'Panda,' 'Rango' vie for top Annie Award

BURBANK, Calif., Dec. 5 (UPI) -- "Arthur Christmas," "Kung Fu Panda 2," "Puss in Boots," "Rango" and "The Adventures of Tintin" are up for Hollywood's Annie Award for Best Animated Feature.

Also nominated for the top prize in animation are "A Cat in Paris," "Arrugas," "Cars 2," "Chico & Rita" and "Rio."

"Kung Fu Panda 2" is up for 12 awards, while "Puss in Boots" and "Rango" were nominated for nine, "Winnie the Pooh" earned eight nods and "Cars 2" received seven nominations.

"All of the major animation studios are represented, as are some of the independent productions from Europe and South America," Frank Gladstone, president of ASIFA-Hollywood which bestows the Annie Awards, said in a statement Monday. "This certainly is a testament to the wide reach and appeal of animation and the people who create it."

Winners will be announced at the 39th annual Annie Awards ceremony Feb. 4 at UCLA's Royce Hall, in Los Angeles.