The Miami Herald reports that “the fish story Finding Nemo took top honors Saturday at the animation industry’s 31st annual Annie Awards, earning nine awards, including Best Theatrical Feature, Best Directing and Best Voice Acting. [It] also captured the Best Music and Best Writing prizes. Ellen Degeneres received the Best Voice Acting award for her portrayal of the absent-minded Dory. Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich took home Best Directing honors. Among the other winners: the Fox Network’s The Simpsons, which won for Best Animated Television Production, and The Animatrix, a home video companion to the Matrix movies produced by Warner Bros. The Annie Awards are presented by The International Animated Film Society to honor outstanding animation in television and film. Last year’s winner, Spirited Away, went on to capture the Oscar for Best Animated Feature”.

Posters at Animation Nation are posting pictures and discussing the highlights of the evening. A full list of winners is available here:

Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Theatrical Feature
– Finding Nemo – Pixar Animation Studios

Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Home Entertainment Production
– The Animatrix – Silver Pictures/Warner Home Video

Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Short Subject
– Boundin – Pixar Animation Studios

Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Television Commercial
– Lamisil: It’s Alive – Wild Brain Inc.

Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Television Production
– The Simpsons – Gracie Films

Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Television Production Produced For Children
– The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius – Nickelodeon & DNA Productions

Character Animation
– Doug Sweetland Finding Nemo

Character Design in an Animated Feature Production
– Ricky Nierva Finding Nemo

Character Design in an Animated Television Production
– Andy Suriano Samurai Jack – Episode XXXV

Directing in an Animated Feature Production
– Andrew Stanton & Lee Unkrich Finding Nemo

Directing in an Animated Television Production
– Steven Dean Moore – The Simpsons: ’Scuse Me While I Miss The Sky

Effects Animation
– Martin Nguyen – Finding Nemo

Music in an Animated Feature Production
– Thomas Newman Finding Nemo

Music in an Animated Television Production
– Alf Clausen, Ian Maxtone-Graham, Ken Keeler – The Simpsons episode Dude, Where’s My Ranch

Production Design in an Animated Feature Production
– Ralph Eggleston – Finding Nemo

Production Design in an Animated Television Production
– Scott Wills – Samurai Jack – The Birth of Evil

Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production
– Sharon Forward – The Jungle Book 2

Storyboarding in an Animated Television Production
– Dave Thomas – The Fairly OddParents – Pipe Down

Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production
– Ellen DeGeneres as the voice of Dory – Finding Nemo

Voice Acting in an Animated Television Production
– Jeff Garcia as the voice of Sheen Estevez – The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron – Nightmare in Retroville

Writing in an Animated Feature Production
– Andrew Stanton, Bob Peterson, Dave Reynolds – Finding Nemo

Writing in an Animated Television Production
– Matt Warburton – The Simpsons – Three Gays of the Condo

JURIED AWARDS

June Foray Award
Significant and benevolent or charitable impact on the art and industry of animation.
– Martha Sigall

Winsor McCay Award
Recognition of lifetime or career contributions to the art of animation
– Gene Deitch
– John Hench
– Thurl Ravenscroft

Ub Iwerks Award
– Scott Johnston

Certificate of Merit
– David Derks & Mike Judge/Don Hertzfeldt (Team)