Aug 24, 2020

2021 Annie Awards could be virtualized, ceremony date delayed

The pandemic was supposed to be over in a few months, but it continues to affect upcoming events scheduled in the United States well into 2021.

ASIFA-Hollywood said on Monday that it would delay the Annie Awards ceremony from its usual slot in late January/early February to mid-April. The new date for next year's event will be Friday, April 16, 2021.

The date change places the Annie Awards, the major industry award for the Los Angeles animation community, in close proximity to the Oscars, which had previously delayed its ceremony to Sunday, April 25, 2021.

Adding uncertainty to next year's event, ASIFA-Hollywood has not yet made a decision about whether the event will be held virtually or live. The organization said in a statement that the determination will be made in October. “What this epidemic has taught us is to be flexible in the ways we deliver our message and share our experiences,” said ASIFA-Hollywood vice president Sue Shakespeare.

The shift in the ceremony date has also altered the dates for submission and voting deadlines. Here are the new key dates for the 2020/2021 Annie Awards season:

Call for entries: Monday, January 4, 2021 Annies submissions deadline: Monday, February 1, 2021 at 5 p.m. PST Nomination announcement: Wednesday, March 3, 2021, at 8 a.m. PST Online balloting begins: Monday, March 29, 2021 Online balloting ends: Friday, April 9, 2021