14th Kobe Anime Award Winners Announced

The winners of the prestigious 14th Animation Kobe award for productions hailing from mid-2008 to mid-2009 have been formally announced.

Individual Award: Kunio Kato (director and creator of La Maison en Petits Cubes)
Special Award: Shun-ichi Yukimuro (screenwriter for Sazae-san, Ashita no Joe, Candy Candy, etc.)
Theatrical Film Award: WALL-E
Television Award: Higashi no Eden ~ Eden of the East
Network Award: Suzumiya Haruhi-chan & Nyoron Churuya-san
Theme Song Award: K-On! ending theme “Don’t Say ‘Lazy'”

The judging panel consisting of knowledgeable experts within Japan’s anime industry explained their decision to give the theatrical award to American animated film WALL-E “because there was no Japanese anime contender that was as ‘completely packed with the sheer enjoyment of cinema’.”

Source: Anime News Network