RTÉjr Animation Dingle Awards 2024 Winners Announced

The winning films of Animation Dingle 2024 have been announced during the RTÉjr Animation Dingle Awards, held at the Dingle Skellig Hotel in County Kerry. Ireland’s premiere animation festival, presented by JAM Media, exhibited 137 short films from 17 countries this year, and clocked more than 700 registered attendees.

“After 12 years of the festival, I continue to be inspired by the exceptional talent displayed by the young animators in Ireland,” said Maurice Galway, Director of Animation Dingle. “Every year, our awards showcase the incredible creativity, passion, and dedication of these emerging artists. It is heartwarming to see such talent flourishing in the animation community. We are committed to supporting and nurturing these young artists as they continue to push the boundaries of storytelling and animation both in Ireland and internationally.”

The winners are:

Young Animator of the Year (YAOTY) sponsored by Disney — Max Hendrikson from Mount Temple Comprehensive School

Best Irish Student sponsored by RTÉjr —  Every Other Weekend by James Naughton, IADT

Best International Student sponsored by CBBC — Stabat Mater by Hadrien Maton, Quentin Wittevrongel, Arnaud Mege, Coline Thelliez, William Defrance; Pôle 3D

Best 2D Award sponsored by Cartoon Saloon — Every Other Weekend by James Naughton, IADT

Best 3D / CGI Award sponsored by Boulder Media — Stabat Mater by Hadrien Maton, Quentin Wittevrongel, Arnaud Mege, Coline Thelliez, William Defrance; Pôle 3D

Best Animation Award sponsored by MILKSHAKE! — Golden Ties by Michelle Bardon, IADT

Best Stop Motion Award sponsored by Aardman Animations — The Curse of Dracular by Jack Paterson, Norwich University of the Arts

Best Writer, jointly Sponsored by Animation Ireland and National Talent Academy for Animation — Pinokidoki, directed by Jack Casserly, Technological University of the Shannon, Athlone

Best Design/Art Direction sponsored by JAM Media — Unseen – Alone in Space by Patrick Faulkner of University of Ulster

Best Music/Sound Design sponsored by EGG Postproduction Studios — Bluelight by Jean-Ellis Gbessia, IADT

Best Director sponsored by Toon Boom — The Sun Is Bad by Rachel Mow from Savannah College of Art and Design, U.S.

Best Irish Professional Short sponsored by the Kerry College — Worry World by Jessica Patterson

Best International Professional Short sponsored by Nickelodeon — Return to Hairy Hill by Daniel Gies, Canada

The Big Pitcher — Michael Berrill Doran with their project Ultra Cat, Mega Dog won a three-month paid internship with Jam Media and will get to pitch at Cartoon Springboard later this year.

Best Sting sponsored by Monster Entertainment! — CH_001 An Phiast V014 by Theodore Goodwin, TUS Athlone

Best Game Sting, sponsored by 2K — An Phiast Hover Racing by Rian Lambe, BCFE

The Murakami Award 2024, sponsored by Brown Bag Films, was presented to Michael Algar. The renowned animator producer was honored at the festival for his exceptional contributions to the world of animation.

The Murakami Award, named after the legendary Japanese animator Jimmy Teru Murakami (村上輝明 ) (1933-2014) a founding father of Irish animation, recogniszes individuals who have demonstrated unparalleled innovation, vision, and impact in the field of animation.

Check out the event’s highlights video below: