Satoshi Kon Winsor McCay Award Recipient 2020

The Winsor McCay Award, named for the most influential of character animation pioneers, was the first Annie Award established by ASIFA-Hollywood and is awarded to a maximum of three individuals annually in recognition of lifetime or career contributions in direction, animation, design, writing, voice acting, sound and sound effects, technical expertise, music, education, or for other endeavors which exhibit an outstanding devotion to and promotion of excellence in the art of animation.

SATOSHI KON
Satoshi Kon will long be remembered as a unique and visionary filmmaker. He was born in 1963 in Sapporo, Japan, and from his teenage years aspired to be an animator. A fan of the work of Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, Leiji Matsumoto, and Yoshiuki Tomino, he studied graphic design at Musashino Art University. While still in college, Kon began to work as a manga artist and before long moved into animation, working as a layout artist and animator for the film Roujin Z (1991). In 1993, after scripting an episode of the video series Jo-Jo’s Bizarre Adventure, he assumed the director’s chair for the 1997 animated thriller Perfect Blue. The film that is considered the first of Satoshi’s masterpieces, Millennium Actress, which he wrote and directed, was released in 2001. He followed that with the features Tokyo Godfathers (2003) and Paprika (2006), the television series Paranoia Agent (2004), and the short Good Morning (2008). He was also one of the co-founders, in 2007, of the Japan Animation Creators Association. It was a shock to his friends and the animation industry at large when Satoshi Kon was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2010. He died in August of that year, at the tragically young age of 46. His last work, the feature film Dreaming Machine, remains incomplete -- because, in the words of producer Masao Maruyama, assigning another director to reach for the artistry and thematic depth of Satoshi Kon’s original contribution would seem like “only an imitation.”

[mauricioflores]

Satoshi Kon has been the greatest filmmaker ever to walk this earth. Truly tragic he died at such a young age, yet he will forever be remebered and revered. Pure genius, RIP Satoshi Kon, the greatest ever undoubtedly

[projectfear]

R. I. P. Satoshi Kon. He looked like such a humble person and passionate director. I'm happy that he was also working on the storyboards as it cements his unique vision. Most directors just work with storyboard artists and then you can never be sure who envisioned what. Either way, Satoshi Kon will forever be a genius and irreplaceable.

[JeremyCoolDude]

There is something about this. I am not some sort of a conspiracy theorist, and I am not a superstitious person, however

It really does truly feel like those of us who are able to achieve a level of artistic expression many of us could only dream of, only to have their lives cut short.

[headachebaby]

Satoshi Kon...congratulations! We miss you. Millennium Actress is my favorite film from you and Chiyoko's theme song is filled with innocence and beauty that it makes me miss you more.

[Siddit]

That guy is my God. He inspires me Soo much 🙏💎✨

[cameronheggie]

i want to cry cause i love his movies
rest in peace you awesome legend
sorry for bad japanese but これらの素晴らしい映画をありがとう、今敏君の記憶に残ります
Korera no subarashī eiga o arigatō, ima bin-kun no kioku ni nokorimasu

[ggeonghe]

"Dreaming par pitié, rendez justice au maitre Kon... quelqu'un... Je prie pour que ses contemporains artiste, collegue, mentor et amis finissent le dernier film posthume de Kon... Otomo, Oshii, Kitakubo, voir meme Koji morimoto ou Kawajiri.... quelqu'un.

[leonardolopez]

Here is a list of people who I think should get the Winsor McCay Award at some point in time:

Jerry Beck
Tom Sito
Alice Davis
Don Hahn
Trey Parker and Matt Stone
Seth MacFarlane
Angela Lansbury
Kathryn Beaumont
Tom Ruegger
Bud Luckey
Alan Menken
Howard Ashman
Elton John
Tim Rice
Bill Farmer
Tony Anselmo
Randy Newman
Hans Zimmer
Russi Taylor
Wayne Allwine
Burny Mattinson
Oliver Wallace
Robin Williams
Steve Jobs (Co-founder of Pixar)
Tress MacNeille
Tara Strong
Jim Cummings
Dan Castellaneta
David Silverman
Peter Cullen
Frank Welker
Tom Kenny
Rob Paulsen
Billy West
Jeff Bennett
Kevin Michael Richardson
Jim Henson
Dee Bradley Baker
Maurice Lamarche
Nancy Cartwright
Kelly Asbury
Brenda Chapman
Chris Sanders
Dean Dublois
Sergio Pablos
Pete Docter
Andrew Stanton
Jeff Pidgeon
Jim Reardon
Vicky Jenson
Lee Unkrich
Phil Nibbelink
Lauren Faust
Mike Giaimo
Craig McCracken
Kirk Wise
Gary Trousdale
Jorge Gutierrez
Phil Lord and Christopher Miller
Jerry Rees
Arlene Klasky and Gábor Csupó
Chris Buck
Glenn McQueen
Hal Hickel
Rusty Mills
Tom McGrath
Bob Camp
Chris Reccardi
Paul Rudish
Joe Letteri
Dennis Muren
Gary Goldman
John Pomeroy
Chris Williams
Sylvain Chomet
Simon Wells
Jim Davis
Joe Alaskey
Kath Soucie
Jess Harnell
Peter Lord
David Sproxton
Peter Sallis
Bonnie Arnold
Yoshiaki Kawajiri
Leon Schlesinger
John Randolph Bray
Yoshiyuki Tomino
Richard Rich
Paul Grimault
Ted Nichols
William Reeves
Ed Catmull
Paul Terry
Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass
Steve Box
Byron Howard
Rich Moore
Tomm Moore
Chris Meledandri
Pierre Coffin
Chris Renaud
Clark Spencer
Darla K. Anderson
Brad Lewis
Chris Wedge
Carlos Saldanha
Don Hall
Fred Quimby
Scott Bradley
Chris Bailey
Mike Gabriel
Gary Rydstrom
Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss)
Matthew O’Callaghan
Randy Thom
Lee Harrison III
John DiMaggio
Hank Azaria
Grey DeLisle
Mark Hamil
Paul Smith
George Bruns
Irwin Kostal
Tim Conway