criteria for entering

General criteria

1. Entries submitted for consideration must be from Irish productions* that were released (on theatrical, terrestrial, cable, satellite or digital channels including web-based broadcasters who commission content) between January 1, 2023 and December 31, 2024.

2. Repeat transmissions are not eligible.

3. Please include your nominees names in the ‘overview’ section, or the ‘cover page’ of your project.

4. IMPORTANT: Film Freeway is limited to one video file upload. Entries may be required to create more than one project file. Please download the category requirements for entering a snapshot HERE.

5. The IAAs will not accept entries without the correct submission material. Failure to meet the entry requirements will result in an automatically invalid application. Please read the entry requirements for each category, and ensure that you have all the necessary information and material before submitting.

6. Applications deemed to be invalid will not be refunded.

7. Once applications have been submitted the Irish Animation Awards are under no obligation to make refunds or change the application.

8. Submissions must be made by the producer or production company responsible for the project. For specific categories where submissions may come from individuals other than the producer (Best Script for an animated series), written permission from the producer or production company is required. This ensures that all submissions have the proper authorisation and alignment with the production's intentions.

9. A maximum of three nominated names may be submitted. Additional names will not be considered. Alternatively, a maximum of three company names may be submitted. Where appropriate, IAA will allow individuals to be credited alongside companies.

10. All categories are open to entries from projects produced anywhere on the island of Ireland, including both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The only exception is the Best International Short Film category, which is open to international submissions outside of Ireland.

11. All entries submitted to the IAAs must be the result of direct human effort and creativity. AI-generated or significantly AI-altered projects are not eligible for submission. Be aware that the IAA Committee reserves the right to disqualify any project which does not respect this rule.

Irish Productions*

Projects created and funded in Ireland. International Co-productions in which Irish studio has financial & creative stake. Service work with over 75% completed in Ireland (key creative roles must be based in Ireland).

Best Animated Preschool Series (up to 6 years old)

1. General entry criteria apply 

2. An animation project must have a minimum total runtime of 26 minutes. Eligible projects can include television series (or series for streaming platforms). For series, the combined runtime of all planned episodes must meet or exceed 26 minutes. Projects with a total runtime of less than 26 minutes are not eligible for consideration.

3. Full episode required for judging.

Best Animated Kids Series (over 6 years old)

1. General entry criteria apply 

2. An animation project must have a minimum total runtime of 26 minutes. Eligible projects can include television series (or series for streaming platforms). For series, the combined runtime of all planned episodes must meet or exceed 26 minutes. Projects with a total runtime of less than 26 minutes are not eligible for consideration.

3. Full episode required for judging.

Kids Choice for Best Animated Preschool Series (up to 6 years old)

1. General entry criteria apply 

2. An animation project must have a minimum total runtime of 26 minutes. Eligible projects can include television series (or series for streaming platforms). For series, the combined runtime of all planned episodes must meet or exceed 26 minutes. Projects with a total runtime of less than 26 minutes are not eligible for consideration.

3. This category will be judged by a national school as voted by the IAA committee.

4. Two classes will be chosen to represent younger children.

5. Full episode required for judging.

Kids Choice for Best Animated Kids Series (over 6 years old)

1. General entry criteria apply 

2. An animation project must have a minimum total runtime of 26 minutes. Eligible projects can include television series (or series for streaming platforms). For series, the combined runtime of all planned episodes must meet or exceed 26 minutes. Projects with a total runtime of less than 26 minutes are not eligible for consideration.

3. This category will be judged by a national school as voted by the IAA committee.

4. Two classes will be chosen to represent older children.

5. Full episode required for judging.

Best Animated Short Film- IRELAND

1. General entry criteria apply

2. Animated films must be 20 minutes or under (including credits).

3. Final, exhibited, on-screen credits are used to determine the eligibility of candidates for nomination and should be referred to when completing the online entry form.

4. The full film is required for judging.

5. Please note that student short films are not eligible to enter the Best Animated Short Film - Ireland category. This category is reserved for professional and independent projects only. 

Best International Animated Short Film

1. For entrants from countries outside the island of Ireland.

2. Animated films must be 20 minutes or under (including credits).

3. Final, exhibited, on-screen credits are used to determine the eligibility of candidates for nomination and should be referred to when completing the online entry form.

4. The full film is required for judging.

5. Please note that student short films are not eligible to enter the Best Animated Short Film - International category. This category is reserved for professional and independent projects only.

Best SCRIPT for an Animated Series

1. General entry criteria apply

2. Three entries per project per season will be accepted. Please contact production company for permission before submitting. In cases where multiple entries received for a project, final decision re: material to be reviewed is at producer’s discretion. Any entries not eligible will be refunded to entrant.

3. Writers of both original and adapted teleplays are eligible.

4. Eligibility is limited to the Writer(s) of the original teleplay or the Writer(s) credited with adapting the original source material: ‘story by’ or similar credits are not eligible.

5. An animation project must have a minimum total runtime of 26 minutes. Eligible projects can include television series (or series for streaming platforms). For series, the combined runtime of all planned episodes must meet or exceed 26 minutes. Projects with a total runtime of less than 26 minutes are not eligible for consideration.

6. A full episode and script (as PDF file) is required for judging. The script is to be uploaded to film freeway 

Best SCRIPT for a FEATURE FILM OR SPECIAL

1. General entry criteria apply.

2. Production must be an Irish production with a Min length of 70min for a feature film, Specials must have a runtime of a standard television half-hour.

3. Writers of both original and adapted teleplays are eligible.

4. Eligibility is limited to the Writer(s) of the original teleplay or the Writer(s) credited with adapting the original source material: ‘story by’ or similar credits are not eligible.

5. “Specials” animation project must have a minimum total runtime of 21 minutes. Eligible projects can include television special (or special for streaming platforms).

6. To qualify, the production must be from the island of Ireland, an official co-production with a production company based on the island of Ireland, or, for service productions, the writers must be contracted through a production company located on the island of Ireland.

7. A full video and script (as PDF file) is required for judging. The script is to be uploaded to film freeway.

Best Animation for Apps, Gaming and Interactive

1. General entry criteria apply

2. The proposed candidates for nomination should be those responsible for the most significant and outstanding contribution within the animation, generally the lead animators, character animators, and/or animation supervisors/directors.

3. The selection of craftspeople for nomination should accurately represent the proportion of work contributed by each craft to the project’s effects. Only animation craftspeople are eligible for nomination. The project’s producer(s) and senior supervisor(s) must be fully consulted during the selection process to determine who should receive credit.

4. Animation producers, coordinators and executives are not normally eligible unless it can be shown that they are also directly and creatively responsible for the effects achieved.

5. A showreel or sequence up to a maximum of 3 minutes is required for judging.

6. To submit to the Apps, Gaming and Interactive category please select option ‘Film/Video’

7. For interactive projects, please submit the following:

   • a playthrough of your project

   • a downloadable project link in the synopsis (or in a pdf as additional documentation).

8. Please note, judges will be using Oculus Rift headset for VR projects.

9. Please contact the IAA Coordinator if your project requires a different headset.

Best Design and Art Direction

1. General entry criteria apply.

2. A project showreel (min 5 minutes max 11min) or a full episode is required for judging.

Best DirecTION of an Animated TV Series

1. General entry criteria apply.

2. An animation project must have a minimum total runtime of 26 minutes. Eligible projects can include television series (or series for streaming platforms). For series, the combined runtime of all planned episodes must meet or exceed 26 minutes. Projects with a total runtime of less than 26 minutes are not eligible for consideration.

3. A project showreel (min 5 minutes max 11min) or a full episode is required for judging.

Best ORIGINAL SCORE

1. General entry criteria apply

2. Eligibility is limited to the composer(s) of the original score, responsible for the conception and execution of the work as a whole.

3. At least 60% of the music must be original to the project, with 80% originality required for sequels or subsequent series. If the primary composer contributed less than 50% of the original music, additional contributors who played a significant role in creating the soundtrack may also be considered for nomination. This ensures fair recognition of all major contributors to the original score.

4. Only the principal composer(s) or songwriter(s) responsible for the conception and execution of the work as a whole shall be eligible for an award. 

5. Expressly excluded from eligibility are all of the following: 

   1. partial contributors (i.e., any writer not responsible for the overall design of the work)
   2. contributors working on speculation 

   3. producers and/or arrangers not responsible for the creation of the original song or score 

   4. music supervisors

6. A showreel from the production is required for judging. (min 5 minutes max 11min).

7. Additional material: Where available, cue sheets should be provided for all programmes entered for this award, marked up to indicate which cues were originally composed for the programme and which were not.

Best ORIGINAL SONG

1. General entry criteria apply

2. An original song consists of words and music, both of which are original and written specifically for the project. There must be a clearly audible, intelligible, substantive rendition of both lyric and melody, used in the body of the project.

3. Only songs that are "original and written specifically for the project/ production" are eligible to win.

4. In cases such as sequels and franchises from any media, 80% originality is required for sequels or subsequent series. If the primary composer/ songwriter(s) contributed less than 50% of the original music, additional contributors who played a significant role in creating the soundtrack may also be considered for nomination. This ensures fair recognition of all major contributors to the original score.

5. Only the principal composer(s) or songwriter(s) responsible for the conception and execution of the work as a whole shall be eligible for an award.

6. Expressly excluded from eligibility are all of the following: 

   1. partial contributors (i.e., any writer not responsible for the overall design of the work)
   2. contributors working on speculation 

   3. producers and/or arrangers not responsible for the creation of the original song or score 

   4. music supervisors

7. A project clip from the production is required, it must be one song only with a max runtime of 5min.

Best Sound Design 

1. General entry criteria apply

2. A project showreel (min 2 minutes max 11 minutes) or a full episode if entering a TV Series is required for judging.

Best Feature Film or Special

1. General entry criteria apply

2. Specials must have a runtime of a standard television half-hour.

3. Production must be an Irish production with a Min length of 70min for a feature film, Specials must have a runtime of a standard television half-hour.

4. “Specials” animation project must have a minimum total runtime of 21 minutes. Eligible projects can include television special (or special for streaming platforms).

5. Full feature or special is required for judging.

Additional material

A copy of the film’s opening and closing credit rollers and/or card as they appear on the finished film (Word, Excel or pdf)

Best New IP

1. General entry criteria apply

2. This award is open to all new Irish IP that was originated and conceptualised on the Island of Ireland.

3. In the case of co-production the Irish production company must have been involved in the conceptualisation of the series. Work for hire/ Service Work series are not eligible for this category.

4. An animation project must have a minimum total runtime of 26 minutes. Eligible projects can include television series (or series for streaming platforms). For series, the combined runtime of all planned episodes must meet or exceed 26 minutes. Projects with a total runtime of less than 26 minutes are not eligible for consideration.

5. A project showreel (min 2 minutes max 11 minutes) or a full episode if entering a TV Series is required for judging.

Best Editing

1. General entry criteria apply

2. A project showreel (min 2 minutes max 11 minutes) or a full episode if entering a TV Series is required for judging.

3. The story reel clip can be displayed alongside its corresponding final released material or shown sequentially.

Best Storyboarding

1. General entry criteria apply

2. Submissions must include both a section of the script describing the story scene and the storyboard that visually represents that section of the script.

3. The entry should be no longer than 5 minutes, highlighting key moments that bring the scene to life while effectively conveying the intended narrative and emotions.

4. Additionally, a single PDF file containing each storyboard panel (one panel per page) must also be submitted.

Best Animated Student Film

1. Films may be entered by colleges or individuals.

2. Animated films must be 20 minutes or under (including credits).

3. Final, exhibited, on-screen credits are used to determine the eligibility of candidates for nomination and should be referred to when completing the online entry form.

4. The full film is required for judging.

Best VFX ANIMATION

1. General entry criteria apply

2. Covering all media including: TV, film, apps, games, TV commercials, corporate films.

3. Eligibility is limited to those individuals with primary creative responsibility for the animation achieved within the production.

4. Nominees for Best VFX should be those who made the most significant and outstanding contributions to the VFX animation, typically including lead VFX animators, character VFX animators, and/or VFX supervisors or directors. Only animation craftspeople are eligible for nomination in this category. The selection process must include full consultation with the project’s producer(s) and senior supervisor(s) to ensure appropriate credit is given to key contributors.

5. Animation producers, coordinators and executives are not normally eligible unless it can be shown that they are also directly and creatively responsible for the effects achieved.

6. A project showreel (min 2 minutes max 11 minutes) or a full episode if entering a TV Series is required for judging.

Best INNOVATION

1. General entry criteria apply, except for point 1: Projects must still have been completed after January 2023, but not necessarily released/published or broadcast.

2. Projects must include, but are not limited to, traditional animation, 2D animation, 3D animation, stop-motion animation, computer-generated animation or Real-Time game engine animation.

3. The projects must demonstrate which challenges or problems (within the production pipeline, distribution and/or audience experience) they are solving or have solved and highlight innovative aspects of the project and your approach.

4. Entrants must be the original creators of the animation project and all rights must be secured to submit it for consideration.

Additional material

1. A supporting document that describes how you believe your submission can make a positive impact on the industry, the Animation Art form or the production process. This document should be no longer than 1 A4 page.

2. In addition please supply one or all of the following:

   A link to project it if it is available online, on a platform or in a store. Or a video walk through of the project.

3. Stills, photographs and images can also be used to demonstrate the project innovation.

Note: Additional criteria or restrictions may apply, as determined by the award committee.

Best VOICE ACTING

1. General entry criteria apply.

2. The Best Voice Acting award honours outstanding vocal performances that bring animated characters to life with emotional depth, personality, and authenticity. Eligible entries must feature original voice performances created specifically for the project.

3. Submissions should demonstrate exceptional skill in voice acting, including clarity, expressiveness, and a strong alignment between the vocal performance and the character’s personality. Entries can include performances from a single actor or an ensemble cast; however, the primary voice actor(s) should be identified in the submission. Only projects produced on the island of Ireland are eligible for this award.

4. A project showreel (3 min max) is required for judging.