Seven Works Nominated for 2013 Anime of the Year, Grand Prix Winners to be Announced on March 22

The Tokyo Anime Award Festival Executive Committee and the Association of Japanese Animations have announced seven nominees for Anime of the Year at the Tokyo Anime Award Festival 2014. Five works are nominated in the Feature Film category–– Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo, The Wind Rises, Anohana the Movie, Gintama: The Movie: The Final Chapter: Be Forever Yorozuya, and Madoka Magica: Rebellion––and two works are nominated from the Television category–– Space Brothers and Attack on Titan. The award winners, including the Grand Prix winners, will be announced during the award ceremony on March 22.

The Tokyo Anime Award began in 2002, and starting this year the Tokyo Anime Award Festival will expand into also being an international animation film festival. Other additions include the expansion of the Competition category to include a People’s Choice category and a revision of the judging process, award categories, and Anime of the Year which is awarded to works that released the previous year.

To date, awards have been given out as follows: one work from all genres is chosen for Anime of the Year and a winning work is chosen in the Television, Domestic Feature Film, and Foreign Feature Film categories. Now, the Television and Feature Film categories have been restructured and each now has a Grand Prix award and Award of Excellence.

Even in the individual award categories, Best Director, Best Voice Actor, and Best Music have remained unchanged, however the Best Screenplay award is changing to Best Screenplay/Original Story, the Best Character Design award is changing to Best Character Design/Mecha Design, and the Best Art award is changing to Best Art Direction. Also, the Best Original Story award has been axed in place of the Best Animator award. This was created in response to it having been pointed out that regardless of it being an integral part to creating animation, there had been no award given for it. In addition to this, an award chosen by anime fans has also been created. The voting period for this has already begun.

Works eligible for the Tokyo Anime Award 2014 are those that released between Nov. 1, 2012 and Oct. 31, 2013 in Japan. Because there is no application system, the awards are open to all commercial works. This, by the way, raises an important point. Works are judged by the Association of Japanese Animations and winners decided through a ballot by anime producers. This year, five works from the Feature Film category have been chosen, which reflects the continuing success of anime films. On the other hand, two works in the TV category, Space Brothers and Attack on Titan squeezed through from the beginning. On the day of the award ceremony, awards will also be given in the Competition and Outstanding Achievement in Anime categories. The Tokyo Anime Award Festival 2014 will take over where the Tokyo Anime Award, which has been held for the last 12 years, left off.

Tokyo Anime Award Festival 2014

Nominated Works for Animation of the Year (Feature Film Category)
Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo
Original Work, Screenplay, Director: Hideaki Anno

The Wind Rises
Original Work, Screenplay, Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Anohana the Movie
Director: Tatsuyuki Nagai

Gintama: The Movie: The Final Chapter: Be Forever Yorozuya
Director: Youichi Fujita

Madoka Magica: Rebellion
Director: Akiyuki Shinbo

Nominated Works for Animation of the Year (Television Category)
Space Brothers
Director: Ayumu Watanabe

Attack on Titan
Director: Tetsuyo Araki

Source: animeanime

Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo © Khara Inc.
*Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo* © Khara Inc.
The Wind Rises © 2013 Nibariki, GNDHDDTK
*The Wind Rises* © 2013 Nibariki, GNDHDDTK
Anohana the Movie © Anohana Project
*Anohana the Movie* © Anohana Project
Gintama: The Movie: The Final Chapter: Be Forever Yorozuya © Hideaki Sorachi / Gintama: The Movie Production Committee
*Gintama: The Movie: The Final Chapter: Be Forever Yorozuya* © Hideaki Sorachi / Gintama: The Movie Production Committee
Madoka Magica: Rebellion © Magica Quartet / Aniplex Inc., Madoka Movie Project Rebellion
*Madoka Magica: Rebellion* © Magica Quartet / Aniplex Inc., Madoka Movie Project Rebellion
Space Brothers © Chuya Koyama, Kodansha Ltd. / Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation, A-1 Pictures Inc.
*Space Brothers* © Chuya Koyama, Kodansha Ltd. / Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation, A-1 Pictures Inc.
Attack on Titan © Hajime Isayama, Kodansha Ltd., Attack on Titan Production Committee
*Attack on Titan* © Hajime Isayama, Kodansha Ltd., Attack on Titan Production Committee

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