British Animation Awards finalists announced

The finalists for the 2012 British Animation Awards have been announced and public voting for the UK's favourite animated character of all time has also kicked off.

Aardman'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 directed by Sumo Science also gained nods in the Best Commercial:Stop Motion and Best Commissioned categories.

Astley Baker Davies' Peppa Pig and Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom have three nominations between them and 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.

Studio A.K.A has gained four finalist places for its short film A Morning Stroll, the BBC Winter Olympic trail, the Meth Project animations and the Statoil: Goodnight Commercial. Nexus have two nominations for Back to the Start and 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.

In the national poll to find the UK's best loved animated character, members of the UK animation industry have created a shortlist that includes Wallace and Gromit, Aleksandr Orlov and Mr Benn. The poll will run on the BAA Facebook page from today with the winner announced at the British Animation Awards at the BFI Southbank on 15th March.

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."

Full List of BAA Finalists

Best Short Film

All Consuming Love (Man in Cat)
Director: Louis Hudson
Produced by Dice Productions

Spin
Director: Max Hattler
Produced by Autour de Minuit and Max Hattler

A Morning Stroll
Director: Grant Orchard
Produced by Studio A.K.A

Best Long Form

The Itch of the Golden Nit
Director: Sarah Cox
Produced by Aardman Animations for Tate and CBBC

Maska
Director: Quay Brothers
Produced by the Polish Cultural Institute in London and Se-Ma-For Studios Poland

The Gruffalo's Child
Director: Johannes Weiland and Uwe Heidshötter
Produced by Magic Light Pictures in association with Studio Soi

Best Preschool Series

Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom: Acorn Day
Directors: Neville Astley and Mark Baker
Produced by Astley Baker Davies Ltd for Channel 5, Nick Jr and eone Entertainment

Octonauts: The Blobfish Brothers
Director: Darragh O'Connell
Produced by Silvergate Media and Brown Bag Films for CBeebies

Peppa Pig: The New House
Director: Joris van Hulzen and Philip Hall
Produced by Astley Baker Davies Ltd for Channel 5, Nick Jr and eone Entertainment

Children's Choice

Bookaboo: Johnny Vegas
Directors: Lucy Goodman & Ian Emes
Produced by Happy Films for CITV

The Amazing World of Gumball: The Quest
Directors: Mic Graves and Ben Bocquelet
Produced by Cartoon Network, in association with Dandelion Studios, Boulder Media and Studio Soi for Cartoon Network

Peppa Pig: The New House
Director: Joris van Hulzen and Philip Hall
Produced by Astley Baker Davies Ltd for Channel 5, Nick Jr and eone Entertainment


Best Children's Series

The Amazing World of Gumball: The Quest
Directors: Mic Graves and Ben Bocquelet
Produced by Cartoon Network, in association with Dandelion Studios, Boulder Media and Studio Soi for Cartoon Network

Rastamouse: Da Missin' Masterpiece
Director: Derek Mogford
Produced by The Rastamouse Company for CBeebies

Ask Lara: Oh No! B.O.!
Director: Mercedes Marro
Produced by Red Kite Productions for BBC Scotland


Best Mixed Media Children’s Series

Get Squiggling!: Cat Episode
Directors: Mike Wyatt, Damian Hook and Adrian Hedley
Produced by Dot to Dot Productions Ltd for CBeebies

Baby Jake: Loves Tummy Sliding
Directors: Alan Shannon and Maddy Darrall
Produced by Darrall Macqueen Ltd for CBeebies

Bookaboo: Johnny Vegas
Directors: Lucy Goodman and Ian Emes
Produced by Happy Films for CITV

Best Music Video

Architeq: Into the Cosmos
Director: Darren Robbie
Produced by Chopsy Animation for Tirk Records

Liz Green: Displacement Song
Director: Kate Anderson
Produced by Dept A @ HSI London for Play It Again Sam

TV on the Radio: Second Song
Director: Mikey Please
Produced by Agile Films for Interscope Records 2011

Best Commercial: 3D

Kia Soul: This or That
Director: Antoine Bardou-Jacquet
Produced by Partizan/ Framestore for David & Goliath, Los Angeles

Statoil: Goodnight
Director: David Prosser
Produced by Studio A.K.A for McCann, Oslo

Coca Cola: Siege
Directors: Fx and Mat
Produced by Nexus/Framestore for Wieden + Kennedy

Best Commercial: 2D

Irn Bru: Pied Piper
Director: Dennis Sisterson
Produced by Sherbet for the Leith Agency

Toyota: Auto Biography
Director: Julia Pott
Produced by Saatchi + Saatchi, LA

Tempo: Bike
Director: Vida Vega
Produced by Film Club Productions for Publicis, London

Best Commercial: Stop Motion

Nokia:Dot
Director: Sumo Science
Produced at Aardman Animations for Wieden + Kennedy

Back to the Start
Director: Johnny Kelly
Produced by Nexus Productions for CAA and Chipotle

Knife Crime Animation
Director: Vicki Haworth & Harriet Buckley
Produced by ink.digital with MTP for the Leith Agency


Best Film/TV Graphics

Zurich Connects Idents: The Bill
Director Chris Ketchell
Produced by Not to Scale for Publicis, London

BBC Winter Olympics: Trail
Director: Marc Craste
Produced by Studio A.K. A

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1: The Tale of the Three Brothers
Directors: Ben Hibon & David Yates
Produced by Framestore/Warner Bros. Pictures & Heyday Films


Best Student Film

The Eagleman Stag
Director: Mikey Please
Produced at the Royal College of Art

I’m Fine Thanks
Director: Eamon O’Neill
Produced at the Royal College of Art

Thursday
Director: Mathhias Hoegg
Produced at the Royal College of Art


Best Commissioned Animation

Nokia: Gulp
Director Sumo Science
Produced by Aardman Animations for Wieden + Kennedy

Meth Project
Directors: Kristian Andrews, Grant Orchard and Steve Small
Produced by Studio A.K.A for Organic Inc

Pilsner Urquell Legends: The Day Pilsen Struck Gold
Director: Chris Randall
Produced by Second Home Studios for the Bank, London