May the Force be with you! Kilkenny wins big at Irish Animation Awards 2025

Kilkenny’s Cartoon Saloon scooped three awards at the 2025 Irish Animation Awards at the weekend.

The local studio won for Best Design and Art Direction, and Best Original Score for Star Wars: Visions Volume 2 Screecher’s Reach and Best Storyboarding for Silly Sundays. The Outstanding Contribution to Industry Award was presented to John Phelan, former Chair of the Irish Animation Industry and currently Commercial Director and Co-Founder of AdviseCPG.

The who’s who of Ireland’s globally renowned animation sector gathered at The Galway Bay Hotel, Galway, Ireland on Saturday May 24 for the ceremony. Nominees from Animation Ireland’s member studios travelled from across the country to celebrate creativity and innovation at this year’s ceremony, which was supported by Primary Sponsor Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland and opened by Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media Patrick O’Donovan.
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Dublin studio Turnip + Duck emerged top of the leaderboard with an impressive four award haul for their groundbreaking Maddie + Triggs series, which bagged Best Animated Preschool Series (up to 6 years old), Best Original Song, Best New IP, and Best Innovation Awards. Maddie + Triggs follows the adventures of a curious little girl and her doggy best friend who find music and adventure in everyday sounds. 
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Galway’s Moetion Films took home two Irish Animation Awards for The Magic Reindeer Saving Santa’s Sleigh, including Best Feature Film or Special, while fellow Galway studio Triggerfish Animation also bagged two awards on the night for their animated TV series Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire. Roscommon’s Studio Meala likewise exited with two Irish Animation Awards for the hit TV series Doodle Girl, with one going to young Dublin actress Aisling Walsh who claimed the Best Voice Acting accolade over a highly competitive Irish and international field.

Dublin studio Kavaleer Productions were honoured by peers and audiences alike with two awards for their superb series Boy Girl Dog Cat Mouse Cheese, winning Best Animated Kids Series (over 6 years old) as voted by the panel of industry judges, and then scooping the Kids Choice for Best Animated Kids Series (over 6 years old) as voted by the children of Hazelwood Integrated Primary and Nursery in Belfast. Also bringing two statues Liffeyside were Dublin’s Brown Bag Films who came out tops in the Best Script for a Feature Film or Special category for Lu and the Bally Bunch, while also winning the much-coveted Sustainability Champion 2025 Award. Two of Eimhin McNamara’s beautifully designed statues headed north to Belfast, one for ODO by Sixteen South and one for Paper Owl Film’s Nikhil and Jay.

Best Animated Short Film - Ireland went to Retirement Plan directed by John Kelly, with a script co-written by Tara Lawall and John Kelly. It tells the story of Ray who, in the throes of his overstimulated, energy poor midlife, fantasises about everything he’d love to do in retirement once he finally has the “time.” The film is voiced by Domhnall Gleeson. Japanese animator Saki Muramoto took home Best International Animated Short Film for A Night at the Rest Area. The short is set in a highway rest area at midnight, where weary travellers each quietly relax their minds. A brief moment spent with complete strangers is lonely yet somehow comforting.

Emerging Irish animation talent was firmly in the spotlight with IADT graduate James Naughton securing the Best Animated Student Film award for Every Other Weekend, which explores the experiences of children of divorce through a recollection of moments, memories, and vignettes.

"It’s been a challenging time for the industry since we last got together in 2023 and whilst we remain conscious of the difficulties facing our members, it is important that we celebrate and showcase the work and creativity of our professional Animation, VFX and Gaming communities," said Ronan McCabe, CEO Animation Ireland.

"We only get to do every two years so it’s with gratitude that we come together, with our friends and colleagues from this island and beyond, to share and celebrate the best our industry has to offer. Well done to all the nominees and congratulations to the winners." 

More than 328 entries were viewed and considered by an extensive Irish and international jury. Winners in each category received awards created by filmmaker, animator, and illustrator Eimhin McNamara. The statue resembles a Phenakistoscope which was an early animation device used to create an illusion of motion.

The Irish Animation Awards are a biennial event, celebrating more than 2,500 highly skilled animation professionals who make and create across the island of Ireland, from Dublin to Galway, Derry to Cork. Irish animated films and series are enjoyed by children and adults in 182 countries worldwide, with Irish animation studios and their workforces in huge demand internationally, valued for their creativity, craft, professionalism, and commitment.

The Irish Animation Awards 2025 are made possible with the support of Primary Sponsor Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, and RTÉjr. With thanks to Coimisiún na Meán, Enterprise Ireland, Cultural & Creative Industries Skillnet, Corpay, Northern Ireland Screen, TG4, Aon, Brophy Gillespie, Creative Europe Ireland Media, ERA, Gorilla Post Production, Nickelodeon, Milkshake, Menagerie Media Group, National Talent Academy for Animation, Toon Boom Animation and Tyrell.

www.irishanimationawards.ie