After three nights of streaming ceremonies, all the winners of the 2021 LEO Awards have been announced. These honors are presented by the Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Foundation of British Columbia (Canada) to celebrate the achievements of BC film, television and digital media.
The moving, award-winning stop-motion short Rag Doll, directed by Leon Lee and created for Films for Freedom, took several prizes in the Animation categories, including Best Animation Program. The 18-minute piece centers on a little girl orphaned by state-sanctioned violence in Northern China, who turns her imagination toward an enchanted art form in hopes of reuniting her with her mother. The Best Animated Series honor went to Apple TV+ toon The Snoopy Show, produced by WildBrain.
Outside the Animation categories, Big Bad Boo animated series 16 Hudson won two Children’s awards, including Best Youth or Children’s Program or Series. This year’s Visual Effects honors went to Camille Hollet-French’s sci-fi short Freya and to DC/WB’s The Flash – “Grodd Friended Me”.
Select category winners listed below. See all the winners and nominees on the LEO Awards website.
Best Animation Program
WINNER: Rag Doll | Leon Lee – Producer
LEGO Jurassic World Double Trouble Part 2: Sibling Rivalry | Jason Cosler, Jennifer Twiner McCarron, Steve Grover, Dan Langlois – Producers
LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special | James Waugh, Josh Rimes, Jacqui Lopez, Daniel Cavey, Jason Cosler, Jennifer Twiner McCarron, Steve Grover, Dan Langlois – Producers
Molly of Denali “Molly and the Great One” | Dorothea Gillim, Princess Daazhraii Johnson, Kathy Waugh, Marcy Gunther, Olubunmi Mia Olufemi, Biz Thorsen, Heather Renney, Kassia O’Connor, Joel Bradley – Producers
Try to Fly | Thomas Affolter, Heath Affolter, Jon Affolter, Nathan Affolter, Sheila Peacock, Paige Murray – Producers
Best Art Direction – Animation Program
WINNER: Martin Meunier | Rag Doll
Mostafa Keshvari, Sanam Jokar Naraghi | Eternal Igloo
Kevin Chai | LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special
Kevin Langdale | Old Dog
The Affolter Brothers | Try to Fly
Best Direction – Animation Program
WINNER: Leon Lee | Rag Doll
Ken Cunningham | LEGO Jurassic World Double Trouble Part 2 Sibling Rivalry
Ken Cunningham | LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special
Ann Marie Fleming | Old Dog
The Affolter Brothers | Try to Fly
Best Screenwriting – Animation Program
WINNER: Leon Lee | Rag Doll
Louise Moon | PAW Patrol: Jet to the Rescue
The Affolter Brothers, Simone Swan | Try to Fly
Best Sound – Animation Program
WINNER: Alvand Jalali | Eternal Igloo
Justin Aucoin | Try to Fly
Best Musical Score – Animation Program
WINNER: Alvand Jalali | Eternal Igloo
Daniel Seguin | Try to Fly
Best Voice Performance – Animation Program
WINNER: Ian Hanlin | LEGO Jurassic World Double Trouble Part 2 Sibling Rivalry
Dhirendra | LEGO Jurassic World Double Trouble Part 2 Sibling Rivalry
Alex Zahara | LEGO Jurassic World Double Trouble Part 2 Sibling Rivalry
Alex Kliner | Old Dog
Simone Swan | Try to Fly
Best Animation Series
WINNER: The Snoopy Show | Josh Scherba, Anne Loi, Stephanie Betts, Paige Braddock, Craig Schulz, Mark Evestaff, Kimberly Small – Producers
Corner Gas Animated | Brent Butt, Virginia Thompson, David Storey – Producers
Dorg Van Dango | Paul Young, Gerry Shirren, Josh Scherba, Anne Loi, Kirsten Newlands, James Brown, Nuria González Blanco, Tomm Moore, Katya Schumann – Producers
LEGO Marvel Avengers: Climate Conundrum | Jason Cosler, Kalia (Cheng) Ramirez, Jennifer Twiner McCarron, Steve Grover, Dan Langlois – Producers
The Last Kids on Earth | Max Brallier, Scott Peterson, Matthew Berkowitz, Jennifer Twiner McCarron, Joel Bradley – Producers
Best Art Direction – Animation Series
WINNER: Kenny Ng | Ninjago “Superstar Rockin’ Jay”
Amy He | Polly Pocket “Princess Predicament / Lost and Unfound”
Alexia Tryfon | The Last Kids on Earth “June Gloom”
Best Direction – Animation Series
WINNER: Ken Cunningham | LEGO Marvel Avengers: Climate Conundrum “Wild Weather”
Jos Humphrey, Mike West, Flávia Guttler | Carmen Sandiego “The Dark Red Caper”
Andrew Duncan, Kiran Sangherra | Go, Dog, Go! “Clucky Day / Take Me Out to the Fetch Game”
Richard Johnson, Daniel Ife | Ninjago “The Son of Lilly”
Steve Evangelatos, Behzad Mansoori, Ridd Sorensen, Rob Boutilier | The Snoopy Show “Happiness Is a Dancing Dog”
Best Screenwriting – Animation Series
WINNER: Andrew Carr | Corner Gas Animated “Pact Rat”
Brent Butt, Jennifer Siddle | Corner Gas Animated “Remembers Only”
Denis Kopotun, Diana Moore | Denis and Me “Lemonade Stand-Off”
Best Sound – Animation Series
WINNER: Ewan Deane, Nolan McNaughton, Jamie Mahaffey, Maureen Murphy, Wes Swales, Dave Hibbert | LEGO Marvel Avengers: Climate Conundrum “Red Skull Rising”
Marcel Duperreault, Jason Fredrickson, Todd Araki, Kirk Furniss, Adam McGhie, Christine Church | Carmen Sandiego “The Dark Red Caper”
Jeff Davis, Stefan Seslija, Fanny Riguidel | Ninjago “The Speedway Five-Billion”
Todd Araki, Marcel Duperreault, Jason Fredrickson, Adam McGhie, Andrew Downton | The Snoopy Show “Better Off Beagle”
Best Musical Score – Animation Series
WINNER: Matt Davis | ABC with Kenny G “JKL”
Marcelo Eugenio Trevino | The Last Kids on Earth “June Gloom”
Best Voice Performance – Animation Series
WINNER: Nancy Robertson | Corner Gas Animated “Float Your Vote”
Marcus Mosely | ABC with Kenny G “JKL”
Brent Butt | Corner Gas Animated “Sound and Fury”
Chance Hurstfield | Dorg Van Dango “Dorg Versus Dorg”
Brent Miller | Ninjago “Ninjago Confidential”
Fei Ren | Robot Chicken “Babe Hollytree In: I Wish One Person Had Died”
Best Youth or Children’s Program or Series
WINNER: 16 Hudson | Shabnam Rezaei, Aly Jetha – Producers
An Introvert’s Guide to High School | Rachel Talalay, Laura Good, K.C. Novak – Producers
Cats & Dogs 3: Paws Unite | Sean McNamara, Charles Cooper – Producers
Space Kids | Tara Hungerford, Eric Hogan, Tracey Mack, Jaymie Matthews, Marney Malabar, Caroline Voitovici – Producers
Best Screenwriting – Youth or Children’s Program or Series
WINNER: John May, Suzanne Bolch | 16 Hudson “Welcome”
John May, Suzanne Bolch | 16 Hudson “Tickle Tornado”
Tara Hungerford, Eric Hogan | Space Kids “Storybook in the Sky”
Best Visual Effects – Short Drama
WINNER: Jason McKinlay, Chris McKinlay, Robyn Wadey, David Scott Titus | Freya
Bogdan Kondriuk | Hekademia
Riley Gray | Mr. James Is Dead
Best Visual Effects – Dramatic Series
WINNER: Armen Kevorkian, Joshua Spivack, Shirak Agresta, Christopher Grocock, Marc Lougee | The Flash “Grodd Friended Me”
John Gajdecki, Gillian Pearson, Robert Habros, Ryan Epp, Weverton Alves | Project Blue Book “Operation Mainbrace”
Danielle Kinsey, Annie-Claude Lapierre, Michael Blackbourn, Nick Whiteley, Paul Copeland | Warrior Nun “Revelation 2:10”
