The International Animated Film Society, ASIFA-Hollywood, announced the nominees for its 44th Annual Annie Awards on Monday. Production I.G 's Miss Hokusai , Michael Dudok de Wit and Studio Ghibli 's The Red Turtle , and Makoto Shinkai 's your name. all received nominations in the Best Animated Feature - Independent category. The other two nominees for the category are Long Way North and My Life As A Zucchini .

Shinkai and de Wit were both nominated for Outstanding Achievement, Directing in an Animated Feature Production for their respective films.

The Red Turtle was also nominated for Outstanding Achievement, Animated Effects in an Animated Production. Composer Laurent Perez del Mar was nominated for Outstanding Achievement, Music in an Animated Feature Production, while writer Pascale Ferran was nominated for Outstanding Achievement, Writing in an Animated Feature Production.

Director Mamoru Oshii ( Patlabor , Ghost in the Shell , Sky Crawlers ) will receive the Winsor McCay Award for career contributions to the art of animation.

Dreamworks and Netflix 's Voltron: Legendary Defender animated series received a nomination in the Best Animated Television/Broadcast Production For Children category for its episode "Return of the Gladiator."

No anime are included in the main Best Animated Feature category, though Studio Laika's Japanese-themed Kubo and the Two Strings was nominated alongside Finding Dory, Kung Fu Panda 3, Moana, and Zootopia. Laika's film was also nominated for its animated effects, character animation, character design, directing, production design, storyboarding, voice acting, writing, and editorial.

ASIFA-Hollywood added the Best Animated Feature-Independent award last year in order to "recognize not only features in wide release, but also the independent animators, international studios, anime and special productions that might not otherwise get the attention they deserve." Studio Ghibli 's When Marnie Was There and Mamoru Hosoda 's The Boy and The Beast films were nominated for the award last year but did not win.

The Annie Awards recognize outstanding achievement in animation. The awards ceremony will be held on February 4, 2017.

[Via Animation Scoop]