Ann Awards 2025 celebrates outstanding talent: Here’s the complete list of winners

The Animation & More (AM) Summit and Ann Awards 2025 concluded with a spectacular celebration of talent, creativity, and innovation in animation, bringing together the best of international and national animation. Across categories spanning programming, digital & OTT, technical expertise, technology, L&M, social media, and special awards, this year’s Ann Awards edition showcased the remarkable breadth of storytelling, artistry, and technical mastery.

The Ann Awards, entry-driven and adjudicated by an esteemed jury of national and international experts, recognised the finest animation projects of the year.

The esteemed members of the Ann Awards 2025 jury included:

• Anil NM Wanvari | Founder, Chairman & Editor-in-Chief, AnimationXpress
• Ashish Kulkarni | Founder- Punnaryug Artvision, Founding Director- IICT
• A.S. Krishnaswamy | Professor of Practice, Field of Animation
• Chaitanya Chinchlikar | Vice President & Business Head, Chief Technology Officer & Head of Emerging Media, Whistling Woods International
• Daisy Wall | VP of Content, WildBrain
• Jack Liang | Executive Producer, Vice President of International Business Development & Licensing, Board of Directors, Polygon Studios India and Polygon Pictures Malaysia; Executive Producer & VP – Int. Bus Dev, Polygon Pictures
• Javier González Alonso | CG Supervisor, Jellyfish Pictures
• Jeffrey Scott | Motion Picture / TV Writer-Producer
• Pradipto Sengupta | Character Effects Supervisor – DreamWorks Animation Studio, Board of Managers – VES – LA
• Sekhar Mukherjee | Professor/Programme Lead – Centre for Moving Image, Anant National University

Here is the full list of winners:

International

Best Use of AI in Animation
Supersub – The Magic Chalk

Best Animated Licensed Character
Shin Chan – Shin-Ei Animation, TV Asahi, ADK Emotions, Futabasha

Best Animated Brand Film
Dettol (Bangladesh) – Famous Digital Studios

Best Animated Short Film
Look Back – Avex Pictures

Best Animated Feature Film
Shin Chan: Our Dinosaur Diary – Shin-Ei Animation, TV Asahi, ADK Emotions, Futabasha

Licensing & Merchandising

Best Animated Series Merchandise
The Jungle Book, Season 4 – Powerkids Entertainment

Media Advertising & Marketing

Best Brand Collaboration
Ishqa (Pratilipi x Wild Stone) – Pratilipi Films

Best Animated Brand Film
ThumbsUp – Famous Digital Studios

Best Experiential Marketing
Jungle Book Mall Promotion – Powerkids Entertainment

Best Innovative Campaign
Kotak Mahindra Bank Campaign – Famous Digital Studios

Best Promo
Tata IPL 2025 Opening Graphics – Fairycows Animation Studio

Student

Best 2D Short Film

• Kaala Dora – Shruti Gajraj Ravidas, Whistling Woods International
• तहानलेली हाक – Apurv Anil Gautam, MIT Institute of Design

Best 3D Short Film
Parampara – Maya Academy Of Advanced Creativity (MAAC)

Social Media

Best Reel with the use of Animation
Gym Injuries Final Boss – Studio LKY

Best social media presence by an Animation platform/studio
Powerkids TV – Powerkids Entertainment

Best Animated social media content
The Happy Slate

Digital & OTT

Best Use of Animation in a Music Video
Captain Raaj (Title Song) – Carmond Infinity

Best Pre-School Series
Little Mowgli (The Rumble in the Jungle) – Powerkids Entertainment

Best 2D Animated Digital Series

• Creepy Candy – Toonz Media Group
• Kiya & Kayaan – Applause Entertainment

Best 3D Animated Digital Series
Legend of Hanuman – Graphic India

Best Animated Short Film
A Secret Playground – Wackytoon Studio

Programming

Best 3D Animated Series

• Adventures of Akira & Mowgli – Powerkids Entertainment
• Little Singham: Amrit K Rakhwale – Reliance Animation Studios & Warner Bros Discovery

Best 2D Animated Series
CID Squad – Sony Yay!

Best Animated Full-Length Feature Film
Chhota Bheem: Dholakpur to Hawa Hawaii – Warner Bros. Discovery | Pogo

Partners-Service

Best Title Song
Chhota Bheem in Samay Chakra – Gaurav Malani and Seema Malani

Best Preschool Show

• Morphle Electro Robofreeze – Green Gold Animation
• Press Start! – Assemblage Entertainment

Best Animated Digital Series
Folktales Of India – Prateek Sethi

Best Animated Series
Wolf King – Assemblage Entertainment

Best Animated TVC
Medimix Onam 2024 – Eunoians Studio

Best Lighting Artist
Arun Sundar Murugan – Mary Margaret Road Grader (Saffronic)

Best Storyboard Artist
Wackytoon Studio – Chhota-Startup Daadi’s Kitchen Episode

Best Layout Artist – Animation
Ankit Kumar Shrivastava – Trolls: Dance Battle (Saffronic)

Best Compositor
Syed Rahim – Trolls: Dance Battle (Saffronic)

Best Animated Short Film
An Almost Christmas Story – 88 Pictures

Best Animated Full Length Feature Film
Sneaks – Assemblage Entertainment

Best Animator – Female
Gunisetty Mani Deepika – Trolls Dance Battle (Saffronic)

Best Animator – Male
Haresh Ravindra Talekar – The Super Elfkins (philmCGI)

Best Partnered Animation Work

• Trolls – Stronger – Saffronic
• Wolf King – Assemblage Entertainment

Technical

Best Title Design
Bhool Chuk Maaf title sequence – Ghost Note Media

Best Title Song
Legend of Hanuman – Graphic India

Best Screenplay Writer

• Christabelle D’Souza – CID Squad (Sony Yay!)
• Dimple Dugar / Deepak SV – Rani Gaidinliu: The Iconic Woman North East India (JVD Films)

Best Dialogue Writer
Gaurav Malani & Seema Malani – Bittu Bahanebaaz

Best Character Design
Ravan in Legend of Hanuman – Graphic India

Best Lighting Artist
Omkar Basavaraj Kshirsagar – The Wonderful Adventures Of Suppandi (Zebu Animation Studios)

Best Voice Over Artist for a Series
Sharad Kelkar for Ravan – Legend of Hanuman (Graphic India)

Best Effects
ThumbsUp – Famous Digital Studios

Best Director of a Digital Series
Prashanth Chennoji – Captain Kidd and Friends (Paper Boat Apps)

Best Director of an Animated TV Series
Jeevan J. Kang & Navin John – Legend of Hanuman (Graphic India)

Best Director of an Animated Film:
Nandini Godara for House Arrest – Ghost Note Media

Best Animator – Male
Suvi Vijay – The Wonderful Adventures Of Suppandi (Zebu Animation Studios)

Best Producer
Manoj Mishra for Little Mowgli (The Rumble In The Jungle) – Powerkids Entertainment

Technology

Best use of AI
The Ayodhya Kanda (Event) – Wowtoons Media

Best Technical Innovation
Piece By Piece – Zebu Animation Studios

Special Awards

Best Anime Original
The Vrindavan Chronicles Anime – Jazyl Homavazir

Best Indian Cinema-Inspired Animated IP

• Scene Kya Hai: If Bollywood Was Real – The Happy Slate
• Little Singham: Amrit K Rakhwale – Reliance Animation Studios & Warner Bros Discovery

Best Syndicated Content
Dragonero: Tales of Paladins (Season One) – Powerkids Entertainment

Best Use of Animation in a Public Service Message
HPV Vaccine Awareness Campaign – Ghost Note Media & MAG Films

Best Showrunner
Atisha Penjore Bhutia – CID Squad (Sony Yay!)

Animation Personality of the Year
Anu Sikka

Young Animator of the Year
Debopom Chakraborty – Rasmalai

Best Indie Studio
Cartoonly Studios

Studio of the Year
Assemblage Entertainment

The ANN Awards 2025 highlighted excellence in storytelling, artistry, and technological innovation across both international and Indian animation landscapes. This year’s winners exemplify the imagination and skill that keep audiences inspired. From heartwarming short films to groundbreaking AI innovation, from unforgettable characters to full-length cinematic adventures, the Ann Awards 2025 proved that animation continues to be a boundless medium for storytelling.

The event was presented by Anime Times and Toyota, co-powered by Yotta. The gold partner circle features 88 Pictures, ARK, Maxon, Epic Games, and Unreal Engine, while silver partners included Redington, Autodesk, and Zebu Animation Studios. Datsi joined as the talent development partner and the associate partners were Fuji Film and Sony YAY!. PlayStation was the official gaming partner, with Powerkids Entertainment as the lanyards and badges partner.

Further enriching the summit, Shinchan:Spicy Kasukabe Dancers in India was on board as the delegate bag partner, Bright Outdoor Media as outdoor partner, and Jetro and MDEC as country partners. Industry partners included Captain Raaj, Huion, IICT, Toonz Media Group, Toonsutra and XP Pen. The festival partner is DigiCon6 Asia and the education partners are Atlas (ISDI), Arena FC College, Cosmos Creative Academy, Dr DY Patil School of Design, Frameboxx 2.0, ITM Skills University, Incube 8, KES College, MAAC, RJ College, Prime Focus Academy, Thakur College, MIT Art Design & Technology University, Mithibai College, Tron Education, Srajan College of Design, Veda Institute, Whistling Woods International and Zica.