The finalists were announced today for the prestigious British Animation Awards 2022. Rewarding the very best in British animation across a variety of categories, the British Animation Awards (BAAs) – now in their 26th year – attract the great and the good from across the industry to this biennial celebration of their craft.
This year’s main ceremony is being held at London’s BFI Southbank on March 10, with four satellite live events happening in Stirling, Salford, Cardiff and Bristol for the first time. Presented by comedian Miles Jupp and headline sponsored by Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe, the awards will unveil the latest names to join the list of illustrious winners from past years which includes Nick Park, Joanna Quinn, Tim Burton, Martin Freeman, Simon Tofield and Gorillaz.
Competing for honors in the Best Long Form category are: Aardman Animations’ Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas in which our titular wooly hero mounts a daring rescue mission to save Timmy the Lamb from the local Christmas market; Sesame Street’s The Monster at the End of the Story, an animated adaptation of The Monster at the End of This Book starring Grover, Elmo and Cookie Monster; and Locksmith Animation’s debut feature Ron’s Gone Wrong, an animated science fiction comedy about an awkward 11-year old and his walking, talking digitally-connected ‘device’.
This year introduces two new categories to the BAAs: the Cutting Edge Award and the Wildcard Award. Introduced in 2020, the Lamb Award will return to recognize another rising star in animation/VFX production, with candidates nominated by an established studio. Three additional award categories will be announced on the night of the ceremony.
While the bulk of the awards are decided by a panel of industry experts, the two BAA Audience Awards – for Best Short Film and Best Music Video – are voted for by audiences viewing online and there is a special Children’s Choice category voted for by pupils at Cadoxton Primary School, Barry, South Wales.
“After a particularly tough couple of years the animation scene in the UK remains thriving and productive. To see such a quantity of excellent work submitted to the BAAs is evidence of the dedication and creative ingenuity in all who work in animation,” said BAA Director Helen Brunsdon and Producer Kieran Argo. “More than ever in 2022, the British Animation Awards wish to bring the wonderful community together in London to celebrate the wonderful achievements over the last two years.”
The nominees are:
Best Long Form
Sesame Street’s: The Monster at The End of the Story – Dir: Mark Taylor
Ron’s Gone Wrong – Dir: Jean- Philippe Vine, Sarah Smith, Octavio E. Rodriguez (Co-Director)
Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas – Dir: Steve Cox
Best Voice Performance
Taika Waititi and Ricky Gervais – Save Ralph
Menna Trussler – ‘Beryl’ in Affairs of the Art
Ben Whishaw – ‘Paddington’ in The Adventures of Paddington
Bella Ramsey – ‘Hilda’ in Hilda “The Fifty Year Night”
Bel Powley- ‘Little My’ in Moominvalley
Best Children’s Series
The Brilliant World of Tom Gates – Dir: George Sawyer
Milo – Dir: Chris Capstick
Hilda “The Deerfox” – Dir: Andy Coyle
Best Children’s Preschool
The Adventures of Paddington – Dir: Adam Shaw, Chris Drew
Hey Duggee – Dir: Grant Orchard, Sander Jones
Circle Square – Dir: Greg Mcleod
Milo – Dir: Chris Capstick
Pip & Posy – Dir: Matt Tea
Best Animation in a Commercial
The Girl Who Built a Rocket – Dir: Neeraja Rj
Breath of Nature – Dir: Peter Szewczyk
Save Ralph – Dir: Spencer Susser
MotoGP Returns – Dir: Anton Alfimenko
Best Music Video
Rocket Freudental “Der Stuhlkreis” – Dir: Ged Haney
Mama Jerk and the Ladyfingers “Mountain” – Dir: Harrison Fleming
Foo Fighters “Chasing Birds” – Dir: Emlyn Davies, Josh Hicks
Christy Moore “The Voyage” – Dir: Jessica Patterson
Jamie Cullum “Age of Anxiety” – Dir: Neil Pymer
Writers Award
Circle Square “Pizza Mystery” – Myles McLeod
Affairs of the Art – Les Mills
Ron’s Gone Wrong – Peter Baynham and Sarah Smith
The Rubbish World of Dave Spud “Twinfestation” – Madeleine Brettingham
Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas – Mark Burton and Giles Pilbrow
Best Post Graduate Film
O Black Hole! – Renee Zhan – National Film & Television School
Eating in the Dark – Inari Sirola – Royal College of Art
Other Half – Lina Kalcheva – National Film & Television School
Best Short Film
FlattenTheCurve#1 – Dir: Studio Desk, Kathrin Steinbacher, Emily Downe
Meow or Never – Dir: Neeraja Raj
Save Ralph – Dir: Spencer Susser
Black Slide – Dir: Uri Lotan
Affairs of the Art – Dir: Joanna Quinn
Best Original Music
Sol – Dir: Gráinne McGuinness
I Am Odd – Dir: Rory Russell
Robin Robin – Dir: Dan Ojari, Mikey Please
Edgar’s Christmas – Dir: Kyra Buscho, Constantin Paeplow
Love Monster – Dir: Rufus Blacklock
Best Social Good
Typically – Dir: Anna Ginsburg, Caitlin McCarthy
Diabetes Symptoms – Dir: Angie Phillips, Phoebe Halstead
Up River: A Shadventure on the River Severn – Dir: Tom Stubbs
You Being You – Dir: Kong Studio
Sinking Feeling – Dir: Mark Spokes
Best Under-Graduate
To Be a Goat – Dir: Milda Karguadaite – University of Creative Arts in Farnham
True Colours – Dir: Hanna Lea Wyttenbach – Arts University Bournemouth
Case Closed – Dir: Lucy Gatenby – Falmouth University School of Film and Television
@Scroll Alice – Dir: Céline Ufenast – University of Creative Arts in Farnham
Suburb – Dir: Miles Jezuita – Arts University Bournemouth
Best Use of Sound
Elliot from Earth “Wednesday pt. 2” – Dir: Mic Graves, Tony Hull, Rhys Byfield, Mikey Please
Hilda “The Deerfox” – Dir: Andy Coyle
The Rubbish World of Dave Spud “Burning Wheels” – Dir: Ed Foster
Zog and the Flying Doctors – Dir: Sean Mullen
Pip & Posy “Swapsies” – Dir: Matt Tea
Best Design
Ron’s Gone Wrong – Dir: Jean- Philippe Vine, Sarah Smith, Octavio E Rodriguez (Co-Director)
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey – Dir: Ian Spendloff
Raised By Wolves – Dir: Steve Small
Circle Square “Jungle House” – Greg McLeod
Best Factual
Save Ralph – Dir: Spencer Susser
Timeline – Dir: Osbert Parker
Lamb Award
Sanna Räsänen – Art Director and Puppet Maker- Nominated by One6th
Teifi Cadwallader – Animator – Nominated by Cloth Cat
Lisa-Mae Evans – Mid Look Development Artist Nominated by Blue Zoo Animation
Emilie Brown – Lead Props Modeller – Nominated by Blue-Zoo Animation
Hodan Abdi – Production Co-ordinator – Nominated by Illuminated Films
Cutting Edge
Save Ralph – Dir: Spencer Susser
Sub-Surface – Dir: Alex Robinson
Dead Pixels S2 – Dir: Jamie Jay Johnson
Wildcard (Awarded to animations of any duration deemed ‘extraordinary’)
Timeline – Dir: Osbert Parker
Boris Johnson Eats a Pot Noodle in the Bath – Dir: Ross Butter
Strange – Dir: Cameron Carr
Squib “When All of This Is Over” – Dir: Baz Sells
Hench Girl Summer – Dir: Beatriz Antunes
Best Immersive Animation
Peace of Mind – Dir: Ben Steer
The Beast – Dir: Grant Berry & Dane Winn
Madrid Noir – Dir: James A. Castillo
