Animation Ireland has announced that Irish TV star Baz Ashmawy will host the 2023 Irish Animation Awards on Friday, 27th May.
The premier event in the Irish animation calendar will be hosting its first in-person awards show since 2019 in Salthill in Galway to celebrate the creative brilliance and talent of the Irish animation sector.
The awards are also now open for entries in 20 categories and candidates can view the application process and enter via www.irishanimationwawards.ie. The entry process will be open until 27th February.
Speaking about Ashmawy taking on the role of MC for the awards ceremony, Animation Ireland Chief Executive, Ronan McCabe, said: “We’re delighted to have Baz on board once again to host the awards ceremony. He hosted our virtual awards ceremony in 2021 and did an amazing job in illuminating and enlivening the whole event. We’re delighted that we are able to host this year’s ceremony in person for the first time since 2019. Once again, the talent and quality of productions this year has been immense. Entries for the awards are now open and candidates can enter via our website.’’
Winners of each category will receive a statuette designed by animator, film maker, and teacher Eimhin McNamara. The statuette resembles a Phenakistoscope, which was an early animation device used to create an illusion of motion.
Animation Ireland is the trade association for Ireland’s animation studios, representing 42 member studios, who employ more than 2,000 people nationwide. The sector has seen meteoric growth in recent years, with the sector now generating almost €200 million for the economy annually, as Irish animation projects are viewed in over 180 countries worldwide.
Click here for more details about the Irish Animation Awards.
Full List of Award Categories:
Best Animated Preschool Series (Up to 6 years old)
Best Animated Kids Series (Over 6 years old)
Kids’ Choice for Best Animated Preschool Series (Up to 6 years old)
Kids’ Choice for Best Animated Kids Series (Over 6 years old)
Best Animated Short Film
Best International Animated Short Film
Best Writer for an Animated Preschool Series (Up to 6 years old)
Best Writer for an Animated Kids Series (Over 6 years old)
Best Animation for Apps, Gaming and Interactive
Best Design and Art Direction
Best Director of an Animated TV Series
Best Animated Sequence
Best Music Design
Best Sound Design
Best Irish Feature Film or Special
Best Innovation
Best New Irish IP
Best Editing
Best Storyboarding
Best Animated Student Film
