‘Spider-Man’ team, which includes a Cebuano artist, wins big at Annie Awards
Czar Ryan Ompad (center) holds the Oscar and Golden Globe Awards for Best Animated Feature for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, with (left) director Peter Ramsey and (right) Head of Character Animation Josh Beveridge. Their team won several Annie Awards for the sequel, “Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse” on Feb. 17, 2024. Photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures
LOS ANGELES – It was a big night for the production team of “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” – which includes a Cebuano 3D modeling artist – as the film took home the award for Best Feature at the 51st annual Annie Awards, honoring the best in animation from the past year. It also netted a half a dozen other awards.
Cebuano artist Czar Ryan Ompad, who is based in Vancouver, Canada, is a 3D modeler in “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” which also won Best FX Feature, Best Character Design, Best Production Design, Best Director, Best Editorial and Best Music.
Born in Davao and raised in Cebu, Ompad digitally built, sculpted and added detail to 3D characters, props and sets for the “Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse” sequel.
This year marked the first time in 32 years that not a single Disney or Pixar film was nominated for Best Feature.
“Nimona,” which earned a leading nine Annie nominations, scored just two wins on the night.
On the television side, Netflix’s “Blue Eye Samurai” scored big, winning six prizes.
During the ceremony, ASIFA-Hollywood presented its Winsor McCay Award for lifetime/career contributions to the late animator director Charlotte Reiniger, Studio Ghibli composer Joe Hisaishi and National Film Board animator/producer Marcy Page. The June Foray Award for “significant and benevolent or charitable impact” was presented to BRIC Foundation co-founders Alison Mann and Nicole Hendrix.
The Ub Iwerks Award for technical advancement of the animation industry went to the late John Oxberry, while a Special Achievement Award was presented to the artists of Walt Disney Animation.
Here is a complete list of winners:
BEST FEATURE
“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”
BEST FEATURE-INDEPENDENT
“Robot Dreams”
BEST SPECIAL PRODUCTION
“Snoopy Presents: One-of-a-Kind Marcie”
BEST SHORT SUBJECT
“WAR IS OVER! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko”
BEST SPONSORED
“Video Games” by Tenacious D
BEST TV/MEDIA – PRESCHOOL
“Ghee Happy,” episode: “Navagraha”
BEST TV/MEDIA – CHILDREN
“Hilda,” episode: “Chapter 8: The Fairy Isle”
BEST TV/MEDIA – MATURE
“Blue Eye Samurai,” episode: “Pilot: Hammerscale”
BEST TV/MEDIA – LIMITED SERIES
“Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire,” episode: “Enkai”
BEST STUDENT FILM
“The Little Poet,” California Institute of the Arts
BEST FX – TV/MEDIA
“Blue Eye Samurai,” episode: “All Evil Dreams and Angry Words”
BEST FX – FEATURE
“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”
BEST CHARACTER ANIMATION – TV/MEDIA
“Blue Eye Samurai,” episodes 101, 104 and 106
BEST CHARACTER ANIMATION – FEATURE
“The Boy and the Heron”
BEST CHARACTER ANIMATION – LIVE ACTION
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3”
BEST CHARACTER ANIMATION – VIDEO GAME
“Marvel’s Spider-Man 2”
BEST CHARACTER DESIGN – TV/MEDIA
“Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur,” episode: 515M-106 (“The Beyonder”)
BEST CHARACTER DESIGN – FEATURE
“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”
BEST DIRECTION – TV/MEDIA
“Star Wars: Visions,” episode: “Screecher’s Reach”
BEST DIRECTION – FEATURE
“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”
BEST MUSIC – TV/MEDIA
“Star Wars: Visions,” episode: “Aau’s Song”
BEST MUSIC – FEATURE
“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN – TV/MEDIA
“Blue Eye Samurai,” episode: “The Great Fire of 1657”
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN – FEATURE
“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”
BEST STORYBOARDING – TV/MEDIA
“Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur,” episode: “Goodnight Moon Girl”
BEST STORYBOARDING – FEATURE
“The Boy and the Heron”
BEST VOICE ACTING – TV/MEDIA
Diamond White, “Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur,” episode:
“Moon Girl Landing”
BEST VOICE ACTING – FEATURE
Chloe Grace Moretz, “Nimona”
BEST WRITING – TV/MEDIA
“Blue Eye Samurai,” episode 105: “The Tale of the Ronin and the Bride”
BEST WRITING – FEATURE
“Nimona”
BEST EDITORIAL – TV/MEDIA
“Blue Eye Samurai,” episode 105: “The Tale of the Ronin and the Bride”
BEST EDITORIAL – FEATURE
“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”
