Gingerbread Animation’s ‘Space Chickens in Space’ leads nominations for the 2019 Irish Animation Awards with seven nominations for writing, VFX, directing, sound design and the Kids Choice Award.

The 2019 Irish animation Awards, taking place on Saturday, March 23, are set to once again highlight the brilliance and talent of the Irish animation sector. This year’s ceremony, which is hosted by animation trade association Animation Ireland, has seen a huge upsurge in the number of entries and four new award categories.

Among the nominations this year are the two Oscar-nominated films from Cartoon Saloon, The Breadwinner and Late Afternoon, as well as nominations for stunning virtual reality animations such as Pink Kong Studios’ Aurora. Paper Panther’s The Bird and the Whale and Brown Bag Films’ Doc McStuffins Christmas Special each picked up four nominations. However, Gingerbread Animation’s Space Chickens in Space is way out in front with seven nominations in total.

According to Animation Ireland’s Industry Chair Moe Honan, the awards this year highlight the continued growth and creativity in the sector. “Looking at the nominations you can really see the truly impressive amount of breathtaking work being produced in Ireland at the moment. Ireland’s position as one of the world’s best locations for animation is now firmly cemented,” he commented. “This year we have four new awards and our very hard working judges have been extremely busy with the number of entries. There are 16 categories in total and one of our new awards is the Kids’ Choice Award, with the winner being chosen by primary school children across the country. Another new category is Best Newcomer, which shows the continuing increase in the amount of new studios being set up. The new award categories and the sheer volume of entries reflect the substantial growth in the sector over the past two years.’’

The biennial awards ceremony is sponsored by RTÉ, Screen Ireland, Animation Skillnet, Philip Lee, CelAction, Screen Skills Ireland, Brophy Gillespie and Gorilla Post.

Winners of each category will receive a statuette designed by animator, film maker and teacher Eimhin McNamara. The statuette resembles a Phenakistoscope which was an early animation device used to create an illusion of motion.

Animation Ireland is the trade association for Ireland’s animation studios, representing 25 member studios who employ more than 1,500 people nationwide. The sector has seen meteoric growth in recent years, with the sector now generating over €100 million for the economy annually as Irish animation projects are viewed in over 120 countries worldwide.

The full list of nominees is shown below:

Best Animated Preschool Series (up to 6 years)

Claude – Sixteen South

– Sixteen South Doc McStuffins Christmas Special – Brown Bag Films

– Brown Bag Films Pablo: Back and Forth – Paper Owl Films

– Paper Owl Films Pete the Cat: Sandcastles – Amazon/Cartoon Saloon/Surfer Jack

– Amazon/Cartoon Saloon/Surfer Jack Vampirina: Going Batty – Brown Bag Films

Best Animated Short Film

The Overcoat – Sean Mullen/ Giant Animation

– Sean Mullen/ Giant Animation The Bird and the Whale – Carol Freeman/ Paper Panther

– Carol Freeman/ Paper Panther Late Afternoon – Louise Bagnall/ Cartoon Saloon

– Louise Bagnall/ Cartoon Saloon The Wireman – Jessica Patterson/ JAM Media

– Jessica Patterson/ JAM Media Angela’s Christmas – Damien O’Connor/ Brown Bag Films

Best International Short Film

All the Things – Chris Guyot & Paul McMahon

– Chris Guyot & Paul McMahon My Mother’s Eyes – Jenny Wright

– Jenny Wright The Masque of Blackness – Epoh Beech

Best Writer for Preschool Animation (up to 6 years)

Becca’s Bunch: Acorn King – Amy Stephenson & Shane Langan

– Amy Stephenson & Shane Langan Peek Zoo – Emma Hogan/ Dream Logic Studios

– Emma Hogan/ Dream Logic Studios Claude – Ciarán Morrison & Mick O’Hara/ Sixteen South

– Ciarán Morrison & Mick O’Hara/ Sixteen South Doc McStuffins Christmas Special – Chris Nee, Brown Bag Films

– Chris Nee, Brown Bag Films Mya Go Karting – Amy Stephenson & Shane Langan/ Piranha Bar

Best Writer for an Animated Series

Vampirina: Home Scream Home – Chris Nee/ Brown Bag Films

– Chris Nee/ Brown Bag Films Space Chickens in Space: Food Fight – Kristina Yee/Gingerbread Animation

– Kristina Yee/Gingerbread Animation Space Chickens in Space: Alpha Chuck – Mike Heneghan/ Gingerbread Animation

– Mike Heneghan/ Gingerbread Animation Transformers Cyberverse: Megatron Is My Hero – Peter Di Cicco/Boulder Media

– Peter Di Cicco/Boulder Media Space Chickens in Space: Floofy Flibby Kiss-Kiss – Ciarán Morrison & Mick O’Hara / Gingerbread Animation

Best VFX as part of Animated TV Series or Film

Becca’s Bunch – Niall Mooney, Marc Bell, Mark Byrne/JAM Media

– Niall Mooney, Marc Bell, Mark Byrne/JAM Media Brain Freeze 3 – Ian ‘Benjamin’ Kenny/ Kite Entertainment, Turnip & Duck

– Ian ‘Benjamin’ Kenny/ Kite Entertainment, Turnip & Duck Space Chickens in Space – Paul Ruttledge/ Gingerbread Animation

– Paul Ruttledge/ Gingerbread Animation Cúl an Tí: Laoi an Lagáin – Lily Bernard & Cúl an Tí team/ Cartoon Saloon

– Lily Bernard & Cúl an Tí team/ Cartoon Saloon Pete The Cat: Blackout! – Amazon/Cartoon Saloon/ Surfer Jack

Best Animation for Apps, Gaming and Interactive

Aurora – Pink Kong Studios

– Pink Kong Studios Eden Isle: Resort Paradise – Simteractive

– Simteractive Get Curious – Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

– Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Hungry Caterpillar Play School – Touchpress

– Touchpress Pablo’s Art World Adventure – Paper Owl Films

Best Design and Art Direction

The Bird and the Whale – Carol Freeman/ Paper Panther Productions

– Carol Freeman/ Paper Panther Productions Deposits -Trevor Courtney/ Igloo Animations

-Trevor Courtney/ Igloo Animations Becca’s Bunch: Legendary – Conor Finnegan, Francisco de Borja Espana Guillot, Niall Mooney, Rafa Diaz Canales/ JAM Media

– Conor Finnegan, Francisco de Borja Espana Guillot, Niall Mooney, Rafa Diaz Canales/ JAM Media Bernard Dunne’s Mythical Heroes – Hugh Farley & Ian Kenny

– Hugh Farley & Ian Kenny Cúl An Tí: Fé Blath – Ross Stewart/ Cartoon Saloon

Best Director of an Animated TV Series

Danger Mouse – Aidan McAteer & Rob Cullen/ Boulder Media

– Aidan McAteer & Rob Cullen/ Boulder Media Littlest Pet Shop – Gillian Comerford/Boulder Media

– Gillian Comerford/Boulder Media Peek Zoo – Kealan O’Rourke/ Dream Logic Studios

– Kealan O’Rourke/ Dream Logic Studios Space Chickens in Space – Tommy & Markus Vad Flaaten/ Gingerbread Animation

– Tommy & Markus Vad Flaaten/ Gingerbread Animation The Day Henry Met – Gary Gill/ Wiggleywoo

Best Animation

Bernard Dunne’s Mythical Heroes – Hugh Farley & Ian Kenny

– Hugh Farley & Ian Kenny Hopscotch and the Christmas Tree – Tim Frost/ Ink & Light & Kinomind Films

– Tim Frost/ Ink & Light & Kinomind Films Pete the Cat – John Peavoy, Dave Ridges, John Walsh/ Cartoon Saloon

– John Peavoy, Dave Ridges, John Walsh/ Cartoon Saloon The Bird and the Whale – Eimhin McNamara & Carol Freeman/ Paper Panther

– Eimhin McNamara & Carol Freeman/ Paper Panther Vampirina: Acrobat Boris – Matteo Ceccotti/ Brown Bag Films Team

Best Music

Danger Mouse: Melted – Sanj Sen and Dominic Lawrence /Boulder Media

– Sanj Sen and Dominic Lawrence /Boulder Media The Bird and The Whale – Chris McLoughlin/ Paper Panther Productions

– Chris McLoughlin/ Paper Panther Productions The Doc McStuffins Christmas Special – Dan Petty, Kay Hanley, Michelle Lewis, Stuart Kollmorgen/Brown Bag Films

– Dan Petty, Kay Hanley, Michelle Lewis, Stuart Kollmorgen/Brown Bag Films Late Afternoon – Colm Mac Con Iomaire/Cartoon Saloon

– Colm Mac Con Iomaire/Cartoon Saloon Peek Zoo – Niall Byrne/ Dream Logic Studios

Best Sound Design

Angela’s Christmas – Steven Maher and Peter Blayney/ Brown Bag Films

– Steven Maher and Peter Blayney/ Brown Bag Films Danger Mouse – Dominic Lawrence and Sol O’Carroll/ Windmill Lane

– Dominic Lawrence and Sol O’Carroll/ Windmill Lane Pins and Needles – James Nolan/ Brown Bag Films

– James Nolan/ Brown Bag Films Space Chickens in Space – Shane O’Toole, Barry Reid,Mark Fitzpatrick/Gorilla Post

– Shane O’Toole, Barry Reid,Mark Fitzpatrick/Gorilla Post Transformers: Matrix of Leadership – Dominic Lawrence, Simon Bird and Ryan Quinn/ Windmill Lane

Best Irish Feature Film or Special

Angela’s Christmas – Damien O’Connor/ Brown Bag Films

– Damien O’Connor/ Brown Bag Films Captain Morten the Spider Queen – Kaspar Jancis, Telegael

– Kaspar Jancis, Telegael Hopscotch and the Christmas Tree – Katerina Vykhodtsev, Ink & Light

– Katerina Vykhodtsev, Ink & Light The Breadwinner – Nora Twomey, Cartoon Saloon

Best Newcomer

Daily Madness

Paper Panther

Pink Kong Studios

Radii Animation

The Rusted Pixel

Kids’ Choice Award For Best Preschool Animated Series

Claude – Sixteen South

– Sixteen South Pete The Cat: A Groovy New Year – Amazon Studios/ Cartoon Saloon

– Amazon Studios/ Cartoon Saloon Little Roy: You are what you eat – JAM Media

– JAM Media Pinkalicious & Peterrific: Gnome at Home – Sixteen South

– Sixteen South The Doc Mc Stuffins Christmas Special – Brown Bag Films

Kids’ Choice Award For Best Animated Series (6-12 years)

Brain Freeze 3 – Kite Entertainment/ Turnip & Duck

– Kite Entertainment/ Turnip & Duck Danger Mouse – Boulder Media

– Boulder Media Littlest Pet Shop : A World of Our Own – Boulder Media

: A World of Our Own – Boulder Media Space Chicken in Space – Gingerbread Animation

– Gingerbread Animation Transformers Cyberverse: Megatron is My Hero – Boulder Media

Source: Irish Animation Awards