Disney animal adventure “Zootropolis” and Laika’s stop-motion fantasy “Kubo and the Two Strings” go into the Annie Awards on 11 and 10 nominations respectively, and both contending the key category of Best Animated Feature.

Bunny-in-the-burg tale “Zootropolis” and magical hero’s journey “Kubo and the Two Strings” are among five nominees for Best Animated feature at the animation industry’s big annual award show, the Annies.

Sharing the Animated Feature shortlist with “Zootropolis” and “Kubo” are Disney Pixar’s “Finding Dory,” Dreamworks’ “Kung Fu Panda 3,” and another Walt Disney Animation picture in the very recently released “Moana.”

In fact, the pair were part of a quintet of nominations in every category they picked up nods for.

Revealed on November 28, those were for outstanding achievements in the specialisms of Animated Effects, Character Animation, Character Design, Directing, Production Design, Storyboarding, Voice Acting, Writing and Editorial.

“Zootropolis” picked up its additional nomination after two separate studio members were put forward for the Animated Effects award.

Also featuring in numerous categories ahead of the February 2017 awards ceremony were Pacific Island quest “Moana” and Japanese animé “The Red Turtle.”

“Moana” has already won significant audience interest worldwide, especially in the US where its box office performance won immediate comparisons with “Frozen” and “Toy Story 2.”

Six Annie Award nominations included one for newcomer and open casting contest winner Auli’i Cravalho, who voices the movie’s main character.

International feature “The Red Turtle,” which had Dutch animator Michaël Dudok de Wit brought in to direct Japan’s Oscar-winning Studio Ghibli, was the most-nominated film named in the Annies’ Best Animated Feature for independent productions.

There it stands alongside “Long Way North,” the French-Swiss “My Life as a Zucchini” (aka. “My Life as a Courgette,”) French-Danish co-production “Long Way North,” and two more in Japanese duo “Your Name” and “Miss Hokusai.”

Others named in multiple categories include “Pearl,” which is part of the Google Spotlight Stories virtual reality series, animated features “Trolls” and “Kung Fu Panda 3,” and TV series “Trollhunters” and “Bob’s Burgers,” which were all nominated four times each.

The nominations announcement comes after the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science announced a ten-strong shortlist for its animated shorts category at the Academy Awards, which shares “Blind Vaysha,” “Pearl,” and “Finding Dory” accompaniment “Piper” with the Annies’ equivalent selection.

The 2017 Annie Awards take place on February 7. The 2016/17 Hollywood Awards season concludes on February 28 at the Academy Awards.

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