger, Kendelle Hoyer, Don Dougherty, Clio Chang, Don  Hall, Stephen Anderson, Nicole Mitchell and Jeremy Spears “Winnie  The Pooh” Walt Disney  Animation Studios
John Logan, Gore Verbinski and James Byrkit “Rango” Paramount  Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies present A Blind Wink/GK Films  Productions
Sarah Smith, Peter Baynham “Arthur Christmas” Sony Pictures  Animation, Aardman Animations
Steve Moffat, Edgar Wright, Joe Cronish “Tintin” Amblin  Entertainment, Wingnut Films and Kennedy/Marshall
#27 – Editing in Television Production
Garret Elkins “Mary Shelley’s Frankenhole Season 2” Starburn  Industries, Inc.  
Hugo Morales, Davrick Waltjen, Adam Arnold and Otto Ferrene  “Kung Fu Panda” Nickelodeon and DreamWorks Animation
Jason W.A. Tucker “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” Lucasfilm  Animation, Ltd.  
Paul D. Calder “Futurama” The Curiosity Company in association with  20th    Century Fox Television
Ted Machold, Jeff Adams, Doug Tiano, Bob Tomlin “Penguins of  Madagascar” Nickelodeon and DreamWorks Animation
#28 – Editing in a Feature Production
Clare Knight, A.C.E. “Kung Fu Panda 2” DreamWorks Animation
Craig Wood, A.C.E. “Rango” Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon  Movies present A Blind Wink/GK Films Productions
Eric Dapkewicz “Puss In Boots” DreamWorks Animation
Michael Kahn “Tintin” Amblin Entertainment, Wingnut Films and  Kennedy/Marshall
Stephen Schaffer, A.C.E. “Cars 2” Pixar Animation Studios

JURIED AWARDS

Winsor McCay Award – Walt Peregoy, Borge Ring, Ronald Searle
June Foray – Art Leonardi
Special Achievement – Depth Analysis