CalArts alums nominated for awards

Five California Institute of the Arts alumni are nominated for Golden Globe Awards for their work and involvement in animated features and television series this year.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced its nomination for the Golden Globes, which recognize excellence in domestic and foreign film and television, Dec. 11

Three CalArts alumni are nominated for their work as directors in the Best Animated Feature category for “Moana” and “Zootopia.”

Alumnus and director John Musker, who graduated from CalArts in 1977 with a degree in Film/Video, is nominated for his work on “Moana.”

The animated film follows Moana, the daughter of a Polynesian tribal chief, as she searches for an ancient artifact with a demigod named Maui to save her people.

Directors Byron Howard and Rich Moore, who both graduated from CalArts in 1987 with degrees in Film/ Video, are also nominated in the Best Animated Feature category for their work on “Zootopia.”

The film, which won the Critic’s Choice Award for Best Animated Feature this year, tells the story of the investigation of a rookie bunny cop and a con-artist fox as they work together to solve a mystery in their city of anthropomorphic animals.

Both animated films were nominated for Annie Awards, an award for accomplishments in animation, this year.

In their category, the two animated films are going up against “Sing,” “My Life As A Zucchini” and “Kubo And The Two Strings.”

For their work as producers on “Transparent,” Zackary Drucker and Rhys Ernst are nominated with their fellow staffers in the Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy category.

Drucker graduated from CalArts in 2007 with a degree in Art and Ernst graduated from CalArts in 2011 with a degree in Film/Video. The two met while attending CalArts and collaborated before their work on “Transparent.”

The Amazon Studies television series follows the lives of a Los Angeles family after their father reveals that he is transgender.

This is the third year the television series is up for a Golden Globe in its category, which it won in 2015.

This year, “Transparent” is facing off against “Atlanta,” “Black-ish,” “Mozart in the Jungle” and “Veep” in the Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy category.

Winners for the Golden Globes will be revealed during the award show’s live airing Jan. 8 on NBC.