Adventure Time, Mickey Mouse And TRON Artists Win Outstanding Individual Achievement Emmys

A few of our favorite animated projects and their creators were recognized by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences this week with awards for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation. Unsurprisingly Adventure Time's Andy Ristaino won for character design while the new Mickey Mouse short, "Croissant de Triomphe," earned artists Jenny Gase-Baker and Joseph Holt prizes in background paint and art direction, respectively. Of course the superlative work of Alberto Mielgo on TRON: Uprising was honored with an art direction trophy, which just makes the cancelation of that most impressive new adventure series sting all the more.

The full list of winners:

Adventure Time • Puhoy • Cartoon Network • Cartoon Network Studios
Andy Ristaino, Character Design

Disney Mickey Mouse Croissant de Triomphe • Disney.com • Disney Television Animation
Jenny Gase-Baker, Background Paint

Disney Mickey Mouse Croissant de Triomphe • Disney.com • Disney Television Animation
Joseph Holt, Art Direction

Disney TRON: Uprising • The Stranger • Disney XD • Disney Television Animation
Alberto Mielgo, Art Direction

Dragons: Riders of Berk • We Are Family (Part 2) • Cartoon Network • DreamWorks Animation
Andy Bialk, Character Design

The Simpsons • Treehouse Of Horror XXIII • FOX • Gracie Films in association with 20th Century Fox Television
Paul Wee, Character Animation

Unlike the awards given in the traditional Emmy ceremony most of us have seen on television, the juried categories like Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation do not include a nomination process, per sé, but a screening of all entrants by a panel of relevant professionals. More on this from the Emmy website:

Deliberations are an open discussion of the work of each entrant, with a thorough review of the merits of awarding the Emmy. At the conclusion of each deliberation, the jury votes on the question, "Is this entry worthy of an Emmy award — yea or nay?" Only those with unanimous approval win.

For those of you wondering why Warner Bros. Animation's routinely excellent DC Nation shorts didn't make the cut -- it's because we're talking about the Primetime Creative Arts Emmys. As they broadcast on Saturday mornings, the DC Nation shorts are only eligible for the Daytime Emmys, which honored Aardman Animation's "DC World's Funnest" with a nomination for Outstanding Special Class Short Format Daytime Program earlier this year.

The remaining animation awards will be given out September 15. The categories and nominees are as follows:

Outstanding Animated Program

 

Bob's Burgers (Episode: "O.T.: The Outside Toilet") (Fox)

Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness (Episode: "Enter the Dragon") (Nickelodeon)

Regular Show (Episode: "The Christmas Special") (Cartoon Network)

The Simpsons (Episode: "Treehouse of Horror XXIII") (Fox)

South Park (Episode: "Raising the Bar") (Comedy Central)

 

Outstanding Short-Form Animated Program

Adventure Time (Episode: "Simon & Marcy") (Cartoon Network)

Clarence (Cartoon Network)

Mickey Mouse (Episode: "Croissant de Triomphe") (Disney)

Regular Show (Episode: "A Bunch of Full Grown Geese") (Cartoon Network)

Robot Chicken (Episode: "Robot Chicken's ATM Christmas Special") (Cartoon Network)