BAA Finalists announced

Roobarb & Custard, Paddington Bear and The Snowman are among the list of animated royalty competing against each other in a national poll to discover Britain’s Favourite Ever Animated Character as part of this year’s British Animation Awards (BAAs).

Compiled by members of the UK Animation Industry, the star-studded shortlist contains a host of familiar faces from over the years to present day from TV, online and commercials. The British public is now being asked to pick their favourite in a poll run on the British Animation Awards Facebook page from February 20 through to March 9.  The winner will be announced at the British Animation Awards at the BFI Southbank on March 15.

The vote is being run by BAA in conjunction with Animation UK’s campaign to demonstrate the economic and intellectual property capital that British animation can generate, and the need for comparable production tax-breaks to those of foreign competition.

BAA Director Jayne Pilling says: “The UK is famed for its animation the world over. This vote celebrates the illustrious heritage of cherished characters that have been created in the UK over the last few decades, and highlights the wealth of creative talent that could disappear if the industry continues to decline.”

Characters on the shortlist include: From TV - Roobarb & Custard, Bagpuss, Wallace and Gromit, Danger Mouse, Penfold, Timmy from Timmy Time, The Snowman, Mr Benn, Paddington, Count Duckula, Morph, Super Ted, Postman Pat, Tiny Clanger, the Soup Dragon, Noggin the Nog, Uncle Nogbad, Lola from Charlie and Lola, and Peppa Pig. From commercials - Aleksandr Orlov the meerkat, and the Cresta Bear and from online Simon Tofield’s internet sensation Simon’s Cat. 

Finalists for the jury-judged categories and the publicly-voted Children’s Choice award of the British Animation Awards (BAAs) were also announced today.

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Aardman Animation’s The Itch of the Golden Nit faces The Quay Brothers’ Maksa and Magic Light and Studio Sol’s Gruffalo’s Child in the Best Long Form category. While Aardman commercials Nokia: Dot and Nokia:Gulp produced with Sumo Science also gained nods in the Best Commercial: Stop Motion and Best Commissioned categories.

Children’s indie Astley Baker Davies have three chances of taking home a BAA with two of the three nominations in Best Preschool Series for Peppa Pig and Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom, and for Peppa Pig in the Children’s Choice.

Cartoon Network’s The Amazing World of Gumball is also up for two awards in Best Children’s Series and as a Children’s Choice finalist.

Production Company Studio A.K.A has gained four finalist places: Grant Orchard’s Oscar and BAFTA nominated A Morning Stroll for Best Short Film; their BBC Winter Olympic trail for Best Film/TV Graphics, Meth Project for Best Commissioned Animation and Statoil: Goodnight for Best Commercial: 3D. Whilst Nexus have two chances with places for Best Commercial:Stop Motion for Back to the Start and with Framestore for Coca Cola:Siege

Post production house Framestore has been nominated in Best Film/TV Graphics for The Tale of Three Brothers and Best Commercial 3D for Kia Soul:This or That and for Coca Cola:Siege

Royal College of Art students have swept the board in the Best Student Film, with all three of the finalists films produced at the College.

The BAAs are the only awards to recognise all forms of animation and reward the work of both new and established animators for short films, animated graphics for film and television, children’s series, music videos and commercials. 

The awards themselves (the BAAs) are unique artworks, featuring sheep, created especially for the occasion by a range of leading international and UK animation artists: a measure of the world-wide respect felt for British animation.  Previous ‘baa’ artists include Nick Park, Tim Burton, Chuck Jones, and this year includes pieces by Atsushi Wada, Simon Pearsall and Oscar winner Daniel Greaves. 

For the full list of nominees, visit the British Animation Awards' website.