Four Sheridan alumni nominated for Annie Awards

Sheridan College graduates continue to set the standard in the world of animation, with four alumni having recently been nominated for the 52nd Annual Annie Awards, which serve as the top distinction in that industry.

Handed out annually by ASIFA-Hollywood, the Annies cover 36 categories, including Best Animated Feature, and were created in 1972 to honour excellence in cinema and television animation.

This year’s nominees include Raymond Dunster (Bachelor of Animation ’17) and Colin Lepper (Bachelor of Animation, ’14), who have both been tabbed in the category of Best Character Animation – TV/Media. Dunster’s nomination comes for his work on Star Trek: Lower Decks, while Lepper’s is for The Patrick Star Show.

Deanna Marsigliese (Animation, ’04) has been nominated in the category of Best Character Design – Feature, for her work on Inside Out 2, which is also up for Best Animated Feature this year.

Austin Faber is Sheridan’s most recent grad to be nominated, having completed the Bachelor of Animation program in 2019. Faber is up for Best Writing – TV/Media for his work on Jessica’s Big Little World.

In addition to those four, several dozen Sheridan grads worked on titles that are up for awards, including on four of the six films in the Best Feature category (Inside Out 2, Kung Fu Panda 4, That Christmas, and The Wild Robot). Dean DeBlois (Animation ‘90) is the executive producer on The Wild Robot.

“It’s so inspiring for our current students to see what has been achieved by our graduates of Sheridan’s Animation and Illustration programs,” says Mark Jones, Dean of the Faculty of Animation, Arts and Design. “We could not be prouder of our alumni, whose achievements are a true testament to the high-quality education Sheridan’s animation programs deliver year after year.”

Alumni from the Faculty of Animation, Arts and Design have a long history of success at the Annies, as well as at other top creative awards competitions, including the Oscars, Emmys, and the Canadian Screen Awards.

The Annie Awards are scheduled to be presented during a ceremony hosted by the International Film Society (ASIFA – Hollywood) in Los Angeles on February 8, 2025.