SVA Alumni Featured in 2026 Annie Award Nominations

One thing’s for sure—The School of Visual Arts knows how to produce some serious animation talent! The 2026 Annie Award nominations are out, and SVA alumni are all over it. From TV/media to feature animation, these talented folks are making waves in the industry.

Take Joe Bennett, for example, co-creator of Common Side Effects. His series, a thrilling tale about a pharmacological conspiracy, has earned him a Best Writing—TV/Media nomination. But that’s not all—his series is also up for Best TV/Media—Mature, Best Direction—TV/Media, and Best Music—TV/Media. Talk about impressive!

And let’s not forget about Dave Bleich, who’s being recognized for his stellar work on KPop Demon Hunters (2025) in the Best Production Design—Feature category. And Michael Giacchino, nominated for Best Music—Feature for his work as composer on Zootopia 2 (2025). These SVA alums are truly killing it in the animation world.

But it doesn’t stop there—Ian Jones-Quartey and Rebecca Sugar have made their mark in Best Writing—TV/Media with their show The Elephant. And let’s give a shoutout to Titmouse, the animation studio founded by Chris and Shannon Prynoski, with several of their productions up for awards across multiple categories.

And how about that VivziePop, aka Vivienne Medrano, creator of Hazbin Hotel? She’s got a nomination for Best Voice Acting—TV/Media. Talk about talent!

And last but not least, Marco Burbano and Patrick Yu Wang are representing with a Visual Effects Society nomination for their outstanding character work on Disney-Pixar’s Elio (2025).

Both the Annie Awards and VES ceremonies are happening at the end of the month, and we couldn’t be more excited to see these SVA alumni shine. Congratulations to all the nominees!