Secret of Kells wins top animation award

Irish animated film 'The Secret of Kells' has been named best European animated feature in a top awards ceremony.

The BBC stop-motion animation Shaun the Sheep won the title of best children’s series at the British Animation Awards.

The awards bash, held at the BFI Southbank in London and hosted by comedian Caroline Mabey, also saw aristocratic meerkat Aleksandr Orlov’s popular comparethemarket.com advert defeated by the Audi Q5 advert Unboxed in the best commercial director category.

In a good night for animation studio Aardman Animations, 'Shaun The Sheep: Ewe’ve Been Framed' beat 'Stitch Up Showdown' in the children’s series category, and Nick Park’s 'Wallace And Gromit: A Matter Of Loaf And Death' was voted “children’s choice” by pupils at Hazelbury Junior School in Edmonton, north London.

Other winners at the ceremony, which recognises British and European animation, included the computer game 'Beatles Rock Band'.

The biennial awards are judged by a jury of animation experts. They were joined this year by theatre director Jonathan Miller and comedian Mel Giedroyc.

Here is the full list of winners:

:: Best animated special – 'Lost And Found'

:: Best European animated feature – 'The Secret Of Kells'

:: Best pre-school series – Ben And Holly’s Little Kingdom: 'Big Bad Barry'

:: Best children’s series – 'Shaun The Sheep: Ewe’ve Been Framed'

:: Children’s choice – 'A Matter Of Loaf And Death'

:: Best short film – 'The Black Dog’s Progress'

:: Best sound – 'The Black Dog’s Progress'

:: Best film/TV graphics – Holland Animation Film Festival Title Sequence: 'Robin'

:: Best student film – 'Yellow Belly End'

:: New media: Best commissioned animation – Harmonix: 'The Beatles Rock Band - Intro'

:: Best music video – Flogging Molly: 'Float'

:: Best commercial director – Audi Q5: 'Unboxed'

:: Best commercial: craft – Audi Q5: 'Unboxed'

:: Applied animation – 'The Violent Highway'